After Sera, Vina, and Tia left the square, followed by Alaric and Emma, Isabella continued to mutter to herself, seething with anger.

“Sera, you bitch, I will not forgive you,” she spat out venomously, though her words went unheard amidst the dispersing crowd. 

Reynard helped Isabella to her feet, he glared at the crowd as if he was noting down the people who were laughing.

The crowd became silent, feeling a bit apprehensive. They silently dispersed in groups in order not to incur Reynard’s anger.

The women who were previously sucking up to Isabella at her shop also watched the whole scene.

“I didn’t know Sera could be so sarcastic. She openly ridiculed Isabella,” remarked one woman.

“Yeah. But it was so refreshing.” another chimed in.

“Yes, yes. It was so frustrating to suck up to that narcissistic pig. She deserves it.” Another added.

“Yeah. Always talking nonsense about being a noble or what not.” added another with a smirk.

“And her son, picking up on her arrogance... It's intolerable. If not for her husband Reynard’s wealth, who would put up with her nonsense.” remarked another, nodding in agreement

“Now, their entire family will suffer. I really want to go to sera to thank her.”

“Why would her family suffer?” one of them asked.

“Sera banned others from doing her household works. Do you see how fat she became due to her laziness? I bet she never did any household work in her life. If she tries to start doing house work, it will definitely be disastrous.” laughed one woman, the anticipation evident in her voice.

“Hahaha, that will be quite a sight to see. I can’t wait to see her face.” another joined in, sharing the sentiment.

*****

Julian, Reynard, and Isabella trudged homeward.

“Father, why were they laughing at us when the Baroness praised us?” Julian's voice was tinged with confusion.

“No, Julian. She wasn’t praising us. She was mocking us.” Reynard's tone was grave, his gaze fixed on Julian as if imparting a lesson.

"Your mother has been going on about how high our status is and how others are below us. Sera initially requested her to apologize and rectify her behavior, which was the root cause of this incident. However, your mother refused to comply. Consequently, Sera penalized us by banning servants from performing our household chores.

“She is subtly conveying that, Since we are so noble that we deem others below us, she is asking us to live a life where we do not receive any help or assistance from those whom we are looking down upon. This way she wants us to realize our mistakes.

“She imposed a fine on me to cover the wages of the employees. This is to compensate the servants who were previously mistreated. And also a punishment for me for not keeping your mother and your behavior in check.

“Furthermore, she sentenced us to eight years of consequence. The number 8 is also irregular. Normally people would just select 5 or 10 as round figures. Given that Vina is currently eight years old, Sera is signaling that this duration is her retribution for the harm inflicted upon her children.”

"She basically asked us softly to apologize. However, since we refused to do so, she penalized us for our wrongdoing, publicly humiliated us, and mandated that we show respect to others."

As Julian attempted to grasp his father's explanation, Isabella interjected angrily, "Why should we listen to that bitch?"

“Because she is a noble. And we are not” Reynard answered firmly.

"But she's just a commoner, and everyone knows her children may not even be of the Ravencrest bloodline," Isabella argued in frustration.

"Despite her previous background, she currently holds the title of baroness," Reynard stated.

"But all the nobles live like this. She's the one in the wrong here. Does she think she's a saintess? She acts as if she's the only one in the world doing good. Why should she care about how we treat others?" Isabella vented her frustration.

"It doesn't matter. She holds power here, and we have to comply. Honestly, she's quite forgiving. If it were some other noble, they would make our lives miserable for hurting their children and going against them," Reynard explained.

"But father, aren't we nobles too?" Julian asked.

"We might have a noble bloodline, but no one can prove it. Many believe it's just a lie. I'm sure they talk behind our backs, but they don't dare to say it to our faces because of our wealth," Reynard explained.

"But that doesn't apply to Sera. She doesn't need money. She has an official noble status, and she doesn't care for others' praises. Honestly, rulers like her are good for the territory. But unfortunately for us, we don't mix well with people like her."

“Then it is true that we are nobles and they are not.” Julian asked.

"Yes. If we want to go against her, we need better authority and status than her," Reynard acknowledged, emphasizing the importance of status and authority.

‘Status and authority’ Julian thought inwardly. 

“I will not forgive that whore. Someday I will make her pay.” Isabella muttered to herself while clenching her fists.

"Mother, what is a whore?" Julian asked innocently.

Taken aback by his question, Isabella replied after some thought, “She is a low life among low lives.”

"Hey, stop it. This is what led to our current trouble," Reynard reprimanded his wife.

"Julian, do not listen to your mother. From now on, don’t fight with others needlessly," he advised.

"Then father, was I wrong in beating Lily and Vina?" Julian inquired.

"Maybe," Reynard replied, choosing his words carefully.

"Of course not. You were justified. It is them who were in the wrong for going against us," Isabella interjected, her voice firm.

