Chapter 22: Evelyn: Say That Again, I Dare You

Chapter 22: Evelyn: Say That Again, I Dare You Evelyn~ Humble background, she said. Even though the elders never gave me any trouble, there were still others—those who hadn’t been personally threatened by the Alpha King—who kept trying to dig into my past. Some maids even went back to the trash pile just to pick up my belongings they had thrown out. To be honest, I didn’t bring much when I first arrived at the palace. Mostly scraps. Junk, even. Because of that, most of them assumed I was just a homeless girl, someone who got tossed into the sea after sneaking onto a ship illegally. Well ... they weren’t exactly wrong about the illegal part. I did sneak onto a ship without permission, and when I was discovered, the captain decided to be lenient and said I’d be punished once we reached land. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to reach land because they threw me into the ocean for something I didn’t even do. So yes, to sum it up, my background was humble, so humble it could probably touch the core of the earth. Usually, I wouldn’t say anything when people insulted me. I mean, what’s the point of starting fights with every person who looks down on me? "You’ve got too many haters," my wolf chimed in. "So yeah, fighting one of them is pointless when you’ve got a thousand enemies lined up." She wasn’t wrong, but soon, my life would be different. I wasn’t just some so-called "Dark Witch" anymore, someone the villagers could burn without fearing consequences. My past might have been humble. But my future? It definitely wouldn’t be. "What’s your name?" I lifted my chin slightly, just enough to make it feel like I was looking down on her. "Mirelda, isn’t it?" I noticed her eyelids twitch a little when I said her name with a hint of arrogance. I walked toward her slowly, and with every step I took, she backed away, like she didn’t want to face me up close. "Could you explain what kind of ’humble background’ you meant?" I narrowed my eyes just a little. "Did you mean that in a good way... or a bad one?" Mirelda swallowed hard, probably she didn’t expect me to actually notice what she’d said. To be fair—though I hate giving her credit—I had been quiet most of the time in the palace. Even when a maid accidentally spilled tea on my clothes, I just brushed it off and said nothing. Because of that passive behavior, they thought I would never fight back, that they could say whatever they wanted, and I’d just take it. But the truth was, I was simply waiting for the right moment. Waiting for the full-moon ceremony to prove that I’m the real Luna. "See? Isn’t it nice to have power and money?" my wolf mocked. "If I’m not mistaken ... someone once preferred to live with the poorest Alpha of them all." ’I still think politics and too much money are a hassle,’ I responded in my mind. Sure, being poor wasn’t fun. But maybe if I had to suffer in poverty with someone beside me, life wouldn’t feel so heavy. "Pfft. Easier, my ass." My wolf sounded like she was ready to throw a chair at me. "That guy would probably sell you for a loaf of bread." I hissed quietly, thinking she had gone too far. Alright. Let’s forget about my wolf for a second and get back to waiting for Mirelda’s answer. Why was she still silent, even after my wolf’s whole dramatic commentary? "What? Cat got your tongue?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I-I just ..." Mirelda lowered her head. "I thought you weren’t from a noble family. And, well ... people often look down on commoners, so you need to dress up in a fancy dress." She bit her lip nervously. "I’m sorry, Milady. I didn’t mean to insult you." Oh, cut the bullshit. I knew exactly what she meant even before she tried to cover it up. ’Didn’t mean to insult me?’ Yeah, right. I’ve been alive long enough to recognize every kind of ugly expression people throw my way. I’ve seen disgust, pity, fear, you name it. I’ve learned how to tell the difference between a harmless joke and someone looking down on me. Mirelda’s face was full of disgust and arrogance, like she thought I was dirt under her shoes. "Mirelda," I said, walking closer, "I know you’ve worked here for a long time." "Maybe that’s why you feel so important in this place. But let me remind you of something ..." I leaned in, my lips close to her ear as I whispered, "At the end of the day, you’re still just a maid. And I ... I’m going to be the Queen of this kingdom. Soon, you’ll be the one bowing to me." Mirelda stiffened. She looked like someone who’d just been given a death threat. Well, maybe what I said could be taken as one. After all, if Theron continued to treat me well once I became Queen of Valedorn, I’d have the power to punish anyone who dared speak to me the way she did. Honestly, I wouldn’t act like this. I’ve never looked down on people with less power than me, maybe because most of my life, I was the one with nothing. I know what it feels like to be stepped on. I know what it’s like to be treated like I don’t matter. However when someone comes at me with disrespect, I’m not going to just stand there and take it, at least not anymore. This wasn’t cruelty. It was self-defense. I was simply protecting my worth, and if that meant throwing in a little threat? So be it. "Please, Milady, have mercy!" Mirelda dropped to her knees, palms pressed together as she begged. "I’ve been working here since before I turned eighteen. If I lose this job, I’ll have nothing left. I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself ..." If she truly valued her job—if her life depended on it—then maybe she should’ve worked harder to keep it. Maybe she should’ve thought twice before trying to bring someone else down. Was it really that hard to just do your job without hurting others? To tell the truth, I wasn’t even her first victim. After living this long, I’ve developed a habit of observing people quietly, and after spending a couple of weeks in this palace, I already knew that Mirelda was far from innocent. She had bullied many maids, especially new maids or those who were still very young. Once, she even got a young maid fired by accusing her of stealing a gold ring from a senior maid. The truth? Mirelda was the one who stole it. The poor girl got fired over something she didn’t do. At first, I didn’t plan to interfere. I just wanted to observe the palace and understand how things worked. But the moment I saw that young maid leave the palace in tears, I knew Mirelda would be the first person I’d remove from this palace once I earned my title as Queen. ’You were right,’ I told my wolf in my head. ’Having money and high status does make life feel a little sweeter.’