Praise Alice

She looked at the woman writhing in pain, clutching her nose, without a trace of sympathy.

She should be fine, having eased up on the force. It wouldn’t cause any life-threatening damage, probably just a broken nose.

All just part of the job.

A despicable human being who finds pleasure in tormenting those weaker than themselves, asserting superiority.

She must have felt exhilarated by the fact that she could manipulate the Duchess of Valaxar as she pleased.

The kind of people I despise the most.

“Al… Alice…”

The lady grabbed onto my clothes, her voice trembling. Her eyes betrayed deep anxiety.

“If the Duke finds out, he won’t stay silent. I’ll say I did it…”

“Lady.”

No matter what position that woman holds, she wouldn’t dare to do what Valaxar did. To insult, persecute, and even attempt to strike a daughter of such a prestigious family.
With just a bit of common sense, it’s clear who would face consequences; it’s the woman’s side.

But what the lady fears so much is probably her own perceived weakness.

What she needs right now is confidence.

She’s the Duchess of Valaxar.

Confidence that no one can disrespect her recklessly.

And there’s only one person who can instill that courage.

Miss Adrielle herself must do it.

No matter how much others support her, if she crumbles, it’s useless.

Ultimately, it’s the lady’s responsibility to step forward from the wall of fear.

“Argh… Even like this… Do you think you’ll get away with it?”

“Oh… You’re recovering faster than I thought.”

Maybe I should have hit her harder.

But looking at her completely wrecked face, it didn’t seem necessary.

She screamed at me with fiery eyes.

“Is violence from a servant to a noble not terrifying under the empire’s law?!”

“Isn’t it terrifying for you that you hit a noble lady?”

“__!”

My words seemed to sting as the woman’s eyes quivered with alarm.

Seems like she knows who she’s messed with.

“I… I just taught her forcefully as ordered by the Duke!”

She’s quite good at this.

I wondered why those words didn’t come out sooner.

Given the Duke’s character, he probably ordered her to be raised firmly.

But clearly, that’s where it ends.

Anything beyond that is surely the old lady’s unilateral decision.

“If you want to do that, go ahead! But surely the Duke will be disappointed in the Duchess again.”

Wow. She’s relentless.

How far is she willing to go to undermine the Duchess in the Duke’s eyes?

How does she plan to take responsibility if she gets caught by the Duke?

From the start, she was such a blockhead that she couldn’t even think of such a thing. Is it possible to commit such a crazy act?

She was a third-rate villain character commonly seen in romance novels.

Ignoring the woman who was emitting heat like a locomotive, she turned her gaze away.

The young lady who was staring blankly at this situation.

As I gently grabbed her hand, the young lady’s eyes widened.

“Miss. Please show it to me.”

“Me…? Me..?”

“This time, you will clearly show who you are.”

I hid behind the young lady to avoid the woman’s intense gaze.

That’s how the young lady and the middle-aged teacher’s eyes met.

However, sadly, it was the young lady who first averted her gaze.

Even while sniffling, the middle-aged teacher smirked.

It must be quite painful, but to laugh… Can that also be considered a remarkable villainous spirit?

Hmm… I guess I need to provoke the young lady a little more.

I leaned close to the young lady’s ear and whispered as if sharing a secret.

“You are someone I serve. You can definitely do it.”

“Me….”

“Don’t worry about the back. I will always support you.”

I lightly pushed the young lady’s back with one finger.

Her body felt so light.

The young lady and the middle-aged woman faced each other like that.

The woman furrowed her brow and took out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.

“Please step aside, Miss. Today’s class ends here.”

“…Let’s end it here.”

The young lady spoke firmly.

But there was still a faint sense of unease on her face.

The woman noticed this and smiled sarcastically, then spoke.

“Miss, how far are you going to disappoint the Duke? What do you think he will say when he sees you like this?”

“…You’re not exactly blameless either. So stop it.”

“Hmph.”

Did the situation where the young lady was being scolded not sit well with her?

The middle-aged woman sighed heavily, crossed her arms, and looked at me.

“…Fine. Let’s forget about the young lady. But we must keep a close eye on that lowly maid.”

A moment of silence filled the room.

“Lowly maid?”

The young lady’s voice changed in an instant.

Not only the voice, but just a moment ago, the young lady who was cautious.

Now, there was no emotion in the young lady’s eyes.

Even the temperature around seemed to drop.

But perhaps due to pride, she didn’t want to back down.

Or maybe she didn’t notice the change in the young lady’s energy.

