I'M IN CHARGE

CHAPTER 4

Two hours later…

Knock… knock...

“Miss, the master wants you to be present for dinner”, "okay" a maid announced and left after receiving a response. Getting up, Liliana adjusted her dress and took a deep breath, adjusting her emotions. Weak and innocent.

Walking down the winding stairs, she was shown the way to the dining area by a servant. The room was grand, with a long table set for two. Oxford at the head seat, his expression unreadable.

“Have a seat,” he said with an indifferent look in his eyes. Liliana sat down, noticing the cold distance between them. She didn't mind, on the contrary wanted it this way. The dinner was quiet, the only sound being the clanging of utensils on plates. Oxford seemed focused on his meal, but a brief flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes as he observed her elegant table manners. It wasn’t what he expected from someone who had been in the countryside.

As dinner came to an end, Oxford placed his utensils down and wiped his mouth, he then reached into his suit pocket. “Here’s a supplementary card with an unlimited spending limit. If you have any outings, use the card and don’t disgrace me,” he said, sliding the black and gold card across the table. “Our wedding will be next week. I’ll hire an etiquette teacher for you in two days.” His tone was cold and businesslike. Without waiting for her response, he stood and left the room, not bothering to look back.

Liliana stared at the card lying on the table, her thoughts swirling.'Maybe getting married wasn't so bad after all,' she mused,

'at least he’s not stingy.' Wiping her mouth, she rose from the table took the card and retired to her room.

After a quick shower, Liliana settled into bed, her mind already planning her shopping trip for tomorrow. She turned on the nightlight, casting a soft glow across the room, and drifted off to sleep.

---

Later in the night,

“Urgh… urgh,” the sound of a whip cracking echoed in the distance, each strike brutal enough to make ears bleed. “Princess, this is the only way. It hurts me to see you like this, but you failed, and this is the fate of failures… Again.” The voice was cold, devoid of any mercy.

“Urgh…” Liliana’s body jolted with each strike, unshed tears shining in her eyes. The scene shifted suddenly, and she found herself chained to a pillar, surrounded by a sea of flames. The heat was unbearable, searing her skin as the flames roared around her as she tried to undo the chains.

Gasp!

Liliana bolted upright, her body soaked in sweat. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her heart racing. She rubbed her forehead, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare. “That again?"she whispered to herself, glancing at the clock. The first light of dawn was close to the surface, already creeping through the curtains.

Deciding to start her day, Liliana slipped out of bed and took a long shower, her back full of scars, and an intriguing tattoo, letting the water wash away the lingering dread.

---

One hour later…

Knock… knock.

“Miss, are you awake?” a middle aged woman voice called from behind the door.

“Yes, come in,” Liliana responded, looking up from the book she had been reading. Still in her bathrobe, she had been waiting for her clothes to arrive.

A maid entered, followed by several racks of clothing being pushed in behind her. “Good morning miss, I am the Head maid, Sharon, these are the clothes the master arranged for you.”she introduced with a proud look in her eyes.

Liliana ignored her actions, raising an eyebrow barely noticible as she took in the sight of the luxurious garments, she strolled up to examine it. "Oh, really" she thought, her fingers lightly brushing over the fabrics. Despite the circumstances, she couldn’t help but appreciate the fine craftsmanship. The maid sneered and thought she was just a country bumpkin who hasn't seen the world, she really stepped on dog s**t to have the luck to be the wife of their master, she sneered in contempt.

"Miss don't damage the fabric, it's the latest line from LW, master specifically asked it to be arranged for you as the mistress of the Pace's family". She said sarcastically.

Liliana withdrew her hand timidly, "is it really that expensive?" she asked naively. The maid sneered "miss, you've probably been living in the countryside for too long, so you don't know, LW is an international fashion line that suddenly emerged 3years ago, beating those other high end brands, with beautiful designs and high quality, it quickly entertained the eyes of the wealthy socialites and became a sensational presence in the whole country."

"I understand, but if I don't touch it, how am I suppose to wear it?" she asked sarcastically seemingly weak and ignorant.

The other maids snickered, the head maid almost choked on her saliva, clearing her throat to ease her embarrassment, she ignored Liliana's question, "Miss, pick a dress", Liliana's eyes turned as she scanned the clothes then settled on a long sleeved purple and white bandage dress, with the main color being purple, white catteleya orchid embroidered on it. The dress was beautiful, simple yet elegant.