Chapter 4 - Deny For Marriage

Hazel could feel the eyes of everyone was set on her yet she did not care. Holding the apple in her hand, she took quick bites to it and then spat out the seeds on the plate with a bit of her saliva dropped on the dish to create a scowl on her so-called mother face who was not more than infuriated.

"You are not even fit to call a lady." The disdain in the voice was so clear that even the maids smirked and looked at him with disdain.

But Hazel did not even blink, she continued to eat the apple as if she did not hear a thing. She had wasted a lifetime in gaining their appreciation. now she had enough and have no wish to gain it back. she would rather spend her time in making plan for running away from here.

Dressed neatly in a pink dress, with her sparkling blue eyes and red hair stretched down to the waist, she was no less than a princess of the fairy tale. But her actions were far worse than even a commoner. Her rough actions and careless attitude were like those of soldiers.

Even her presence was enough to irk the lady of the house countess Veronica for which Hazel was nothing but a throne she had to bear everyday. She had always been this uncultured and rude enough to not even reply to her.

"Hazel!" She finally called the girl and her eyes moved to look into those cold eyes that could leave a shiver run down the spine yet as the mistress of the house, her pride did not let her bow down.

"Yes, mother." came the sarcastic voice of the young girl who lacked manners. Even calling mother in that voice was like a tight slap was given to Veronica.

"What kind of eating manners are that? I have taught you thousands of times that you eat like us. Just look at your sister. She is perfect in everything and looks at you! Even a dumb girl would have learnt till now."hazel moved to look at the girl in question, Amelia Hyedson who was eating her soup in small sips that she was not sure if anything was even going in her mouth or not.

She puffed her cheeks and then adjusted her position on her seat, but that was not enough.

"Sit with straight shoulders!" came the authoritative voice and Hazel did, but soon her shoulders started to hurt! She did not understand why it was needed to sit that way to eat. She tried a few times, but then gave up the idea. Hazel filled the spoon to the brim and started taking quick sips of the spoon earning another glare from lady Veronica and a smirk from Amelia.

"Just look at her. She could never learn no matter what I try? And still her grandfather thinks that she is worth marrying the duke Richard Van Hexton." Hazel clenched her hands at his insult. If it had been hers, she would have just avoided like always, imagining that she never heard it, but she knew where it hurt and kept poking her nose there only.

"You and him are not a good match at all. A person should know its place. There is a limit to being delusional. When your father comes tonight, tell her that you do not want to marry him. Did you understand?" Her every word pierced Hazel's heart.

Since the day she had started understanding things, that was how the world had been for her. She was never assigned tutors, then she was scorned for being uneducated. She was never given books, then she was blamed for being illiterate, she was never allowed to sit on the dining table and eat and then she was called mannerless and rogue. Every single thing she liked was always taken away from her and then given to Amelia in the name of she was not worth it.

There was not a single day when the countess had not complained to Hazel about her looks, manners or other things. But she never understood why her mother hated her so much when she always poured her heart and affection on her younger sister Amelia!

Although Hazel heard all sorts of insults from the countess, she firmly decided to ignore them all.

'Who the hell are these guys trying to change my mind? She only had Richard in her life, she would never give up on him.'

Hazel tried to calm down by biting her lip in resentment. In fact, she knew there must be some reason when the countess called her to have breakfast with them.

"Have you turned deaf too or have you forgotten how to speak now?" came the piercing voice again breaking her from her reverie.

"Lord Richard has asked my hand for marriage. And I am not brave enough to deny him. If you think I am not worth it, you should plead with him to accept Olivia at my place, not me. I am done, excuse me.'' She stood up and let the room calm, but as she reached the door, tears started swelling in her eyes. She covered her mouth through her palms to muffle her cries as she ran.. She ran out of the palace and then took a secret passage to get out of that suffocating palace.

Hazel kept running like crazy. She had been hurt for so long when all the things were asked from her yet she could not believe that the countess did not let go of her only love. A single person in the whole world who cares for her.

She was feeling so suffocated that she did not realize she had crossed the familiar forest and entered a dark area which was prohibited due to wild animals. As she ran, her dress became entangled in bushes and the sound of tearing of dresses could be heard soon. If it had been any other day she would have stopped, but tonight she was past caring.

She ran and ran until she could not feel the sun anymore. The deep forest was dark enough to swallow all the light and turn the morning into night. She finally stopped when her knees gave away and she stumbled and fell on the floor.

"Aah" her feet hurt and her knees got scratched but more than that the thought of being alone hurted her. She brought her knees closer to her breasts and hugged herself. Sitting there, leaning on a tree she cried hard when she heard a howl that took the soul out of her body.

"Owwww"

"........."