About Becoming My Ex-Husband's Mistress - Chapter 119
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 119. Preparing to Face the True Master
“What on earth is the reason? The reason!”
Matilda Bilsty gnawed at her lips before finally tearing at her own hair in frustration.
It seemed like all her problems would be resolved the moment Melissa Bilsty and Count Veloda Genoma arrived….
Matilda Bilsty found herself recalling those maddening days that had passed.
After the documents were delivered from the Court, my authority as a representative was suspended.
The related duties lost their validity as well, so all the servants who had been assisting with the management of the Territory stopped their work.
Still, I wasn’t worried about the trial itself.
Even though my opponent was Gillian, he might as well not exist.
I heard he can barely move these days. On the day he refused my retainer, he was apparently beaten so badly he couldn’t speak.
On the other hand, the Legal Guild coming from the Capital gave me confidence that I wouldn’t lose.
But losing all other authority in a single moment felt devastating.
Only those who experienced it would understand.
Because of that, Matilda Bilsty felt like she was going mad with displeasure each passing day.
I tried to endure it. But even that had its limit—three days.
Eventually, Matilda Bilsty lined up the servants and laid hands on them to vent her anxiety and rage.
The servants endured her blows as they always did.
‘Yes! This is exactly it.’
I kept wanting to laugh.
Then something unexpected happened.
One of the servants knocked away Matilda Bilsty’s hand as she tried to strike her cheek.
“I can’t overlook this any longer. What gives you the right to hit me, madam?”
It was the Head Maid, a middle-aged woman who had worked quietly for years, who expressed her displeasure.
She had always merely bowed her head whether Matilda Bilsty struck her or cursed at her. But now, for the first time, the Head Maid opened her eyes wide and began to talk back to Matilda Bilsty.
“You commanded us servants based on your authority as a representative. But don’t you lack that authority now?”
At the Head Maid’s words, the other servants stirred. Their gazes toward Matilda Bilsty had changed.
That only made Matilda Bilsty’s anger surge higher.
“How would you know whether my authority as a representative will truly be suspended or restored? Your guts spilled out at the mere mention of Priscilla’s return! Do you know how timid she is? If you rely on someone like her and act like this, who’s going to clean up the mess?”
Matilda Bilsty raised her voice sharply and tried to tear at the Head Maid’s hair. She wanted to make an example of her in front of the other servants.
If I completely subdued her now, the other maids would obey me again.
Then two servants stepped forward to shield the Head Maid.
“Now that I think about it, the Head Maid is right. I don’t understand why we should endure and be beaten.”
Matilda Bilsty’s mind went blank for a moment.
Soon, even a lowly servant stepped forward to stand between the Head Maid and Matilda Bilsty.
“That’s right. We won’t endure this any longer.”
At that point, there was nothing Matilda Bilsty could do directly. Nothing except throw a tantrum.
“Get out! You’re fired! And you too! And you!”
The moment she uttered the word “fired,” the lowly servant who had been shielding the Head Maid flinched.
But it was only for a moment.
“Why would I be fired?”
The Head Maid crossed her arms without batting an eye.
“You don’t have the authority to fire me, do you?”
“I’m her mother!”
“Her mother? Ha, how shameless. You deserve execution for even claiming such a thing.”
The Head Maid let out a scornful laugh, her expression one of utter disdain, and spoke with chilling coldness.
“Well, let’s see if you can still say that after the lawsuit ends. Even if you win in the first trial, the ownership of this Mansion is already guaranteed to change.”
Another maid gasped in surprise at the Head Maid’s words.
“Wait, that’s confirmed?”
The Head Maid nodded with confidence.
“Of course. The administrative processing is moving so incredibly fast that it’ll be finished before the first trial. So the change in ownership of the Mansion is absolutely certain.”
The expressions of all the servants shifted at her words.
As the atmosphere transformed completely, the Head Maid pointed her finger triumphantly and jabbed it into Matilda’s chest.
“Get your facts straight. You’re the one who’s been fired.”
Matilda was left speechless.
The Head Maid’s behavior was so shockingly disrespectful that it felt as though I’d been struck in the head with a frying pan.
“We need to prepare to serve the real mistress. You’re a dismissed representative, so you’d better pack your things. You’ll have to leave after the first trial.”
“Priscilla would never throw out her own mother!”
“That doesn’t seem to be the case this time.”
The Head Maid deflected lightly and turned to address the other maids.
“Go sweep and clean everything until there’s not a speck of dust. We need to prepare for the real mistress!”
All the other servants nodded in unison at her words.
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
The servants hurried out after the Head Maid.
Matilda stood in a daze.
Her legs gave way beneath her, and she stumbled until a maid quickly steadied her.
“Are you alright? Please, sit over here.”
She was one of the newer arrivals at the Mansion.
