The Evil Ladies Form An Alliance

CHAPTER 8: Start Of A New Beginning

As Lady Valerie sipped her tea, her gaze drifted toward a woman below, her presence like a ray of sunlight cutting through the morning haze. The woman, surrounded by two maids, moved with a carefree grace, her head thrown back in laughter as she joyfully sang a lullaby. The melody danced in the air, light and airy, like the fluttering of leaves in the wind. Her long, flowing chestnut hair shimmered in the sunlight, and for a moment, she seemed untouched by the world around her, lost in a moment of bliss.

Emma, who had been quietly tending to her duties, noticed the way her lady’s eyes lingered on the woman below. A frown of concern tugged at her brow. "My lady, are you alright?" she asked softly, her tone filled with gentle worry.

Valerie smiled, though it was faint, almost wistful. "Yes," she replied, her voice steady, though her heartfelt heavy. "Especially now that the madam seems so happy."

Emma’s gaze softened. "The madam has been beaming with joy ever since she learned that the Marquess is finally returning home after the subjugation."

Lady Valerie watched the woman below, her eyes reflecting a bittersweet longing. The memory of the days before the chaos, the fear, and the desperation flooded back. She could still hear the echoes of the madam’s frantic cries, the sound of a woman teetering on the edge of madness.

Upon waking as Velerie, Akari had heard the frantic voice of the madam, her words ragged and filled with terror. The room had been filled with tension, the air thick with worry and fear. The madam, her face pale with dread, had gripped the edge of the blanket, her hands trembling as she cried out for someone to listen.

"I didn’t kill her! I swear! She attacked me first!" The madam’s voice was shrill with panic, her eyes wide with terror.

"Madam, the lady is being healed by the priest," one of the maids had assured, her voice soft but firm, trying to calm the madam’s erratic fears. "She will be okay."

But the madam wasn’t comforted. Her mind was still trapped in a haze of confusion and fear. "My son, they will hurt my son," she had cried, her voice rising in a frantic crescendo.

"Madam, nothing will happen to the Marquess," the maid had responded, her voice laced with gentle assurance.

But the madam had not calmed, her cries growing more desperate by the second. "This evil lady must wake up!" she had shouted, her words filled with a strange mixture of hatred and pleading.

"The lady will wake up," the maid had promised.

It was then that Akari had seen it, a soft, glowing light, emanating from the palm of the priest, the first thing she saw as her eyes fluttered open. The light was warm, comforting, and soothing, like the embrace of a long-lost memory. Her mind had been hazy, struggling to make sense of what had happened, until the image of the accident had slowly returned to her. She had been sitting in the passenger seat of a car, her friend Ayane at the wheel. The blinding headlights of the oncoming truck had cut through the darkness, and then… a sudden, overwhelming darkness had overtaken her.

And now, this light. She could feel its warmth surrounding her, lifting her spirit, as if she had been reborn.

"Is this the afterlife?" she had whispered, her voice barely more than a breath, yet it had been enough to bring a collective sigh of relief from the room.

The madam, who had been on the verge of losing herself, had finally breathed out, her body sinking into a moment of quiet relief.

The room seemed to exhale in unison, the tension lifting like a veil being drawn away. For the first time in what felt like forever, there was hope. The lady had returned to them.

At that moment, the madam stood up, and her laughter rang out, filling the room with an almost manic energy. Her entire demeanor shifted as if a switch had been flipped—her previous distress and fear replaced by a radiant, almost unsettling joy. "The demon king returned her!" she declared, her voice melodious yet laced with an odd sense of triumph.

Her words hung in the air, their weight far too heavy for the situation, and the priest’s face tightened in frustration. His brow furrowed as he shot her an icy glare. He had already been stretched thin, his divine healing powers used to their limits, and now this woman, seemed to be belittling the very miracle that had brought the lady back from the edge of death.

"Take that mad woman away," the priest said through clenched teeth, his tone controlled, though the irritation was clear. "I still need to examine the lady. She is not fully recovered."

The butler stepped forward, his face calm but acknowledging the tension in the room. "We apologize," he said, bowing his head with quiet grace. "Noreen, take the madam to her room. She needs rest."

Noreen, the maid, nodded promptly, her eyes briefly meeting the butlers before turning toward the madam. Though the woman had been acting erratically, Noreen understood the importance of the moment. The lady had awoken from what seemed like certain death, and whatever her mood, it was a sign of life returning. The madam, although still unpredictable, obediently complied, knowing well that the doctor’s work was not yet done.

As Noreen gently guided her outside, the priest exhaled, relieved that the room had quieted. He focused his attention back on the lady, his hands steady as he continued to channel the divine light. Akari could feel the warmth flowing through her, filling her with a renewed sense of energy. It was as though her very bones were coming back to life, each pulse of the healing light a miracle, restoring her strength piece by piece.

The light, though gentle, surged through her body like a river breaking free of a dam. Her energy, once drained and fragile, now bubbled back to life, coursing through her veins like fire. She could feel it deep within her as if every fiber of her being was being reborn. Her mind cleared, and the weight of the past of her death and rebirth seemed to melt away, leaving only the present moment. Akari breathed deeply, the light in her body soothing, and for the first time since waking up, she felt truly alive.

As the priest finally withdrew his hands, the healing light that had enveloped the lady began to fade. He let out a long, exhausted sigh, the tension in his shoulders slowly dissipating as he realized the worst had passed. Still, the frustration in his chest hadn’t eased, and his voice trembled with barely contained fury as he spoke.

"The lady might have lost her life if the doctor hadn't applied first aid in time. Does the madam truly wish to kill her?" The words came out in a low, controlled growl, but the weight of his anger was undeniable. His gaze remained calm, but the fire in his eyes was unmistakable.

The butler, Sir Alex, stepped forward with a composed air, though the slight furrow of his brow betrayed his frustration. "High priest, please, it was just a misunderstanding," he said in a soothing tone, attempting to ease the tension.

But the priest was not so easily calmed. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression hardening. "Sir Alex, even if the Marquess dotes on his mother and the late Marquess Leonard took her into this mansion despite her fragile mental state, that does not give her the right to harm Lady Hawthorne. Lady Hawthorne is still the daughter of a Duke, a woman of noble blood. Without her family's influence, the Marquess would have never been accepted by noble society. The House of Henstone would have been nothing more than a laughingstock to the nobility." His voice was steady, but each word seemed to carry a weight, a reminder of the precarious position they were all in.

"I understand, High Priest," Sir Alex said, his voice lowering in apology. "Once again, we deeply apologize for the events that transpired."

The priest let out a sharp exhale, his brow furrowed as he pressed on, frustration still evident in his tone. "Why must the chosen one, the wielder of the holy sword, be burdened with such a mad mother? I can only hope that this incident will not repeat itself. The temple has its limits when it comes to aiding the Marquess, should things continue to escalate." His gaze lingered on Sir Alex, a final warning hanging heavy in the air.

"We will make sure this is the last time, High Priest," Sir Alex said with a solemn bow, his voice firm as he nodded his commitment.

Akari, who had been lying still as the divine healing took effect, slowly became aware of the surrounding conversation. Her senses, still clouded by the lingering effects of her resurrection, sharpened as the priest’s words settled in her mind. She had expected a certain type of life in her new body, a life that would allow her to escape the shadows of her past and embrace her second chance. But the reality of the situation was far from what she had imagined.