Chapter 7
"If anyone dares to breathe a word of this outside these walls, I'll have their tongue cut out."
Everyone immediately lowered their heads.
"Yes, Your Grace," they all replied in unison.
"Get out," Father ordered.
The servants started cleaning up the bodies on the floor.
The knights and guards all left the hall.
The heavy doors slowly closed behind them.
Now, it was our family left in the hall.
I finally understood what was happening, and a sense of dread washed over me. "Father, I really didn't..."
Smack!
He slapped me, hard, across the face.
I crashed to the floor.
Instantly, my cheek went numb.
All I could hear was a shrill ringing in my ears.
I lay there on the cold floor, completely stunned, unable to react for what felt like forever.
"Father?" I whispered.
I stared at him, completely dazed.
The man who had called me his precious daughter in front of everyone was now looking at me with a look of disappointment I'd never seen before.
He called, "Elara.
"How many times are you going to disgrace the Winterbourne family?"
I was stunned.
"But you just said..." I stammered.
Father cut me off, his voice icy. "What did I just say?
"Do you want all the servants to know that my real daughter hired a bunch of filthy lowborns to kidnap her own sister?
"Do you want this to spread throughout the Royal Capital?"
I opened my mouth.
But no sound came out.
So that was it.
He didn't believe me.
He just thought it was a disgrace.
Father would rather kill those kidnappers and silence every servant.
He never even bothered to ask me.
He never even cared whether I was really the one behind it.
"It wasn't me!" I pleaded.
I pushed myself up, shaking my head frantically.
I cried, "It really wasn't me!
"I don't even know those men!
"They only said one sentence before Ida killed them! Why won't you investigate?"
"Investigate what?" Cedric snapped.
He kicked over the chair beside him.
He shouted, "Rosalind almost died!
"Those kidnappers named you with their last breath!
"Are you saying they were all crazy?"
"But they're already dead!" I shouted.
I pointed at the blood on the floor.
I cried, "They can't speak anymore!
"Ask Ida!
"Why was she the one who killed them?"
Ida fell to the floor.
Before she could say a word, Rosalind suddenly rushed forward, tears streaming down her face.
"Enough!" she roared.
She stepped in front of Ida.
Then she actually fell at Father and Mother's feet.
"Father, Mother, please, don't punish Elara," Rosalind begged.
Mother's expression changed.
"Rosalind!" she called out.
Rosalind trembled as she cried.
She choked out, "It's my fault.
"It's all my fault."
She turned to look at me, her eyes full of tears.
She said, "Elara, I'll behave from now on.
"I won't make you mad anymore.
"Everything Mom and Dad gave me—I'll give it all back to you.
"They're your brothers, too. I won't fight you for them anymore.
"If you really hate me..."
She bit her lip.
"If you want, I can leave," she finished,
Mother burst into tears.
"Don't say that!" she sobbed.
Cedric rushed over and pulled her to her feet.
"This is your home!" he said.
But Rosalind kept her eyes fixed on me.
She said softly, "Elara.
"I don't want anything from you—please, don't ever try to have me kidnapped again."
A chill ran through me.
"Shut up," I blurted out.
My voice shook so badly.
"It was you!" I screamed.
"Elara!" Father's voice thundered, making the whole hall go dead silent.
He stared at me.
There was nothing left in his eyes but utter disappointment.
Father said, "Even now, you still refuse to repent?
"What are you still dissatisfied with?"
I was stunned.
Father pointed at me.
"We've already decided to hold a welcome banquet for you," he said.
I stared at him, stunned.
"What?" I asked.
Father said coldly, "The invitations have already been sent out.
"The king's envoy will be there.
"All the dukes, marquises, and earls in the Royal Capital who are friends with the Winterbourne family will be there.
"I'll tell them myself that Alistair Winterbourne's real daughter—the one I've been searching for these eighteen years—is finally back."
I couldn't get a single word out.
A welcome banquet?
For me?
I had no idea.
No one had ever told me.
But Father took my shock for dissatisfaction.
He continued, "After that day, everyone will know you're the Winterbourne family's true daughter.
"We're going to introduce you to the entire Royal Capital formally.
"Is that still not enough for you?"
Rosalind's crying suddenly stopped for a moment.
I instinctively glanced at her.
She kept her head down.