Chapter 849

Rebecca lounged on a luxurious chaise, her eyes like icy daggers. “Kneel!” she commanded, her voice sharp and cold. Amelia dropped to her knees without hesitation. Instantly, a slap landed on her cheek, accompanied by a vicious curse. “Why didn’t you die out there? What are you doing back here? Threatening to take your own life? You’ve got some nerve!” Rebecca shrieked.

Tara intervened. “Madam Rebecca, please calm down! Madam Amelia knows she was wrong. Let’s not make things worse for your health.”

Without a word, Rebecca picked up a nearby cup and hurled it at Amelia’s head. “Now she knows she’s wrong? When she was causing all this chaos, did she even think about her mistakes? She’s brought disgrace to our family! Get out of my sight! Kneel at the courtyard gate until tomorrow! You don’t stand until I say so!”

The cup shattered on the floor. Warm liquid mixed with the blood dripping from Amelia’s forehead. Seeing the blood, Tara sighed. “Quickly, Madam Amelia, go kneel outside. Don’t let Madam Rebecca see you here.” Tara hoped to prevent further punishment.

Amelia remained silent, rising and walking outside to kneel at the courtyard gate. Rebecca was stunned with anger. “Look at her attitude! Just look at her!”

After several attempts to calm Rebecca, Tara hurried outside to Amelia with a soft cushion. It was a cold day, so Rebecca was less likely to come out. “What are you waiting for? Come here and tend to Madam Amelia’s wounds,” Tara instructed a maid.

Amelia remained motionless, a marionette allowing them to fuss over her. Her head was lowered; her eyes were dull, feeling neither cold nor pain. “Stay kneeling for now, Madam Amelia,” Tara said gently. “After dinner, I’ll plead your case with Madam Rebecca, so you can go back and rest.”

Noticing Amelia’s silence and distress, Tara observed her clothes. The fabric was decent, but old. Tara realized that since Carissa left the Warren family, Amelia hadn’t bought new clothes.

“It will all get better,” Tara sighed, before heading inside.

Charlotte had learned of Amelia’s bridge incident the previous night and had cried all night. That morning, her head was heavy, causing her to nearly fall. A maid rushed to support her back to bed and summoned a physician, who diagnosed a chill and liver strain caused by sadness. She needed rest.

Throughout the day, Charlotte repeatedly asked about Amelia. The maid confirmed her return but withheld the full truth, simply saying she was unwell and resting.

Charlotte sighed. “The river water is so cold. How could she not get sick? Such foolishness! How could she be so reckless? If Carissa hadn’t gone after her, she might have died!” Her voice was congested; her nose was blocked. Servants prepared hot water to clear her sinuses.

“Let her rest. Once I feel better tomorrow, I’ll go see her,” Charlotte said, lying back down. After the steam cleared her nose, her mind felt less foggy, but unease lingered. Thoughts of the previous night sent shivers down her spine.

When Gregory returned, Charlotte grasped his hand. “Even though we don’t usually involve ourselves in the first branch of the family’s affairs, someone nearly died this time. As his uncle, you should speak to Benjamin and remind him to treat his wife better. He shouldn’t keep throwing her at his mother’s mercy.”

Gregory valued his wife’s opinion. After dinner, he spoke to Benjamin. Unaware of Amelia’s kneeling, he met Benjamin in the outer courtyard.

Benjamin assured his uncle that he would treat his wife better once his mother calmed down.

Gregory was dissatisfied. “Your devotion to your parents is commendable, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of right and wrong. What do you mean you’ll treat your wife better after your mother calms down? Why can’t you treat her well now?”

Benjamin smiled bitterly. “I know I was wrong, but you also understand how important reputation is in court. If word about my devotion gets out and reaches the king’s ears, my prospects for promotion will be bright.”

Gregory furrowed his brow. “Stop thinking of these twisted ideas. What does your father say?”

“My father doesn’t interfere. As long as the household is peaceful, he is content,” Benjamin replied. Gregory felt he was meddling, since Benjamin’s brother wasn’t intervening. Still, he added, “Since you’re a husband, you must take responsibility for your wife.”

This revised version corrects grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure for clarity and flow. The number "1-847" appears to be an error and has been removed.