Chapter 9 Michael Kowtows and Apologizes to Her
As Cressida walked through the door, Patrick's furious roar rang out.
"You ungrateful daughter, get down on your knees!"
"I raised you through all those hardships, and this is how you repay me?"
Cressida's expression remained unchanged. She pulled out a freshly written lawsuit from her sleeve and handed it over.
"Father, Mother, before you get angry, perhaps you should read my legal complaint first."
Patrick looked at it suspiciously, then his brow furrowed in shock.
"Everyone out!" At his command, all the servants retreated outside and closed the door.
The room instantly darkened, shadows falling across everyone's faces.
Only Cressida stood there, neither humble nor arrogant.
Clio, confused, took the lawsuit and glanced at it. She was so frightened that she threw the paper away.
"You actually want to voluntarily inform the authorities that you disguised yourself as a man to serve in the army in your father's place? Are you trying to destroy the entire family?"
Patrick: "Who gave you the nerve to disregard the lives of everyone in this household?!"
Cressida looked at them both, her lean and spirited face feigning anger and sorrow.
"Father, Mother, it's not that I want to harm the family. But if I don't speak up, and Michael lets it slip outside someday, that will be our true disaster."
"Nonsense!" Clio said sternly through tears, "Michael would never talk carelessly."
Cressida looked at her: "Today Michael came to me and said that if he hadn't been too young back then, it wouldn't have been my turn to disguise myself as a man to serve in Father's place."
Patrick's brow twitched as he exchanged glances with Clio.
Patrick and Clio occasionally discussed this matter in private, and Michael must have overheard. They hadn't expected him to repeat it to Cressida.
"Cressida, you deliberately provoked me just now!" Michael glared at her viciously.
Rose also said softly: "Michael has always been sensible. He must have been really upset. When sister isn't home, I've never heard him say such things. It must be a misunderstanding."
Clio shook her head: "You pushed your brother too far."
Cressida looked at Patrick: "Father, it doesn't matter if he complains to me in private. I'm his sister, I can be understanding."
"But Michael has now been hired by the Guard Office. If he has a bright future ahead, he'll eventually join the Doyle Guard in the palace, serving beside the King."
"He's so careless with his words now. If he lets something slip in front of the King later, our entire Hamilton family will have to pay the price with him!"
Hearing that the Hamilton family's reputation and prospects could be affected, Patrick immediately panicked.
He scolded Michael: "How dare you say such things! Do you have a death wish?"
Michael: "Father, she deliberately provoked me, that's why I spoke without thinking!"
"So when provoked, you just say whatever? If someone sets a trap for you outside, will you gamble with the lives and futures of the entire household?"
After saying this, Cressida looked at her family: "Rather than let him cause trouble, I might as well go inform the authorities now. I'll take responsibility for my own actions."
Seeing Cressida about to leave for the authorities, Patrick quickly stepped forward, tore up the lawsuit in a few swift moves, and threw it into the fire basin.
Cressida looked surprised: "Father?"
Patrick's face darkened as he looked at Michael: "This is your fault. Kowtow to your sister and apologize."
"I apologize to her? Father, she's the one who hurt me and beat me up like this!"
Clio: "Patrick, what did the Hamilton family do wrong?"
"Apologize now! Don't make me say it twice." Patrick's voice was harsh and stern.
Michael was, after all, only seventeen. Seeing Patrick glaring with fierce eyes and overwhelming presence, he had to grit his teeth.
"I'm sorry." His voice was barely audible.
Cressida looked at him without speaking.
Patrick frowned: "Kowtow and apologize!"
Michael's eyes reddened. Ever since the Hamilton family accumulated military achievements, he had been praised wherever he went.
When had he ever suffered such humiliation?
Seeing him so humiliated, Cressida recalled her past life and found it utterly ridiculous.
In her previous life, shortly after returning home, Michael had also tried to fight her.
Back then, she had been extremely accommodating, afraid of hurting him or damaging his self-esteem.
Who knew that after beating her once or twice, Michael thought himself exceptionally skilled.
Whenever he was upset, hit obstacles outside, or was outshone by someone better, he would come home and pick fights with Cressida.
In this life, she finally understood—the more she yielded to him, the more arrogant he became, satisfying his pitiful competitive spirit by beating her up.
They were the ones most afraid of her disguise being exposed. If Cressida meekly hid the secret, they would be even more unrestrained.
Instead, by acting ready to sacrifice herself at any moment, she had frightened them.
Under Patrick's pressure, Michael kowtowed: "I'm sorry."
Clio felt heartbroken and quickly pulled him into her arms: "That's enough, enough!"
Only then did Cressida speak, her tone flat: "Michael, you're my own brother. I believe those words weren't your true intention."
"If it falls into my hands, everything's fine. But if you cause trouble outside, that would be adding problems for Father and Mother."
With that, Cressida bowed to Patrick and Clio, then turned and left.
As soon as she left, Clio said: "She's too cunning, using her achievements to manipulate us."
Michael: "Father, send her away! I never want to see her again."
"She has Princess Russell's favor now. You can't send her away even if you wanted to. All you do is cause trouble!" Patrick pressed his temples, extremely displeased.
He gave a strict order: "If we push her too far and she goes to the authorities, it won't be good for any of us. Wait until things calm down, then we'll find a way to send her away. But until then, if anyone causes trouble, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Patrick left after giving his instructions.
Rose said: "Sister is Father's biological daughter after all, so he favors her a bit."
Michael's sensitive heart was stung, and he cursed: "Cressida is a disaster who has Father completely fooled!"
"If your father hears you, he'll be angry again. I really gave birth to a troublemaker. Since she came back, I haven't had a moment's peace."
Rose massaged her temples: "Mother, don't worry. You still have us."
Clio said nothing, but was already scheming in her mind.
If worst comes to worst, find Cressida a good family and marry her off far away. That wouldn't be treating her badly.
A daughter's marriage is naturally decided by her parents.
If she's unwilling, knock her out and send her away—no one could find fault with that.
Once Cressida is gone, they can gradually erase her existence, and Rose's position in the household will be more legitimate.
Rose needs to get her name on the Hamilton family registry as soon as possible.
With this thought, Clio held Rose's hand: "No matter what she does, we must first get your name registered under mine."
Although it's adoption, they still need to open the ancestral hall and add her to the family registry for her to truly be family.
Rose looked worried: "Will sister disagree?"