The Villainess With White Roses

Chapter 5 - Charlotte's Protection

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THIRD PERSON POV

Hannah stands there, her eyes wide and clearly startled to see Andrelise in her nightgown. Her mouth hangs open, as if she expected to find her anywhere but here.

Andrelise narrows her eyes, feeling a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"What are you doing here, Hannah?"

Hannah tries to say something, but Andrelise's gaze shifts to Charlotte, who is crumpled on the floor, her face bruised. A jolt of shock runs through Andrelise, and she quickly directs her cold stare back to Hannah. "What's going on here?"

Hannah shrugs, completely unfazed by the chaos she's just caused. "She disrespected me," she replies nonchalantly, a wicked glint in her eyes. "I was just educating her."

Andrelise takes a steadying breath, trying to keep her anger in check. She tilts her head, forcing herself to appear calm and collected.

"Educating her, huh?"

"You know, Hannah," Andrelise says, a sly smile creeping onto her face.

"I've always admired how you manage to make everything about yourself. It's really impressive. You take every little incident and turn it into a grand affront against your precious dignity."

Hannah frowns, clearly confused by Andrelise's tone. "I'm just saying—"

"Enough." Andrelise raises her hand, cutting her off sharply.

"Let me be clear. Charlotte is under my protection, and I don't like it when someone messes with what belongs to me." Her voice is steady, icy, and she watches as understanding slowly sinks in for Hannah. She has crossed a line she didn't even know existed.

Andrelise steps closer, lowering her voice so only Hannah can hear. "And if you think for one second that you can lay a hand on anyone under my command and just walk away, you're in for a rude awakening."

Hannah stubbornly tried to defend herself , and Andrelise savors the moment. "I... I didn't mean—"

"No, of course not. You never mean it, do you?"

Andrelise leans in, her eyes locked onto Hannah's, ensuring that her words hit home.

"But here's what's going to happen. You're going to leave this room right now, with your tail between your legs, and you're never going to touch Charlotte again. Or anyone else in this household. Do we understand each other?"

Hannah opens her mouth to protest, but Andrelise cuts her off again. "I said, do we understand each other?"

Hannah nods, humiliated, her eyes flickering with hidden rage. Andrelise helps Charlotte up and into her room. Without another word, she steps back and motions toward the door. "Out."

Hannah hesitates for a moment, but then she scurries away, her face flushed with shame.

——
CHARLOTTE

I can barely feel my feet as Lady Andrelise leads me into her room. My mind is spinning with apologies, each one tripping over the other as I try to make up for my failure.

"I'm so sorry, my Lady. I didn't mean to cause any trouble, I should've handled it better..."

The words tumble out, one after another, but Lady Andrelise doesn't say anything.

"Lady Andrelise, I didn't mean for things to go this way. I didn't..." My voice is shaking, and I don't even know if she's listening.

She says nothing. Not a single word. She just keeps walking, bringing me toward the center of her enormous room, her hand holding mine, but with no warmth to it. I try to read her face, but it's like a mask—cold, distant. I feel so small right now, like I've somehow failed her in the worst possible way. She lets go and move as She stops by the drawer, opening it calmly, her fingers methodically searching through it. The sound of the drawer sliding open echoes in the quiet room, filling the space between us. I stand there, clutching my hands together, still whispering apologies as if I can make it better by speaking them into existence.