It's Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle
Chapter 69: Pride, Arrogance, and Utter Foolishness

Chapter 69: Pride, Arrogance, and Utter Foolishness

Kyra gazed at the two women before her, who hadn’t moved a muscle for ten minutes since Head Butler Roman had scolded them. Even after the butler returned to his original position, neither Gladys nor Mia lifted their heads, remaining silent in her presence.

However, Kyra could clearly see the dark expression on Mia’s face, filled with envy rather than remorse—anger simmered instead of guilt. Kyra sighed internally. As the saying goes, if looks could kill, she would already be buried ten feet under.

"Are we just going to sit here in silence all day?"

Kyra finally broke the stillness. While she was quite entertained by their uneasy expressions and reluctant submission, she much preferred returning to her novel and tea. Even lying in bed reading sounded far more enticing than dealing with the two people in front of her.

Meanwhile, Gladys grew even more anxious upon hearing the impatience in Kyra’s tone. Her eyes darted toward Mia, who sat beside her, and her teeth clenched in frustration.

She had brought Mia along to support her, but instead, the woman had turned out to be useless, ruining everything. Why had she been so arrogant earlier?

Inwardly, Gladys mocked Mia for her shamelessness, acting as though she had been close to the Synders family when, in reality, she was a nobody here.

Truthfully, while Gladys had also felt embarrassed from Roman’s reprimand, she couldn’t help but feel some satisfaction in the fact that Mia had been singled out. It felt like a small, poetic revenge for Mia’s earlier smug behavior.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Gladys was blind. She could clearly see that Mia Parks also had feelings for James. If Roman disapproved of Mia, it could be a small advantage for her. All she needed to do now was maintain her composure and focus on appeasing Kyra.

"Um, I apologize for coming here like this, Kyra," Gladys said softly, her voice gentle and her eyes welling up with tears. In an instant, her expression shifted dramatically, a complete 180-degree transformation.

Anyone unaware of Gladys’ true nature would easily fall for her impeccable performance. However, Kyra, having experienced Gladys’ theatrics many times before, wasn’t fooled in the slightest.

Moreover, Kyra already suspected Gladys’ motives for visiting, so she could see through the act. Still, she refrained from addressing it directly, as they weren’t alone at the moment and she also wanted to find out the motive of her visit.

"I came here to apologize and to explain what Hazel said yesterday," Gladys continued, bowing slightly as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I hope you haven’t assumed anything strange."

Kyra clenched her jaw, her eyes narrowing as she observed Gladys’ stunning performance. At this point, she knew she had to tread carefully because it was clear as the day that Gladys was setting her up to play the villain in this scenario.

Kyra took a moment to steady herself before responding calmly, "What kind of assumptions are you referring to?"

Gladys bit her lip, her eyes darting briefly toward Roman and another servant who were observing the exchange. Then, she shifted her gaze to Kyra, only to quickly avert it, as if intimidated by her. Kyra noticed the subtle gesture and sighed softly before speaking again.

"Gladys, I’m asking you—what assumptions are you referring to?" Kyra’s tone was exceptionally gentle and caring as she leaned forward slightly, taking one of Gladys’ hands in her own. "You don’t have to be so tense. Didn’t we go to the same university? Even if you didn’t like me and constantly bothered me, at the very least, we could call ourselves classmates, couldn’t we?"

Gladys’ eyes widened at Kyra’s words. Instinctively, she tried to pull her hand away, but Kyra, maintaining her serene smile, subtly tightened her hold, preventing her from doing so.

With a slightly strained expression, Gladys responded, "Why would you say that, Kyra? I never bothered you. We barely even spoke to each other. That’s why I came here today. After all, it’s strange, isn’t it? If we’ve hardly interacted, why would I go out of my way to orchestrate something like Hazel claimed yesterday?"

It was true that Gladys and Kyra had rarely interacted in the past. When they did speak, it was typically for group assignments or when a professor directed them to. But at this moment, Kyra didn’t care about the accuracy of the details.

Yesterday, she had lost control, triggered by old wounds she thought she had buried long ago, only to have them unearthed and exposed in front of others.

She had wanted to lash out at Gladys, but thanks to James, who had calmed her down and promised to uncover the truth about those responsible for her humiliation, Kyra no longer felt the need to pursue the matter herself. She knew James would handle it.

With that in mind, Kyra smiled warmly and said, "Yes, you might be right. Hazel could have simply accused you without evidence. And yesterday, we also didn’t see the proof she claimed to have."

Hearing this, Gladys immediately felt a wave of relief, though she didn’t let it show outwardly. She maintained the facade of a wronged woman, her tears continuing to fall.

"That’s right. So you believe me, don’t you, Kyra? I had nothing to do with this. I truly apologize if I disrupted your shopping trip yesterday by approaching you. If I hadn’t done that, perhaps this whole situation with Hazel wouldn’t have happened."

