The news of Miranda's victory in a chess match at the Black and White Chess Pavilion spread rapidly throughout the capital, causing a stir of disbelief. Once considered plain and untalented, especially after her recent broken engagement with the marquis' family, Miranda's win against the pavilion's master, who had not lost in three years, challenged everyone's perceptions.Even the servants in Count Croyso's mansion were taken aback. "Miss Miranda beat the master and took the seven-colored glass bead? That’s incredible!" they murmured. Rumors spread that Miranda was more talented than previously known.The countess was furious. "Nonsense! Miranda is nothing compared to Selena!" "Hmph, that little wench will never escape my grasp!" The countess sneered, issuing orders to Beatrix, "Go to the teachers of the mansion's young ladies and tell them..." After giving her instructions, the countess went to find Count Croyso.The next day, Count Croyso summoned Miranda, instructing her to resume
In the grand room, Count Croyso was deep in conversation with a man dressed in amber when the door opened, drawing his gaze. Upon seeing Charlotte and her party, his concern was immediate. Had Miranda caused trouble again? His frown deepened.The young man opposite him, with sword-like eyebrows and eyes as dark as pearls, turned instinctively. The shimmering silver threads in his amber attire and the luminous pearl in his belt marked him as someone of wealth. His curious gaze landed on the youngest among them—Miranda. Could she be the infamous Miss Miranda?Charlotte, suppressing her anger, declared, "Count, if Miss Miranda isn't punished severely this time, I cannot continue as her teacher! Her behavior is outrageous, beyond anything I've ever witnessed!" Her outburst painted a vivid picture of Miranda's supposed defiance.With an outsider present, Charlotte's anticipation of a doubled reward grew.Count Croyso rubbed his temples, "What happened?" He dreaded the answer, especially wit
“What is this?” Count Croyso sneered, throwing an old poetry book in front of Charlotte. “This poem, written by my wife Anna ten years ago, was well-known. You stole it and slandered my daughter. What have you done to her in private?”His anger, a result of battlefield experiences, overwhelmed Charlotte, who collapsed in terror.“Count Croyso, I didn’t know... I... I was just following orders...” Charlotte stammered, crying. “Please, spare me!”The Countess entered, noting Charlotte's distress. “My lord, madam Liudmila has invited the ladies of Croyso Estate to view rare peonies in five days. Few in the capital are invited.” She feigned surprise at Charlotte's state. “What happened here?”Ignoring her, Count Croyso demanded, “Who told you to slander my daughter?”Could this man implicate her? The Countess was alarmed. If Count Croyso found out she had instructed the tutor to frame Miranda, she would be finished. Thinking quickly, she hurriedly said, "Someone instructed Mr. Charlotte to
"Mother, why did you give such fine fabrics to Miranda? And an entire set of gold and ruby jewelry too!" In the room, Selena was picking out her attire and jewelry for the flower-viewing banquet. Although the items before her were all luxurious and no less exquisite than Miranda's, she couldn't help but feel indignant. How could that little wretch deserve the same treatment as her?"She is currently the apple of your father's eye. I can't openly mistreat her. Besides, what are you worried about? With her looks, even dressed in gold and silver threads, it's a waste! Do you really fear she could outshine you?"The Countess chided, knowing well that the clothes had been tampered with. "Don't think I don't know what you're after. You're still thinking about the heir of the Sheffield family, aren't you? I've told you, your father wants to betroth Miranda to him!""Father favors her in everything and even punishes me for that little wretch!" New and old grievances surged in Selena's heart as
On the day of the flower-viewing banquet, Earl Croyso left early to attend to his official duties. With him away, the Countess gladly used her illness as an excuse to avoid sending Miranda off.Selena, disdaining the idea of being seen with Miranda, made an excuse to leave early with another young lady.Thus, in the end, Miranda was left to attend the banquet alone in her carriage.This was just to Miranda's liking, sparing her from any potential trouble Selena might cause on the way.Upon arriving at the palace gates and stepping out of her carriage, Miranda walked directly into Lady Liudmila's back garden where the banquet was being held.After inquiring about Selena’s whereabouts from a maid, Miranda walked towards the wisteria trellis nearby.Before she even got close, she heard Selena’s voice from a distance, “You haven’t seen my sister Miranda, have you? She’s always hiding her face behind long bangs because she’s too ashamed to show herself. She’s like a ghost, never to be seen,
Knowing that the entire courtyard was watching her, Miranda still smiled, neither humble nor arrogant. She had achieved the shocking effect she wanted. Now, she didn’t need to do anything but continue to display her elegance and composure, which was already a heavy slap in the face to Selena and Andrew. With graceful steps, she approached Selena and said sweetly.“Sister, won’t you introduce me?”Selena was so furious that she could barely maintain her smile. Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, was already twisting a handkerchief beyond recognition.At this moment, a woman in a brocade floral dress brushed past Miranda, stepping hard on her foot and twisting it.Then, in an exaggerated manner, she feigned shock and said, “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Miranda, I didn’t mean to step on you. It was an accident! You won’t blame me, will you?”Her raised eyebrows and eyes were openly provocative, waiting for Miranda to react.Everyone was already paying attention to this side, especially since the woman
