As each finger was cruelly broken, the agony that surged through her body revealed the truth—her nanny and maids had betrayed her long ago. When her sister confessed to carrying her husband's child, Miranda realized that their prior kindness had been nothing but an act in a sinister play. When her gentle husband, a man she had once loved, directed his new lover to claim her life, she understood she had been nothing more than a stepping stone to his ascent to power... Twenty years in this mortal world, and she was merely a puppet manipulated by others. Yet, fate, in its mercy, offered her a second chance. This time, it was her turn to consign those deceivers to hell! Although she returned only to exact vengeance, how did she unwittingly capture the interest of a powerful magnate this time around? Watching the delicate yet resilient girl, the Duke turned to his subordinate and said “Remove the filth that marred her eyes. Feed it to the dogs."
View MoreLady Langley had already heard of Lady Sheffield’s close friendship with Sophie and her notoriously difficult personality. She had prepared herself mentally for the encounter, but she hadn’t expected Lady Sheffield to immediately humiliate Miranda.“Lady Sheffield, you are absolutely right. After all, a stepmother’s care can never compare to that of a real mother. Perhaps we should invite you to stay permanently at the Croyso estate to teach these unruly young ladies some proper manners?”Lady Sheffield was stunned by Lady Langley’s retort. It was sharp and indirect, expertly turning the accusation of Miranda’s lack of upbringing into a subtle jab at Sophie for failing to properly teach her stepdaughter. Even more cleverly, the remark insinuated dissatisfaction with Lady Sheffield herself as a second wife.This Lady Langley was clearly not one to be trifled with!No wonder Sophie had been caught in a scandal as soon as Lady Langley arrived, leading to a cold war with the Earl of Croys
The queen's heart sank—how had this matter reached the ears of the Dowager Queen? "Aunt, it was that Sheffield who was so insufferably arrogant, deliberately causing trouble for us! He dared to compete with Zachary and set her sights on the very girl he favored. I couldn’t stand it, so I—""Foolishness!" the Dowager Queen snapped, her brows furrowed tightly. "That Sheffield earned their title through real military achievements. In today’s political climate, their family holds more weight than those old noble houses like the William, who haven’t seen a battlefield in generations. People like them should be drawn closer, not suppressed. Assign the position of Knight of the Royal Guard to the Sheffield family’s young master at once."The Dowager Queen’s commanding tone left no room for argument. "Over the years, your actions have grown increasingly shortsighted. Anyone in the palace could see farther than you…" Her voice trailed off as she fell into thought.The Dowager Queen, herself a
Finally, the Queen supported the Dowager Queen by the hand as they left Ashford Manor. Reginald called out loudly from behind, “Take care, Your Majesty!” Then he stood up and couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “You’re still laughing!” Lady Liudmila flicked his forehead hard. “You’ve always been reckless, but at least there used to be limits. The incident at The Heaven Lounge went too far. I thought Zachary and that Lila actually had an affair, but who knew it was your scheme all along. You! This was too obvious and caused such a stir that even the Dowager Queen couldn’t resist stepping in to deal with you. After today, you’ve seen how formidable she can be—keep yourself in check from now on!” Reginald shrugged nonchalantly. “The Queen already sees me as a thorn in her side. Could it get any worse? As for the Dowager Queen,” he flashed a bright smile at Lady Liudmila, his gaze sparkling, “didn’t I hear how she’s been pushing you harder an
The Queen and Dowager Queen, shocked by Reginald’s sudden appearance, were momentarily speechless. The Queen quickly recovered and snapped, "Lord Reginald, where have you been? And where are you returning from at this hour?"Any hopes of taking Reginald’s life amid the chaos had vanished. The only option left was to grasp at whatever incriminating evidence they could."Returning? From where?" Reginald’s expression was one of exaggerated surprise. Even in this feigned astonishment, his stunning features were mesmerizing. "What are you implying? I simply went to the restroom and returned to find such a grand commotion. It’s truly bewildering.""Don’t try to deny it!" The Queen pressed on, her tone sharp. "If you were in the manor, why couldn’t any of the guards account for your whereabouts? The Dowager Queen was frantic over your disappearance, and yet you stayed hidden, letting her worry—what exactly is your intention?"From the moment Reginald spoke, Lady
The servant opened the door, only to find the study completely empty. At this point, it was better to risk Reginald being suspected by the king of deliberately concealing his whereabouts than to let him fall into the hands of the Blackwell family! Lady Liudmila's thoughts raced as she stepped forward and bowed, pleading, "Your Majesty, the Dowager Queen, I believe there is no need to cause such a commotion. I fear young Reginald has been mischievous and slipped away unnoticed. When he returns, I will personally discipline him severely for his unruly behavior that has caused you such worry and anger."“What nonsense are you speaking?” The Dowager Queen frowned deeply, her expression full of disapproval as she retorted, “Reginald may be mischievous, but he has always been measured in his actions. How could he do something as reckless as sneaking out? That’s too dangerous, and he would never disregard the entire family. Something must have happened!” Her gaze, heavy with displea
