CHAPTER EIGHT: UNLEASHED

"My lady, what if your parents were to discover this? Are you aware that I would be the first person to face death? Could you please stop this so they won't find out?" Flower spoke, but Ciara pretended not to hear her and continued feeding the crystal with her blood. To ordinary individuals, it may appear as a mere shining stone; however, in the hands of someone with the ability to manipulate water or ice, it can transform into a formidable beast capable of wreaking havoc and destruction.

Ciara discovered the crystal in a hidden chamber within their mansion. This secret chamber resembled a grand palace and was heavily guarded at the back of their mansion. It was constructed under the guidance of the royal ancestors with the purpose of housing books containing royal secrets, forbidden spells, records of malevolent past ancestors and their deeds, and more. Access to this chamber was strictly prohibited unless one possessed a token capable of lifting the protective enchantment. Typically, Lord Leonard carried this token with him at all times. However, one day, he decided to reveal Ciara's obligations and brought there. There, he elucidated the family's longstanding responsibility for safeguarding it, explaining that when the time comes, Ciara would assume this duty.

Additionally, upon Ciara's marriage to the crown prince, any child of hers who possessed the ability to control water, apart from the first son, would carry on this responsibility. Unbeknownst to her father, Ciara had secretly taken the crystal for herself.

Ciara looked at the crystal, noticing that it was growing brighter, a sign that it would soon transform into what she desired. With a sense of satisfaction, she covered it with a lid and smiled softly. Turning to Flower, she questioned, "Why do you think you will die? Have I engaged in any treasonous acts or caused harm to anyone? Even if they were to discover that I released it, by that time, I will have already escaped this confinement and be as free as a bird," she exclaimed joyfully. Flower sighed in disappointment, just they were talking, a woman named Millicent entered the room.

Millicent, the woman who commands respect and instills fear in the hearts of all the maids under her supervision. With a steadfast gaze and a stern expression, she epitomizes authority and discipline. Her piercing eyes, a striking shade of steel gray, appear to hold a lifetime's worth of experiences. Millicent's tall and imposing stature demands attention, and she exudes an air of consummate professionalism.

When Ciara saw Millicent, she glanced at her from head to toe and noticed that her height only reached up to Millicent's chest. However, Ciara refused to show any signs of weakness and remained determined not to back down and bravely asked, "May I inquire as to why you are here with all these entourages?" Flower quickly moved to stand behind Ciara, clutching onto the hem of her clothes, displaying her fear of Millicent. Yet, Ciara simply laughed and remarked, "You might be scared of her because she is the head maid, but to me, she's just an ordinary maid, just like you. So don't worry, she can't harm you, even if she tries to make her face scarier."

Millicent stared at Ciara with an impassive expression and then calmly stated, "My lady, as of today, I have been assigned to oversee your training. I will be at your service from this moment onward." Ciara looked at Millicent in astonishment and quickly retorted, "What on earth are you talking about? Why do I need any training? Do I appear lacking in proper manners and etiquette? Since the day I was born, I have been trained on every aspect of life, from walking to eating, sleeping to even breathing. And now, you claim to be in charge of yet another training? You must be joking with me, and I suggest you leave immediately if you don't want me to call the guards on you."

Millicent sighed in frustration and responded, "Since we are just getting acquainted, I will excuse any attitude from you. Lady Clarissa has appointed me as your new trainer, relieving your former trainer of her duties. Her ladyship expressed her disappointment in your lack of progress, and I agree with her assessment. However, I am certain that by the time I finish training you, you will be the epitome of perfection that everyone admires. Today marks the beginning of our training, and we will start by removing any distractions from your surroundings." With that, Millicent motioned for the maids to gather Ciara's toys and other potential distractions. However, Ciara swiftly intervened, preventing them from taking anything, and boldly declared, "If you dare lay a finger on any of my belongings, I promise you will regret it. How dare you barge into my chamber and dictate what I should keep. You are nothing more than an ordinary, elderly maid with nothing to her name. I am really surprised. This is the first time I've seen someone who would be happy to serve as a maid for others. You are truly something else, or should I say, you have no pride at all," Ciara said, causing the other maids to feel sorry for Millicent.

As Ciara was about to continue speaking, she heard someone angrily call out her name, and it turned out to be her mother who had overheard everything she had said to Millicent.

"How could you utter such words to a person, Ciara? I know you are spoiled, but I never thought you could say something like that to an elderly person. Millicent has been here long before I married your father. She was the one in charge of raising him, which contributed to making him the person he is today. She has devoted almost her entire life to this family, and the only thing you can do is speak to her like that? Ciara, how could you do that? I raised you to be better than this." Clarissa said angrily.

Ciara moved a little closer to her mother and replied, "But she was the one who was rude to me first. How could she just come into my room and start giving orders to have my toys taken away? Even you wouldn't do that to me." Ciara's words struck a nerve with her mother.

"What do you mean, something even I couldn't do? Do you think I don't have the authority to have your toys removed?" Clarissa then furiously ordered, "Pack everything from her room and take it outside now. If anyone dares to stop you, you have my permission to do whatever is necessary."

Ciara, realizing the seriousness of her words, quickly moved towards her mother and fell to her knees, pleading, "Mother, that's not what I meant. Please take back your command." However, her mother refused to listen, and the maids continued packing everything. As Ciara begged her mother and witnessed her favorite possessions being taken away, her anger grew even stronger, but she still persisted in pleading. However, her anger became uncontrollable when one of the maids attempted to touch the crystal she held dear.

Ciara yelled at maid to stop, and in a fit of rage, she swiftly moved towards the maid and slapped her. This action only served to further enrage Clarissa, who in turn, slapped Ciara back.

Clarissa had never raised her hand against her before, so this was a shocking moment for her. She felt an overwhelming sadness that her mother would raise her hand on her because of a maid. For the first time in her life, tears streamed down her face, and the surroundings became hazy as rain began to pour. Ciara couldn't shed any tears because her tear alone can bring heavy rainfall and will be disastrous for the lower realm but will just be a heavy rain in the other realm.

Her mother pleaded for her to stop crying, but Ciara couldn't stop herself as she continued to cry uncontrollably, and the rain poured heavily. A maid rushed towards her, attempting to console her, but as soon as she touched Ciara, her power got unleashed, and the maid was thrown away, making Ciara's veil fall, revealing the birthmark on her face. All maids who saw her face turned to ice statues, including her mother. Only Morgana, Flower, and two other maids behind her were unharmed. Ciara couldn't believe what she had done; she didn't know what happened. She looked at her mother and started apologizing, saying it wasn't intentional. Flower and Millicent reassured her that everything would be alright, but Ciara quickly picked up her veil and ran out of the chamber.