Chapter 291 Calculating Against Her
Amelia's smile widened as she took the initiative to hold Harper's hand.
"I'm glad we cleared things up. We're family, we can't let bad feelings come between us."
The smile on Harper's face returned to its natural state.
She said with a smile, "Of course, how could family members have bad feelings? Besides, I'm the one who wronged you. Anyway, what's with the servants here? You've been here for a while now and they haven't even given you water. They really should be punished."
A servant immediately came over to ask Amelia what she'd like to drink.
"Just water is fine."
Harper added, "And make me a cup of coffee."
"Yes, ma'am." The servant responded and went to prepare.
Harper then took Amelia's hand again and said, "Don't just stand there, let's sit and chat. I'm actually planning to visit Goldenvale next month. Since you're from there, tell me what fun things there are to do."
As she spoke, she led Amelia toward Madeline's eighteenth-century chair.
Amelia could already hear footsteps upstairs.
It must be Madeline coming down.
A barely noticeable smile curved at the corner of her lips as she walked toward that chair that symbolized status and position, following Harper's lead.
"Go ahead and sit." Harper said while glancing sideways at the spiral staircase.
She spotted a flash of pale yellow.
It was Madeline's newly purchased dress.
Her smile deepened.
Turning back to see Amelia still standing, she placed both hands on Amelia's shoulders and pressed down with moderate force, trying to make her sit.
But the next second, Amelia suddenly twisted her wrist, grabbed her arm, stepped to the side, pulled Harper, and pushed her toward the chair.
Caught off guard, Harper lost her balance and was pushed down, landing on the chair with a thud.
She jolted and immediately tried to stand up.
But her shoulders were held down by Amelia.
"Are you okay, Harper? I accidentally pulled you just now. Let me check if you're hurt anywhere."
Amelia's grip was strong, and Harper couldn't stand up for a moment.
She panicked.
"Let go of me!"
She raised her hand to hit Amelia's arm.
But at that moment, Madeline's cold shout rang out, "Harper! What are you doing?"
Her voice was icy and clearly angry.
In that moment, Harper's scalp tingled.
Amelia released her grip and greeted Madeline, "Grandmother."
With the pressure gone from her shoulders, Harper immediately stood up from the chair, frantically explaining, "Grandmother, it's not what you think."
Madeline ignored Amelia's greeting and simply instructed Tobias, "Slap her!"
"Yes."
Tobias stepped forward to Harper without hesitation and delivered a slap across her face.
Harper's face turned to the side from the force.
But she didn't dare show any dissatisfaction, only explained with reddened eyes, "Grandmother, I didn't want to sit. She pushed me."
Before she could finish, Amelia interrupted, "Grandmother, it's all my fault. Please don't blame Harper. It's not that she was rude, sitting before the guest. Actually, she wanted to invite me to sit, but she accidentally hurt me. I learned Combat Arts before, so I instinctively pulled her, and that's how she accidentally sat down. Besides, I'm not really a guest. Whether she sits first or I sit first, it's the same thing."
Amelia's words revealed two things.
First, she didn't know the rule that only Madeline could sit in that chair, and thought Madeline was angry because Harper sat down before the guest did.
Second, Harper had just tried to make her sit in that chair.
Harper was both panicked and angry, so angry that her face twitched.
She looked fearfully at Madeline.
But Madeline's expression actually softened a bit.
"Go upstairs and reflect on your actions. I don't want to see you today."
Harper was confused.
Why wasn't Madeline angry anymore?
But Tobias nearby understood.
What made Madeline angry was that Harper had voluntarily sat in the chair that belonged only to her.
Now, after hearing Amelia's explanation, she knew Harper hadn't meant to sit there, but was trying to set up Amelia, so she wasn't as angry.
Compared to voluntarily sitting in that chair, trying to frame Amelia made Madeline less angry.
Harper quickly went upstairs.
Only then did Madeline turn her gaze to Amelia's face.
Among her children, Natalie had the most perfect looks, and Amelia had clearly inherited Natalie's best features—she was very beautiful.
Even among her three granddaughters, the prettiest one, Harper, became a complete afterthought next to Amelia.
She felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Sit down and talk."
Amelia thanked her and was about to sit in Madeline's chair that looked like a work of art.
Madeline's eyelids lifted as she quickly said, "Don't sit there!"
Amelia looked at Madeline with confusion.
"What's wrong, Grandmother? Didn't you just tell me to sit?"
Madeline's chest heaved a few times as she looked at Tobias.
Tobias had already told Amelia about that chair.
Seeing Amelia's reaction now, his expression didn't change much. Acting as if he'd never told Amelia anything, he calmly explained, "Amelia, this is the master's seat. It's exclusively for the head of the household."
Amelia looked like she suddenly understood, but the next moment, her delicate eyebrows drew together as she asked Tobias, "Does everyone in the family know this rule?"
"Of course."
Amelia then said, "So that means Harper was trying to get me in trouble just now?"
She looked at Madeline again and said, "Grandmother, this is my first time visiting. I didn't know Harper had such intentions toward me. You have to stand up for me. Otherwise, if word gets out, people will say your granddaughter has no manners."
Madeline's face twitched.
Amelia looked as sweet as a cat, but was actually a cunning fox.
Amelia had clearly seen through her indulgence of Harper.
Beside them, Tobias' gaze toward Amelia also changed.
Not with disgust, but with surprise and delight.
Natalie was a gentle person who, because of her good nature, could be pushed around by anyone—except when it came to marriage, where she was frighteningly stubborn.
And Amelia had completely inherited that one bit of stubbornness in Natalie's bones.
Madeline's hand with the bracelet clenched tightly, and two seconds later she said, "I'll talk to her."
Amelia looked at Madeline with shock and grievance.
"Grandmother, she schemed against me like that, and you're just going to talk to her?"
Madeline was already very annoyed.
She stared at Amelia and asked, "It's just a small matter. I've already punished her. Do you have to be so aggressive? Is this how your mother taught you?"
Amelia's expression grew more aggrieved.
"I was lost as a child and didn't grow up with my mother, so there are many rules I really don't understand. But your favoritism really breaks my heart. Since Grandmother dislikes me so much, I'll just leave."
As she spoke, she wiped away non-existent tears and took a step to leave.
After just one step, she heard Madeline say, "This was indeed Harper's fault. I'll punish her by not letting her eat for three days. Are you satisfied now?"