Ignoring the strange look in the young lady’s eyes.

Women took one step closer to us.

That uneducated woman needs to be taught a lesson!!

“What are you going to do with my maid?”

“First, we need to expel her to Valaxar and imprison her. Since she dared to touch a noble, it would be good to turn her into a slave! Even if she is just a useless white body, admitting her mistake by severely punishing her in the torture chamber”

Crack!

“Ha…………uh?”

It was truly a fleeting moment.

A moment even I found hard to keep up with.

But the recent events were vividly etched in my mind.

The lady waved one hand and grabbed the woman’s chin.

And with a bone-twisting sound, the woman’s chin dropped down.

The woman seemed unaware of what had happened.

She touched her chin and let out a weak sound.

Soon, the woman’s body began to tremble as if feeling pain gradually.

But the lady did not stop there.

Crack

It was not just the sound of a chin dropping, but a loud sound of twisting.

The woman slowly turned her head in the direction of the sound.

“Uh..uh..?”

A sight reminiscent of a horror movie.

Her arms, which should have been intact, were now grotesquely twisted.

“Cra..craack..”

Unable to bear the pain, the woman’s pupils rolled back.

The lady’s actions were much more violent than I had anticipated.

Was she really that kind of person?

Strange.

The lady I knew was supposed to be gentle and kind…?

Amidst the numerous questions racing through my mind.

Surprisingly, the lady raised her hand again without stopping.

“..Dare to touch someone like Alice.”

The lady’s eyes were so deeply sunken with emptiness.

I hurriedly ran towards the lady in a situation where something was clearly going wrong.

“Wait..wait, lady..!!”

“Let go of this.”

“If you continue, that person will really die!!”

“Death? No. Not with death. Shatter every bone into pieces”

The sudden outburst of the lady.

There was no sign of her calming down.

At this rate, that woman will really die.

“I..I beg..beg you..ple..please..spare..spare me, my lady..”

Only now did the woman realize the alarming situation.

Whether it was the pain of broken bones or the fear towards the lady, she knelt in front of the lady, trembling and bleeding.

“Shut up”

But the young lady raised her hand high again with emotionless eyes.

The woman and I looked at the young lady with trembling eyes at the same time.

It’s too much to kill, even though she’s a villain..!

Desperately, I wrapped my hands around the young lady’s waist.

And with all my strength, I pulled her into my arms.

Due to her light body, the young lady nestled into my arms.

“Ah..?”

The young lady let out a weak sound.

And looked at me with vacant eyes.

“Alice..?”

The young lady’s voice returned to how it was before.

Thank goodness, a deep blue light returned to the young lady’s previously colorless eyes.

“C.. Calm down, young lady.”

“…Did I do well?”

“Yes..?”

The young lady looked up at me with puzzled eyes.

It was like looking at a cat expecting praise.

“I.. I fought without fear. I showed who I am, just like Alice said.”

“Uh.. yeah..”

It felt a bit excessive to hold her hand, but..

Still, unlike when I was cautious, the young lady clearly took a step forward.

“It’s all thanks to Alice, thank you.”

“No.. what did I..”

“Give me a compliment, Alice.”

I hesitated for a moment under the persistent gaze of the young lady.

Should I really compliment her?

But it was me who asked her to show an example to the woman.

In that situation, if I rebuke her, things would likely take a turn for the worse.

“Well.. you did well, young lady.”

I gently patted the young lady’s head with a forced smile.

It felt uncomfortable, but I decided to move on for now.

Yes. For now, it’s important that the young lady gained courage.

To live confidently without being intimidated by others.

“Hehe.”

The young lady tightly held my hand on top of her head and looked up at me with a faint smile.

I was amazed by the smile of the young lady that I had never seen before.

‘..Adorable.’

With the addition of a smile to the lovely appearance of the young lady, there was nothing more beautiful than this.

Feeling my heart melting, I unconsciously hugged the young lady tightly.

“Uh..?!”

“Oh my… Please continue to smile like that in the future, young lady!”

Perhaps I was indulging in the excessive cuteness of the young lady.

After hugging the young lady for a while, I suddenly came to my senses and noticed that the woman was no longer there.

…It should be fine.

As long as the woman has common sense, she wouldn’t say anything inappropriate.

When it becomes known to the public that she has inflicted violence on the children of Valaxar, her noble life will come to an end.

“…It’s just what she deserves.”

There is no need for sympathy.

“Lady Ashrat, you need to calm down more! When the anesthesia wears off, surely…”

“Shut up!! I won’t stay still..!!”

