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“An apology!” Zoey demanded, her voice rising.
Wrenching her arm free from her mother’s grip, Jocelyn shouted, “I won’t apologize! What are you going to do about it? If you’re so bold, why don’t you hit me back?”
She thrust her tear-streaked face toward Zoey, her cheeks flushed, as if bearing a heavy injustice.
Naturally, Zoey would never strike her, but a cold laugh escaped her lips. “Very well. In that case, I’ll go to the Quinton family and ask Lord Gerald what kind of upbringing you’ve had there.” She turned to Sophie. “Headmistress, it would be a great help if you could vouch for me when the time comes.”
Sophie nodded. “If you go to see Lord Gerald, I will speak plainly.”
Vera knew it would be disastrous if word of this reached Gerald. If he heard of it, their branch of the family would surely be reprimanded.
With that thought, she gritted her teeth and said to Jocelyn, “Apologize.”
Tears streamed down Jocelyn’s face as she stomped her foot. “Mom, I won’t apologize! They’re the ones bullying me and trying to kick me out of the academy! They should apologize to me!”
Vera glanced at Zoey and Sophie, who both looked cold, and immediately put on a stern face.
“If you’ve done something wrong, apologizing is the proper thing to do,” she told her daughter.
Jocelyn felt she had already suffered enough these past few days. Now, not only was her mother not standing up for her, but she was also asking her to apologize.
She angrily threw her hands down, stomped her feet, and cried, “I won’t apologize! Let them make a scene if they want to. I’d rather die than back down!”
With that, she turned and bolted for the door.
But with Sophie standing there, Jocelyn didn’t get far. Within a few steps, she caught up to her and dragged the girl back toward Zoey.
Sophie turned to Zoey and said, “This incident occurred at Gracewood Women’s Academy, so the academy bears some responsibility. Here’s what we’ll do. Since she’s harmed Ms. Prince’s reputation, we’ll take it to the authorities. Whatever they decide, the academy will bear its share of the blame.”
Zoey held Courtney’s hand and replied solemnly, “If that’s what you suggest, then we’ll go to the authorities, Lady Sophie.”
Jocelyn froze, her eyes wide with fear. “I don’t want to go to the authorities!”
There was no way a well-bred young lady could be sent to the authorities. How would she ever show her face again?
“Then, hurry up and apologize! Get it over with so we can leave this wretched place!” Vera snapped, her voice rising in sharp anger.
Jocelyn fumed for a moment, then reluctantly walked up to Courtney and Zoey. She pursed her lips and muttered, “Sorry, I was wrong.”
Her tone was still brimming with resentment, but Zoey had no desire to argue further.
She sighed and said flatly, “Enough. We can’t afford to cross the Quinton family.”
With other students present, Zoey’s words were meant for them too.
The Quinton family had grown arrogant over the years, completely unaware of how they were perceived Even now, Kylie was boldly attempting to secure alliances through marriage to win over military generals and strengthen
Connor’s position.
If even a woman like Zoey could see it clearly, how could Salvador not suspect Kylie was trying to force his hand in declaring Connor as the crown prince? So, it was fine if things turned sour with the Quinton family.
Vera felt awkward hearing that, but didn’t think much more about it and just grabbed Jocelyn and left.
Even Catherine couldn’t help but furrow her brow. “What has become of the Quinton family’s fourth branch?”
“The Quinton family is no longer what it once was,” Athena replied.
There were other students present, so the conversation ended there.
Rosalind told the students to head back and prepare for class. She appeared unaffected, her expression still calm and gentle.
Sophie stayed behind for a brief conversation with Kyle, while Zoey stepped outside to soothe Courtney and explain the situation to her.
In Kyle’s class, everyone behaved well, especially when he was teaching painting. His students’ eagerness to learn was so encouraging to watch.
“Ms. Young works the hardest and worries the most. Her class always has those troublemakers, but thankfully one’s been sent away. With her gone, the others will be too scared to cause much trouble. Since the academy opened, Ms. Young has had to deal with a lot of gossip but she’s handled it all. She’s stronger than we thought, so you don’t need to worry too much,” said Kyle.
Sophie nodded in agreement. After exchanging a few more words, she stood up and said, “I’m going back with Madam Zoey. We need to talk on the way.”
Kyle nodded slightly, his eyes showing some concern. “Go ahead.”
After a pause, he stopped her and said, “Sophie, choose a few women skilled in martial arts to come to the academy and keep an eye on things for a while. I’m worried something might happen.”
Sophie understood what Kyle was concerned about. She was worried too, but there weren’t many women who knew martial arts. Alana and Leah were busy at Skye Embroidery and couldn’t be reassigned, so she could only have Mabel, Claire, and the others take turns.
Sophie truly wished they could recruit more female students trained in martial arts.
Zoey sat beside Courtney on a stone bench in the garden. The courtyard was filled with flowers and shrubs, but their growth was sparse. In the cold of winter, the plants appeared even more withered and desolate. “Why did you defend your uncle… I mean, why did you speak up for General Farrell?”
Zoey gently dabbed her daughter’s face with a handkerchief, pressing lightly around the bruise. Thankfully, there was no blood and it wasn’t a deep wound. If it had been, Courtney’s face could have been scarred. Yet, the palm print was still so clear, making Zoey’s chest tighten with worry.
She was curious as to why her daughter had chosen to stand up for Thomas. Zoey had made sure to keep the household matters hidden from the children, especially when those matters grew messy. She thought she had kept things well-guarded, but recent rumors seemed to be affecting them. She wondered how much the children knew, or thought they knew, about the situation.
Courtney lifted her swollen cheek. Her eyes, though clear and pure, showed a maturity that didn’t quite match her age.
“Mom, do you remember what Uncle Thomas gave me when he and Aunt Viola visited after their wedding?”
Zoey thought for a moment, then replied, “I remember. The maid gave you and Cedric a handful of gold coins and golden locks. They were quite generous.”
Courtney shook her head, her gaze firm. “It was Mrs. Ashford’s book of travels, Chronicles of the Mountains and Rivers. Uncle Thomas told me that in this world, few women get to leave their birthplace, unless they marry out. However, the world beyond is vast. “Even if we can’t see it with our own eyes, we should know about the beauty of our kingdom. We should understand how wide the sky is, and how high it stretches. That way, we won’t be narrow-minded or caught up in petty troubles. We won’t sacrifice our own happiness just to please others.”
Zoey paused, a little taken aback. Was that so?
Back then, Zoey had been more superficial. She had been focused on what gifts Thomas had brought to the Prince family, and whether Viola was being treated well by the Farrell family. She only paid attention to those things.
“Since Uncle Thomas came back, he hasn’t caused any trouble for us or Aunt Viola. Mom, doesn’t he feel wronged or angry? How can he let those things go so easily? Those things must have hurt him. He must have been upset.
“That’s why when it comes to marriage proposals, he’s always so uninterested. His wounds still haven’t healed. Even though he’s not my uncle anymore, I still care about him, still feel that, as a daughter of the Prince family, I owe him. So, I can’t let Jocelyn speak ill of him.”
Zoey stared at her daughter, stunned.
In her mind, Courtney had always been reserved.