"I know that child Reginald is rather thin-skinned. Ever since he was publicly reprimanded, he’s been shutting himself away. Who knows if it has affected his health? There’s no need to bother notifying him—I’ll go with you to check on him," the Queen Mother said kindly. With that, she paid no further attention to the shadow guards, leaning on her cane as she slowly and leisurely walked out of the reception hall.The Queen thought to herself, The Queen Mother truly knows how to handle things! She quickly stepped forward to support the Queen Mother’s hand, walking out of the hall with an air of arrogance. Lady Liudmila and Hendrik, unable to intervene, could only follow anxiously. As Hendrik led the way, he silently prayed that they could escape disaster and that the Queen wouldn’t find any incriminating evidence.The group, familiar with the layout, soon arrived at the door to Reginald’s study. They called inside, but no respons
Prince Zachary had recently suffered a scandal at The Heaven Lounge, publicly reprimanded by the king and placed under house arrest. The circumstances reeked of manipulation, as Lila should never have entered the prince’s chambers without outside influence. With Lord Reginald also present, it was all too easy to suspect his involvement in orchestrating the incident. The queen and the Blackwell family directed their anger at Lord Reginald, relentlessly accusing and framing him. In the end, Lord Reginald, due to his arrogance and reckless behavior, was publicly reprimanded by the king during a court assembly. If the queen discovered that Reginald had no legitimate excuse for his current absence, the consequences would be dire.Though reluctant to leave Miranda’s side, Lord Reginald knew how to prioritize. With a sigh, he took one last longing glance around the room before preparing to leave. Suddenly, he paused, retrieved a pouch, and took out a small object. Plac
Miranda prepared the rosewater and brought it over to Lord Reginald, handing it to him.Lord Reginald took it and drank it in one gulp, finally feeling some relief in his stomach. His deep, dark eyes fixed on Miranda as he said slowly, "Miranda, tomorrow I don’t want to see any bitter melon on my plate. Also, stop adding Coptis root to my medicine. And don’t ever drink rosewater in front of me without giving me a cup. Otherwise," he grinned, baring his sharp white teeth, "I’ll bite you!"How did he figure it out? Miranda’s heart skipped a beat, but she feigned ignorance. "Lord Reginald, I don’t know what you’re talking about.""Still playing dumb? If you didn’t know I hated bitterness, when I asked for rosewater earlier, you should have been puzzled, not amused. Clearly, you knew I disliked bitter flavors and were just standing by to enjoy the show!" Lord Reginald snorted, his tone heavy with accusation.Only then did Miranda realize she had given herself away. Feeling a bit guilty, s
If Fulton really was your ideal husband, she could’ve answered me directly, or perhaps even shyly remained silent. But instead, you’re cold and unresponsive, with that same darkness in your eyes I’ve seen before. Reginald thought, narrowing his gaze. The same look her had when confronting her stepmother at that villa by the hot springs—resentment, hatred, anger, and even a desire to drag her down into the depths with herself."Does it matter whether he is or isn’t?" Miranda abruptly raised her head, seemingly irritated by Reginald’s relentless questioning. Her dark eyes burned with a ghostly fire, shadowed by gloom. "Lord Reginald, have you ever witnessed something like this? Two people, seemingly deeply in love, where the woman pours her heart and soul into her husband, offering unreserved devotion, only to be discarded and mercilessly killed once her usefulness runs out! If you’ve seen such a thing, would you still think any of this matters? "True love, mutual devotion, a lifetime
With a splash, the garden pond erupted, scattering water droplets into the air and startling the birds skimming its surface."Oh, the paragon of gentleness and virtue, the esteemed lady of the Dickson family, the dignified countess by imperial decree."Selena stood on the bank, looking down with a smug, seductive smile at Miranda struggling in the water."Look at you now, how pitifully bedraggled you are—truly heartbreaking!""Why?" Miranda gasped as she surfaced, only for the murky pond water to rush into her mouth.She had come despite her recent grief of losing her child, to comfort her sister, who had divorced.Fearing that even the slightest glamour might offend, Miranda had chosen her attire with care—plain, understated, without a hint of gold.Such thoughtfulness, such affection, she never imagined it would end with Selena pushing her into the water."Why?" Selena peered down at the disheveled Miranda, whose hair clung to her pale, desperate face.A giggle broke from her lips, "...
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