"Give me one good reason." I said with a flat voice.
After an uncomfortable silence for everyone in the room but probably me, one of them finally spoke.
"We're still your family, Seraphina. Regardless of the past, blood is blood."
Evelyne chimed in after, all false sweetness and smug bravado; she had completely dropped the mask she was trying to wear earlier.
"You've gotten everything because of our name. You wouldn't even be engaged to the Archduke if not for being a Durel."
My fingers drummed lightly against the armrest, the nerve of this bitch. At what point did Noah ever bring up my last name or say anything about bringing our families together?
"Our family name may hold some value to you in the future." My stepmother said with more confidence than she should have at this moment. "If we regain our footing, imagine what we could do together. You'd be restoring your own roots."
I'm sure my face was extremely animated because of that last statement. At this point I was done poking at them to get all the information I wanted. It was obvious these people would get violent very soon.
"Livia," I said without looking away from the trash across from me. "Please tell Noah to come in and have him bring gold."
The door creaked open instantly, as if he'd been waiting this whole time with his head against the door, listening to everything that happened inside.
Noah didn't even acknowledge the other people in the room and just locked eyes with mine as if trying to find my intentions.
"Gold?" he repeated carefully.
"Yes," I said with confidence, "a large amount."
He looked at me oddly, but then a small smile ghosted across his lips, "Understood."
After a little wait, multiple chests full of gold entered the room and were placed very close to where we were sitting. All ten chests were filled to the brim with solid gold bars, probably worth more than the estate they were currently living in.
It's so crazy that Noah would actually just trust me with this much gold just because I told him to bring it to me.
The air practically vibrated with the greed of those three.
My former family's eyes went wide, especially Evelyne's, whose pupils seemed to dilate like a starved animal.
They stared at the treasure like it was salvation itself. I couldn't help but giggle lightly as Noah came to sit next to me, obviously curious what I was about to do to these bastards.
As soon as he sat, an arm went around my shoulders and pulled me close as if to tell this trash across from us that they better watch their words or there will be blood.
Noah kept his stare on me with intrigue, trying to figure out what game I was trying to play.
I turned to Noah. "Do you remember that bag of gold you gave me when I was tipping those street performers in the capital streets?
He nodded slowly, "Of course."
"Can I have another one?"
Without missing a beat, he reached into his coat and pulled out a pouch full of gold coins.
I took it gently, turned back towards the table, and the three of them. A clink sounded in the room as I dropped the gold pouch on the table.
"This," I said calmly, "is what you get."
Their faces froze. Eyes flick between the mountain of gold to the side of the room and the modest pouch in front of them.
Noah's smile widened in clear amusement, just figuring out what I'm planning to do.
"You… you're not giving us all these chests?" Evelyne snapped, rising to her feet and acting as if I had just wronged her in the most inhumane way possible.
I sipped my tea like her screeching was background noise.
"Why would I?" I asked seriously. "All of this gold…" I pointed my finger towards the ten chests. "… It's all mine, so why would I give it to you?
I pointed towards the pouch on the table. "You're only worth this much."
Noah finally spoke, his tone sharp and final.
"Take what's been offered and get out."
Everyone in the room knew that this was a massive slap in the face, showing this amount of gold but refusing to offer any of it to them. What's that now, Evelyne? Three times I've smacked you now?
I leaned further into Noah, curling against his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. He, of course, obliged, pulling me into his embrace.
The look on my former family's face… priceless, disgust, and shock at what I would do right in front of them. This is no way a noble lady would act or how that stepmother or sister would have been taught.
I'm completely free, not someone performing for crowds like all nobles and their fakeness.
They left, of course. But… not without snatching the small pouch of gold like the beggars they truly were. Evelyne was the one, because of course she was.
As they stormed toward the exit, a stream of curses spilled from their mouths, venom and desperation bleeding together.
Suddenly, Noah's voice rang out.
"Stop," he said. His voice rang like a blade being drawn in the dark. The three of them froze at the threshold of the room.
"Come back," he said calmly. "Sit." He pointed to the same place they were before.
I couldn't help but be filled with surprise, not knowing where this is going. Noah is very vindictive when my safety is in question, so I can only assume this won't be good for them. Let's hope for a good show!
The three of them shuffled back in, being confused and twitchy, and their greed still evident on their faces, even showing some expectation.
"I have an offer." Noah said with a sly smirk on his face, "A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strike it rich." They just sat there silently waiting to hear his words.
"For every bar of gold," he said slowly, pausing to create enough tension in the air, "all three of you will receive a slap to the face."
Dead silence with complicated faces plastered across the Durel family with their mouths hung open.
Even I couldn't help but be shocked by Noah's words. I'm also looking forward to it; they should have to earn the gold.
I mean it's reasonable; he didn't ask them to eat glass or something for the gold bars. Just a slap… What's so bad about that?
"Think about it." Noah continued smoothly, resting one hand lazily atop mine, "A little pain and shame for wealth that will be enough to restore your crumbling house."
