Chapter 2
[The weather's gorgeous today, perfect for you to murder me. I've even attached a handy guide: "100 Ways to Kill Me" for your inspiration.]
[It's been three days since I last saw you at Harvey's Residence. I miss you terribly, longing for your murderous touch.]
[Had nothing better to do, so I embroidered a sachet for you. By the way, what's it like to die from poison? Just wondering.]
[Seven days without seeing you. Are you sick or something? If you can't make it here, I can tie my hands and bring myself to your place.]
Kim Effie, my attendant came back with just one word: [Get lost.]
Like hell I was leaving.
I laid out a fresh sheet of paper, and kept writing.
I'd make today's letter extra long.
I was only halfway through my letter when the courtyard gate was kicked clean off its hinges, splinters spraying right into my face.
I looked up.
Franklin stood in the doorway, holding up a massive cleaver.
The blade was three times wider than his usual sword, and the glare off its edge was so blinding, I couldn't even keep my eyes open.
Behind him were two burly servants, one hoisting a chopping board over his shoulder, the other brandishing a bone-cutting knife.
Suddenly, the wind stopped.
The birds went silent.
The whole courtyard was as quiet as a graveyard.
I shot up from her bed, practically vibrating with excitement.
"You finally came to kill me."
Franklin's lips curled into a chilling smile.
"So, I heard you want to switch up your death method?"
I sat up straight, looking serious. "Exactly, Mr. Harvey. Don't hold back just because I seem like some fragile flower. This flower's tough enough to handle anything you throw at me."
One of the servants slammed the chopping board down with a loud thud, and the other dropped the bone-cutting knife onto it with a dramatic flourish.
Franklin jabbed the tip of his cleaver at the board.
"I'll chop you up into meat scraps, cook you up, and feed you to the dogs. Let's see if you can play dead after that."
I glanced at the chopping board, then at the cleaver in his hand, seriously considering for three seconds.
System prompt: [Reject this plan, or you'll end up as dog crap, and there's no coming back from that.]
I looked at Franklin, my eyes the most sincere they'd ever been.
"How about we stick to the usual? Just stab me through, you know how it goes."
After a pause, I added, "If I end up too busted up, my mother won't be able to piece me back together, and trust me, she'll come after you for that."
Franklin didn't kill me.
Not only did he spare me, he went after Marcus both in person and at court, hitting him with a double whammy—body and soul.
The complaints he filed against me stacked up as high as my coffin, with accusations ranging from 'bad parenting' to 'letting his daughter scam people.'
Each one was more ridiculous than the last.
Marcus got his salary docked for a whole year because he couldn't keep me in line.
While he was at home, bawling over his secret stash of cash, I was in my room, seriously reflecting on my actions.
It was lame of Franklin to use the same old move to kill.
So, I bribed a staff member at Harvey's Residence to dig up his schedule, ready to hit him with something totally unexpected.
When I heard Franklin was heading out to his country estate, I climbed up a cliff along his only route, got some guys to haul up a dozen big rocks, and waited there, ready to ambush him.
By midday, his carriage finally rolled into view.
I held her breath, waited until the convoy was right beneath her, then pushed the first boulder over the edge.
The rock skimmed right over the top of the carriage.
Seeing Franklin's carriage about to leave, I desperately grabbed the largest rock and jumped off the cliff holding it.
The rock and I landed together with a thud, right in front of the carriage.
Franklin pulled back the curtain, saw it was me under the rock, and looked totally fed up.
"You again?"
I lay there, blood oozing from the corner of my mouth, but still grinned at him, showing all my teeth.
"Surprised? Didn't expect that, did you?"
Franklin paused for a moment, then told the coachman, "Go around her."
The carriage rolled past, kicking up dust that coated my face.
I lay there as blood kept pouring out, my mind growing fuzzier and fuzzier.
Half an hour later, I finally died.
[Gold payout received.]
After I came back to life, I heard about something.
That day, Franklin was supposed to go to a matchmaking party.
At his country estate, surrounded by thousands of acres of flowers, all the well-educated young ladies from noble families waited in line for him to choose.
His mother Paula Harvey had even put together a whole lineup of events.
Word was, there was even a zither and flute duet on the schedule.
Then I dropped out of nowhere, rock in tow, and blocked the road so completely no one could get through.
Franklin had to take a three-mile mountain detour to finally arrive. By the time he got there, all the ladies were gone, and Paula looked like she was about to explode.
Just thinking about it made me burst out laughing.
Heh.
Franklin probably wanted to kill me even more than he did when I dropped that boulder on him.
Franklin totally blacklisted me.
A brand-new sign was put up at Harvey's Residence, and it was even taller than me.
[Leila Reed and dogs are not allowed.]
Everyone passing by would stop and stare at it, then walk off stifling their laughter.
It was good.
If he wouldn't kill me on his own, I'd just make him have to.