The Two-Faced Duchess

Vol. 1: Duchess of Another World, Chapter 6

"What in the word are you doing to my daughter?" she shouted furiously.

The scene she saw was totally shocking. An 8 year old girl was kneeling on grains of rice with her thighs swollen from fan whips. It was totally outrageous to the point that Shin Hye ended up exploding in anger. Shin Hye glared coldly with her eyes as she brought down the twin son she's carrying. The one in question was astonished and looked frightened upon seeing the duchess in front of her very eyes.

"I said what are you doing to my daughter?!" Shin Hye repeated as she never shifted her gaze from her.

Without helping the kneeling girl, the one in question hurriedly went to her and began sugarcoating her words.

"What does Her Excellency needs for her to come here personally?" she began sweating in cold but still delivered her words with clarity and poise.

[ Ah ... I'm too pissed. Why won't she help the poor girl first? Should I just slap her? ]

Shin Hye directly looked at her. The woman kept on evading her sight and fidgeting her every fingers in nervousness.

[ Yeah ... Let's just slap her. ]

'SLAP!'

Shin Hye slapped her. The woman fell down on the ground in surprise.

"How unrefined and undignified for such an etiquette instructor. Where did you place your manners?" Shin Hye glared down at her coldly.

Despite being confused by the sudden slap, the woman stood up in an instant and immediately bowed down gracefully like nothing had happened.

"Pardon me for showing such disgraceful manners, Her Excellency! Greetings. May I know the reason for what Her Excellency needs for her to come here personally?" with a composed tone in her voice, she calmly eased her position as she stood in place.

[ What's with the sudden nice act? Aren't she a bit brazen? ]

"So, would you like to explain why my daughter is in such situation?" Shin Hye was unfazed as she looked directly in that woman's eyes. 

The woman tried to keep her calmness still her nervousness and restlessness was leaking openly. She looked back at Shin Hye and with a stuttering voice, she reasoned her way out.

"Her Excellency, about this ... ah!- ... this is part of our etiquette lesson. It would help the child endure pain of standing for such a long time" the woman spouted nonsense that even Shin Hye can't coped up with her illogical reasoning.

[ What? What nonsense is that? ]

Shin Hye caught a glimpse of the poor girl and her state was extremely terrible. The girl was barely holding her tears and when she slightly move, the pain instantly creeped in inside her whole body. The feeling of rice grains slowly piercing your skin as it hit the bone. Shin Hye can't help but pitied her current state. It was so depressing for her to watch.

"Son, grab your sister and go back to your room," Shin Hye clenched her fist as she sincerely ordered her son.

Upon her orders, he immediately ran towards her sister, helped her stand up and slowly walked away from the room. As the two kids passed by Shin Hye, she can't help but show a saddening expression as she grit her teeth behind her composed smile. Everything she saw for that day was totally enough for her to enraged her emotions out.

[ For an adult to do something like this to a kid. What an embarassing act for an adult. ]

When she was a child, she also experienced the same as what the kids have experienced. Kneeling on rice, forced labor, abused by her family, starving for days and even experienced eating leftover food threwn by people. It was a terrifying memory she can't ever forget. She only desired a loving family despite being poor. But in an early age, she did all jobs that she could in order for her to earn money and survive in that harsh reality. Earning enough money, she ran away from her prison called home and went to the city. But as she thought that every opportunity was available in the city, she ended up starving for days. To quenched her hunger, she snatched wallets in train stations. Soon after that, she started doing illegal errands to the point that murdering people became part of her work.