Lady Fitzroy was startled and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by that?"If marrying Wensley offered no advantage, she would have a reason to convince everyone to call off the engagement."Before, there was something I couldn't figure out—why did the other side go to such great lengths to handpick Steven? After much thought, I realized there was more to it," Miranda, pulling Wensley back beside her, sat in front of Lady Langley and analyzed, "If we go by Wensley’s father’s logic, marrying Wensley into that family would indeed win a reputation for keeping one’s word, which might even aid Lord Fitzroy in his promotion to Prime Minister. But think about it, Madam—if this whole thing was aimed at Lord Fitzroy, planned so meticulously, how could they leave such a glaring loophole that would end up benefiting him, turning a disadvantage into an advantage?"Lady Fitzroy and Lady Langley exchanged a glance; this was something neither of them had considered.The Fitzroy family had only thoug
Meeting Lady Fitzroy’s expectant gaze, Miranda understood that she was not only worried about the Fitzroy family but also about Wensley. Clearly, she was feeling lost and uncertain. So Miranda said, “No need to fret, Madam. This situation isn’t entirely without a way out. Though the plan is clever, the key still lies in Steven’s identity. Whether it’s the real Steven or this imposter, if someone can recognize him, the whole scheme will fall apart on its own.”At first, Lady Fitzroy’s eyes lit up as Miranda spoke, but after hearing the full explanation, she felt a wave of disappointment.Everyone knew the crux of the matter was Steven’s identity. But the real Steven was far away in the city of Jasendale, and it would take at least two months to get there and back. By then, the Fitzroy family would have been the subject of endless gossip in the capital. By the time the information arrived, everything would be settled.Miranda nodded and analyzed further, “I believe the best way to resolv
On this day, a man was causing a scene in front of the Fitzroy estate, angrily confronting the household servants."A man is nothing without his word! Fitzroy! You promised to arrange a marriage with my son, yet now you go back on your word? You won't even let me through the door! You claim to be an honorable family, but I say you're nothing but a bunch of hypocrites! Does having power give you the right to look down on others and trample on those beneath you?"...At first, only a few onlookers watched from a distance, but soon a larger crowd gathered. Among them were troublemakers, stirring discontent and spreading rumors about the Fitzroy family.It was a rest day, and hearing the commotion, Lord Fitzroy emerged with his son Marcus.As the gates opened, Lord Fitzroy saw a sea of angry faces, with Steven—of dubious background—at the forefront, eyes ablaze with fury. Despite his age, Lord Fitzroy’s sharp gaze commanded authority, gradually quieting the mob. Once silence fell, he gave
“Since that’s the case, why don’t we stick around and enjoy the show? It might just turn into a good story for the future, don’t you all agree?” Seeing that things were spiraling beyond control, someone called out loudly, hoping to use the crowd’s presence to settle the marriage quickly and move on to the next phase of the plan.“Yeah, absolutely!” Who wouldn’t want to watch the drama unfold? The crowd eagerly agreed.Watching the instigators stirring up trouble, Lord Fitzroy sneered inwardly. He leaned down and instructed his steward to take note of these agitators and follow them closely after the situation was resolved, making sure to deal with them one by one.Everyone was excitedly preparing to witness the scene when suddenly, a woman’s voice rang out from the crowd: “Is that Lord Steven of Jasendale up ahead?” A gray-clad elderly woman, dragging along a young woman in a blue dress with her face covered by a light veil, pushed her way through the crowd and came right up to the fr
"My lord, please calm down your anger and let me explain," the young woman said with a bow. "I am Jenny from Jasendale, where my family is well-off. Seven years ago, Lord Steven sought a marriage alliance with my family. My father was delighted, and both families exchanged engagement tokens and signed an agreement. My father then spent his own money to help Lord Steven advance in his career."As she spoke, the old woman rushed forward, spat at Steven, and shouted, "That’s because my husband was blind to see you're just a thankless wolf!""Mother!"The young woman gently patted her mother's hand and continued, "Four years ago, my father died, and our fortunes declined. My mother sent someone to discuss the marriage, but Lord Steven avoided us and fled to the capital. Unable to bear the slight, my mother sold our property and pursued him. We heard he now seeks a marriage with the Fitzroy family, so we hurried here."She turned to Steven, sorrow in her voice, "My lord, my father spent ev
