The Slave Queen - Chapter 103: Chapter 103

Julia stepped forward and seized Vania by the collar. "Tell me, is that bitch Raelynn really planning to take her maids to the outskirts of the city tomorrow?"
Vania stammered, "Yes, my lady."
Vania was seized by the collar without warning, instantly trembling violently with fear.
Standing right before Julia, even her voice quivered uncontrollably.
The next instant, having received the definitive answer, Julia violently shoved Vania, sending her sprawling to the floor.
Julia said, "I've got what I needed. You can go now. Just make sure no one sees you."
Surprisingly, Julia didn't press for more information.
This abrupt dismissal struck Vania as rather unsettling.
However, today Vania finally witnessed firsthand just how capricious Julia's nature could be.
The last time she visited, Vania happened to overhear a maid complaining about Julia's difficult temper.
Back then, she hadn't thought much of it. After all, Julia always seemed to smile kindly at her.
Only now did she realize it was all true.
At that moment, Vania felt a sudden pang of regret.
'Why did I ever choose to side with someone as unpredictable as Lady Julia?' she thought.
In stark contrast, Raelynn always treated her servants with genuine kindness.
Even toward someone like Vania, she would greet her with a gentle smile and speak in a soft and pleasant voice.
She never once punished Vania, not even when she slacked off a little.
That was exactly why Vania resented Nina, Elaine, and Lane so much. They had the privilege of serving closely by Raelynn's side.
But now, it was too late for regrets.
Thinking of the rewards Julia had promised her, Vania steeled herself.
'After all, I have to take a risk in order to gain profits,' she thought.
Just as Vania was lost in her jumbled thoughts, Julia shot her an annoyed look.
Julia casually plucked the hairpin from her hair and tossed it at Vania's feet. "Take it/ This is your reward. Now get lost."
Julia saw Vania lingering, completely unaware of what she was really thinking.
Assuming Vania was just waiting for a reward, her annoyance only intensified.
Still, recalling that Vania might be useful in the future, Julia bit her tongue.
Vania finally snapped out of her daze. Gazing at the exquisitely crafted hairpin in her hand, all her earlier regrets vanished into thin air as greed took over.
Vania thought, 'Julia may be moody, but she sure doesn't hold back when it comes to rewards. With all these wonderful things, who cares about a few harsh words?'
Vania beamed as she tucked the hairpin into her pouch, then bowed deeply to Julia. "Yes, Miss Lennox, I understand. Thank you so much for your generosity!"
Vania thought her words were perfectly flattering, but little did she know that when Julia heard herself addressed as "Miss Lennox," her face darkened with barely contained rage.
Yet, she bit back the correction that burned on her tongue and said nothing.
But then, Julia suddenly called out, "Wait."
Vania, who had just taken two steps, stopped in her tracks. "Miss Lennox, is there anything else you need?"
Julia said, "As for what Katherine told you to do today, hold off for now. I'll send word when the time is right."
Vania recalled Katherine's instructions from earlier and nodded obediently. "Yes, Miss Lennox."
"Go," Julia said wearily while making a dismissive gesture with her hand.
Julia seethed inwardly, 'What I loathe most is when people bring up that I'm not the true heiress of the Duke's estate.
'Yet that clueless Vania kept pointing it out to me.'
But to avoid tipping Vania off and risk her turning traitor, Julia had no choice but to put on a friendly facade.
She even forced herself not to stop Vania from constantly calling her "Miss Lennox."
The sheer gall of it was absolutely infuriating.
Julia fumed inwardly, 'Just wait until I've driven that wretch Raelynn out of the Duke's estate for good. The moment that happens, I'll have that useless Vania sold off!'
With Vania gone, the room held only Julia and her two trusted maids, Katherine and Isabel.
A faint pop came from the silver charcoal in the brazier.
It shattered the eerie silence that hung over the room.
Julia furrowed her brows, lost in thought.
Isabel mustered her courage and ventured, "My lady, the night is chilly. Why don't you return to bed and rest? Do take care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, Julia surprisingly didn't flare up. She nodded and extended a hand, allowing Katherine and Isabel to attentively help her back to bed.
Fortunately, a bed warmer had been placed beneath her silk duvet, so she wouldn't feel the chill as soon as she slipped into bed.
After a while, Julia suddenly called out, "Katherine, if I recall correctly, you have an older brother, don't you?"
Katherine wasn't born into servitude at the Duke's estate.
As a child, her impoverished parents had to offer her to the Duke's estate as a maid just to survive.
Back then, Cecilia took a liking to Katherine, who happened to be about the same age as Julia, and decided to hire her as Julia's personal maid.
Though Katherine was sent to the Duke's estate, her parents and brother took the money and lived well for a while.
But after squandering it all, they even snuck over to the Duke's estate to strip her clean of every bit of her monthly wages and all the tips she'd earned.