Rong Luoge couldn't care less about others right now. Perhaps feeling a bit of the desolation of shared misfortune at the moment, she didn't press further and turned to go to the side room.
The side room was cleaner than she had expected. She simply tidied up the heated couch by the window and curled up on it, forcefully suppressing the uncomfortable and unbearable sensation within her body.
That despicable couple—she would have her revenge one day.
Meanwhile, the man in the main room listened as the person outside went to the side room. His attendant hadn't arrived yet. If the owner of the house forced their way in, he would have no choice but to resort to ruthless measures.
In the darkness, illuminated by a sliver of moonlight, only the man's extremely pale face was visible. His ink-black hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and perhaps due to his injury, his lips were very pale, cold, and aloof, bearing no resemblance to the brightness in his earlier words.
In the middle of the night, the man suddenly heard faint, fragmented moans. He slowly sat up, and only after a long while, when the sounds gradually faded, did he lie back down.
As dawn broke, loud banging sounds came from outside the door. Rong Luoge frowned and sat up. She had barely slept all night, forcing herself to endure until now. Just as she was about to catch up on some rest, she was awakened, and her mood was naturally far from pleasant.
She had no intention of responding. There was no need to guess who was knocking—it had to be someone from the Duke of Zhenguo's residence.
But the more she ignored it, the louder the knocking became. Hearing neighbors come out to complain, Rong Luoge, her face dark with anger, finally opened the door and stepped outside.
As she stepped out, she glanced at the main room. There was no movement at all—she didn't know if the person was still there. But it had nothing to do with her. He was just an injured passerby seeking shelter, and once he recovered, he would naturally leave.
"Young Miss, I know you're inside. Please open the door quickly. The Duke has sent me to bring you back."
Hearing this voice, Rong Luoge matched it with the memories in her mind. It was Li Qi, the steward of the Duke of Zhenguo's residence. This man had never been particularly friendly to the original owner, as he was aligned with the current Duchess.
Rong Luoge straightened her clothes and abruptly opened the door. Seeing Li Qi standing outside with seven or eight people to block her, she thought to herself, What a grand display.
"I wondered who it was—it's Steward Li," Rong Luoge said calmly.
Li Qi looked down on this seemingly useless and weak-willed young miss from the bottom of his heart. What good was being born into a noble family? Unfortunately, fate was unkind to her—her birth mother died early, her stepmother disliked her, and even the Duke had little affection for this daughter.
With contempt in his eyes, Li Qi spoke sarcastically, "Young Miss, the Duke was furious when he heard you fled from your wedding last night. Today, he has asked me to bring you back. You must give a proper explanation."
Rong Luoge looked at Li Qi's smug expression. "Fled from the wedding? Who said that? You?"
Li Qi felt that something was off about the usually timid young miss. But he didn't think much of it. After all, everyone knew about Prince Qi and Rong Dai's affair—otherwise, why would this marriage have fallen to her?
"It was His Highness the Prince who personally came to the residence and said so. Young Miss, forgive my bluntness, but what you did was not right. If word gets out, where will the Duke's reputation be? Where will the Duke's dignity be? There are still several young masters and misses in the residence who have yet to be betrothed. The Duchess is in tears right now."
Listening to Li Qi's every word pinning her to the pillar of shame, it was clear from this alone that the original owner's status in the Duke's mansion was truly lowly—even a steward dared to reprimand her like this.
Unfortunately, she was not the original owner.
Rong Luoge stepped forward and slapped Li Qi across the face, speaking calmly, "Since you know you’ve spoken out of turn, then keep your mouth shut. You’re nothing but a servant of the Rong family, yet you dare to criticize your master?"
Li Qi: "…"
The people Li Qi brought with him: "…"
The Duke's mansion would have to be returned to sooner or later, but Rong Luoge had no intention of engaging in any father-daughter affection with such a family.
Duke Rong Heng was no loving father. As soon as his wife died, he remarried and sent his only daughter to a manor to avoid offending his new, beloved wife.
How could such a man even be called a person!
Li Qi covered his face, hardly believing that this slap had come from the timid and cowardly eldest miss. He wished he could retaliate immediately, but when he met Rong Luoge’s gaze, for some reason, he didn’t dare say another word.
Rong Luoge’s current attire was hardly presentable. Since Li Qi had come, he might as well serve as her wallet. Weren’t they insisting she return to the Duke’s mansion?
She certainly intended to dress up properly.
Li Qi gritted his teeth in anger but could do nothing. Even if he didn’t regard Rong Luoge as his master in his heart, he dared not openly defy propriety in front of others. He had no choice but to swallow his pride.
Rong Luoge was completely transformed from head to toe, thoroughly satisfied with her appearance.
Li Qi watched, wanting to say something but hesitating. He had intended to offer some advice, but remembering the earlier slap, he swallowed his words. It was just as well—the Duke would surely be even angrier when he saw her like this.
Once Rong Luoge had tidied herself up, she finally boarded the Duke’s carriage to return.
As soon as she entered the mansion, she noticed the servants looking at her strangely. These people didn’t care whether she was present or not, their gazes filled with undisguised contempt.
With Rong Luoge’s temper… if it weren’t for the important matters she had to attend to today, she would have dealt with each and every one of them.
Soon, she arrived at the main hall. Before she could even step inside, a teacup came flying out. If she hadn’t dodged quickly, it would have hit her.
"How dare you show your face here? Having a shameless daughter like you truly makes me ashamed to face others."
Rong Luoge: "…"
Starting off with personal attacks—this was simply intolerable.
"With a scumbag father like you, who secretly kept a mistress, whose illegitimate son is two years older than his legitimate eldest daughter, who not only sent his illegitimate daughter to Prince Qi’s bed for wealth and status but also plans to marry off his legitimate daughter as the principal wife—it’s a family tradition, passed down through words and actions. What can I do?"
Everyone: "…"
Rong Luoge stepped over the threshold, observing the ghostly expressions on everyone’s faces. She scanned the room—quite a full gathering—and found an empty seat to sit down boldly.
"Luoge, how can you be so disrespectful to your elders?" Duchess Chu Ke questioned with displeasure. "Your father only wants what’s best for you. After all, Prince Qi is a noble prince. Marrying him would make you a princess. Even if he is a bit flirtatious, what man in this world doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? You’re far too jealous, no wonder Prince Qi dislikes you and even came to demand an explanation."
Rong Luoge sneered, "Madam speaks from experience, I see. After all, you married into the Duke’s mansion in the bloom of your youth, undoubtedly drawn to the position of Duchess."
Duchess Chu Ke felt a sharp pang in her heart, nearly spitting blood in anger.
“My marriage to your father was arranged by matchmakers and decreed by our parents. How dare you be so insolent? Since I am your mother, I must teach you proper manners today, lest the prince come to hold us accountable in the future,” the Duchess of Zhenguo said angrily, her eyes shadowed with gloom. How had this little wretch become so sharp-tongued today?
“You have neither given birth to me nor raised me. The moment you stepped into this household, you kicked me out. It is true what they say—with a stepmother comes a stepfather. For over a decade on the estate, I never received a single tael of silver from the ducal residence. I wonder how you have the face to call yourself my mother in front of me. Do you even deserve those two words?”