Divya gasped dramatically, then collapsed to her knees in one fluid motion. She grabbed the hem of her robe, clenched it in her fists, and lowered her head as if she had just been struck by divine judgment.
And then, in a voice so heartbroken it could bring rain to a desert, she whispered, "My lord… I know it is my fault. I should not have splashed hot tea on my father's wife."
Silence.
A long, heavy, awkward silence.
One thing Divya was certain of in this bizarre ancient world—whether it was real or just some twisted reincarnation trope—was that every Chinese drama and every historical setting had concubines.
Where there were lords, there were wives and concubines.
So, playing the role of a wronged daughter, punished for offending a stepmother or a favored concubine, wasn't a stretch.
After all, how could the owner of this stable not have concubines?
And in a world like this, saying she had splashed tea on her father's wife could only mean one thing—she had either offended a concubine or the main wife.
It was believable enough that locking her up in a stable wouldn't be considered strange.
The two men exchanged glances and gave small nods.
They had heard similar stories before.
One of them stepped forward, straightening his back, his demeanor professional but slightly cautious.
"I truly feel sorry for your situation, young miss," he said with measured sympathy. "However, we are here on a mission. Would you mind allowing us to search this stable?"
Divya froze.
Just for a second.
Her mind raced.
Then, clenching her fists tightly, she turned her expression into one of offended disbelief.
"My lord… you mean to say you wish to search this place?"
Her voice trembled just enough, as though she were a deeply wounded noble girl who had suffered too many grievances.
Then, in a single swift motion, she stood up straight, back rigid with self-righteous indignation.
"If you wish to search this place, you must first seek permission from the owner!"
She lifted her chin slightly, turning toward the horses behind her.
"And I will not give you permission to touch my Soybeans!"
The moment those words left her lips, the horses visibly twitched.
The one she had been hugging jerked its head around, staring at her in pure disbelief.
Soybeans?
Soybeans?!
The other horses stiffened, flicking their tails aggressively.
One of them even stamped its hoof sharply, as if contemplating whether it should just end this nonsense with a single well-aimed kick.
When?
When did their names suddenly change to some ridiculous 'Soybeans' nonsense?!
One particularly annoyed horse turned its head, eyes filled with something that could only be described as profound existential regret.
What the hell was this human talking about?!
The truth was, it wasn't that Divya couldn't let them search the place.
But first of all—if she allowed them too easily, wouldn't that seem suspicious?
And second—hadn't she heard countless times that no matter how smart a criminal is, they always leave some kind of evidence behind?
She wasn't 100% sure she had cleaned up everything properly.
What if she had forgotten something?
Even one misplaced item could be the difference between walking out of here alive or having her head rolling on the ground, not even knowing when the blade had fallen.
Besides, if she was going to act like a noble lady, then she had to play the part convincingly.
She needed to show them that she wasn't someone they could just trample over.
Hearing her words, the two men looked at each other before the one who had spoken earlier stepped forward again.
His voice was firmer this time. "Listen, Miss. We are searching for a runaway criminal, and we must find him. He is quite... no, he is an extremely cruel person. For your safety, we are requesting your cooperation."
Divya's brows twitched.
Her safety?
A runaway criminal?
She really wanted to ask, "What the hell do you mean, runaway criminal?"
But she bit back the words, her mind racing.
Of course, I'm not a criminal.
Yeah. Yeah. Of course.
…Except, if she hadn't stolen that money and kicked that pompous lord into a pile of manure, then maybe—just maybe—she wouldn't be in this situation right now.
Divya swallowed.
She needed to think fast.
Suddenly, a line from a historical Chinese drama flashed through Divya's mind.
Her posture stiffened, and then—without hesitation—she stood up like a heartbroken and wronged noble lady.
Her gaze flickered around the stable, landing on a broken piece of wood lying on the ground.
Without missing a beat, she snatched it up, her movements so abrupt that the two men flinched.
And then—before they could react—she pressed the jagged edge against her own neck.
The men froze.
Their eyes widened in shock.
"Y-You—!"
Divya's body trembled, her wild tears streaming down her face.
Her voice cracked with grief and hysteria as she wailed, "You want to search a lady's sleeping place in the middle of the night?! If I am to be humiliated like this, then wouldn't it be better if I just die instead?!"
A heavy silence fell.
Even Divya herself felt momentarily stunned by her own dramatic words.
If someone had said this to her in her past life, she might have laughed them out of the room.
I mean… seriously?
Are you really gonna die over something like this?!
And yet—here she was, acting out the same ridiculous play.
The two men looked visibly uncomfortable.
They exchanged glances, their expressions filled with hesitation.
One of them stepped forward cautiously, raising his hands in a calming gesture.
"L-Lady, please, it's not like that…!"
Hearing that, Divya let out a sudden, anguished cry.
"What do you mean it's not like that?! You men just want to drive me to my death, don't you?!"
Her voice was thick with emotion, and at that moment—the dam inside her truly broke.
All the frustration, anger, and resentment she had bottled up since waking up in this world came crashing down.
Only she knew how much she had suffered.