Chapter 47: A Lesson In Obedience
Lady Evelina sat comfortably on her chair, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of tea resting lightly in her hand. Before her stood the mistresses... her students now... each of them selected to be shaped into women worthy of standing beside the king.
Her gaze lingered on Rosalind in particular. Unlike the others, she did not appear attentive, and that lack of interest did not go unnoticed. Lady Evelina found it quietly disrespectful, and it only confirmed what the king had implied... that this one would require proper handling.
"You must be the new mistress..." Lady Evelina said at last, her eyes settling fully on Rosalind. "What is your name?"
Rosalind drew in a breath before answering, "Rosalind Calder."
"A beautiful name," Lady Evelina mused, taking a slow sip of her tea. "You may call me Evelina. From now on, I will be teaching you alongside the others. They have already progressed quite far, so I trust you will make the effort to catch up."
Though Rosalind had no desire to partake in any of this, the king had left her with little choice. She gave a reluctant nod in response, keeping her thoughts to herself.
"I will be teaching you many things," Lady Evelina continued with a calm voice. "From academics to vocational skills such as the arts, and of course, how to be obedient."
Before Rosalind could react to that last word, a sharp crash cut through the room, drawing her attention instantly.
Lady Evelina’s cup suddenly slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor, tea spilling across the tiles. She covered her mouth lightly. ’Oops,’ she murmured.
But Rosalind had seen that the fall had not been accidental. It had been deliberate, and it made her pause. Why would the woman break something so expensive so carelessly? Did she not fear the king?
Her thoughts were interrupted almost immediately. "Rosalind," Lady Evelina called.
She looked up, confusion evident on her face.
"Come here," the governess beckoned with a small curl of her fingers.
Rosalind hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward. As she moved, she caught the sound of Sabine chuckling under her breath, and her hands clenched slightly at her sides. Since Lady Evelina’s arrival, Sabine had attached herself to the woman, speaking eagerly of how she had remained diligent even in her absence. It was clear enough that Lady Evelina favored her, and that realization left Rosalind with an uneasy feeling she could not ignore.
She came to a stop before the woman.
"Clean it up," Lady Evelina said, her tone firm and unquestioning.
Rosalind’s brows drew together slightly, unsure if she had heard correctly. Her gaze flickered briefly to the servants nearby, only to notice that Lady Evelina had already dismissed them from stepping forward when they had attempted to assist.
"What are you waiting for?" Lady Evelina asked, her eyes narrowing as Rosalind remained where she stood.
"I do not believe it is my place to clean this," Rosalind replied quietly.
The response made Lady Evelina raise a brow. "Why not?"
"There are servants present," Rosalind said carefully. "It would not be proper for a lady to take on their duties."
A soft chuckle left Lady Evelina, and Rosalind felt a subtle tightening in her chest as she realized the situation was turning against her.
"I am asking you to do it," Lady Evelina said simply. "Yes, there are servants, but I want you to clean it"
Rosalind swallowed. Back at home, she had never been expected to do such tasks.
Despite Calder’s many faults, her father had ensured she was raised with the understanding of her place and conduct. This, she knew, was not about cleaning but was meant to humiliate her.
Still, causing a scene would only make matters worse.
With that thought, she slowly lowered herself, reaching toward the broken cup. But just before her fingers could touch it, Lady Evelina spoke again.
"You should begin with the spilled tea," she said after a brief pause. "Wipe it with your tongue."
Rosalind froze.
Her eyes widened at Lady Evelina who gave a nod.
Unease crept through her, her heart beginning to pound against her chest. "I am not a dog... pardon me, Lady Evelina," she said, her voice steady despite the tension rising within her.
Lady Evelina smiled then, but it was a smile that held no warmth. "I am well aware," she replied calmly. "But this is a lesson in obedience. I did say I would be teaching you that, did I not?"
Rosalind’s lips parted slightly, but no words came. Her hands tightened at her sides as she struggled to contain her reaction. This was no lesson...it was degradation.
At the back, Sabine laughed quietly and nudged Claire, who followed her with a small laugh. Verity, however, stood still with a frown, clearly uncomfortable with what was happening.
She respected Lady Evelina as a skilled governess who carried herself with grace, but what she was witnessing now felt nothing like teaching. It felt like humiliation, and she could not understand why it was being allowed.
Rosalind clenched her teeth tightly, the pressure making her jaw ache as she stared directly at Lady Evelina. The woman, in turn, had a faint curl on her lips and an amused glint in her eyes, as though she was enjoying every second of Rosalind’s discomfort.
"If you refuse to do this, Rosalind, I am afraid we will have to suspend the lessons because of you," she said calmly.
"We cannot afford to delay because of you," Sabine added from behind with a satisfied tone. "Just do it."
At that, something inside Rosalind snapped. She felt an overwhelming urge to turn and slap the smug expression off Sabine’s face, but she held herself back with difficulty, her frustration boiling beneath her restraint.
"If I report this to the king, he will not let you go easily," Rosalind blurted out before she could stop herself.
Lady Evelina merely raised a brow. "Oh?" she said lightly, tilting her head. "How frightening."
Rosalind gritted her teeth harder.
But what she did not know was that Alaric had arranged this under the disguise of discipline.
"If I were you, I would think carefully," Lady Evelina continued. "If I inform His Majesty that you failed your very first test, I doubt he would be pleased. He is rather invested in your... progress."
Then she gestured toward the floor again. "Now, proceed. Do not keep us waiting any longer."
Rosalind lowered her gaze back to the spilled tea. Her reflection shimmered faintly in the liquid across the tiles, distorted and fragile. She clenched her fists at her sides, swallowing the humiliation pressing down on her chest. She told herself it was temporary, that enduring it was better than escalation. She only needed to survive this place, and she refused to let something as small as this break her.
Slowly, she knelt.
From above, Lady Evelina studied Rosalind, confirming her judgment that this one was difficult but not impossible. If the king wanted obedience, then she would make sure he received exactly that by the time she was finished with Rosalind.
Rosalind leaned forward, closing her eyes as she brought herself closer to the spilled tea, trying not to think of the eyes watching her from every direction. The pressure in the room only grew heavier as she lowered herself further, preparing to carry out the instruction she despised.
But just before she could, a firm hand landed on her shoulder and stopped her from going further.
Had she been saved?
Her eyes snapped open, and when she looked up, she saw Rowan standing behind her, his grip steady as he gently pulled her back and a brief silence fell over the room at his interruption.
Lady Evelina’s attention shifted immediately to him. "And who exactly are you?" she asked sharply.
Rowan did not even look at her at first. "Lady Rosalind’s footman," he answered evenly.
Lady Evelina scoffed and rose slightly from her seat, unimpressed. "What gives a mere servant the authority to interfere..."
"You have been entrusted with her under my supervision," Rowan interrupted calmly, finally meeting her gaze. "If anything happens to her under the guise of your instruction, it will not be overlooked."
"..."
Lady Evelina studied him for a moment longer than necessary, her expression tightening slightly before she let out a quiet breath. "I see," she said calmly. "Then your loyalty is admirable... for a servant." she added to acknowledge and at the same time put him in his place.