Sharp screams echoed from the mansion of Duke Valaxar.

Lady Ashrat, who was the personal tutor of the Duchess.

She was climbing the stairs with minimal first aid treatment.

A constant pain tormented the woman as if her body was freezing.

But to this woman, the collapse of her power was more painfully felt than the physical agony.

The woman ran to the 4th floor of the mansion.

Where Duke Valaxar, the lord and king of the North, resided.

Without hesitation, Lady Ashrat opened the door to the Duke’s study.

“Duke..!! Your daughter!!”

A man who was looking at documents in the study.

Arvian looked at Lady Ashurat, who was screaming sharply with his cold blue eyes.

Just like when she saw the Duchess just now.

As Lady Ashrat met the Duke’s eyes, she trembled with a sudden chill.

“Finish your words. What about the Duchess?”

At the Duke’s voice, Lady Ashrat raised her head abruptly.

With tears in her eyes, she recounted the recent events in detail.

How she had strongly disciplined the young lady as ordered by the Duke.

How a maid who disagreed with it dared to push her away.

Above all, how the Duchess had reduced her to this state.

Of course, she omitted the fact that she had frequently struck the Duchess, and instead told the Duke a partially fabricated story.

“I can never forgive that maid!! Please allow me to inflict harsher punishment on the young lady!!”

“The Duchess reduced you to this state?”

Lady Ashrat vigorously nodded her head.

If the Duke sided with her, even that arrogant young lady could be brought to her senses. Or so she thought.

At that moment when she vowed to make the young lady shed tears of blood as a punishment for daring to defy her.

“Haha.”

An inappropriate laughter was heard in this situation.

Lady Ashrat stared blankly ahead.

The Duke’s appearance, which she had never seen before.

He was covering his mouth, smiling satisfactorily.

“Right. I see.”

“..Your Grace?”

Lady Ashrat did not understand this situation.

She could not comprehend why the Duke was laughing.

Surely the Duke must be hating his own daughter.

That’s why she had thought he had left her alone no matter what she did.

But when Lady Ashrat saw the Duke’s smile blooming on his lips, she instinctively sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.

“Yes. Lady Ashrat must also have a talent. I will specially reward her.”

The Duke patted Lady Ashrat shoulder.

And he whispered in Lady Ashrat’s ear as if he were whispering.

“Be careful. Just know that if your name or face ever comes into my sight again, I will burn you and all the seeds of the Ashrat family alive.”

“I hope you’re careful.”

The Duke,

With only those words, he turned back. In a state where fear swallowed up pain, Lady Ashrat ran away as she was.

Without looking back. As if having a seizure, she fled from the mansion.

In a situation where she even forgot how to breathe, Lady Ashrat thought to herself.

‘This Duke is insane.’