“You keep quiet for some time will you,” Reynard urged in frustration.

"Julian, it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. People don’t care about that. They only care about status, power, and authority. If we have those, then whatever we do, it is always perceived as right," Reynard explained to his son, with a hint of resignation in his tone.

“To begin with, she is quite suspicious. She claims that she doesn’t trust others, but she is not afraid of living in that huge castle alone. She isn’t even afraid of thieves or robbers sneaking into the castle. I don't know what the hell is going on in that castle.

“A few years after she entered the castle, all the members of the Ravenscrest family were murdered. Although there is enough evidence to prove her innocence, I don't believe in them. Everyone in the village is being deceived by her.

“Considering her demeanor and behavior  and her ability to manage the territory. I will bet my life on my instincts which screams that it was Sera who caused their deaths. 

She is suspicious as hell. I would be a pig if I believed her to be a good person.

“That is why, I don't want to be on her bad side. If possible, I don't want to be involved with her,” Reynard explained his speculation. 

“So Bella, please just forget about everything and avoid her.” Reynard pleaded.

But Isabella continued cursing Sera, vina, and Tia. 

“Haa, you are not listening to me again. Agrh, my stomach hurts” Reynard groaned.

‘Whore, nobles, status, power, authority…’ various thoughts lingered in Julian’s mind as he mumbled to himself.

Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved. 

******

Sera, Vina, Tia, Emma, and Alaric are on their way towards the castle.

“Sera, that was beautifully done. It was so humorous,” Emma praised Sera.

Sera chuckled in response.

“The expression on Isabella’s face was priceless,” Alaric added.

While everyone was rejoicing, Sera noticed Tia deep in thought.

“Tia, is something on your mind?” Sera asked.

“Mother, I was just thinking, maybe we shouldn’t have punished them like that.”

“Oh! Why do you think so?” Sera asked gently, not angered by Tia's suggestion.

“Well, I think they might accept it for now. But they may hold some resentment.”

“Hmm, then how do you think we should have handled it?” 

Vina, Emma, and Alaric listened attentively to their conversation.

“Maybe we should have invited Aunt Isabella and her family for tea and explained to them what they are doing is wrong and asked them to stop. This way they might consider what we are saying.”

“Hmm, but why should we do it?” 

After further thought, Tia responded, “This way we can be friends with them if we could talk properly.”

“You want to be friends with them, who hurt your sister? Don’t you hate them?” Sera asked sternly.

Tia flinched and shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. I don’t like that Julian hurt Vina. But isn’t it better to have a friend than an enemy?”

“Do you feel guilty?”

“Huh?”

“Do you feel bad that we might have hurt them by punishing them?”

“Maybe,” Tia replied meekly after some contemplation.

“Then Tia, what about those people whom Isabella, Reynard, and Julian had hurt?”

“That is why we should have talked to them properly and made them understand, so that they can apologize. This way they will not hurt others in the future,” Tia explained anxiously.

“Hahaha,” Sera laughed heartily, holding her tummy.

“Mother.”

Sera knelt down and hugged Tia, rubbing his cheeks against hers. “Oh, our Tia is so cute.”

“Mother” Tia became embarrassed as his cheeks flushed red.

“Tia, I am not angry. You are kind even to those who have harmed you. As I thought, you are kind to the degree of naivety.”

'Argh,' Tia felt like his heart got struck by an arrow.

Emma and Alaric smiled, finding Tia's innocent demeanor heartwarming.

“But Tia, you are good as you are. Always stay the way you are now. Leave all other problems to us to deal with, okay?” Sera kissed Tia's cheeks affectionately.

Vina also approached Tia and tousled her hair.

“Mother, Vina?” Tia seemed puzzled.

Sera stood up and resumed their walk. “But Tia, your way of handling this matter has many flaws.”

“Huh?” Tia perked up his ears, paying close attention. The others did the same.

“Let’s just say we followed your suggestion and arranged a friendly tea party to speak with them. Do you think they would listen to me?”

“No,” Tia pondered and shook his head.

“Why do you think they wouldn't listen?”

After a moment of consideration, “I don’t know. I just think they might not.”

“That's because people, or more precisely, all intelligent beings, have very convenient senses.”

“???” Everyone had question marks on their faces.

“I don’t understand,” Tia admitted.

“Every person in this world has very convenient eyes and ears. No matter what others say, whether good or bad, right or wrong, their eyes will see only what they wish to see, their ears will hear only what they want to hear, and their minds will believe only what they want to believe to be the truth.”

“That goes for everyone, including you and me.”

Tia’s eyes widened in realization.

Emma seemed to understand something, while Vina and Alaric wore expressions of confusion.

“That means, even if I talk to them, they will only listen with one ear and let it out through the other. To make matters worse, they might even twist my words to mean something else, further disdaining me.”

“Most people like to offer advice to others as it doesn’t cost them anything. But people are not ready to take advice, even if it’s free.”

