Zachary, unaware of the finer details, thought Brandon was just giving tips on how to care for Martha because of her health. He nodded at Miranda and left with a smile. Brandon gently stroked Martha’s hair and said, “You must be tired. Go rest early. I need to speak with Miss Miranda.”Martha, the most innocent in the hall, was the only one who didn’t notice the tense talks. She had no idea about the trouble she had caused. Though she didn’t want to leave, she nodded and obeyed.Soon, only Brandon and Miranda were left. Brandon sighed and spoke directly, “Miss Miranda, I think you heard the earlier talk. Martha is in danger, and I need your help. Could you speak to Duke Reginald for her?”Miranda hesitated. She wasn’t Martha, and the tense talks earlier had not escaped her. She liked Martha’s kind and gentle nature and didn’t want her caught in the crossfire. But—“Mr. Brandon, I want to help, but I’ve only met the Duke a few times. I doubt I can sway him.”Reginald was driven by whims
As Miranda and her companions approached the door to the northern room, they found a shadow guard waiting there. He bowed respectfully and said, "Miss Miranda, the lord is waiting for you on the balcony. Only one may go. The rest, please wait here.""Thank you for letting me know." Miranda smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.After reaching the balcony, the guard opened the door for her to enter and then closed it behind her.Knowing she would once again face the unpredictable Duke Reginald alone, Miranda couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.Reginald sat casually on the balcony railing, his handsome features glowing in the moonlight. "Miranda, you're not here to thank me. Let me guess—Brandon wants you to plead for him and Martha, offering concessions or maybe a threat if I push too hard. Am I right?""…" Before Miranda could speak, he had guessed everything!Momentarily speechless, Miranda didn’t know how to respond.Seeing her stunned expr
Noticing that Miranda was still trembling slightly, Reginald felt his heart soften further and said gently, "Alright, it’s my fault. I’m used to high places. Let me help you down, okay?"So, even this fierce little kitten has her moments of trembling fear.Right now, Miranda looked like a curled-up ball of fluff, adorably soft.Reginald helped her down from the balcony railing, and the two sat on the ground. "There, sitting here, you won’t slip. Don’t be afraid, it’s fine, okay?"With her legs still a bit shaky, Miranda finally breathed a small sigh of relief after sitting down.She had a secret no one knew—she was afraid of heights. Whenever she found herself in high places, she was fine as long as she focused on the surroundings. But the moment she looked down and realized how far from the ground she was, dizziness and vertigo would set in, making her feel like she could fall at any moment.Once she had settled, Miranda became aware of how close she was sitting to Reginald and quick
“Lord Reginald, I dare not interfere in the conflict between you and Prince Zachary, but no matter the storm, it should remain a matter between men. Martha, on the other hand, is frail and utterly naive. She has nothing to do with your dispute. Please, Lord Reginald, can you spare her?"Hearing her plea for Martha, Reginald thought he should be angry, but perhaps he was in too good a mood to feel that way. He kept smiling and replied, "If you truly care about Martha, you shouldn't be pleading with me. You should be advising Brandon to find a way to distance himself from Zachary. Zachary's greed knows no bounds, and he won’t be content with just forty percent. He’ll keep pushing until Brandon can't meet his demands, and when that happens, Martha will be in danger all the same. You've seen tonight how ruthless Zachary can be.""Young Master Brandon understands that too. He said he would speak with Prince Zachary, but he hopes you can give him some time to maneuver and refrain from targe
Suddenly, Reginald's gaze sharpened as he stared into the distance, muttering, "Strange... What is she doing here in the middle of the night?""Do you know her?" Miranda cautiously stood up, following his gaze. In the faint moonlight, she could only make out a shadowy figure walking up the mountain path toward the estate. It was impossible to tell whether it was a man or a woman, yet Reginald seemed to recognize them.Reginald nodded absentmindedly, still focused on the distance. "It seems to be Lady Liudmila's personal maid."Lady Liudmila? Miranda frowned slightly. Shouldn't he be calling her 'Mother'? Her heart skipped a beat, and she vaguely guessed what was going on. However, palace intrigues were dangerous—knowing too much could put her in jeopardy. So, she pretended not to notice anything and said casually, "So, it's Lady Liudmila's maid?"Reginald, unaware of his slip of the tongue, nodded again. "Indeed."As they watched the maid enter the estate and head toward a secluded co