In front of Fitzroy Manor, the crowd surged with suspicion and accusations. Sweat beaded down Steven's forehead—what he thought was a flawless setup had been effortlessly dismantled. That woman in green was clearly determined to expose him, and her talk of facing off in court was nothing more than a diversion to buy time and shift the crowd's attention. If this continued, his master’s grand scheme would surely fall apart.He needed to act quickly to turn the situation around!The woman in green pressed on relentlessly. "Clearing up this matter is actually very simple. We only need to wait two more months for evidence from Jasendale. Once the proof is here, it will be crystal clear who is innocent and who is guilty. Lord Steven, why are you so afraid to wait? What secrets are you hiding?"Wait two months? Nonsense! By then, not only would their engagement be proven false, but his impersonation of Steven would be exposed as well. More importantly, Fitzroy, that sly old fox, would likely
"Let him go!" Reginald waved his hand. The spectacle before him was far more exciting than he had anticipated. He watched the blue-clad woman slipping away through the crowd, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Harland, take him somewhere safe. He might be useful later. I’ve got some business to attend to, so I’ll be heading off first." With that, he turned and headed downstairs.The green-clad woman supported the old maid as they left the Fitzroy estate. Glancing around carefully, they slipped unnoticed into an inn.Upstairs in a private room, Molly, who had been waiting, rushed over to assist the blue-clad woman with a beaming smile. "Miss, I was watching from the side. You were amazing! You had them all speechless! I was laughing so hard, my stomach hurt!"The green-clad woman was none other than Miranda in disguise.Choosing the right person to play the blue-clad woman was crucial since she had to face Steven directly. Who knew what tricks he might pull? A single misstep, and
This girl, she actually suspects he wants to kill someone?If he were to kill someone, she’d be the first!Noticing Reginald’s clear irritation, Miranda stuck out her tongue. Just then, Molly brought in tea, and Miranda eagerly took it, handing it to him personally. She said, “It was small-minded of me to think that way about you, Lord Reginald. Rest assured, both Fitzroy and Croyso are capable enough to keep someone hidden without letting her ruin things.”Seeing that she still worried he might kill the old woman to keep her quiet, Reginald sneered but didn’t argue, nor did he take the tea. He merely looked at her with a distant gaze.“Lord Reginald?” Miranda called softly, testing his mood.Reginald seemed to realize his anger was somewhat unwarranted. He let out a cold snort, abruptly stood, turned away, and said icily, “Do whatever you like, as long as it doesn’t mess things up.” Without using the main exit, he leapt out of the open window in one swift move, leaving the inn behind
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
In that faintly charged, ambiguous atmosphere, Reginald’s ears suddenly twitched. He had caught the faint sound of footsteps approaching. His expression changed instantly. He gave Miranda a small nod, pulled up his hood, and with a light, soundless leap, landed on the windowsill. With one hand gripping the ledge, he gave a pull—and in the next breath, his figure vanished from sight.Miranda understood at once and quietly closed the window.***It was deep into the night. No stars, no moon—only utter darkness.Miranda lay upon soft pillows, her eyes shut tightly. Beads of sweat gathered on her pale, smooth forehead, soaking into her hairline. Her head moved slightly from side to side, as if trying to shake something off. Her sleep was uneasy.She dreamt of many things from the past.Foolishness from a previous life. The days in the Croyso household, sharing what felt like a mother-daughter bond with her stepmother. Hans’s sweet lies after she married with him—and her naïve, wholehearte
“Although His Majesty shows great respect and deference to the Queen Dowager, and her position in the palace seems untouchable,” Miranda said firmly, “if their relationship were truly as unshakable as it appears, then why would she need to use me as a pawn? That alone tells me—they don’t fully trust each other. I’m convinced there’s a rift between them.”Her eyes gleamed with quiet intelligence.“Besides, the Queen Dowager is from House Blackwell. So is the Queen. If Prince Zachary ascends the throne, the maternal family’s power will be overwhelming. Lord Reginald, tell me—could the King possibly feel at ease with that? Don’t you think he might also want to bring down the Queen Dowager and the Blackwell family?”If the answer to all of those questions was yes—then that was her opportunity.Especially when she recalled that moment at the Croyso estate—how the King, upon first seeing her, had lost his composure and shattered his teacup. Yet in the Queen Dowager’s hall, he had greeted he