“Tia, let’s say, if I offer you some good words to correct your improper behavior or one of your bad habits, would you be willing to listen to me?”

“Yes,” Tia nodded.

“Why?”

“Because you are telling them for my own good.”

“Hmm, then would you still listen to them if they were spoken by Isabella or Julian?”

Tia thought for some time, then nodded, “Yes, I would be willing to listen to them.”

“Then do you think they would do the same and listen to us?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I’m not sure.”

“That is because you value and respect everyone, while Isabella and her family do not.”

“For any person A to be willing to listen to another person B’s advice or words, person A must hold some kind of respect or value towards person B in their heart. Only then will person A be willing to listen to person B.”

“In simple terms, ‘would you listen to the words of an ant?’”

“No, you wouldn't care. People do not care about the words of those whom they hold in low regard.”

“And the hardest form of advice or words for any person to accept are words of criticism or words that point out their bad behavior or character.”

“That's because those bad habits or behaviors become a part of us, and denying them is like denying a part of ourselves. It will be very painful.”

“That's why it's best to correct a person’s mistakes in their childhood when those bad behaviors or characteristics haven't yet taken root in their personality.”

“And the best way of doing it is by setting oneself as an example. Because, children learn by imitation. They do what they see.”

“But once they become a part of us, it's not easy to change.”

“Because they themselves won't accept that they are in the wrong.”

“They must have a very strong will to change themselves and become better people.”

“But most people don't bother, as they don't see any benefit in doing so.”

“Another way is for someone they hold in high regard to tell them. For example, Isabella might not listen to me. But if the emperor himself were to come and tell her, she might listen, assuming she holds the emperor in such high esteem.”

“If a person doesn’t want to change, then even if it is the emperor or God himself who comes down to offer advice, they will not take it to heart. ”

“They will only listen to what they want to listen to.”

“For a person to change, a major event should occur that breaks their heart, only then will they be able to piece them back together leaving out the rotten parts.”

Tia and the others listened to Sera in astonishment.

“That's why I gave them a punishment that can disrupt their lives and give them time to contemplate and introspect. It's the best solution I could think of.”

“If you want someone to listen to you, you must first become someone they respect and value deeply, only then will we be able to have a proper conversation with them.”

“How do I do that, mother?” Tia asked.

“I don’t know,” Sera shrugged.

“But mother, what if they hold some resentment and, in the future, become powerful?” Tia inquired.

“Is it not the same for everyone?”

“Huh?”

“Tia, Vina, listen carefully. In this world, you cannot blindly judge someone as good or bad based on their current circumstances.”

“A good person might be good, because he did not get an opportunity to be bad. And a bad person might be bad, maybe because he did not get an opportunity to be good.”

“A poor person who helps others might become arrogant when suddenly gaining wealth.”

“A wealthy person who is arrogant, might become meek when he loses his wealth.”

“A loyal friend can backstab you if offered enough benefits.”

“A cowardly person can display bravery in the face of danger.”

“Life changes many things, offering numerous opportunities in various forms. These bring out different facets of a person that were previously suppressed.”

“This holds true even for us.”

“How can you be so sure that we won’t get an opportunity to grow stronger than them?”

“If we back down from confronting others out of fear for the future, we can never move forward.”

“We can only make choices based on our current circumstances and following our hearts. Leave future fears to your future self.”

Sera tousled Tia’s hair, her thoughts opening new perspectives for everyone. They silently walked to the castle, digesting what they had heard.

*****

After reaching the castle, “Emma, Alaric, You may take your leave. Let’s continue our inspection tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Emma and Alaric left.

Sera, Vina, and Tia entered the castle. When they were alone, Sera stopped and knelt down. “And Tia.”

“Yes, mother.”

Sera looked into Tia’s eyes as she spoke, with Vina beside him, listening intently.

“One of the ways to make people suffer is by hurting their ego, by humiliating them. It's the easiest way to make others your enemy. Hurting one’s pride or ego can turn your friend into an enemy instantly, especially when done publicly.”

“Because they can't easily forget that kind of humiliation, especially people like Isabella or Julian who take great pride in themselves. Every time they think someone is laughing behind their back, they'll be enraged, further fueling their hatred. They'll be unable to sleep properly for a long time.”

Sera slightly tilted her head sideways, a maniacal grin spreading across her face, her eyes turning into black holes. “How can I let them sleep soundly after they hurt my children?”

Tia felt shivers run down his spine, his instincts screaming danger. But ironically, he felt a strange attraction.

For unknown reasons, Vina felt some strange excitement, and unknowingly, a maniacal grin started to form on her face, which did not escape Sera’s eyes.

“Let’s go. I'll clean you guys up in the bathroom.” Sera smiled gently, as if her previous expression was a lie.

---

Author’s Note:

This is a long chapter

---

Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved. 

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