“That was quite a shock, wasn’t it?”
The maid helped me into a chair, draped a lap blanket over me, and soon returned with a warm cup of tea.
“A cup of tea should help you calm down.”
As the warm liquid traced down my throat, I felt myself beginning to settle.
“Why didn’t you leave with the other maids?”
The question escaped me out of genuine curiosity.
The maid shrugged.
“I haven’t been here long. I’ve heard various things about the mistress, but honestly, I don’t know much about her.”
The maid carefully cut a slice of cake and placed it before me with a smile.
“And besides, it was the mistress who hired me, wasn’t it?”
Perhaps it was the shock of the servants’ sudden reversal, but I found my heart opening easily to this maid.
I decided to probe deeper into what she had just said.
“Sit there.”
Matilda Bilsty seated the Mute Maid directly across from her.
“I hear there’s been quite a lot of talk about me. What exactly are people saying? Are they spreading nasty rumors about me?”
The Mute Maid tilted her head.
“Well, I’ve heard things, but… honestly, I’m not sure why it’s such a problem. All the masters and mistresses I’ve served were like that. Actually, they were worse, not better.”
The Mute Maid even smiled brightly.
“Perhaps people are just envious of what you have, madam?”
“What I have?”
“Yes. You have so much money, and so many lovers. You’ve achieved such a remarkable rise in status, haven’t you? I was terribly envious of it myself. I think people made up ridiculous false rumors out of jealousy.”
As Matilda Bilsty waited for her to continue, the Mute Maid began to reveal what she had heard.
“I heard that you married the Count after bearing his child while you were still a maid.”
That was true.
But the words that followed made Matilda Bilsty’s heart skip.
“But then I heard that the child isn’t actually the Count’s, but another man’s.”
Matilda Bilsty’s voice rose involuntarily.
“Who, who said that!”
The Mute Maid shook her head.
“Everyone in the Territory was saying it. But honestly, it’s such an absurd rumor. If it were true, there’s no way you could still be here now, madam.”
The Mute Maid had denied the rumor first. Thanks to that, Matilda Bilsty managed to calm her startled heart and pretend it wasn’t true.
“So they’re acting like that because of this baseless gossip?”
Matilda Bilsty picked up her teacup. Her hands trembled slightly.
“This is infuriating! How could they fabricate such malicious lies?”
She feigned anger, but inwardly I was anxious. Such rumors had spread throughout the Territory.
That was a fact that absolutely could not be revealed. Once it was proven, I had no idea what would become of my future.
I couldn’t predict how the King would regard Melissa Bilsty, whose bloodline was not even half-noble but completely common.
It was at that moment.
“Calm yourself. First, you need to appear in court. Drink this.”
The person offering a transparent drink from beside me was Melissa’s real father, Wood—a commoner without even a family name.
In fact, I had originally planned to bring Wood to today’s trial as well. To show how confident and strong my daughter Melissa was.
But I changed my mind. I needed to hide Wood for now.
Given that such suspicions had spread, Wood was the most obvious candidate the Territory residents would suspect as Melissa’s biological father.
Unaware of my thoughts, Wood spoke tenderly.
“The children must have their reasons. But you do have the Estate Lawyer, don’t you?”
The Estate Lawyer.
He was someone I had hired solely to handle the necessary administrative procedures until Melissa and Count Veloda Genoma arrived.
“Even if the first trial goes badly, there’s always the second trial… So drink this and calm down a bit.”
I had hired an inexpensive lawyer just to process documents.
If I had known the first trial would turn out like this, I should have hired someone comparable to Gillian. I regretted not doing so.
But it was already spilled milk.
There was nothing to be done. I had to go and attack Priscilla as much as possible while defending my position.
Matilda Bilsty sighed deeply as she looked at the drink Wood had handed her, then asked.
“Did you bring this for me?”
Wood nodded. In that gesture, I could almost see the endearing Melissa Bilsty.
Now that I thought about it, back in the Capital, whenever I grew too angry, Melissa would bring me a refreshing drink just like this.
She’d say it was good for the body.
The taste was bitter, but it certainly had a calming effect.
‘Perhaps he takes after Avi.’
As I recalled those moments, my heart felt a little warmer.
“Yes. I need to calm down.”
I drank the beverage Wood gave me in one gulp.
Though it had no discernible taste, the cool sensation sliding down my throat seemed to have a soothing effect.
‘That’s right. This is only the first trial. The barony succession is inevitable, so I just need to argue that the marriage is valid.’
If I lose, I can appeal. By the second trial at the latest, Count Veloda Genoma and Melissa Bilsty will have the Legal Guild prepared.
With that thought, my mind settled further.
It seemed to be the effect of Wood’s drink, so I asked.
“It has no taste at all… what kind of drink is this?”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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