Chapter 124: Tea time.

8:58 PM.

The Kaelion elders were sitting in the main living room, reminiscing about the events of the wedding as they waited for their evening tea. This was usually a calm, cozy time when they sipped expensive brew and discussed the events going on in the country, the world, and gossip at large.

Naturally, the topic of the hour was how incredibly unfitting the new bride was for their golden boy, Elliot.

"She has no grace," aunt Margot whispered, fanning herself. "Did you see how she held her chopsticks? Like she was trying to spear a fish in a muddy pond."

"And her family background," Uncle Liam chimed in, shaking his head. "A tiny, backwater village. Her father probably still fights over low-grade energy stones."

The Grand Patriarch, who had been sitting in absolute silence like an ancient stone statue, suddenly opened his eyes. The room went dead quiet. Even the wind outside seemed to stop blowing.

"You all lack vision," the old man rumbled, his voice carrying the deep resonance of a cultivator who had lived through a hundred storms. "Lita is from the village. She is sturdy. She is a perfect fit for our wild child. Hopefully, she will calm Elliot down with time. A wild beast needs a solid cage, not a fragile silk ribbon."

Everyone quickly nodded, smiling politely.

"Ah, the Patriarch is wise!"

"Yes, yes, such deep foresight!"

But in their hearts, they were sweating. They went silent after, and no one dared to mention the elephant in the room_ or rather, the tiger on the floor. Nobody dared to say that Lita had already violated his prized tiger fur. To the Patriarch, that wasn’t just a rug; it was a sacred relic. If he found out she had dirtied it, he would order for her to be fed to the beasts immediately. That fur took him back to some of the proudest memories of his youth, back when he was a handsome rogue, hunting high ranking monsters beyond the veil. It was his most prized possession. To touch it was to court death.

Meanwhile, back in the servant quarters, the atmosphere was anything but cozy.

Loveline was tapping her foot so hard she was nearly drilling a hole through the floor. She held the hem of her skirt to her waist, her eyes glued to the wall clock.

The second the clock ticked to 8:59 PM, her eyes flashed with a cold, terrifying light.

"Time’s up," Loveline hissed. She turned to a group of hefty male servants standing behind her. "Grab the battering ram. Follow me."

The servants, sweating profusely under her fierce gaze, quickly hoisted a heavy wooden log. They marched straight to the servant quarters, stopping only when they reached Lita’s room. At the very least, they had given her the biggest room in the quarters.

"Break it down," Loveline ordered coldly.

Inside the room, Lita was completely oblivious. In fact, she had totally forgotten about the tea duty she had been assigned. She was still furious about the humiliating ritual that she had experienced, pacing back and forth while ranting on her phone.

"I hate them, Mother! They treat me like I am trash! I was humiliated because of some stupid rug!" Lita cried into the device.

On the other end, her mother’s voice crackled back with equal outrage. "Do not worry, my sweet peach. Your father will do something about this. He will draft a complaint to the Divine soul maiden! I cannot believe they would treat our precious daughter like this!"

"Yes." Lita’s face twisted viciously. "I can’t believe I did not think of that. Tomorrow, I will go to the Divine Soul maiden in person and make her address my grievances. As long as I have her backing, who in this family will dare to walk all over me? I will be the one in charge."

There was a loud boom. The wooden door exploded inward, splintering into a hundred pieces.

Lita jumped a mile in the air. The phone slipped from her hand, bouncing loudly on the floor. Through the dust, Loveline marched in like a demon general invading a mortal village.

"Lita? Lita, what was that noise? Are you there?!" her mother’s voice squeaked desperately from the floor.

Loveline didn’t even glance at the phone. In a flash, she closed the distance between them. Before Lita could even scream, Loveline reached out, grabbed a handful of Lita’s hair, and yanked back with brutal force.

"Ahhh! Let go!" Lita shrieked.

With a cold laugh, Loveline tossed her onto the hard bed. Lita hit the mattress, gasping for breath, her hair a tangled mess.

Loveline leaned over her, her face twisting into a cruel smile. "Did you think I was joking, you peasant? I told you there would be consequences if you ignored the rules of the Kaelion household."

She didn’t waste any more breath. Loveline simply turned her head and nodded at Apofia, her loyal enforcer who was standing by the door flexing her knuckles.

Apofia didn’t need to be told twice. She had been waiting for this. With a grin, she stepped forward and began to beat Lita, landing heavy slaps and punches. Lita wailed, curling into a ball to protect her face, but the blows kept coming.

After a few brutal minutes, Loveline raised her hand to stop the beating. They grabbed Lita by her collar and dragged her up to her feet.

"Today, we did you a favor. We brewed the tea for you," Loveline whispered maliciously, patting Lita’s swollen, bruised cheek. "All you have to do is carry it. If you spill a single drop, or if you cry in front of the elders, I will personally skin you. Do you understand?"

Lita sobbed, big tears washing over her bruised face. "I... I..."

"Shut it!" Loveline snapped. "Now, move."

Lita limped heavily, her knees aching and her face throbbing with pain. She followed Loveline out of the quarters and down the long, grand hallway. Near the entrance of the living room, a servant stood waiting, holding a heavy silver tray laden with delicate porcelain cups and a steaming teapot of premium tea.

Lita’s hands trembled violently as she took the tray. Swallowing the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, she forced her legs to move and entered the warm, brightly lit living room.

The moment she stepped inside, she lowered her head, hiding her swollen face as best as she could, and bowed deeply to the elders.

The sudden silence in the room was deafening.

Sabrina noticed the girl’s trembling hands and the faint bruises peeking through her messy hair. Seeing the Grand Patriarch watching, Sabrina instantly put on her best, most loving performance. She cleared her throat, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.

"Oh, dear, look at you! Is everything okay?" Sabrina asked, looking like the picture-perfect, caring mother-in-law. "Why do you look so tired?"

Every eye in the room landed on Lita. Loveline was watching from the shadows near the doorway, her eyes sending silent death threats.

Lita swallowed the massive lump in her throat, squeezing her eyes shut for a brief second to stop the tears.

"I am okay," Lita whispered, her voice cracking slightly.

Biting her lip to keep from crying out in pain, she stepped forward and began to serve the hot tea to the elders, one agonizing cup at a time.