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
Just then, Hendrik entered with a timely delivery of medicinal broth.Once again, Reginald made a show of his injured arms—dropping the spoon several times with exaggerated difficulty—until Miranda, without a word, took the bowl and spoon from him and began feeding him, one careful spoonful at a time. Bathed in this gentle tenderness, Reginald found himself thinking that the injury had been well worth it. A pity, though—once the medicine was gone, he could no longer find an excuse to keep her by his side, let alone steal another tender moment. With no alternative, he gave up reluctantly.Once his wound was dressed, they finally had a moment to speak of the night’s events.“Lord Reginald, what was that place? And why were you there?” Miranda had far too many questions.Reginald raised a brow. “Take a guess.”Miranda frowned, then her eyes lit up. “Was that… the residence for foreign envoys?”Reginald looked momentarily startled. “How did you know?”“I noticed that those men in black beh
Seeing the man's bare back, Miranda knew she ought to feel shy.But in this moment, as her eyes fell on Reginald’s scarred and bloodied back, there was no room in her heart for bashfulness—only a deep, twisting pain. The wounds were raw and cruel, slashing across his skin one after another. These injuries should have been hers to bear, but he had taken them all in her place.In the chaos of battle, no one knew better than Miranda how often Reginald had used his body to shield her from deadly blows…Though it was clear he had feelings for her, and had saved her more than once, he never sought to use his kindness to win affection. He never confessed, never asked for thanks. He simply cared for her quietly, asking nothing in return. Something within Miranda’s hardened heart stirred—softened. And with that softness came a dull ache, as if sorrow and tenderness flooded in all at once.If only he had been less sincere, more calculating—at least then, she wouldn’t feel so helpless before his
Just as they were about to shake off the guards behind them, a new group suddenly appeared ahead. Leading them was a richly dressed middle-aged man who glared at Reginald and his companions, shouting, “Think you can leave after causing such chaos? It’s not that easy!” As he raised his hand to give the order to attack, his gaze suddenly fell upon Miranda standing behind Reginald. His eyes widened in shock, his expression twisting in disbelief as he pointed at her, exclaiming, “You—!”Taking advantage of his stunned state, Harland leapt forward like lightning and slashed through the legs of the man’s horse in one clean stroke. The middle-aged man tumbled to the ground. Harland pressed his blade to the man’s throat and dragged him back to their formation, saying coldly, “No one move, or I’ll kill him where he stands!”Seeing their leader taken hostage, the rest of the men hesitated, unwilling to risk his life.“Clear a path. Once we’ve left safely, we’ll release him,” Harland declared, h
Seeing the man's attire, the burly warrior beside him immediately realized that this must be one of their brothers who had gone to the palace to assassinate someone—now back and enraged, looking for a fight. But upon hearing the words "His Highness is dead," his heart was struck with unspeakable shock, his mind going blank for a moment.Stepping forward, he shielded Miranda and raised his sword to block the masked man’s saber.“Calm down! The commander said this woman might still be useful. Don’t go against his word!”But before his words had even finished, the situation changed in a flash.The masked man abruptly twisted his blade, slashing toward the burly warrior’s neck with lightning speed. The angle was vicious and sudden—nearly impossible to guard against.The burly man had assumed this was merely a furious comrade; it never occurred to him that he would suddenly turn his blade on him. Let alone defend himself—he was still in stunned disbelief even as the blade sliced across his
The man in black twisted Miranda's arm with one hand and held a dagger across her with the other. He jerked his chin toward Molly, signaling her to open the door. His grip on the dagger only tightened.Molly glanced worriedly at her miss before stepping forward to open the door.Standing outside was the regal and elegant Queen Dowager, flanked by Margaret and others—Selena stood nearby.The moment the door opened and the Queen Dowager saw Miranda being held hostage, her expression changed drastically. She shouted, “Who are you? How dare you seize a noble lady? Release her at once!”“Oh, how dearly the Queen Dowager treasures this Miss Croyso,” the man in black sneered. “Good. If Your Grace doesn’t want anything to happen to her, then cooperate and help us get out of the palace. With your seal, I don’t suppose it’ll be difficult? Once we’re somewhere safe, we’ll let her go. How about that?”“Your Grace, you mustn’t!” Margaret cried urgently. “These assassins are after His Majesty’s life
Hearing those words, Miranda finally let out a breath of relief.The fact that the King was willing to assign her tasks meant he had accepted her explanation.Of course, the King would not so easily trust her loyalty; she would still need to prove herself through her future actions. But at least, for someone like her—cornered by the Queen Mother with no way out—there was now a glimmer of hope ahead.As long as the King truly intended to oppose the Queen Mother, and as long as she could assist him in bringing her down, Miranda would be able to regain her freedom and no longer live under the Queen Mother's control."I understand. I will strictly follow Your Majesty's instructions," Miranda replied. "I used an excuse to leave earlier, and I cannot be away for too long. If there are no further orders, I shall take my leave."The King watched Miranda’s retreating figure in silence.Because of that familiar face, he couldn’t help but pay her a little more attention, though he did not show i
"Miranda?"The King, who had just risen to his feet, slowly sat back down, frowning slightly. After a moment, he said, "Let her come forward."Guided by Giles, Miranda approached gracefully and knelt in salute. "Greetings, Your Majesty."The King studied her closely, trying to guess her intentions. "You asked to see me. What is it you wish to say?""I..." Miranda hesitated, carefully choosing her words."Your Majesty's teachings remain engraved in my heart. Yet, in this world, eight or nine out of ten things do not go as one wishes," Miranda answered calmly, her head bowed. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and caught sight of a sheet of paper on the table. Daringly, she picked it up with a gentle motion. The King silently watched her actions."For a piece of paper," she said softly, "its greatest wish would be to remain pure and untouched — neither stained by ink nor creased by water. Yet once a hand reaches out and soaks it in ink or water, the paper has no strength to resist."She did no
That day, the King came to pay his respects at the Queen Dowager’s palace. The Queen Dowager ordered tea to be served.A young lady stepped forward, dressed in a gown of pale blue silk—the soft, mist-like color seemed steeped in delicate light, graceful and ethereal. Her hair ornaments matched in hue, adorned with teardrop-shaped tassels that swayed gently with her movements, catching the light like liquid glass. Her skin was fair as porcelain, her features fresh and luminous, like a lotus emerging from clear waters.Her simple attire, serene beauty, and quiet elegance gave the impression of a cool spring flowing through a sweltering day—soothing and refreshing.When the King saw that the one serving tea was Miranda, he paused. His gaze lingered briefly on her attire, on her calm expression, on the faint scent of perfume that wafted near. His eyes flickered with a shadowed gleam as he said with a faint smile, “I heard Miss Miranda fell ill shortly after entering the palace, and has be
Miranda was filled with doubts.Zachary had taken a liking to her and, without even asking her opinion, went straight to the Queen to request a royal marriage decree. The Queen Dowager fancied her and instantly ordered her into the palace as a companion. They were all powerful figures—so why was it that when Reginald liked her, he remained so silent? So composed? Why hadn’t she sensed even the slightest hint of his feelings?Even after hearing about her engagement to Sheffield, he simply vanished from her world. Aside from that one moment—when he stumbled into her chambers feverish and disoriented—he never once made a move. He didn’t even try to interfere with the betrothal between the Croyso family and Sheffield.Weren’t people like them always forceful and self-indulgent in love and power alike? And Reginald, with his flamboyant and unrestrained nature—why had he acted so differently?Her head throbbed. With a shake, she tried to banish the thoughts. There was a clear disparity in s