The Flower That Was Swallowed by the Beast - Chapter 32

“Ah, I’ll have to introduce my personal maids. This is Christina of the Fernie family. And this is Elly of the Lutech family.”

Iris said, pointing to the women standing side by side behind the sofa.

Despite being in the midst of anger and distraught, the names Fernie and Lutech were able to reach their ears.

Both were families of great reputation.

They couldn’t believe women of those families were Iris’ personal maids.

Naturally some of Britney’s personal maids are also daughters of Barons and Viscounts. However, they weren’t comparable to the Fernie or Lutech families. It was starting to hit them how positioned the Count Green family is. Reuben and Denise also became nervous.

They were going to scold Iris severely once they entered the room, but they couldn’t because of the prestigious families behind her personal maids.

“By the way, I’ve clearly written down the date on the invitation, so what’s the reason for such an early visit? I don’t think it’s because you want to see me.”

“T-that’s it…We were worried about you…”

Iris grinned at Denise’s words.

“What were you so worried about?”

“Why wouldn’t we worry? Count Green came to us out of the blue and kidnapped you to marry….With no news of the wedding.”

“Yeah. Besides that, there’s been bad news. It was all over the newspapers and magazines. We were very worried because we felt like it was revealing all of your dirty secrets as soon as you got married.”

Britney stepped in quickly. Iris smiled as if she were having fun.

“Why…why are you smiling like that?”

“It’s funny. That you were worried about me.”

“Is it funny that I’m worried about my sister?”

“I don’t think so. You encouraged Viscount Hutch to come here, and that’s why I was in trouble. Didn’t you know this was gonna happen?”

“What do you mean…Why would I send Viscount Hutch here? Are you crazy? Ah, and… Why are you so impolite?”

“You made it impolite first.”

“I’m your sister, Iris.”

“Britney. Do you think I’m still Iris Whittle?”

Iris’ eyes sank coldly.

“I am Countess Iris Green. If you show due courtesy to Countess Green, she will also show you due courtesy.”

“I’m telling you, I can’t take this anymore, Iris!”

Denise shouted in a cracking voice.

“Do you think that because you left home and became Count Green’s wife that you never had the blood of the Whittle family? No matter how upset you are about this marriage, this isn’t the way for a daughter to treat her family, is it?”

Denise soon stopped talking to contain her anger.

A child born through her husband’s affection for a maid with unknown origin.

She wanted to kill her on the spot, but had endured and raised her. She even gave her the nickname ‘Duke Whittle’s Flower’ and raised her for 20 years.

So she couldn’t believe Iris was coming back to bite her like this. Iris’ life was supposed to be in her hands!

“How have we treated you so far…We fed you well and raised you well, you must repay the favor.”

“Favor.”

Iris recited the word with a strange look on her face, as if she had never heard it before.

“Favor. Yes. Aren’t I paying it back, Duchess? I’m being nicer and kinder to you than you’ve ever been to me…Is this not enough? Oh, if you want me to do exactly what you’ve done to me…”

A smile spread across Iris’ lips.

Britney felt horrified.

“Would you like to wash the dishes? Or have you clean the windows? Or put you in a warehouse with no windows and starve you after framing you for stealing? Or scold you for something you didn’t even do? Do you want me to do what you did to me? Really?”

The family found themselves unable to breath at the calm truth flowing from Iris’ lips.

This is because they didn’t expect Iris would reveal her disgrace in front of her personal maids.

“Oh, my…crazy bastards…”

A small voice came out from behind Iris.

Iris took a quick side glance. Then, facing the Whittle family again, she spoke.

“What’s with those looks on your faces? Did you think I wouldn’t be able to tell you this because I’m in front of my personal maids?”

Iris put her legs on the table and crossed her arms as if she was having fun. In a deeply buried position on the sofa, she continued.

“Why would you think that? It’s not my fault that I cried for being beaten, mistreated, framed, and often starved and trapped.”

“I-Iris…”

Reuben managed to wriggle his lips.

“Let’s…have a word with just each other.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Three for you and three for this side. This is fair.”

“I-I’m just saying we should talk as a family.”

“You’re slow to understand.”

Iris narrowed her brows.

“W-what?!”

“What do you think I’m talking about? I’m telling you, I’m not your family.”

“Iris!”

Reuben couldn’t stand it anymore and jumped up. Then, he stared at Iris as if he wanted to hit her on the head right now. His two clenched fists were shaking.

If it were Iris of the past, she would have lowered her head and shivered just a little bit.

