Chapter 166: The Crowd’s Gaze
Hours Earlier
The crowd had gathered, and all eyes were on the two figures. The lady began to cry as if she had been the one maltreated. Ava’s eyes widened; she had not expected such a turn of events. If someone had seen this lady now—which, in fact, many people did—they would never know she had started all of this.
"Why, W..why are you treating me so rudely? I know you hate me, but I had no idea you hated me this much!"
Ava raised an eyebrow. What was this lady talking about?
"This is not the best place for acting. If you want to act, there is a local theatre on the left side of this village, and there you would act well."
Unlike Ava’s village, where fights happened and people would intervene, here people just watched, as if they were witnessing some kind of play or drama—which Ava found quite strange. It wasn’t that the people from her village weren’t here; of course, they were. But perhaps their place was in a different section entirely, or maybe they were mixed in. That seemed like the only possible explanation.
Ava moved calmly as she picked up the bucket, her eyes staring at the sand inside. With a deep sigh, she lifted it and walked majestically. Since people were still watching her like some kind of royal, maybe she could simply act like one.
The lady was still on the floor, wet and sobbing. Ava was taken aback—it looked like the woman was in serious distress. She could not believe it. She had thought she was an actress before, but now she had seen someone who out-acted her.
If she had known, she wouldn’t have poured her water—it made it look too real. And even though the people staring weren’t saying anything, Ava could already feel their judgmental gaze.
Were they silent because they wanted to see the full story? or, worse, think this was a show?
Ava allowed the water to fill her bucket, then turned off the tap and spoke.
"Okay, show’s over. You can go back to your various works. Bye-bye," she said, waving at them.
She took her bucket and noticed the people beginning to leave, though some still eyed her with suspicion. She didn’t care. What mattered now was taking this bucket; she didn’t want her husband worried. The lady on the floor finally sat up, and Ava almost laughed—it seemed the attention she had wanted was no longer there.
Ava rolled her eyes. She wondered if the woman had been possessed by an evil spirit, since it was only possessed people who found trouble where there wasn’t any. Or was the woman simply trying to act superior? Whatever it was, Ava didn’t care. She was just glad she had finally taken her water.
But before Ava knew it, sand splashed softly into her bucket. Her eyes widened—the lady had packed sand and poured it in.
"What kind of children’s play is this?" Ava said in disbelief. She knew children played with sand, so why was this woman acting this way? Was she sick?
"Now have a blissful bath, dear neighbor," the lady smiled wildly, clearly feeling fulfilled.
Ava dropped the bucket, her anger reaching its limit.
"From the moment my eyes landed on you, I knew you were mad. But I never knew you were this mad and possessed."
The lady smile faltered but she hid it as she flipped her hair and tried to turn, but Ava grabbed it, pulling her back. Ava’s eyes were cold and angry, and the lady winced in pain from the abrupt pull.
"Come back here, I am not done talking to you," Ava said sharply. The lady’s eyes widened in both pain and surprise as she raised her hands to hold her hair.
"Let go of my hair, you whore!" the lady screamed, and the crowd began to gather again. Whispers started to circulate. Ava stared in shock at the woman’s words.
"What did you just say?" she asked, her hand on the lady’s hair loosening slightly.
The woman smiled and shook her head, as if she could say it anytime.
"I said you are a whore."
The crowd gasped. Before the lady could react, a resounding slap connected to her already swollen cheek pain shot through her skull. Her eyes widened as Ava grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her closer. Ava’s other hand moved to hold the lady’s jaw, but the woman’s hands had already struck her face.
Ava’s lips parted as blood rolled down her chin. It seemed the lady’s hand had hit her just as she was about to speak, making her lips and teeth clash. Ava smiled.
She moved her hands sharply to the lady’s lips, she pulled and squeezed hard. The woman tried to push her away, and Ava pinched the lady’s neck with her sharp nails she scratched her, before pushing her. The lady slid and fell to the floor. Ava knew this was petty, and her partaking in it made her no better than the woman. Another surprise gasp erupted from the crowd.
Ava then spoke with a wide smile:
"Good. That is where you will always be down—while I keep standing tall."
The lady’s face twisted in anger, but before she could stand, a guard’s voice boomed:
"What is going on here?"
Ava froze. This was not what she wanted at all. Now she would be punished, all thanks to this devil who had tested her patience.
Before she could explain, the guard spoke again,
"You two, come with me."
The lady started sobbing. The crowd just watched as Ava stood beside the sobbing woman and began following the guard, knowing they had to obey. Whispers surrounded them.
Just as they reached the main entrance, Ava stopped.
"Wait. I need to give my husband his bath water. After that, we will go."
The guard turned to her in surprise, not expecting that at all.
"Do not test me, woman," he said.
Ava raised an eyebrow. ’Woman’? The way he said it—with an exaggerated tone—surprised her.
"Do not anger me, man," she replied sharply. The guard’s eyes widened. The sobbing lady was surprisingly obedient, sniffing gently. Ava’s face squeezed in annoyance...was this how pretense worked? She felt irritated by the lady’s act.
Ava walked, but then noticed the man’s hand on her back, as if trying to push her forward.
"Do not touch me, man," she snapped.
The man, already annoyed by her slow pace, tried again and words. This time, Ava spoke in an even sharper tone:
"I said do not touch me. You have to learn how to respect ladies!"
Her voice was sharp as they finally stepped outside the royal village.
She stood there for a moment, but then she thought she heard her name. Though soft, she could swear she heard it. She turned her face, and her eyes widened as they locked with the lady’s.
"A... Ariana."