“Miranda, what do you intend to do?” he asked cautiously, probing her thoughts.Miranda didn’t answer directly. Instead, she returned the question, “What do you think I should do, Lord Reginald?”“Just as you said, the Queen Dowager is ruthless and cunning. She doesn’t care if she destroys you in the process. So, Miranda, don’t confront her head-on. Evade her, pretend even, let her think she’s won—just don’t suffer for nothing!” That was the real reason Reginald had come today—to warn her. Earlier, he’d gone to the palace to attend council with the King and was granted leave to walk in the royal gardens afterwards. That gave him the opportunity to send Miranda a message, even now, to meet her here in person.Though he’d already passed along a warning through a young eunuch, he had still worried something might go wrong. That’s why he had been hiding near the gazebo all along, ready to intervene if needed.He had seen everything with his own eyes.In the end, it was Selena who suffered
A pair of soft, deep-set eyes turned to Miranda, glittering with charm as a smile curled across his lips.Miranda turned and saw him, immediately realizing that this man had probably climbed in through a window again.He was putting on an act as usual. With a trace of exasperation, she stepped forward and curtsied: “Lord Reginald.”Reginald glanced at Molly and waved his hand, motioning for her to leave.Molly hesitated—how could she dare leave?Reginald gave her a half-smile, half-sneer: “What are you frozen for? Do you think I’m going to devour your miss?”Miranda gave a subtle nod, and Molly reluctantly backed out.“Lord Reginald, sneaking into the Queen Dowager’s territory? Aren’t you worried that by tomorrow, rumors about the two of us will be all over the capital?” Miranda smiled once the room was clear.R
The three of them chatted for a while longer.More precisely, it was Selena and the Queen Dowager laughing cheerfully together like close kin, while Miranda seemed to be silently lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.The Queen Dowager humored Selena while occasionally casting a glance at Miranda, a knowing smile flickering in her eyes.Although today's "accident" had originally been prepared for Miranda and ended up landing on Selena by chance, the message it conveyed—and all that needed to be said—had already been delivered through Selena.If Miranda was truly clever, she should understand what path she needed to take from now on.Having just entered the palace and experienced such an event, the Queen Dowager, showing concern for the girls’ fatigue, did not keep them much longer and arranged for them to rest.As the two left together, Miranda could tell from Selena’s expression that she had likely already taken the Queen Dowager to heart—as someone she could rely on completely.Mirand
Since the king had made his decision, the matter was settled. The queen cast one final glance at Selena, then looked over at Miranda before curtseying to the Queen Dowager and taking her leave.The Queen Dowager had Selena helped to her feet and brought back to her own palace. There, she offered soothing salves for the bruises, showering Selena with gentle concern and comfort.Already full of grievance, Selena was moved by such kindness, and her sorrow burst forth. She broke into tears, crying uncontrollably in the Queen Dowager’s arms.The Queen Dowager lightly patted her shoulder, letting her cry it out.It took some time before Selena calmed down. She slowly recounted the events.After she and Miranda parted ways, the guiding maid noticed Miranda had gone missing and panicked. After all, she had been entrusted with Miranda's care, and if something happened, she would surely be punished. So she asked Selena to wait at the gazebo while she went to look for Miranda.Selena sat for a w
Before entering the palace, Miranda had once asked Molly about the events surrounding her mother’s death. Molly had said that it all began with some kind of incident involving Miranda herself. Could it have been her sudden illness? Her father, perhaps out of concern for her young age, had merely told her that her mother had passed from illness, never elaborating. After all she had been through in her past life, Miranda was certain—her stepmother had been behind her mother’s death. That much was undeniable. But how had she done it? If Miranda could uncover the truth, Sophie would be utterly ruined.Despite her inner thoughts, Miranda wore a gentle smile. “The royal physician’s skills are indeed remarkable.”Just as the physician was taking his leave, the maid who had led Miranda and Selena earlier came running in, breathless and pale.“Your Majesty the Queen Dowager, something terrible has happened! Lady Selena ran into Her Majesty the Queen over by the gazebo and, for some reason, of