Praise AliceShe looked at the woman writhing in pain, clutching her nose, without a trace of sympathy.She should be fine, having eased up on the force. It wouldn't cause any life-threatening damage, probably just a broken nose.All just part of the job.A despicable human being who finds pleasure in tormenting those weaker than themselves, asserting superiority.She must have felt exhilarated by the fact that she could manipulate the Duchess of Valaxar as she pleased.The kind of people I despise the most.Al AliceThe lady grabbed onto my clothes, her voice trembling. Her eyes betrayed deep anxiety.If the Duke finds out, he won't stay silent. I'll say I did itLady.No matter what position that woman holds, she wouldn't dare to do what Valaxar did. To insult, persecute, and even attempt to strike a daughter of such a prestigious family.With just a bit of common sense, it's clear who would face consequences; it's the woman's side.But what the lady fears so much is probably her own perceived weakness.What she needs right now is confidence.She's the Duchess of Valaxar.Confidence that no one can disrespect her recklessly.And there's only one person who can instill that courage.Miss Adrielle herself must do it.No matter how much others support her, if she crumbles, it's useless.Ultimately, it's the lady's responsibility to step forward from the wall of fear.Argh Even like this Do you think you'll get away with it?Oh You're recovering faster than I thought.Maybe I should have hit her harder.But looking at her completely wrecked face, it didn't seem necessary.She screamed at me with fiery eyes.Is violence from a servant to a noble not terrifying under the empire's law?!Isn't it terrifying for you that you hit a noble lady?__!My words seemed to sting as the woman's eyes quivered with alarm.Seems like she knows who she's messed with.I I just taught her forcefully as ordered by the Duke!She's quite good at this.I wondered why those words didn't come out sooner.Given the Duke's character, he probably ordered her to be raised firmly.But clearly, that's where it ends.Anything beyond that is surely the old lady's unilateral decision.If you want to do that, go ahead! But surely the Duke will be disappointed in the Duchess again.Wow. She's relentless.How far is she willing to go to undermine the Duchess in the Duke's eyes?How does she plan to take responsibility if she gets caught by the Duke?From the start, she was such a blockhead that she couldn't even think of such a thing. Is it possible to commit such a crazy act?She was a third-rate villain character commonly seen in romance novels.Ignoring the woman who was emitting heat like a locomotive, she turned her gaze away.The young lady who was staring blankly at this situation.As I gently grabbed her hand, the young lady's eyes widened.Miss. Please show it to me.Me? Me..?This time, you will clearly show who you are.I hid behind the young lady to avoid the woman's intense gaze.That's how the young lady and the middle-aged teacher's eyes met.However, sadly, it was the young lady who first averted her gaze.Even while sniffling, the middle-aged teacher smirked.It must be quite painful, but to laugh Can that also be considered a remarkable villainous spirit?Hmm I guess I need to provoke the young lady a little more.I leaned close to the young lady's ear and whispered as if sharing a secret.You are someone I serve. You can definitely do it.Me.Don't worry about the back. I will always support you.I lightly pushed the young lady's back with one finger.Her body felt so light.The young lady and the middle-aged woman faced each other like that.The woman furrowed her brow and took out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.Please step aside, Miss. Today's class ends here.Let's end it here.The young lady spoke firmly.But there was still a faint sense of unease on her face.The woman noticed this and smiled sarcastically, then spoke.Miss, how far are you going to disappoint the Duke? What do you think he will say when he sees you like this?You're not exactly blameless either. So stop it.Hmph.Did the situation where the young lady was being scolded not sit well with her?The middle-aged woman sighed heavily, crossed her arms, and looked at me.Fine. Let's forget about the young lady. But we must keep a close eye on that lowly maid.A moment of silence filled the room.Lowly maid?The young lady's voice changed in an instant.Not only the voice, but just a moment ago, the young lady who was cautious.Now, there was no emotion in the young lady's eyes.Even the temperature around seemed to drop.But perhaps due to pride, she didn't want to back down.Or maybe she didn't notice the change in the young lady's energy.Ignoring the strange look in the young lady's eyes.Women took one step closer to us.That uneducated woman needs to be taught a lesson!!What are you going to do with my maid?First, we need to expel her to Valaxar and imprison her. Since she dared to touch a noble, it would be good to turn her into a slave! Even if she is just a useless white body, admitting her mistake by severely punishing her in the torture chamberCrack!Hauh?It was truly a fleeting moment.A moment even I found hard to keep up with.But the recent events were vividly etched in my mind.The lady waved one hand and grabbed the woman's chin.And with a bone-twisting sound, the woman's chin dropped down.The woman seemed unaware of what had happened.She touched her chin and let out a weak sound.Soon, the woman's body began to tremble as if feeling pain gradually.But the lady did not stop there.CrackIt was not just the sound of a chin dropping, but a loud sound of twisting.The woman slowly turned her head in the direction of the sound.Uh..uh..?A sight reminiscent of a horror movie.Her arms, which should have been intact, were now grotesquely twisted.Cra..craack..Unable to bear the pain, the woman's pupils rolled back.The lady's actions were much more violent than I had anticipated.Was she really that kind of person?Strange.The lady I knew was supposed to be gentle and kind?Amidst the numerous questions racing through my mind.Surprisingly, the