At this moment, Miranda suddenly cried out in panic, "Oh no, I'm doomed now!""Now you realize it? Too late!" June sneered."Miss June’s reminder suddenly jogged my memory. Yesterday, the maids in my courtyard were arguing, and I scolded them. I thought it was no big deal at the time, but now I realize it's a great disrespect!" Miranda counted on her fingers, looking distressed. "My courtyard is in the Earl's mansion, which belongs to my father. I should have reported this to my father for him to handle. The mansion is in the capital, which belongs to the kingdom, and the king is our ruler. So my father should report this to the king, who would make the final decision. But I handled it privately... I never intended to overstep my father, let alone disrespect the king... What should I do?"Her eyes filled with tears, she glanced around in panic, looking pitiful and heart-wrenching.Idiot! June scoffed, "Two maids arguing in your courtyard is a trivial matter. You don't need to escalate
In the silence, Miranda felt everyone's gaze on her. One particular stare from the front felt indifferent yet sharp, like a blade.The most important thing now was to resolve the predicament. Biting her lip, Miranda focused on the paper. Writing more was impossible, and arguing with Selena would only make her a joke. Should she write another poem?Miranda shook her head.The first line already had several characters. Creating a new poem about the borderlands on the spot would be too difficult. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she decided to finish the poem.The courtyard was filled with whispers, and Andrew sneered. "Selena wrote the poem, yet Miranda dares to copy it. Isn't that shameless? Her calmness is truly impressive!""Lord Andrew, aren't you jumping to conclusions? I'm sure my poem and Selena's are different." Miranda's clear voice resonated."Beyond the red river’s flow, where silent clouds do drift, A lone fortress stands among the peaks, so stern and stiff. The flute’s mo
At this point, the delivery captain naturally understood that after the counterfeit goods incident was exposed, the young miss had already begun to suspect those responsible for procurement. She had simply bided her time, allowing them to lower their guard before catching them red-handed this time. Her composure and tactics were truly alarming. Trembling, he confessed, “The steward from Broad Loft promised that once the job was done, the mansion and all its furnishings and servants would be mine. Additionally, they promised to make me the deputy manager of their shop…” Miranda continued to swirl her tea calmly, her dark eyes fixed in contemplation. After a moment, she furrowed her brows and said, “Jovanna may be prosperous, but even if it were driven out of business, how much profit could Broad Loft really gain? Yet they went to such great lengths—offering so many beautiful women, a grand mansion, and even a managerial position. Such elaborate scheming… aren't they afraid it’ll all
The men in black immediately carried out the order, not allowing those people to utter a word before binding them tightly. At this moment, the shop attendants who had been eating and drinking merrily inside the hall were also alerted and rushed out, only to be stunned at the sight of Miranda, the shop manager, and a circle of black-clad guards. Some of them, who were already aware of Jovanna’s counterfeit goods scandal, immediately understood what was happening. Frightened, they hurriedly knelt down and pleaded, “Miss, please have mercy! We truly had no idea that the captain… that he would betray Jovanna like this! We are innocent! We didn’t…” Thinking about how they had been indulging themselves while the captain took advantage of the distraction to swap the goods, and then recalling what others said about this keen and capable young miss, they were terrified, breaking out in a cold sweat. “Oh?” Miranda’s voice betrayed no emotion. “And what exactly is your crime?” “We… we sh
Seeing the shock in the eyes of the newcomers, Captain chuckled indifferently. “Isn’t it all thanks to our boss’s kindness? Generous and fair, never stingy with wages or bonuses—otherwise, how could I afford this estate?”After unloading the truck into the warehouse, according to Jovanna’s rules, someone had to stay behind to guard the goods.“You two, you’ve been here before. This time, you’ll have to take one for the team and keep watch while the others enjoy themselves,” Captain said with a hearty laugh, clapping them on the shoulders and shooting them a meaningful glance. Seeing them nod in agreement, he grinned and led the rest toward the main hall.The two young men left behind exchanged a glance, their expressions bright with amusement. Everyone knew that guarding the goods came with generous perks!The wine was fine, the food exquisite, and beautiful maids performed songs and dances, filling the hall with a captivating atmosphere. The revelry quickly escalated, cups clinking a
