CH 70

Madel wasn’t sure if she should call what had happened between Elena and Lydia an argument, but she had been heartbroken ever since witnessing Gareth giving Lydia the cold shoulder. All she had been able to think about since then was what could have potentially gone wrong with their child. She was already feeling sorry for Lydia since the baby was so small, and her lord was only making it worse with his mistreatment.

Still, Madel resented Elena, who had caused the disturbance in the first place, more than Gareth. She thought that Elena should have put more effort into stopping Gareth or refrained from making a scene at all. Even if Elena were to become the lady of the household, Madel thought Elena was responsible for dealing with the issue of Lydia’s pregnancy. After all, the baby inside Lydia would then become Gareth’s illegitimate child. Madel had been disappointed in how Elena had handled this situation, since she thought Elena knew better as a daughter of a nobleman.

“I hear that the Townsend estate is impoverished. Isn’t that why she’s holding on to our lord so desperately? For her own family’s sake?” Madel criticized.

Giggs quietly put his plate down, despite not having finished the fresh bread baked by Elena that he loved very much. He then looked at Madel with a stern expression and asked, “Who in the world is saying that? Where did you hear it from?”

“The people know where Lady Elena is from and how mean she’s being to Princess Lydia behind everyone’s backs,” Madel mumbled casually as she took away Giggs’ plates as well as the leftover bread. Madel had never been able to confirm the rumors, but had heard similar stories multiple times from Lydia’s maids when they would come into the kitchen to grab some food for the princess. They would always be teary-eyed or sobbing when she would see them.

Madel had even heard from the maids that Elena had told Lydia that she was Gareth’s wife and that Lydia was a whore, as well as that Lydia is not carrying Gareth’s child and will be punished by heaven and miscarry the baby. She had never thought that the maids were lying, since she thought there was nothing they had to gain from it.

Madel was astonished at everything she heard. She wasn’t sure what back-up Elena had with her, as the royal princess was much more powerful than a count’s daughter, until she realized that Gareth was overly fond of Elena. Even though he didn’t call Elena his wife, he always kept her around at night. This made Madel resent Elena even more. She couldn’t believe that the woman would smile in front of her and spit out harsh words behind her back to Lydia, instead of caring for Gareth’s soon-to-be born child. However, Madel did not have the audacity to confront Elena directly. She just thought it was a shame that Gareth couldn’t see Elena’s true colors.

Giggs showed a menacing expression and spit out coldly, “There’s nothing these women can’t say these days. Have you ever seen Lady Elena act that way in person, Madel?”

“You think I don’t know just because I haven’t seen it?” Madel refuted.

“Watch your mouth, Madel. You won’t want to regret what you’ve said in the future. But never mind that, you still believe that woman when our boss himself said that it wasn’t his child?”

“Men don’t know because they’re not sensitive about these things… especially our lord. The one who will regret their words in the future will be our lord once he holds the baby in his arms.”

“Shut up, you fatass!” Giggs shouted, grabbing everyone’s attention as well as Elena’s.

“I’m just speaking for Lord Gareth. Lady Elena should accept the reality before her. Well, I did my best to tell you the truth. There’s no reason for me to argue any longer with an ignorant man like you,” Madel scoffed, then glanced at Elena not long after, feeling guilty about what she had just said. Elena was teaching Madel new things, such as drying herbs to make them into medicine, drying meat so that they don’t harden quickly, and cooking delicious food. Moreover, Elena was teaching Madel new ways to clean and would do everything together instead of simply giving instructions. Madel looked at Elena again, then noticed her sitting on the floor with her hands on the wall.

“She’s doing that again,” Madel muttered to herself. She had seen Elena do the same thing from time to time recently. It was something new Elena had started doing, sitting down and leaning against the wall as if she was dizzy. Madel had told Elena time and time again to rest if she was tired, but the woman didn’t listen.

“Is there something wrong with Lady Elena? Is she sick?” Giggs asked with a puzzled expression, then tried to approach Elena.