But now the Iris in front of them was still sitting on the couch in an arrogant position, glancing up at Reuben.

“Sit down, Duke Whittle. This isn’t the Whittle mansion, and I’m not Iris Whittle. If that fist hits my head like in the Whittle mansion, something big is going to happen here.”

“I…when did I ever hit you?”

“Oh, you’re trying to do that. Making me out to be a liar.”

She naturally expected it.

Reuben, Denise and Britney, were somehow trying to turn everything Iris said into a lie.

“You can do whatever you want. But remember this. As soon as you guys start harming me, I’ll run to the government office and ask them to cut me off from the Duke Whittle family. They’ll ask why. Then I will confess honestly what I have suffered from you.”

Denise tried to say something but was stopped when Iris held up her index finger.

“Of course, you can try to make me a liar in your position. But don’t forget that there are so many people who know how I have been treated at that mansion.”

Reuben’s eyes grew wider.

“This time, you won’t be able to kill them to shut them up. In the future, I will keep an eye on the movements of Duke Whittle’s employees, and if they are suddenly found missing or killed unaccounted for, I will file a complaint. Government offices, royal family, and Divine Kingdom. For Iris Whittle who didn’t have the power to…”

Iris’ eyes bent in a half-moon shape. Then she smiled sweetly, enough for a stranger to think she was smiling at her lover.

She stood up slowly with a smile and looked down at the Whittle family.

“Countess Iris Green has the power to do that.”

She extended her index finger and pointed to the door.

“Leave. Because I’m tired.”

* * *

Coming out of Iris’ room and back to the West building, the Whittle family didn’t say anything throughout.

As soon as they entered the guest room of the West building, Denise and Britney burst into a rage.

Between the two bitter women, Reuben was quietly lost in thought.

‘Siriel…’

It’s been a long time since he thought of that name.

A long time ago, a pretty, imposing maid was raped by Reuben.

[You better kill me here, Reuben. I’m going to kill you at all costs if you let me go.]

The eerie eyes that were staring at Reuben with Iris in her arms.

It had never crossed his mind that Iris looked like her mother. But Iris, who became Countess Green, had a similar look and personality to her mother.

As soon as he realized it, Reuben had to admit it.

Iris has escaped the cage created by the Duke Whittle family. No matter what happens from now on, she’ll never return to that cage.

However, it was comforting that Iris hasn’t officially broken off from the Whittle family. It was better to maintain a connection with the Green family while keeping Iris in the right mood. They might need the Green family’s help one day.

“Let’s go back.”

It was better to go back now. Now that Iris doesn’t want to see them, there’s nothing good about staying at the estate for a long time. They were only going to come and show their faces on the day of the wedding.

“What do you mean go back? Are you saying we should back off? And let that bitch act like that?”

Denise had a different idea than Reuben.

She was planning to somehow fix Iris’ attitude.

“She doesn’t like it. As she said, this is Count Green’s mansion, and she’s the mistress of this mansion. The mistress doesn’t want us here…”

“Ha! Whatever she says, she’s Iris Whittle. The same Iris Whittle, who we fed and put to sleep and raised until now!”

“That’s right, Dad. I really don’t want to go back like this.”

Added Britney.

“What if she says bad things about our family? I’d rather stay here and show that we’re good people.”

“Yes, dear, I’m not here to pick on Iris. We need to manage our image. When we get back, they’ll think all her crap is real.”

Reuben wondered if his wife and daughter would change their image just because they were still here.

But Denise and Britney had a point.

He groaned and wracked his head.

It’s the wedding of the Green family, so he was sure the royal family and royal court of each country will send people. If not the Emperor, the Crown Prince, princes and princess will attend.

Reuben was maneuvering various pieces behind the scene, hoping to make the Crown Prince of the Gavizar Empire, Iobet, his son-in-law.

‘The Crown Prince doesn’t attend these occasions, so it’s highly unlikely that he’ll come, but…’

It will be a big deal if Iris makes a noise at the wedding and it falls into the ears of the royal family. It might be better to stay here and please Iris.

The Whittle family decided to stay at the Count’s mansion until the wedding.

* * *

“The Whittle family say they will stay until the wedding.”

Listening to Jamie’s report, Iris nodded.

It was as she had expected.

She could guess what the Whittle family would be like in the future.

‘They’ll be nice to me. The royal family will send people to the wedding, so they want to give them a good image.’

The Whittle family was hoping to change Iris’ accusations on their treatment of her into lies.

‘Let’s see how good of parents and sister you are. It’s going to take a lot of effort though.’

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .