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
“I would love to, but it’s impossible to find anyone as beautiful, gentle, understanding, and tolerant as you, Mother. No one else catches my eye. So, I’ll just have to keep looking,” Reginald said, his tone playful. Yet, as soon as the thought of marriage came up, a fleeting image of Miranda’s charming and ever-changing expressions flashed through his mind.“You! All the children your age have already married. Even Zachary, who’s always been at odds with you, I hear he’s recently taken a liking to a young lady and is planning to propose to the Queen. What about you? When will you let me hold my grandchild?” Lady Liudmila cast him a reproachful glance.“Zachary is getting engaged?” Reginald was momentarily surprised, then chuckled. “That fellow fancies himself the future king, always so high and mighty. I wonder which family’s daughter he’s set his sights on?” Suddenly, a memory of that assassination attempt surfaced—Zachary badmouthing him to Miranda. Reginald’s heart tightened abrup
That day, Lady Langley come to visit Miranda at her home. Just as she arrived, she happened to run into Earl Croyso, who was returning from outside.As a matter of etiquette, Earl Croyso invited Lady Langley to join him in the drawing room. The two sat opposite each other, the room bathed in the soft light of the late afternoon. The air was heavy with unspoken words and lingering tensions from years past. Breaking the silence, Croyso glanced up from his cup, his voice calm but detached. “It seems the Fitzroy family has encountered some difficulties. You’re close with Lady Fitzroy, aren’t you? If you have time, it might be a good idea to take Miranda with you to visit them tomorrow.”Lady Langley, who had been stirring her tea absentmindedly, froze for a second before lifting her head. The news struck her sharply, concern flashing across her face. “What’s happened?” she asked, her voice edged with worry.Croyso leaned back slightly, setting his cup down on the polished mahogany table.
Old Mr. Fitzroy was a very thin and gaunt old man, around fifty years old, with graying hair and beard. He looked somewhat stern and unapproachable. However, he greatly valued Mrs. Fitzroy, his daughter-in-law, and consequently also liked his innocent and sweet granddaughter, Wensley. Hearing that her friend was present, a faint smile appeared on his face, and he suddenly asked, "Miranda? Is she the daughter of Lord Croyso?"Upon hearing her father's name, Miranda quickly stood up and said, "Yes, he is my father.""Oh my, so you're his daughter, and you got injured in my residence. This is terrible! You must speak well of me in front of your father when you return. Don’t let that overprotective man chase me around half the capital with his sword." Old Mr. Fitzroy chuckled, as if remembering something amusing. "These old bones of mine can’t withstand his fuss!" This was because Miranda had accidentally twisted her ankle on the way here."Huh?" Miranda was taken aback, not quite underst
Wensley's father, Marcus, was a scholar in charge of compiling books at the royal palace. He often felt frustrated and unappreciated, leading him to seek solace in drinking and revelry. A few days ago, he encountered a middle-aged man who claimed to be the lord of a southern city, named Steven. The two quickly became acquainted over drinks, and before long, they were spending every day carousing together.A few days ago, in a drunken haze, they somehow decided to arrange a marriage between their children, promising Wensley to Steven's son. They even left a written agreement as proof.Yesterday, Steven showed up at their door with the letter, saying he was there to discuss the marriage.Lady Fitzroy was furious upon hearing this. Not only had Marcus arranged their daughter's marriage without consulting her, but Steven himself seemed highly suspicious. He was a complete stranger, with an unclear background. How could a city lord spend his days drinking with Marcus instead of attending to
"Lady Fitzroy, I think Aunt Langley is right—this whole thing seems very suspicious," Miranda pondered aloud. "Even if Mr. Marcus was careless in handling things, that Steven is questionable too. Putting aside whether his identity is real or not, if he truly wanted to curry favor with Lord Fitzroy, a senior scholar in the Privy Council, he should have made a formal proposal. Acting like this won’t win the Fitzroy family over; it’s more likely to offend them. Isn’t this bringing shame to the Fitzroy name rather than trying to build connections?"Lady Fitzroy angrily agreed, "Exactly! Who does business like this? I think he’s nothing but a swindler!"“If he’s a swindler, it’s likely for money. He’d target wealthy families—why risk deceiving a senior member of the Privy Council?” Miranda asked thoughtfully.Hearing this, Lady Fitzroy began to calm down, her dark brows furrowing deeply.She was usually a sharp and decisive person, but this situation involved her own daughter, and her husba
"But can Miranda, at such a young age, really be so perceptive about court affairs? Could it be that she's overthinking things?" Lady Fitzroy hesitated. This matter involved both Marcus’s foolishness and their daughter’s marriage, and she didn’t want to alarm her in-laws, fearing it would worry them. Still, after thinking it through, she realized the truth would come out eventually. Since Miranda was so certain, she decided to trust her.With that, Lady Fitzroy took Lady Langley, Wensley, and Miranda to meet with the elder Lord Fitzroy.Lord Fitzroy was in his study when he heard that these younger people had come to see him again. Surprised, he made his way to the sitting room, where the group had gathered. Noticing the anxious expressions on their faces, he waved for the servants to leave before asking, "What’s going on?"Lady Fitzroy then recounted the entire incident and Miranda’s suspicions.Outside, the scent of damp earth from the recent rain drift