Chapter 412: He Won’t Hit Me

Lawson’s voice rang out, furious. “Isolde, do you realize the great sin of disrespect you are committing? Forget the laws of the kingdom; even according to our family’s rules, I could have you executed right here in front of the church.”

Isolde shrugged indifferently. “Lawson, you’re not seeing things clearly. I’ve already said it—I’m a businesswoman. If my father can’t be buried in the ancestral grave, then this grave has no meaning to me. I am married now, so my husband’s ancestral grave is what matters. If you’re so upset, I’ll sell it. Why are you all throwing a fit? I’m fair; anyone can buy it. If you have the money, feel free to come and negotiate.”

“You—” Lawson gripped his smoking pipe and started tapping it violently, his face twisted with rage. “How dare you? If you dare sell the ancestral grave, let’s see if you even make it out of Zrork City.”

Isolde’s smile faded, her eyes cold. “Threatening me? You, a mere commoner, threatening a Marquise of the Empire? What penalty do you think you deserve?”

Lawson, taken aback by her sudden shift in demeanor, was momentarily stunned. “You… How dare you speak to me like this?”

Isolde’s gaze turned sharp. “How dare you speak to me this way? I’ve come here calmly to discuss things with you, and not only are you rude, but now you’re threatening me. What penalty do you deserve?”

Finally, Vance emerged from the church, his voice full of fury. He pointed at her and shouted, “How dare you act out here in front of the church? There is no status of a County Princess here; everything is decided by seniority.”

“If we’re talking seniority, why don’t you go outside and pay your respects to my parents’ coffins before talking to me?” Isolde’s voice was sharp, her words cutting. “My father’s remains aren’t even cold, and yet you and Riley are scheming against him and his legacy. How many years did my father care for your entire family? The food you ate, the clothes you wore, even the entertainment at Vermelle Hall—it was all paid for by my parents’ wealth. If you had any decency left, you should be ashamed to even speak to me. You should be so ashamed that you’d crash your head into a wall.”

Vance, never a match for Isolde, stood there stunned. Her words cut him to the core, but he was too proud to show it. He stammered, “You… You dare slander me? How about you explain how you caused your grandmother’s death? Or how you manipulated Doug, that eunuch, into helping you rise to this position? You ungrateful wretch, if we don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll never learn your place.”

“Is that so? You want to teach me a lesson?” Isolde’s smile turned cold, and she moved quickly, advancing toward Vance. The sudden movement startled him, and he shouted, “Don’t come any closer! Stay back!”

From behind her, a voice jeered, “Oh, so it’s a woman causing a ruckus. Not even ashamed of her words. Always talking about brothels, fighting—just a wild girl clinging to a eunuch’s power. How dare you raise your voice here?”

Isolde turned to face the source of the voice and saw a middle-aged woman in a red floral cotton coat, with jade hairpins adorning her head, surrounded by a group of women. Her face was large and round, her body heavy with excess weight, and her eyes squinted into slits, almost invisible.

Jaime walked over to her. “Mother, what are you doing here?”

The woman who Jaime had just called “mother” was clearly Gage’s wife. Isolde feigned ignorance, asking, “And who might you be?”

The large woman raised her chin, sneering. “By seniority, I outrank you.”

“How rude of you,” Isolde said, as the skinny woman beside the large one snapped, “A wild girl with no manners, shouting like that in front of her elders! Today, I’ll teach you some respect.”

Johanna, her hands on her hips, marched forward, pointing a pudgy finger almost into Isolde’s face. “I heard you’re planning to sell the ancestral grave, huh? If you dare do that, I’ll tear your clothes off and hang you at the city gates. Let everyone see the disgrace you’ve brought on yourself.”

Isolde’s eyes flashed with ice-cold fury. “So, you’re accusing me of being disrespectful? How about the Langley family’s disgrace? My mother’s death, my family’s troubles—who among you helped us in Argentum? My mother bought the ancestral land with her own money, and now she can’t be buried there. Where’s the justice in that?”

Johanna waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t try to argue with me. The Langley family’s rules are clear. You’ll either bury your parents or leave with the coffin. If you dare sell the grave, I won’t hold back. Even if you’re a Marquise, here in the church, everything is under Lawson’s control. If you don’t follow the rules, I’ll have your husband dragged to the gates and made to explain himself.”

Lawson, Johanna’s father-in-law, stood by, silently watching.

Isolde’s expression turned dangerous. “If I sell the grave, you’ll tear my clothes off and hang me at the city gates? Is that what you want?”

Johanna scoffed, “You’re the one who caused your grandmother’s death, and now you’ve taken Vance’s inheritance. You deserve nothing but death. Hanging you by the city walls would be too kind.”

At this, Anthony, who had been waiting outside, couldn’t take it any longer. He stormed in, pointing at Johanna. “You fat hag! Say another word and I’ll tear your mouth off!”

The moment Anthony shouted, Johanna and the women surrounding her lunged at him, shouting, “You’ll tear our mouths off? Go ahead, hit us! I dare you. You soldiers are all the same, hitting women. Go ahead, do it!”

Several women pushed toward Anthony, even leaning their faces close, daring him to strike. Anthony stood frozen, his anger boiling over, but he was a soldier and refused to strike women.

Isolde, who had been ready to shout and make a scene to draw attention, hesitated when she saw how Anthony was being cornered. Seeing him nearly pushed into a corner, his hands protecting his head in a defensive posture, she sighed deeply. She grabbed a broom from the corner of the room and swung it at the group of women, shouting, “He won’t hit you, but I will!”

The chaos intensified as the women recoiled, screaming, and the tension in the air thickened.