02
Lillian quickly recovered and continued clinging to me, pouting with a pitiful tone.
“Lachle, Clara is bullying me. You have to stand up for me….”
“Oh? Then why don’t you tell me exactly how she bullied you?”
I subtly avoided her touch.
My gaze swept toward “me” lying on the floor, and I could determine at a glance. The person inside that body now was Lachlan!
“Sir, Clara is such a jealous woman; she’s being completely unreasonable!”
At this moment, Lillian’s maid, Selene Baker, stepped forward, speaking up to defend her
mistress!
“Sir, as you know, since Ms. Blackwood arrived at the estate, Clara has been giving her nothing but grief. Today, Ms. Blackwood came with good intentions to visit her, but as soon as Clara saw Ms. Blackwood, she recklessly charged at her, trying to attack!”
“So you knocked her down to the ground in retaliation, is that right?”
I raised an eyebrow, picking up where Selene had left off.
“Sir, you’re so perceptive.”
Selene smoothly agreed, nodding repeatedly.
She thought they had won again since, in the past, whenever Lachlan heard this kind of talk, he would blindly take their side without fail, not a single exception.
“Hah, perceptive, am I…”
Unfortunately for them, I was no longer Lachlan but the so–called “jealous woman‘ Clara they kept referring to, so how could I let them have their way?!
“Guards! Take this old servant away and give her forty lashes!”
“What are you doing, Lachie?” Lillian cried out in shock when she saw I was about to hit her
ΠΟΛ
I gave her a cold glance.
“My Thorpe family comes from a long line of scholars with strict house rules. We don’t tolerate servants who disrespect their masters or challenge the proper order of things!”
“Lachie, isn’t this just a misunderstanding? Selene wasn’t being disrespectful, she was only
standing up for me…”
Lillian grabbed my arm, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
I brushed her hand away and glanced at the still–dazed “fake Clara, real Lachlan” on the
ground, laughing inwardly.
This guy probably hadn’t even recovered from the shock of our soul swap before getting
caught up in this drama with Lillian. His whole understanding of reality must be completely
shattered.
“Standing up for you gives her the right to call the lady of the house by her first name? And repeatedly call her a jealous woman? The Thorpe Estate has no place for someone who shows
23:48 Fri, 14 Mar
wunumy upivi juu ymcanoi liia
الية
repeatedly call her a jealous woman? The Thorpe Estate has no place for someone who shows
such blatant disregard for proper respect.”
For how long had I endured Selene calling me names while Lachlan just turned a blind eye! Well, now I could finally deliver justice myself, and I wasn’t about to back down!
“What are you standing around for? Get on with it!” I barked at the servant.
“Yes! Right away!” The servant snapped to attention, gesturing for others to join in.
“Slap! Slap! Slap!”
The sound of hard slaps echoed from nearby, sharp and clear.
I felt delighted hearing it.
Lillian, however, looked troubled, subtly biting her lip.
“Lachle, you’re not punishing Selene, you’re punishing me…”
Tears fell from her eyes like large raindrops. I had to admit, Lillian’s acting skills were truly
impressive!
She perfectly calibrated that sense of grievance and heartbreak, making any man who
looked at her ache.
But I was not a man, so why should I care?
“What are you saying, Lily? How could I ever bear to hurt you? The servants made mistakes, and if I don’t discipline them, how will I maintain authority in the future? Besides, didn’t you promise me earlier that you would manage this household properly for Clara? Is this how you’re handling things? If that’s the case, then this authority as the household manager…
I guessed correctly.
Recently, Lachlan had made a foolish mistake. After another one of Lillian’s schemes, he took away my authority to run the household and gave it to Lillian.
this.
Lillian must have come to gloat, but she would have never thought things would turn out like
“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant, Lachie. Please don’t misunderstand.”
Hearing the tone of my voice change, Lillian immediately backtracked, breaking into a smile through her tears as she tried to get on my good side.
But while trying to curry favor, she didn’t miss the opportunity to backstab “Clara” again.
“Lachie, I was just startled by Clara earlier, which is why I misspoke.”
“Is that so? Then tell me, why are you here?”
“I remember telling you before that Clara was upset after I took over as the housekeeper, and that you should lay low these days and not show up in front of her.”
I gave Lillian a cold stare.
Seeing my unusual behavior today, she definitely looked a bit flustered.
But as a master manipulator, how could she only have this skill level?
“Lachle, you said yourself that Clara’s been in a bad mood lately. I was worried she might do something reckless alone in her room, so I specifically came to check on her and bring her
something.”
口
23:48 Fri, 14 Mar CA.
do something reckless alone in her room, so I specifically came to check on her and bring her
something.”
Then where’s this something? I don’t see anything.” I smiled as I continued to expose her lies.
L
Lillian was at a loss for words.
After all, the old Lachlan would have believed Lillian entirely by now without any further
questions.
“It’s, it’s this,” Lillian said as she untied a small pouch from her waist, trying to seem
convincing.
This sachet has calming effects to help with sleep. I was worried Clara hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days, so I made it especially for her.”
“It looks pretty worn out for something newly made. That’s strange.”
I continued to call out her deception.
Anyone could see that Lillian was making things up on the spot. She’d been wearing that
thing for quite some time, yet she claimed it was just made.
“Ugh, well, you know, I had to try it on after I made it, just to see how it looked… so it’s a bit
worn, but Clara won’t mind, right?”
Lillian laughed awkwardly, clearly confused about why I was acting this way toward her
today.
But the more she wondered, the less inclined I felt to tell her. It must have driven her crazy.
In that case, I’ll accept it on Clara’s behalf. But you know what they say. One good turn deserves another. Clara made a handkerchief for you, which is the perfect opportunity to return the favor.”
I nodded, walked over to “Clara,” and pulled a slightly stained, yellowish handkerchief from her sleeve, then handed it to Lillian.
