The Swordswoman’s Revenge Story After Rebirth

Chapter 20: Duke Is Furious

Isolde slowly lifted her blood-red eyes. “Out of my way.”

The butler’s smile curled sinisterly. “My lady, this estate still belongs to the Duke. Forgive me, but I obey only his commands.”

“I’ll say it one last time—stand aside!” Isolde’s voice rang sharp as steel, laced with fury.

Unmoved, the butler seemed almost to relish provoking her. “I have my orders. Helena must not leave here alive. Put her down, and I’ll step aside.”

Isolde’s hand snapped to her Flowing Cloud Whip. With a flick, the whip cracked through the air and struck the butler squarely across the head. He didn’t move, though blood streamed down his brow. His grin was ghastly. “You’ll regret this, Miss Langley. I’ll see to it.”

Slowly, he retreated, as if his sole purpose had been to take the blow. Isolde knew well enough the schemes these people played, but her fury burned too brightly to care. She gathered Helena into her arms and carried her back to the Pearl Tower.

No sooner had she settled the girl than hurried footsteps and murmuring voices sounded outside. “Your Grace. I tried to stop her, but Lady Isolde lashed me with her whip—without a word…” The butler’s voice dripped with feigned grievance.

Isolde stepped out, leaning casually against the doorway. She watched as her father, Geoffrey, and Matilda entered the courtyard. Behind her, Eleanor peered out, smug triumph flickering in her gaze.

“Father,” Isolde greeted coolly. Her face was pale, her injuries evident, but her eyes shone with defiance.

“You dare show your face here?” Geoffrey’s voice thundered with restrained anger.

“Why not?” Isolde replied softly, her tone sharp and mocking. “Isn’t this my home?” Her gaze swept the gathered crowd. “It’s rare to see so many faces at my tower. A grand spectacle indeed—more fuss than since my return.”

“Where were you last night?” Geoffrey demanded. “What disgraceful deeds have you committed now?”

Isolde’s lips curled in a humorless smile as she limped forward, her injured leg dragging faintly. “Why ask, Father? Haven’t you already passed judgment?”

Geoffrey’s anger deepened, but Matilda quickly intervened, her voice practiced and soothing. “My Lord, don’t let your anger blind you. Isolde’s nature is willful; pressing her too hard will only make matters worse.”

Geoffrey drew a sharp breath. “The Marquis has dissolved the engagement,” he said coldly. “But out of respect for the life you once saved, I’ve convinced them to take you as a concubine.”

Isolde’s fingers clenched, her knuckles pale. “A concubine? If I won’t marry him as his wife, why would I stoop so low?”

“It’s not your decision to make,” Geoffrey snapped. “Set aside last night’s shameful display. There’s still the matter of Mary. She served you loyally for years—your mother’s own maid—yet you killed her over some petty slight. How dare you?”

Isolde let out a hollow laugh, her voice raw with contempt. “I have one mother, and she’s long dead. If killing Mary was unjust, then send me to the High Court and let the magistrates decide.”

“You’re insufferable!” Geoffrey’s rage flared. “I’ve shown you patience you don’t deserve. Yet you repay me with this insolence: dragging your mother’s name into this disgrace? You’ve brought her nothing but shame!”

Isolde’s expression softened, though her voice remained steady. “Do you think I want to invoke her memory? What choice do I have, Father? Without her, would you care for me at all? I’ve been poisoned by servants, displaced by your wife’s niece, and cast aside as though I were nothing.” She added, “I have no allies here, no future—only a dead mother and a father who never once looked out for me.”

She leaned against a tree, her pale face unmoved by the shock and anger in his eyes. “If my mother were alive, her heart would break to see what’s become of me. But if she were here, I wouldn’t have fallen this far.”

Geoffrey’s voice turned ice-cold. “Your opinions change nothing. You eloped, disgraced this family, and the Marquis’s offer is your only path forward. I’ve paid handsomely to silence the scandal. In time, it will fade. You’d do well to stop this nonsense before you embarrass me further.”

Isolde’s smile was faint, bitter. “Is that what you tell yourself? That breaking the engagement saves your reputation? Very well—do it. But remember this, Father: if I choose to ruin the wedding, if I drag you to the palanquin myself, neither you nor the Marquis will walk away unscathed.”

When Geoffrey heard this, his face flushed with rage, his beard trembling. “How dare you?”

Isolde’s expression remained steady, unshaken. “I dared to take lives—what is there left to fear? It took me two years to realize this: no matter how obedient or meek I was, your approval would never come. Why endure it any longer? If rebellion is my only freedom, then let me embrace it. If I must die, I’ll die on my own terms.”

Geoffrey stared at her, stunned by her audacity. Suppressed fury now burst forth, his voice thundering. “You insolent wretch! Your mother warned me about your defiance, and she was right. Had you quietly accepted the marriage and entered the Marquis’s household as a concubine, I might have overlooked last night’s disgraceful conduct. But no—you flaunt your arrogance and challenge my authority! If I don’t enforce discipline, they’ll mock this house for its failure to keep order.”

Isolde tilted her chin defiantly, her eyes glinting with bitter mockery. “Father, you knew I didn’t return last night. You see my wounds, yet you don’t ask if I’ve been wronged. Instead, you pretend civility while forcing me to submit. I refused, so now you accuse me. You’re a fine father indeed.”

She stood tall despite her smaller stature, her voice sharp as a blade. “Wouldn’t it have pleased you more if I had died out there last night?”

Geoffrey’s hands trembled with anger. “Shameless to the end! You’ve no remorse, no shame for your actions. How could a creature like you be born of my blood? Fine! Tell me then—where were you last night? What vile deeds did you commit?”

Her voice turned cold as winter steel. “I went to Wolf Mountain. To the bandits’ den. I killed dozens.”