Chapter 211: Bubbling anger
The unexpected declaration caught everyone off guard, with startled gasps and murmurs rippling through the crowd as they stared at Emily and Marshall. The princess struggled to think of a way to defuse the situation, but it was challenging with the overwhelming attention they were attracting, and her face flushed red. She finally uttered,
"You might be desperate to marry because of your tarnished reputation, but I am not. You, sir, are not a man worthy of even standing in my presence, let alone proposing something that exists solely in your imagination, for it will never happen."
"There’s no need to be ashamed, Emily. We will raise the child with—"
Emily looked around, searching for something—anything her eyes could land on—when she felt a gentle nudge against her hand. Julia, who stood behind her, extended the umbrella she had been carrying to protect the princess from potential rain, and her fingers curled around the handle.
"—so much love, and you will—"
Marshall’s words were abruptly halted when Emily swung the umbrella at his head with such force that it caused him to stumble and collide with the shop window next to them. The glass cracked, and a collective gasp emanated from the onlookers as the man tumbled onto the ground, landing on his backside.
Even Westley, who usually wore a dull expression, couldn’t help but subtly widen his eyes at the princess’s bold action. And as he glanced around, he noticed that her impulsive act had made things even worse than before, intensifying the murmurs and discussions about her.
Emily’s grip on the umbrella tightened as she fixed a piercing glare on the man who had continued to persistently sully her reputation, as if she would ever bend to his whims. She held a deep disdain for men like him, and the destruction of her once-pristine reputation only fueled her anger further.
On the other hand, Marshall found himself in a second round of shock. He had been prepared to catch the woman’s hand if she were to raise it in an attempt to strike him, but he hadn’t anticipated she would resort to using an object to hit him in a public setting.
"Don’t you dare come near me—"
"You were the one who approached me at Ruiz’s mansion, and now behave like a pompous, uptight princess." Marshall continued to stick with his lies, not holding back this time. He went on, "You know your chances of finding a decent man are slim after being rejected by your soulmate. I tried to comfort you, but you are lashing out, hoping for a better prospect—"