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Contrary to the expectations of the elders, however, Noelle contacted them later that very evening.
“Eh… send them over to your place… like right now? But… they’re not exactly in the best state, are they?”
Noelle’s voice wasn’t particularly cold, but her tone still made it clear that she was in no mood for negotiations. “I know full well the extent of their injuries. If you’re worried about people discovering their movements and all, don’t bother. It’s something for me to be worried about, understand? I believe my purpose should be quite clear to you by now, and you should know what would be in the clan’s best interest.”
Despite the less-than-subtle threat in her words, surprisingly enough, none of the elders felt offended. Had it been before, maybe such a thing would have made them wonder if they’d gone numb to the ‘abuse’ after being subjected to so much of it.
Knowing all they did now, though, their ‘understanding’ of Noelle’s character made them subconsciously start thinking of her as a slightly rebellious but ultimately good-of-heart and talented kid of their clan who would lead them to a brighter future. And given her past, her rebellious nature was only to be expected.
Thinking like this, how could they be mad, really?
Of course, while they were more than happy to agree to her demands of handing over the girl’s ‘parents’, they understandably had some concerns.
After all, if the girl simply mutilated and murdered them in a rage, the impact it would have on her psych and the impression she had on the clan would definitely not be good.
Unfortunately, Noelle not only had the full backing of the White Deer Corporation, but was also the girl who could be called their clan’s greatest hope for a brighter future. Even if they didn’t agree with her decisions at this point, keeping her appeased was just as important as it was to keep her from indulging in self-harm.
So aside from being able to offer some advice and warnings, all that the elders could really do was wait and watch.
Of course, when it came to having their hearts drowned in helplessness and despair, the elders couldn’t even hope to compare with the duo tied up in Noelle’s basement.
In fact, when they first woke up to see a series of large screens broadcasting the activities of their entire clan, Noelle could tell that her parents almost convinced themselves that it must just be a bad dream.
But naturally, such illusions were easily shattered by a few kicks to their back, and once they realized it was all real, the shock and horror on their faces was almost cathartic for Noelle.
She could tell that neither of them found it easy to swallow the fact that everything might have been planned out by their ‘stupid’ daughter, and that they were no better than brainless rodents being led along into her trap.
Perhaps when they were still looking down on her not too long ago, she was even secretly laughing behind their back in disdain, full of scorn for their unfounded confidence and ego.
Unfortunately, because their mouths were sealed tight with multiple rounds of coarse fabric, neither the man nor the woman could really express their thoughts outside of some muffled grunts and groans.
Tied up as they were, they couldn’t even turn around to stare at their ‘venomous’ daughter with their heated, hate-filled gazes, and could only curse at her in their hearts while watching more and more people within their clan denounce and mock them as worthless garbage and scum.
The sound of a door slamming shut behind them only brought the two more despair, as they realized that perhaps the girl who plunged them into this nightmare didn’t even care about their response, and their only ‘company’ in this dark basement was the mockery and scorn of their clansmen… and each other.
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“So… how do you feel? Aren’t you glad you didn’t just let them go?”
Humming contentedly at the pleasurable tingles brought by the soft fingertips gently gliding over her scalp, Noelle knew that she had no choice but to admit defeat at this point. “… I’ll admit that it felt much better than I expected.”
Emilia giggled in delight as she continued weaving her fingers through the silky silver hair of her girlfriend. ‘People who say vengeance is a double edged sword clearly haven’t given it a try.’
The crimson-haired girl believed that there simply was no better way to quench the fire of hate and indignation in this world than exacting vengeance from those who wronged you, nor was there any sensation more satisfactory than stomping on the face of those who once looked down on you.𝑜𝓋𝗅xt.𝗇𝓔t
And while it was true that double-edged swords could hurt both sides, that was only when they weren’t used properly.
This was why Emilia insisted on Noelle doing whatever she could to take revenge on her ‘parents’, despite the girl herself being seemingly half-hearted about it at the start.
She knew that if she could, she would definitely never miss the chance to teach Maeve and her ‘people’ a lesson worth remembering, after all.
Of course, their ‘revenge’ wasn’t yet quite done. The woman who started it all was still being ‘treated’ in one of their secret medical bases, and it was only after she ‘reunited’ with the duo that everything would really come together. But that was no longer important.
“Do you really think they’ll be ready to move on to the next step in time?”
The worry in Noelle’s voice was apparent, but Emilia just grinned. “Will you be able to train everyone within a few months to a level you’re satisfied with? I don’t know, but I believe in your ability.”
The gray-haired girl almost rolled her eyes in exasperation. “At least you didn’t say something silly like ‘even if we’re not fully prepared, isn’t it fine if the enemy is even more unprepared’ or something, eh?”
Her own words caused Noelle to momentarily wonder if maybe, just maybe, the troublesome personality of her little boss was rubbing off on her too much, but such thoughts immediately vanished from her mind the moment Emilia snuggled into her arms while giggling.
“You’re so silly, really, I would never say that!”
“Probably.”
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