The Mad Princess and the Dying Prince novel Chapter 49

This maid was named Bertha.

When Celia first grabbed her, Bertha nearly fainted from terror, but catching sight of the bandages wrapped around Lucia's head sparked a sudden flare of brazen courage.

That's right, Lady Lucia was just a country bumpkin raised in the dirt. She had no favor in this house. What was there to be afraid of?

Bertha violently wrenched herself free, standing tall and glaring at Celia.

"This is House Beaumont! You're just an outsider, you bitch, don't get arrogant with me!"

Still, Bertha kept her distance. She was slightly wary that Celia might actually be an agent of Prince Jareth, otherwise she would have lunged forward to scratch the maid's eyes out.

Lucia's voice dropped to a glacial whisper. "Strike her mouth."

"Yes, my Lady!" Celia responded instantly.

With a flick of her boot, she kicked a heavy wooden ladle up from the ruined floor, caught it, and swung the solid back of the wood directly into Bertha's face.

Smack!

Agonizing pain exploded across Bertha's jaw. The copper taste of blood flooded her mouth, and her tongue probed a freshly loosened front tooth.

She immediately collapsed, wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Lady Lucia is letting a savage beat me! Oh, heavens, it hurts—"

The rest of the kitchen staff stood frozen in horror.

Initially, they had been shocked by Lucia's accusation about the spit—they genuinely hadn't known about it!

But watching Bertha's guilty, defensive outburst, they instantly realized the scrawny maid had actually done it.

They had worked alongside Bertha for years in the Beaumont kitchens; they knew her tells. If she wasn't guilty, she wouldn't have reacted that way.

Before they could process that revelation, they were paralyzed by the sheer, unbridled brutality of Lucia and her maid.

Matron Cassia shrank back.

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