Violet glanced at Carissa, who gave her a slight nod.Violet then coldly laughed and said, "You're claiming to be a 'pure courtesan'? Maybe you can fool someone as brainless as Samuel, but do you really think you can fool us?"Her words instantly enraged Samuel, who snapped, "How dare you slander her?"Violet sneered. "Slander her? I wouldn't dare. Ruby, shouldn't you tell everyone your real name? What was it again? I heard your esteemed father gave you a rather lovely name—Celeste Kingsley, wasn't it? But Grand Princess Eleanor didn't call you that, did she? She called you something else, right? Cece, wasn't it?"Ruby's face turned deathly pale, but only for a moment.Soon, her eyes filled with tears, and she choked out, "W-What are you talking about?"The faces of those from the Earl of Gracehold's family also changed drastically. They stared at Ruby's elegant and beautiful face in disbelief.Could she really be Eleanor's daughter?Surely, she wasn't her biological child. Ele
Ruby continued to cry uncontrollably, her sobs wracking her body. Despite her tears, her fingers clung desperately to Samuel's shirt, as if holding onto him was the only thing keeping her grounded. Though her eyes had run dry, her cries were still filled with a deep sense of hurt and vulnerability."Such a mess!" Rafael commented as he stood up, taking Carissa's hand in his.He turned to the stunned Helen. "Mom, let's go."Helen snapped out of her shock and rose to her feet.But before leaving, she glanced at Heather and said, "I just went in to see Leona. She thought it was you and was so happy, but when she realized it wasn't, she was disappointed. You're such a weak mother, so it's no wonder your daughter turned out the same. You know very well who I caused a scene for today. If you have any shred of dignity as a mother, don't let this slide so easily. Otherwise, you'll lose all respect in my eyes.""Mother, let's go. Every mother has maternal instincts. I'm sure Aunt Heather k
Heather covered Leona's mouth and warned, "Don't you dare say those words again! You're a duchess with an annual stipend and land of your own. You can support yourself without depending on the earl's family."As for your husband, I believe he'll come to his senses. That woman… that woman is Grand Princess Eleanor's illegitimate daughter. She's up to something by coming into this household."Leona's heart sank further. She didn't care who Ruby was. No matter how scheming or filthy her methods were, none of this would've happened if Samuel had believed Leona.Leona had already given up on Samuel.Seeing her daughter's silence, Heather assumed she would listen and continued, "Trust your mother. Once the child is born, your husband will change his mind. And when the old matriarch sees her great-grandchild, how could she not love the child? They'll be good to you. You just need to endure. Things will get better after this rough patch."The real problem is that old matriarch—she caused
After Harvey and Heather left, the servants in Gracehold Estate were busy cleaning up. Apart from Samuel and Ruby, who remained in the sitting room, everyone else dispersed. Even Abigail did not stay as she escorted Dorothy back to her quarters.Before leaving, Dorothy gave strict orders that Noah was not to make things difficult for Samuel."Which of the young men in this family is as outstanding as he is? The king personally selected Samuel as one of the top scholars. Him losing his position is only a temporary setback. Which family doesn't have multiple wives and concubines? It's just that some petty people are stirring up trouble.""Mom, go rest," Noah responded, but he didn't agree. He simply gestured for his wife to escort Dorothy away.Noah then turned his gaze to Ruby, who was sobbing uncontrollably in Samuel's arms. He felt a surge of frustration."Why are you crying? If you hadn't provoked Leona, would tonight's events have happened?"Still shielding Ruby, Samuel spoke
After Samuel settled down, he immediately began drafting a scathing article condemning the Hell Monarch. Once he finished, he reached out to his old scholar friends, inviting over a dozen people to join him. However, only three or four actually showed up.Those who did come were stunned after reading his article. They quickly made excuses, claiming they had urgent matters to attend to, and hurriedly left.Samuel was bewildered.He chased after one of them, grabbing him by the arm and asking, "You all read how the Hell Monarch bullied me. Aren't you going to help?"The scholar's name was Sean. He entered the National Academy last year and had once deeply admired Samuel—before Samuel brought a courtesan from a brothel into his home. Today, Sean had come merely out of respect for old ties.Samuel's article boldly and repeatedly denounced the prince who had just reclaimed the Southern Frontier. It accused the Hell Monarch of disrespecting women—specifically, of disrespecting Ruby.Se
Carissa had Violet arrange for someone to keep an eye on Samuel for a few days. Despite everything, this once-renowned scholar, who had been favored by his family's matriarch, still held onto his lofty ambitions.Over the past few days, Samuel had carried his written articles to the National Academy, hoping to find someone to present them to the king. But no one at the National Academy would pay him any attention anymore.Believing it was because they were jealous of his talent, Samuel seethed with frustration. Determined, he then sought out people at the Academy of Wisdom. But no matter where he went, people deliberately avoided him.After all, he was a top scholar who had been personally demoted by the king, destroyed his marriage for a favored mistress, abandoned his family to set up his own household, and even renounced his title as heir.To make matters worse, rumors had spread that he had married the daughter of a merchant, then forced her to use her dowry to buy the freedom
In the sitting room, the fragrance of coffee filled the air.Lulu brought out some cloud cakes. It was raining outside, and her shoes were soaked. As she walked across the cloud-patterned stone floor, several clear footprints were left behind.Carissa didn't speak. She sat in a chair, slowly sipping her coffee, with only a high, square table separating her from Heather.The cloud cakes were placed on the table. Lulu, holding a tray, retreated to stand at the door, keeping watch. Carissa picked up a piece of cloud cake by hand and ate it slowly. The sound of her chewing was barely audible.Heather also took a piece with a fork and brought it to her mouth. She ate with refined manners, taking small bites and using a tiny porcelain saucer underneath to catch any crumbs that might fall onto her purple floral gown.Heather's skin had a yellowish tint, and the purple gown she wore made her complexion look even duller. Her eyes were lifeless and shadowed with dark circles, clearly the re
Carissa was silent for a moment before saying, "Lulu, show our guest out."Heather's anger flared. "Carissa, I haven't finished speaking yet, and you're already so eager to drive me away? I am your aunt!"In her rage, Heather threw a cup to the floor, her chest heaving with emotion.Carissa glanced at the shattered cup on the floor. The liquid spread beneath her feet, dampening the tips of her shoes.She raised her head to meet Heather's gaze, her voice stern and cold as she said, "If you had vented your anger this way at Gracehold Estate, by smashing a cup in front of them and cursing Samuel for his heartlessness, I would have been glad for Leona and still respected you as my aunt."But didn't you see how aggrieved Leona was that night? Yet, you were only making excuses. When she asked if you would accept her back into the house if she got a divorce, a simple nod from you would have been a great comfort, even if you only advised her to endure."Her words about divorce might have