Chapter 4

Clara stood among several noblewomen, holding Arthur in her arms.

Margaret had been forced into a corner, her arms twisted behind her back and bound. Her hair was disheveled, and blood soaked the sleeve of her dress and dripped from the fabric. She had clearly been beaten.

"How utterly outrageous! She actually dared to abduct the Marquis' heir!"

"A vile servant like her deserves to be beaten to death!"

The women were furious. Some even stepped forward to kick Margaret.

I rushed forward and shielded her with my body. When I saw the injuries covering her, my voice caught in my throat. "Margaret..."

"My Lady, please go. Don't come any closer. Be careful... His Lordship will punish you."

Even now, she was still worried about me. Tears streamed down my face. I reached to untie her, but a tremendous force suddenly yanked me away.

"Penelope! The evidence proves that this servant abducted the heir. Stay away from her." Gideon's voice was cold.

"The heir?" I stared at him as though I'd just heard the most absurd joke in the world. "I gave birth to a daughter. What heir are you talking about?"

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Clara hurried forward. "Penelope, your child is right here. Don't be afraid..."

She bent down and held Arthur out to me.

I recoiled as though he carried the plague and shoved him away. "Get away from me! I don't want to see him! I gave birth to a daughter. Amelia! You stole my child and replaced her with this ungrateful wretch, and now you're trying to twist the truth and claim he's the heir?"

Gideon's face turned livid. He strode forward and seized my wrist. "Penelope! Have you lost your mind?"

"I haven't! Give Amelia back to me, or I'll expose everything between you and Clara!"

Clara froze. Her voice trembled as heartbreak filled her face. "W-What are you talking about? Penelope, have you misunderstood me?"

She turned to the others. "Please forgive her. Penelope suffered severe bleeding during childbirth and barely survived. Unfortunately, she developed hysteria afterward. She can no longer recognize the people around her. She can't even recognize her own child—"

"You're lying!" I screamed and shoved her hard.

"Clara!" Gideon rushed forward. When he saw that Clara had struck her head while protecting Arthur, his eyes turned bloodshot. "Guards! Margaret abducted the heir. Give her 20 lashes!"

"No!" I tried to shield Margaret, but the guards pinned me down. All I could do was watch helplessly as they tied her to a wooden bench. "Let Margaret go... Let her go!"

The moment the words left my mouth, a military baton crashed down on her back. Blood immediately seeped through her clothes. After only 3 strikes, she fell completely silent.

I broke down sobbing, but the people around me only frowned in disapproval.

"Her Ladyship truly has gone mad. She's actually protecting the wretched servant who tried to abduct her own son."

One woman stepped forward. "My Lord, hysteria is easy enough to cure. My cousin suffered from the same condition once.

"Bring in a physician and have him stick a few needles into her. Then beat her hard with a board. Once she's frightened enough, she'll naturally come to her senses."

Gideon said nothing. He simply walked over and stared down at me.

"Now, do you know whether you gave birth to a son or a daughter?"

I looked up at him through clenched teeth. "I gave birth to a daughter. A daughter!"

He turned away without hesitation. "Bring the physician. Give Her Ladyship 20 strikes and make her come to her senses."

The physician arrived soon afterward.

They bound me with hemp rope and stuffed a handkerchief into my mouth. The physician drove a needle into the top of my head, and my mind immediately grew hazy. Soon, all I knew was pain.

Then they tied me to the wooden bench.

The first strike fell. Pain tore through my body, and my lower half went numb from the agony.

The second strike landed. I vomited blood as more blood poured from beneath me.

But I couldn't speak or scream. I could only shed silent tears.

Before long, a small pool of blood had gathered beneath the bench.

Gideon approached me again. A trace of reluctance flickered in his eyes, but his voice remained cold and firm. "Kneel before Clara and apologize. Acknowledge Arthur as your son, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, I can't guarantee that you'll ever see Amelia again."

My pupils trembled. The mere thought of my daughter made it painful to breathe.

I grabbed the edge of his coat and forced a bitter smile. "I... I remember now. I gave birth to a son... Arthur."

I forced myself upright and crawled desperately toward Clara. "I was wrong, Clara. I shouldn't have said those things about you. I was wrong."

Everyone seemed satisfied with my submission.

Gideon was especially pleased. He personally carried me back to the main residence. "Penelope, you need to stay this obedient from now on. It'll be better for all of us."

I lifted my head in despair.

Then I spotted a familiar hawk circling overhead.

I shoved Gideon away. "Gideon Hale, there is no future for us. I'll never forgive you!"

Gideon froze before letting out a soft chuckle. "Penelope, we're in the Northern Wastes, not the capital. You don't have the power to command heaven and earth here."

The very next instant, a cold arrow pierced straight through his right shoulder.

Black-clad riders descended from above.

Their leader removed his hood. His voice was icy as he spoke. "Is that so?"