Chapter 2
The poisonous tongued lady has returned
When Esther was born, she had barely cried at all. But now, she cried through the night as if to make up for it.
She was so sensitive that even when she was fed, she would spit it up without swallowing properly, losing all the weight she had gained.
Even her grandmother, who had pitied and cared for the wrinkled baby at first, began to avoid Esther as her crying grew worse day by day.
“Oh my, my head…! If I keep looking after that child, I’ll die before my time. Call the second son! He and his wife can do better than this old woman!”
Her uncle and aunt came rushing over.
After her father inherited the family title, they had separated from the main house and tried to live as knights, but because of their poor skills, they had struggled.
For them, Esther’s birth was like a rope sent down from heaven.
Even though their family had fallen, they still carried the Baron title, and with the generous dowry Esther’s mother had brought, they no longer had to worry about survival.
Of course, her uncle must have secretly wished for such luck, even if he couldn’t openly ask for it.
But with such greedy hearts, how could they ever truly care for a baby — especially one even the grandmother wouldn’t comfort?
Esther grew up without proper education until the age of seven. She often went hungry, and when she was sick, even a small pouch of medicine was hard to come by.
“It was so bad that if someone told you she was a stray orphan they’d picked up, you would’ve believed it.”
Thinking back on those days, Esther let out a bitter little laugh.
She set aside the lace she had been holding, untied her headscarf, and her silver hair spilled down like threads of silk, framing her pale face. Her cold gray-blue eyes belonged to a girl who had learned not to rely on anyone. Without help from anyone, she climbed into the carriage — worn down and shabby as it was.
The butler stood frozen, his lips moving without sound, until Mary jumped in with a big bundle and sat down right next to Esther.
Leaning her head out the window, Mary called,
“Miss Esther says, ‘What are you waiting for?’ Ah, by the way, I’m Mary — I’ve served her faithfully for ten years now. But my salary’s been pitifully small that whole time. Can’t you do something about that?”
The butler glared at her, but Mary only scratched her cheek awkwardly and grinned.
“If you don’t like it, fine. But honestly, this maid job is worse than when I was just a scullery servant. The Baron’s household is stingy.”
The butler and the head maid looked stunned, as if they had been slapped.
They quickly dropped their heads, as though admitting defeat, and hurried to drive the carriage.
In their minds, only one nickname came up for the young lady inside.
Gold-Leaf Esther.
It sounded like “precious treasure,” but in truth, it was sarcasm. The servants whispered it behind her back instead of calling her a brat to her face.
The poisonous-tongued young lady Esther had returned.
The butler and the head maid knew their peaceful days were over.
***
“Did Father really become a Count?” Esther asked.
The head maid cautiously nodded.
No wonder things seemed strange. For sixteen years, her uncle had controlled the Baron household completely.
Even if Father had returned, his overly humble attitude had felt suspicious. But if he had actually become a Count, then that explained it.
Her father had lived almost like a commoner, and though his sword skills were good, he was not known for his words. Yet, perhaps he was better at securing his place than people thought.
Esther decided it wasn’t so bad if the title was earned by skill. She turned her eyes back to the scenery outside.
‘Why does the young lady seem completely uninterested?’
The head maid had planned to give advice on how to live now that her status had risen, but Esther’s indifference confused her.
Still, she dared not push too far. Esther’s temper was too fierce.
‘Ever since she fell into that pond, she’s changed completely. She used to live as quiet as a mouse. But after she fell seriously ill, she turned ruthless. Who would’ve thought? She even forced her cousin, the one who pushed her, to drink filthy water! Truly, she became a different person.’
The three maids who had just watched while Esther fell into the pond had all been dismissed.
And of course, since the former family head, Jefferson, had caught pneumonia while saving his granddaughter, it was only natural.
Still, everyone quietly blamed Esther for the change.
The head maid sighed softly — and then jumped when Esther suddenly frowned.
“Is something bothering you, My Lady?”
“Tell the driver to take another road,”
Esther said coldly.
The maid hesitated. Esther narrowed her eyes.
“Why? Do you think I’m just picking a fight?”
“…No, of course not.”
“You’ve been living comfortably in the capital, so you don’t know the situation out here. Even though the civil war is over, refugees and defeated soldiers still roam the countryside. Troops are trying to restore order, but this is the outer region…”
Esther trailed off and looked straight at her.
“Did Uncle tell you to get rid of me?”
“W-what? No!”
Esther studied her expression, then realized she was being a little paranoid.
She had no expectations from her family, so she thought they might even kill her without a second thought. But perhaps they weren’t quite that heartless.
She checked the driver and butler’s faces too — neither looked like men about to commit murder.
She finally relaxed a little and said,
“I was abandoned and left to survive alone for so long. You can’t blame me for thinking this way. And besides—don’t all of you feel a little guilty?”
Her voice was sharp enough to silence the head maid’s protests. Esther then tapped the carriage window.
The driver stopped the carriage and came over. Esther spoke with a grim face.
“This forest road is dangerous. You should turn back and take another route— …too late.”
The driver blinked, then froze. From both sides of the forest path, a group of ragged men appeared. Around thirty of them.
They had the look of defeated soldiers.
Esther’s voice was calm but firm.
“Pretend you don’t notice them. Even though they aren’t many, they’re hardened fighters from the battlefield. We won’t shake them off easily.”
She glanced at Mary.
Mary nodded, yanked the trembling maid out of her seat, and ripped open the cushions. She pulled out the wooden board underneath, snapped it in half with her bare hands, wrapped the halves with padding, and shoved them at the driver and the butler.
“Use these to protect your chest and stomach. Even if you’re hit with arrows, you won’t die instantly.”
The two men stared blankly, holding the makeshift armor.
“What are you waiting for? Do you want to die here?” Esther barked.
Startled, they clumsily strapped them on and returned to their seats.
Esther leaned out the window again. The ragged soldiers were closing in, their faces twisted with hunger and violence.
They had clearly recognized the noble carriage, and without guards, the outcome was obvious.
Esther sighed once, then steeled herself.
She told the driver in a low, commanding voice,
“When I give the signal, you drive at full speed.”
“…Yes.”
“Our lives are in your hands! Answer properly!”
Her sharp tone made the driver flinch.
He gripped the reins tightly.
“Yes!”
The butler also nodded, his face pale.
Esther watched as the enemy drew nearer, circling like wolves around prey.
Mary quickly untied her bundle, pulling out crossbows, bows, daggers, and even black balls with fuses. The head maid shuddered.
‘My Lady… how can such things be inside a noble girl’s luggage?’
No one knew what Esther had been doing in the convent all those years.
With quick hands, Esther assembled three crossbows and loaded them with bolts.
When Mary lit the fuse of one of the black balls and threw it with a grin, it exploded with a loud bang.
“Go!” Esther shouted.
The driver cracked the reins, and the horses bolted forward.
The explosion had injured several men and thrown the rest into chaos. The carriage shot through the middle of the mob.
Esther leaned out, fired a bolt into a bandit trying to grab a horse, then grabbed another crossbow.
“Faster!” she shouted.
The driver, pale with fear, whipped the horses even harder.
