Chapter 70 - The Bet

"My lord, I did not know how to thank you." said the stall owner as he bowed his head with all his staff. 

That was the first time that a customer was relieving so much respect from the owner. All the spectators were stunned looking at the scene while both siblings were dumbfounded. Shouldn't the man be furious that he was paid less!!

"What are you doing? Did you even hear me? The bag only has 3000 gold coins. Didn't you say that the bill is 5000 gold coins or were you lying all this time?" she asked with a frown as she jerked the old man off.

But then realising what she had done, her face turned contorted and she wiped her hands as if it became dirty just by touching the man.

"Ewwww" she mumbled as it took her a few seconds to finally wipe her hands clean.

The man felt embarrassed but did not dare to speak about the insult, "I have heard you, my lady. And counted the coins by myself too. And I did not lie about the billing of 5000 gold coins." the man shook his head but it only confused everyone more.

Even Madeline and Melisa frowned listening to him, but before they could ask him, he continued, "but I am happy because the lady had already given me half of the amount in advance to arrange for the ingredients as I did not have so much grains available in my small ship. Rest of the 500 gold coins is our tip.`` Once again his words created havoc in the whole area. Getting a tip was a common thing, but getting a tip of 500 gold coins that was more than the biggest order cost in Norway was never heard of before.

This amount was enough to dine in the biggest inn of the empire street or even buy small jewels. Yet they paid such a large amount only for tips. And these siblings dare to announce that the lady was a poor person and even offered to pay her bill when they both could not even afford the amount. What a joke!

Everyone was looking at the troublemaker siblings with disdain and mocking gaze! They had never been this much insulted in their lifetime. 

But no matter how much they reckon their brains, they did not have anything to retort.

"Do you think just by paying the amount, you will be announced as a rich person? Do not forget that not even once you were invited in the social circle and other parties. And the way you are eating among commoners and getting in relationship with them, even your imitated jewels would not be able to keep your image!" Madeline snorted and replied as that was the last straw left to save her image.

She was regretting offering to pay their bill. Who would have thought that this foolish girl and her poor lover would invest so much just on a meal. Dumb fools! If they continued to spend so much on foolish matters they would never be able to stand high among nobles.

"Why are you so sure that my jewels are imitated?" asked hazel with a tilt of her head. The crowd that was biased for the noble siblings before were more drowned to the couple now.

They all held their breaths to know who would win this round!

Madeline snorted. Did she still have the courage to ask how they knew that her jewels were imitated? By the sheer amount, it confirmed!

More than hundred small diamonds and sapphires could be seen on the neck area and hemline of the dress while she was wearing a matching sapphire and diamond necklace and bracelet with long earrings of sapphire. All in all, there were so many jewels that only the royal family could afford to wear in daily life.

Even as the daughter of marquis, they hardly have one or two dresses of that kind that were limited to their coming of age ceremony and their marriage.

How could she wear these dresses so nonchalantly?

"Ha! So, you even have the guts to ask that? How shameless!!" Madeline replied with disdain but Hazel just shook her head at their naivety.

There was nothing wrong in being confident but to be overconfident when you had just received a face slap was nothing but foolishness.

"Lets, go honey." She held Richard's arm and decided to end the matter there. But Madeleine was not ready to let go. 

How could she revenge her insult if she would let the couple go!!

"Why? Are you afraid that your lie would come out. If you are not afraid of the genuinity of the dress and jewels then why are you trying to run away? Her tone and words were provoking as she held the hand of hazel.

She wanted to insult Richard too, but whenever she looked at the man, she felt her body trembling. An extreme fear filled her heart and she felt like bowing in front of him.

So, she did not dare to challenge him again.

"Sister, I think we are getting late. Why don't we let them go and leave the place too?" asked Melisa as she looked at her sister with worried eyes.

Though she was sure that Hazel was a poor girl before, but now looking at the amount they had spent on just a single meal she was not sure anymore. But she did not want them to be insulted further. All she wanted was to leave this damn place!

They could always settle their accounts with Hazel, when she would return to the count's palace.

But Madeleine gave no heed to her sister's advice.

"Why? I will not let her go that easily. Just look at her! She was like a duck acting as a swan." her voice was filled with hatred and jealousy that her rationality was drowned in all those emotions.

Hazel chuckled when she listened to the banter of the siblings. A lazy yawn formed on her beautiful face as she continued to lean on the shoulder of Richard.

"If you are so sure that I am acting like a proud peacock, shall we have a small bet?" asked Hazel in a lazy voice as if she was already bored of the conversation. 

Madeline raised a brow at her nonchalance attitude but how could she let go of the chance to insult her. A smug smile formed on her face as she nodded, "of course, but what would be the prize??" asked the girl as she rubbed her hands in anticipation.

"If i won then you both have to bow in front of me every time you see me and apologise to me but if you won, i will do anything you say!" replied hazel with a sweet smile on her face but it was easy to burn the face of both siblings. 

How could they accept that they would bow in front of a noble who was much lower than them. But when Madeline thought that she was going to win, her anger dissipated. She nodded her head with anticipation.

"Sure, I will bow my head in front of you but only if you win but if I win then you will have to rub your nose on the entrance of my palace and announce to the world that you are a filthy girl who ran away with a messenger and has many lovers!" Her eyes filled with evil glint as she looked at hazel with a smirk but before she could even speak a word further her whole body trembled and she did not know what happened but she fell on the floor with a thud on her stomach.

Her head was on the feet of the hazel yet she did not know how this happened. Everyone looked at her with surprise, but when she tried to get up, she could not even move an inch. As if she had a lot of weight on her backbone that did not let her move. But no matter how she saw it, she could not see anything.

A low howl could be heard that was enough to tremble the stunned crowd who were still looking at the fallen proud girl who seemed to be struggling but was not able to raise her head.

Hazel could feel the anger rising on his face as she was standing too close to Richard, she even knew that  he was the one who howled and the way Madeline fell suddenly, she did not know how, but she was sure Richard had done it. The man could not bear her insult, the thought warmed Hazel's heart but at the same time she was afraid that he would do something outrageous and she was not sure about the impact of his actions. Yet she did not know how to calm him down, but before she could turn and explain him, she heard the loud scream and sharp voice of Melisa

"What the hell did you do with my sister? Let her go!!"