Kyra, however, kept her soft, pleasant demeanor intact. After all, two could play this game. "No, you’re mistaken about that. In fact, I should be thanking you for bringing Hazel along and she ended up annoying me."

"Huh?" Gladys froze, utterly confused, to the point that her tears abruptly stopped.

"Yes, by bringing her before me, didn’t you help Uncle James uncover so much more?"

Gladys’ face turned pale, and Mia, who had been silently keeping her head down, finally looked up at Kyra. Yet, Kyra remained unmoved, continuing in an even tone.

"Don’t worry, Gladys. I’m not accusing anyone here, nor will I believe anything without proof. Everything will be investigated based on evidence. I don’t even want to involve myself further—my uncle will handle all of this. I trust Uncle James to be fair and seek out the truth."

Mia glanced at Gladys, whose complexion now resembled that of a sheet of paper. Her shock had dried up her tears, leaving only fear etched on her face. Even her shoulders trembled slightly.

’Foolish woman! Wasn’t it you who confidently claimed you could easily manipulate Kyra? Then why are you frozen stiff now?’ Mia thought bitterly.

"Y-Yes," Gladys stammered, her voice quivering with panic and fear. Desperation filled her eyes. "B-But, Kyra, I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove myself. I’m afraid Hazel might try something deceitful and end up fooling Uncle James. I mean, didn’t we see how cunning Hazel was yesterday? She easily sowed discord among us all just to save herself."

Kyra raised an eyebrow. She had to admit, Gladys was skilled at twisting words. Perhaps years of manipulating the truth had given her this uncanny ability to find every possible angle to spin facts.

But Kyra also recognized what Gladys was truly after: she wanted James to drop the investigation. That realization cemented Kyra’s suspicions—Gladys was indeed the culprit behind her traumatic experience.

Suddenly, Kyra’s heartbeat quickened, and a wave of anger began clouding her rationality. She released Gladys’ hand and leaned back in her chair.

Feeling Kyra’s grip loosened, Gladys looked at her nervously. Instead of relief, her panic deepened as Kyra’s sharp gaze bore into her. Meanwhile, Mia simply closed her eyes.

’Why is my cousin unbelievably foolish?’ Mia thought to herself.

She knew Gladys was panicking, yet she couldn’t keep her composure. Her words had practically exposed herself as the likely mastermind behind the harassment.

All Mia wanted was to protect her family. If Gladys ended up in ruin, Mia was ready to wash her hands of the matter. "Kyra, what my cousin means is that she’s asking for a chance to make amends for yesterday’s mistakes. Regardless of who was at fault, we made you uncomfortable, even if Hazel was the one to blame."

Kyra turned her attention to Mia, her brow arching as if scrutinizing another specimen of the Gladys species. Or worse—was Mia the mentor Gladys learned from? Truly, a remarkable role model.

"And you intend to make amends by helping me uncover who’s behind this?" Kyra asked, her tone flat this time. She was growing weary of entertaining the shameless duo before her.

"Yes!" Gladys responded enthusiastically.

Mia quickly chimed in, "And I also want to apologize if I was a bit forward earlier. I shouldn’t have scolded you, especially since the rules of each household are naturally different. I had no right to correct you here. Honestly, I only wanted to get to know you, so I couldn’t help myself when I saw you make a mistake. It was purely out of concern. I hope you’ll be kind enough to forgive me."

Kyra was speechless. Was there anyone else who apologized the way Mia did? This was the first time she’d seen someone skillfully combine an apology with an insult.

While acknowledging her mistake, Mia still managed to assert that she wasn’t entirely wrong because of differing household rules. Then, in the next breath, she claimed concern over Kyra’s mistakes.

What mistakes? Kyra’s patience felt like it was hanging by a single thread.

In the end, Kyra decided she wasn’t cut out for the ambiguous conversations of upper-class women. She quickly brought the interaction to a close. "Hah... If this is all you wanted to say, then I’m sorry. I can’t do much since Uncle James was quite angry yesterday. I doubt I can change his decision. As far as I know, once Uncle James makes up his mind, he’s very stubborn."

Gladys wilted at Kyra’s words, while Mia clenched her fists in frustration. But before Mia could say anything, Kyra turned to her with a smile. Mia’s heart skipped a beat, a bad premonition creeping over her.

Sure enough, Kyra’s next words hit their mark. "But perhaps if you bring this directly to my uncle, he might reconsider. After all, isn’t Miss Parks close to Uncle James? Your older sister, isn’t she? It would be better if you asked your sister for help. That way, it might be easier for you to speak to Uncle James!"

At that moment, a deep baritone voice sounded from behind them. "Speak to me about what?"

The three women turned toward the source of the voice. Gladys and Mia turned pale on the spot, while the head butler, Roman, stepped forward to greet the man.

"Welcome, Young Master James."