lady raised her hand again without stopping...Dare to touch someone like Alice.The lady's eyes were so deeply sunken with emptiness.I hurriedly ran towards the lady in a situation where something was clearly going wrong.Wait..wait, lady..!!Let go of this.If you continue, that person will really die!!Death? No. Not with death. Shatter every bone into piecesThe sudden outburst of the lady.There was no sign of her calming down.At this rate, that woman will really die.I..I beg..beg you..ple..please..spare..spare me, my lady..Only now did the woman realize the alarming situation.Whether it was the pain of broken bones or the fear towards the lady, she knelt in front of the lady, trembling and bleeding.Shut upBut the young lady raised her hand high again with emotionless eyes.The woman and I looked at the young lady with trembling eyes at the same time.It's too much to kill, even though she's a villain..!Desperately, I wrapped my hands around the young lady's waist.And with all my strength, I pulled her into my arms.Due to her light body, the young lady nestled into my arms.Ah..?The young lady let out a weak sound.And looked at me with vacant eyes.Alice..?The young lady's voice returned to how it was before.Thank goodness, a deep blue light returned to the young lady's previously colorless eyes.C.. Calm down, young lady.Did I do well?Yes..?The young lady looked up at me with puzzled eyes.It was like looking at a cat expecting praise.I.. I fought without fear. I showed who I am, just like Alice said.Uh.. yeah..It felt a bit excessive to hold her hand, but..Still, unlike when I was cautious, the young lady clearly took a step forward.It's all thanks to Alice, thank you.No.. what did I..Give me a compliment, Alice.I hesitated for a moment under the persistent gaze of the young lady.Should I really compliment her?But it was me who asked her to show an example to the woman.In that situation, if I rebuke her, things would likely take a turn for the worse.Well.. you did well, young lady.I gently patted the young lady's head with a forced smile.It felt uncomfortable, but I decided to move on for now.Yes. For now, it's important that the young lady gained courage.To live confidently without being intimidated by others.Hehe.The young lady tightly held my hand on top of her head and looked up at me with a faint smile.I was amazed by the smile of the young lady that I had never seen before...Adorable.'With the addition of a smile to the lovely appearance of the young lady, there was nothing more beautiful than this.Feeling my heart melting, I unconsciously hugged the young lady tightly.Uh..?!Oh my Please continue to smile like that in the future, young lady!Perhaps I was indulging in the excessive cuteness of the young lady.After hugging the young lady for a while, I suddenly came to my senses and noticed that the woman was no longer there.It should be fine.As long as the woman has common sense, she wouldn't say anything inappropriate.When it becomes known to the public that she has inflicted violence on the children of Valaxar, her noble life will come to an end.It's just what she deserves.There is no need for sympathy.Lady Ashrat, you need to calm down more! When the anesthesia wears off, surelyShut up!! I won't stay still..!!Sharp screams echoed from the mansion of Duke Valaxar.Lady Ashrat, who was the personal tutor of the Duchess.She was climbing the stairs with minimal first aid treatment.A constant pain tormented the woman as if her body was freezing.But to this woman, the collapse of her power was more painfully felt than the physical agony.The woman ran to the 4th floor of the mansion.Where Duke Valaxar, the lord and king of the North, resided.Without hesitation, Lady Ashrat opened the door to the Duke's study.Duke..!! Your daughter!!A man who was looking at documents in the study.Arvian looked at Lady Ashurat, who was screaming sharply with his cold blue eyes.Just like when she saw the Duchess just now.As Lady Ashrat met the Duke's eyes, she trembled with a sudden chill.Finish your words. What about the Duchess?At the Duke's voice, Lady Ashrat raised her head abruptly.With tears in her eyes, she recounted the recent events in detail.How she had strongly disciplined the young lady as ordered by the Duke.How a maid who disagreed with it dared to push her away.Above all, how the Duchess had reduced her to this state.Of course, she omitted the fact that she had frequently struck the Duchess, and instead told the Duke a partially fabricated story.I can never forgive that maid!! Please allow me to inflict harsher punishment on the young lady!!The Duchess reduced you to this state?Lady Ashrat vigorously nodded her head.If the Duke sided with her, even that arrogant young lady could be brought to her senses. Or so she thought.At that moment when she vowed to make the young lady shed tears of blood as a punishment for daring to defy her.Haha.An inappropriate laughter was heard in this situation.Lady Ashrat stared blankly ahead.The Duke's appearance, which she had never seen before.He was covering his mouth, smiling satisfactorily.Right. I see...Your Grace?Lady Ashrat did not understand this situation.She could not comprehend why the Duke was laughing.Surely the Duke must be hating his own daughter.That's why she had thought he had left her alone no matter what she did.But when Lady Ashrat saw the Duke's smile blooming on his lips, she instinctively sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.Yes. Lady Ashrat must also have a talent. I will specially reward her.The Duke patted Lady Ashrat shoulder.And he whispered in Lady Ashrat's ear as if he were whispering.Be careful. Just know that if your name or face ever comes into my sight again, I will burn you and all the seeds of the Ashrat family alive.I hope you're careful.The Duke,With only those words, he turned back. In a state where fear swallowed up pain, Lady Ashrat ran away as she was.Without looking back. As if having a seizure, she fled from the mansion.In a situation where she even forgot how to breathe, Lady Ashrat thought to herself.This Duke is insane.'