The visitor affirmed confidently, “There’s no mistake. Why else do you think our master insisted on having Young Master Andrew annul the engagement? Our young master is kind-hearted and worried that you and the Earl of Sheffield might not be aware of the truth, so he specifically sent me to inform you—lest you be deceived!” After exchanging a few more words, the Countess of Sheffield had the visitor sent away and hurried off to find the Earl. “Is this true?” The Earl of Sheffield rose abruptly, almost unable to believe it. “Of course it is! We absolutely cannot have this girl as a daughter-in-law! I doubt Lord Croyso is entirely unaware of this either. Otherwise, given his temperament, wouldn’t he have stormed over to the William family to demand an explanation? Instead, he quietly allowed them to annul the engagement without making a fuss!” The Countess had not expected such a stroke of luck—she had been wishing for a way out, and now it had been handed to her on a silver platt
“Enough, stop crying!” The Earl of Sheffield, both frustrated by her tears and exasperated by the situation, waved his hand. “What’s the point of discussing this now? The engagement has already been set. Calling it off now would be a disgrace. Besides, Miranda is still young—if we endure this for a couple of years, perhaps His Majesty will lose interest, and this matter will be forgotten.” Despite these words, deep down, his dissatisfaction with Miranda as a daughter-in-law grew. Even though this situation had arisen due to the Dowager Queen’s proposal and could not be blamed on Miranda, it was, after all, centered around her. There was no doubt that Fulton—and by extension, the Sheffield family’s future—would be affected. “It’s easy for you to say.” The Countess of Sheffield scoffed. “Men are always like this—the more they can’t have something, the more they desire it. Who’s to say the King won’t become even more fixated on Miranda precisel
The Dowager Queen publicly expressed her desire for Miranda to enter the palace as a companion, and the news spread quickly. However, following this event, it became widely known that Miranda was already betrothed to Fulton. Moreover, the topic was not pursued further during the birthday banquet, leaving the matter of her palace residency in question.The only ones who truly found this situation troublesome were the Sheffields, who were engaged to Miranda.Furthermore, rumors emerged from unknown sources claiming that the Dowager Queen was already aware of the engagement but still favored Miranda and wanted her to visit the palace frequently. Normally, gaining the Dowager Queen’s favor would be a good thing and could benefit Fulton's future prospects. However, since the Dowager Queen had previously mentioned that she wished for Miranda to remain by the King’s side once she was older, this supposed honor became rather awkward. Worse yet, there were also rumors suggesting that the King
Miranda left the Queen Dowager’s chambers with a heavy heart, following a maid. Though her expression remained calm, her mind was in turmoil. This banquet felt like a trap—perhaps just the beginning.Lost in thought and unfamiliar with the palace, she failed to notice she had been led astray.Reaching a secluded spot, she caught sight of a distinguished figure and froze. Her face paled as she hastily curtsied, unease weighing heavier. Any lingering doubt vanished—this was only the beginning."Your Majesty!"***Amidst a lush, verdant corner of the palace, the king stood beside a stone table, dressed in a deep green robe. His gaze was lowered, his expression unreadable, his presence so subdued that he nearly blended into the dense greenery behind him—unassuming, almost invisible.Had Miranda not seen him before at the Croyso estate, she might not have even recognized him as the king."Come closer," he said impassively, not even glancing her way.Miranda straightened and stood at a resp
"How could something like this happen?"The birthday banquet ended, and the Croyso family was preparing to board their carriage and return home. When the count did a headcount, he realized Miranda was missing, and his heart immediately sank. After hearing Selena recount the details of what had happened, he was utterly shocked. The dowager queen had openly suggested that Miranda enter the palace to serve as a royal companion?And His Majesty the King seemed willing..."Yes, at that time, the dowager said it publicly in front of many people, and His Majesty didn’t show any sign of refusal. Miranda probably didn’t want to offend both the dowager and the king in public, so she requested a private audience with the dowager. After the banquet ended, she went to the dowager queen's chambers," Selena explained softly.As she spoke, a wave of resentment welled up inside her.The most infuriating part was that Miranda didn’t even have to do anything, and yet the dowager queen adored her so much
From beginning to end, Zachary paid no attention to the situation here—not even a single glance in their direction.Earlier, upon seeing how much the Queen Dowager favored Miranda, he had felt a sense of joy, thinking there might be an opportunity to win Miranda back through her support. After all, the Queen Dowager was very fond of him. But now, after hearing that the Queen Dowager intended for Miranda to be chosen by his father and observing his father’s interest, cold sweat broke out across his back.Fortunately, he hadn't said anything. Otherwise, wouldn’t he have been competing with his father over a woman?The scandal with Landon’s daughter had already caused an uproar throughout the capital, and for the first time, his father had reprimanded him. With so many beautiful women in the world, there was no need to provoke his father over someone like Miranda! Although Miranda was engaged to Fulton, that was never a real obstacle when it came to entering the royal court. Affairs were