My sperm donor spoke first. "Who… would be doing the slapping?"
Almost all three of them at once stared daggers straight into me.
"She would," Evelyne hissed, "right?"
Noah turned to me, smiling softly, "I wouldn't mind if she wanted to, but…" He brought my hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to it. "… I'd rather not dirty her hands any further or risk Sera hurting herself."
I couldn't help but smirk at that. He wasn't wrong. The first time I slapped Evelyne, I thought I'd fractured my whole arm, and while I would do it again gladly… It would be more fun to just watch them take a beating.
Noah's smile dropped as he turned back to them, his voice sharpening into something lethal.
"So I'll have one of my knights do it instead."
I almost laughed out loud, quickly putting both hands over my mouth. This was perfect, and it would probably hurt a lot, like A LOT!
While still being cradled by a half hug from Noah, I leaned into him and waited in anticipation for the show to start.
Then the doors opened, and what walked in was one of Noah's personal guards. But this man was more of a mountain than any I've seen before.
He was probably easily seven feet tall, and his body was chiseled with muscle. Built like a literal fortress of man. His steps echoed like thunder across the marble floor, and the way my charming family reacted to this behemoth was priceless.
Their fear was so delicious; I wanted multiple servings of it.
Evelyne audibly gulped, my father's hand was twitching, and my stepmother turned a shape closer to a pale, dying ghost.
Noah wasn't playing with them at all, bringing such an intimidating knight to slap them in the face.
"Noah!" Evelyne shrieked. "This is inhumane! It's unjust!"
"We're women!" the stepmother added. "You can't possibly allow this!"
My father held up a hand, suddenly trying to look diplomatic. "Do my daughter and wife truly have to be struck? Surely you could exclude…"
Noah's expression turned to stone.
"What do I care," he said coldly, "if they get hurt?"
His voice was so freezing cold it could have frozen fire. "You're the ones who came here, begging. You asked for help, and I'm offering it. If you don't like the terms, you're free to walk away with nothing."
The three of them turned pale all over again. I could practically see the math happening in their greedy little faces.
Pain vs. riches, shame vs. salvation, and all the while I sat there smiling sweetly because this had nothing to do with me.
I enjoyed watching them squirm like the vermin they truly are. They sat there, teetering on the edge of greed and dignity, unsure of which to sacrifice first.
But I'm sure Evelyne, in her infinite lack of intelligence, didn't realize what she uttered. To think she would call an archduke, my soon-to-be husband, by his first name. What kind of etiquette lessons are being provided to this stupid girl?
Without warning my voice cut through the room, venomous as the most toxic snake.
"Evelyne…"
Everyone froze as I called her name with such contempt.
"I must have misheard you," I said, sitting forward in my chair. "Did you just call the Archduke of Velmoure by his first name?"
Evelyne visibly stiffened.
Noah tilted his head but said nothing, letting me do my thing.
I narrowed my eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are?" I said it slowly but with weight. "To speak so intimately of the man I'm going to marry."
I didn't exactly yell, but the force behind my words felt that way.
"Are you his friend, peer, or confidante?" I sneered. "You're not even worthy of polishing his boots."
Her face went pale and then red, twisted with disbelief.
"You bitch!" Evelyne roared.
"Mountain man," I said suddenly, without turning.
"Yes, Your Grace," a very deep voice rumbled from behind me, sending a chill through me, though I knew I was safe.
I glanced at him. "What's your name?"
He stood tall and proud, chest puffed out beneath a wall of steel armor, "Thoggur, my lady."
Quite the unusual name, but I guess it does match him.
"Thoggur," I said with a wicked smile. "Pick her up." I commanded as Evelyne's eyes widened.
"Hold her upside down," I added sweetly. "As high as you can, until I tell you to stop."
Thoggur's grin was positively ogre-like, "With pleasure!"
"Noah?" I asked, just for formality's sake.
He just glanced my way while rubbing my shoulders. "You've always got my permission."
With that, Thoggur stepped forward and grabbed Evelyne by the leg with a single massive hand. She screamed like a banshee as she went airborne, flailing uselessly in her frilled noble dress, hair dangling toward the floor in messy waves.
"PUT ME DOWN! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! IT'S ABUSE! I'LL REPORT YOU!"
"You'll what?" I said, smirking.
Her face was red, makeup running, and her pride was completely shattered with that tearful gaze of hatred in my direction.
I turned to Noah, "Gold coin?" He pulled one from another pouch and handed it to me without a word.
I set it between my fingers. Then snapped my wrist and sent it sailing.
Clink
It struck Evelyne right in the forehead. She wailed once again, loudly and overly dramatically. Tears poured from her eyes like rivers.
I leaned back into the waiting embrace of Noah. He tightened his arms around my shoulders.
"Feeling any better?" he asked with a smirk.
"So much," I replied with a relaxed sigh, a quiet sense of accomplishment settling over me.