269 The Young One Pressured Herself On Her Own

'Though I think she knew that Ashley was from the Empire. She just didn't bother with the others,' she thought before smiling again.

Russel stared at her before looking back at Simon, "So will you take me in? I think I can do a great job as your apprentice and we can make Natan prosper even more."

Simon was not answering, he didn't like the way she carries herself.

"Say," Amber once again opened her mouth.

"I think I saw you with someone when you came in, where could she be? The place might need more hands."

Russel thought of it as odd, for her to notice that but seeing the window that was facing the main street. She could only come up with the thought that this person must be standing by the window a while ago.

"Well, I took her in as my student. If she can learn here as well that would be of great help. Please let me call for her," Russel said before standing up.

When she stepped out, Jackson spoke up.

"What was with that?"

Amber looked at him, "I was testing the water. It seems that her confidence in herself didn't allow her to fully remember the people whom she worked for."

Then the three of them looked back at the door that opened again, Russel came in first before the other stepped in.

She politely closed the door and turned around and when she did.

"Vicious woman, you're here?" Ashley looked at Amber in shock.

Amber had a poker face on as she approaches Ashley.

*SLAP*

Ashley and Russel were both shock, even Jackson and Simon when Amber suddenly slapped Ashley.

She could only hold unto her cheek as she looked back at Amber in shock, she didn't expect such welcome from Amber.

"I thought you have grown up, but I guess it was all my imagination. You are but a brat who just grew in years but not in the head," Amber said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Amber was feeling really angry right now and it was very much visible in her face.

Ashley seeing this for the first time could only stare at her. In the past she saw her cold demeanor as she taught her a lesson for being too bold when she has nothing to protect herself.

But not once have she seen this person this mad towards the people whom she cares.

"Your age doubled but I think your mind deteriorated instead, choosing such a path over your loving family?" Amber continued.

"Wh- Why did you slap me?" Ashley finally found her voice after a while but her first question was still towards the fact that she was slapped.

Amber scoffed, "You were never hurt right? Is that why you are asking me why I slapped you? Your family never raised their hands on you."

"I… I just want to follow my dream. But it was almost impossible because I am a direct blood line of the heir, I am his younger sister. I am supposed to support him," Ashley's tears came rushing out.

"I want to become a chef but our family comes first. I don't know what else to do then sister Russel came and was willing to teach me. I have to grab the opportunity, I-"

"You really are a brat. Your loving family is worried sick and yet here you are," Amber laughed, a sarcastic one.

Ashley who saw her like this for the first time, couldn't speak another word.

"Now tell me, what gave you the confidence? Her cooking? Her fame? Her capabilities? What are they for if you would end up losing your family in the process? Do you think your family won't support you for what you wanted?"

The moment she heard her name, she checked her out and saw that her name was quite famous, she loves being within the crowd and being under the spotlight.

She can tell that her talent was genuine as well.

Russel at this point finally realized who the other person was, it was the bride of the last wedding she had cooked for.

The wedding of Ashley's brother whom she really didn't bother looking at.

She didn't even look at Ashley but when Ashley approached her and spoke to her about culinary, she just couldn't help herself. Until such time that Ashley told her, her story and the fact that she didn't know how to pursue her dream.

"Do you think your brother would rather let you accompany him than you chasing your dream? God Ashley, just what kind of stupidity did you allow in your head?" meanwhile Amber continued her lecture.

"Stop!! You are smart, you are capable, you have everything. You will never understand someone like me who didn't have all the talent that I need in order to become a chef. I failed okay? I failed my subjects that would allow me to at the very least pursue culinary," Ashley interrupted.

"How will I enter a culinary school then? How? Then sister Russel came and finally I have the chance, I can finally start learning and maybe become better and better at it. Even with my family's background, we are not part of the culinary world, it would be difficult for them to let me enter a school here."

Amber shook her head, "You're such a child. Not even trying to tell your parents about this and deciding for yourself. It is you yourself who cut off your path to your dream. Don't belittle your family Ashley."

"Why can't I? We are the lowest among the Empires. One word is no longer enough for us," she still argued.

Amber took a deep breath trying her best to calm down before she'd end up hitting this one.

"You might be the lowest but you are an Empire. An Empire, you are far higher than those other nobles out there who threw their weight all over the place. This is the reason why you are still a brat, you were sheltered so much that you didn't know how society works."

"Even with all the problem that your family faced, you are still bigger than most of the family out there. Before running away, you should have learned this fact first. You should have learned how society works but alas you chose the shortest path hurting everyone around you."

Ashley's tears kept flowing.

"You are their dearest and they will make sure to give you everything you want no matter how difficult. The short time I spent with them allowed me to know that they are not the same as others. Do you really think your family was such kind of family? That they wouldn't allow you to do as you please?" Amber asked not minding her tears.

The other three remained silent, they didn't expect such outcome.

Russel, who brought Ashley here for experience didn't expect to meet the bride of that day, was rendered speechless by her anger.

She didn't expect for her to be the one behind Natan, the restaurant chain that Simon Peterson pioneered. To think that she married a Wright that was focused on hotels and school while managing a restaurant, she never imagined it.

Ashley pursed her lips not wanting to reply.

"Go home," Amber then said in a voice full of warning.

"No, I don't want to. I want to become a chef. I already have a teacher as well," Ashley still vehemently declined despite everything that Amber said.

"I don't care if you found a master or not, go home."

"No."

Amber closed her eyes as she took another deep breath, Ashley have somehow become too close minded. And there is only one way she can make her understand the gravity of what she is doing.

"You want to be under Simon Peterson? Fine but I won't let you unless you stop being her teacher," she looked at Russel before saying with a warning.

Simon didn't speak, he hasn't seen this person get this mad so even with the way she said things, he didn't try to object.

Plus, everything she said was the truth, the young one pressured herself on her own that she lost sight of what is truly important. The care of her family towards her.

He can see it very clearly, the reason behind the unreasonable answers the young one was giving. It was the pressure of being the direct bloodline. This pressure must have slowly eaten her up to the point that she thinks she has no right to pursue her own path.

That she has no right to tell her parents what she wanted, she lost sight of their love for her. And when an opportunity came for her, she grabbed it like it was her last life line.