“Lord Reginald, are you alright?” Miranda couldn’t help but ask.Reginald shook his head, turned toward the side room, then suddenly stopped as if remembering something. He turned back to stare at Miranda, speaking gravely, “What we saw tonight, and what you overheard earlier—don’t mention it to anyone. Not a single soul, understand?”Miranda nodded. “I understand.”When she returned upstairs, Molly and the others were still waiting for her. Seeing her return safely, looking no different than before, they finally relaxed. As the night deepened, Molly fetched a cloak, draped it over Miranda’s shoulders, tied the ribbon, and said, “Miss, it’s late. You should retire and rest early.”Miranda nodded.Back in her room, Miranda lay on the bed, replaying the evening’s events in her mind, her thoughts filled with questions. If Lady Liudmila had come to pray for Reginald, his expression shouldn’t have been like that. It seemed likely that there was another person involved. When Reginald spoke
The next day, everyone had returned home. Miranda was in her father’s study, helping him organize some papers as usual. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, turned to her father and said, “Father, I need to step out for a moment. I just remembered that Prince Zachary has a message for me to pass on to Selena. I’ll go find her.”The Earl of Croyso lifted his head from a stack of documents, looking puzzled. “Prince Zachary? What business does he have with Selena?”Miranda chuckled. “Oh, it’s nothing much. While we were at the villa, Prince Zachary asked me about a garment Selena was embroidering for him. He seemed curious about how it was coming along.”Miranda knew that, with Selena’s ambition and her obsession with power, she would likely reignite her dream of marrying Zachary and becoming future queen now that her chances of becoming the king’s mistress were lost. By bringing this up casually, Miranda hoped her father would step in and quash any illusions Selena might still be
“Foolish!” Earl Croyso erupted in anger when he confirmed that Selena had developed such thoughts. The embroidery was a trivial matter, but now that he had seen Zachary’s true nature, marrying into the royal family would undoubtedly bring unseen dangers. Moreover, the path to the throne is often fraught with uncertainty. If his daughter married Prince Zachary, the whole family would be forced to take sides. He had never wanted to get involved in the cutthroat politics of the royal heirs, preferring to remain neutral. But if Selena had truly entertained such ideas and caused any kind of scandal with Zachary, for the sake of her reputation, he would have no choice but to marry her off to him. With such an alliance, even if he stayed neutral, others would still see him as part of Zachary’s faction.Besides, even if Zachary managed to ascend to the throne, his hypocritical and arrogant nature made him wholly unfit for his daughter!How could Selena be so bewitched?“Selena, you’re still u
Upon hearing it was a decree from the Dowager Queen, everyone’s minds raced with countless thoughts. However, there was no time for words; they hurriedly changed into formal attire and went out to receive the message.The messenger was a young, cheerful steward, round and amiable, with a smile as warm as a benevolent saint. Once everyone had gathered, he raised his reedy, nasally voice and announced, “By command of Her Majesty the Dowager Queen: the day of my birthday approaches. I hereby summon Lady Croyso and the young ladies of the Croyso household to the palace to celebrate. So decreed!”The room collectively rose to express their gratitude. Miranda subtly slipped a pack of gold coin into his hand and asked, “Might I know your name, good steward?”The steward glanced at the coin’s value, his smile deepening. He silently praised the young lady’s sharpness and tact, thinking she must be Miranda, the eldest daughter of the Croyso family. Indeed, she had both intelligence and grace. “
What does it mean to say, "It would be great if my future daughter-in-law could be half as good as Rose"? Lady Sheffield had already settled on Miranda as her future daughter-in-law, yet she said this in front of Miranda. Wasn’t that a blatant slap to Miranda’s face? For Rose, this was the first time she had become the center of attention at the Croyso estate. Embarrassed, flustered, and anxious, her face turned red as she said, "Lady Sheffield, you flatter me too much. I’m clumsy and can’t do anything well, which is why I always try to learn more. Among us younger women, Miranda is truly the best—her embroidery is exceptional, and she’s incredibly intelligent. Even Earl Croyso dotes on her deeply." As she spoke, Rose cast pleading glances at Miranda, silently asking for help. It wasn’t that she wanted to outshine Miranda—she had no idea why Lady Sheffield would favor her so much. “You’re such a modest child!” Lady Sheffield dismissed her words with a wave, continuing, “But it
Lady 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 Croyso
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