It took a while before Brandon slowly spoke, "Lord Reginald, I won't swear on Martha." As he said this, he suddenly realized something and looked ashamed. "Apologies, I truly misspoke earlier. I won't swear on Martha, but I also won't reveal anything. Please, Lord Reginald, trust me!" For the first time, he met Reginald's shadowy black eyes with a sincere expression.He genuinely felt remorseful. No one would swear on someone so important to them—it was indeed his mistake.Reginald scrutinized him for a long moment before finally speaking. "I hope you won't, because if you do, I'll make sure Martha dies a horrible death!"The two pairs of equally dark eyes locked onto each other, probing for sincerity and trustworthiness. After a long silence, Brandon let out a faint sigh of relief. "May I ask, Lord Reginald, what you need me to do?"***Miranda struggled to steady her emotions, but when she returned to the private room, her face was still a little pale. Everyone inside was startled a
At that moment, the person sent to gather information returned and reported, "My lord, it is the commander of the Imperial Guards leading the soldiers to surround this place."Everyone was shocked. Lord Croyso's expression turned grave. To alarm the Imperial Guards of the capital, the matter must be very serious. He hurriedly asked, "Did you find out what’s going on?"After hearing the report, everyone’s expressions drastically changed..."I overheard them saying they received a report that Lord Reginald was ambushed here. That’s why they rushed over, surrounded The Heavenly Lodge, and are searching for the assassin!" The guard from the royal household relayed the details he had gathered."Lord Reginald ambushed?" Lord Croyso furrowed his brows and fell silent.Miranda's heart also skipped a beat. When she had just parted ways with Reginald, he had been fine. How could he suddenly be attacked? Could it be that after they separated, he encountered another assassin? Or perhaps... Just a
The royal guards behind him immediately knelt, speaking in unison, "Prince Zachary."The simultaneous greeting of a dozen people, along with the woman’s scream, immediately drew the attention of the royal guards who were searching downstairs. Thinking something had happened upstairs, they hurriedly rushed up to provide assistance, only to be stunned by the sight. Some bolder onlookers also rushed upstairs, expecting to see a confrontation between assassins and the guards. Instead, they encountered this unexpected scene and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.As more and more people gathered, the woman became even more panicked, her screams growing louder.The woman was Lila. She had been in the guest room with Lady Landon. After learning Prince Zachary's location, she nervously ascended the stairs with a packet of powder in her hand. Two guards were stationed at the door. After explaining her purpose, they went inside to report and came back out to invite her in. She entered the roo
"Miranda, what's wrong?" Mrs. Langley asked, noticing her strange expression in the carriage.Miranda shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, sitting down.As the carriage made its way home, the news of Zachary and Lila spread quickly through the city, sparking heated discussions along the way. This scandal, which had shaken the capital, was bound to be the talk of the town. Lord Croyso felt a bit of satisfaction; he had never forgiven Zachary for the incident at the hilltop manor that nearly caused Miranda harm. He knew Lila was Landon’s daughter, so this matter wouldn’t be easily dismissed, and Zachary would soon be overwhelmed.Croyso couldn't believe that Prince Zachary, of all people, could be involved in such a scandal!Seeing Miranda deep in thought, Croyso suddenly wondered if her pale face earlier had been due to something she saw or heard. He was about to ask, but decided to wait until they were back at the estate.Something d
Miranda’s lips curled into a faint smile that quickly vanished. With a concerned tone, she said, “Father, you’d better check on my sister right away.” Lord Croyso nodded, and the two headed to Selena’s room. Inside the bedroom, Selena lay on the bed with an ice pack pressed against her swollen, bruised cheek, wincing from the pain. Upon seeing Lord Croyso and Miranda enter, her face changed, and she turned away as if trying to hide. Lord Croyso’s face darkened at the sight of Selena’s injuries. He strode over in two quick steps, supporting her as he demanded sharply, “Selena, who did this to you?” Selena lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “Father, just let it go. Miss Quintina is a daughter of the queen’s family; we can’t afford to offend her. This time, I unintentionally angered her, but I’ll be more careful in the future. Please don’t let this trouble you anymore.” Miranda smiled faintly and spoke gently, “Father, since Selena has suffered such an injustice, s
In the study, Lord Croyso let out a long sigh, sitting back in the rosewood armchair with his hand propping up his forehead, as if reluctant to say much. Seeing this, Miranda did not rush to bring up the matter regarding Prince Zachary. Instead, she rose and walked to the nearby tea table, picked up the teapot, and poured her father a cup of tea. Holding the cup with both hands, she offered it to Lord Croyso, “Father.” Lord Croyso looked up, took the tea, and sipped it lightly. A faint smile crossed his lips as he said, “Miranda, have a seat.” Yet, there seemed to be a trace of bitterness in that smile. Miranda poured herself a cup of tea as well, slowly sipping it as she sat down. The room was silent, filled with a faint sense of heaviness and oppression. Lord Croyso leaned back in his chair without saying a word. He was truly disappointed. In the past, he had s
Earl Croyso said, "You should know, the best way to take the initiative is to settle a marriage for you before the Queen makes any move. This would silence both her and Prince Zachary. If you have someone in mind, as long as they are of good character and ambitious, their background doesn't matter. I will arrange it for you."Miranda was taken aback. "Father...""I'm serious, not joking." Earl Croyso looked into her eyes, his expression sincere and gentle. "In the past, I was often away and neglected the thoughts and feelings of you and your sister. I hope it's not too late to make up for it now. Miranda, this concerns your lifelong happiness. Trust me this time, will you?"Miranda had never imagined her father would say such words to her. Marriage was always considered a matter of parental arrangement and matchmakers. She couldn’t deny that she was moved, but...In this life, her only thought was revenge—against Sophie, Selena, Hans... As for anything else, she never thought about it
Marjorie had been appointed by the Dowager Queen to assist the Queen, offering counsel over the years and gaining her trust. Hearing Marjorie's firm and reasonable argument, the Queen nodded. Deep down, she harbored resentment toward Miranda. "A mere thirteen-year-old girl has ensnared Zachary so thoroughly. Who knows what seductive tricks she used? If Zachary hadn't gone to The Heaven Lounge to see her, he wouldn't have encountered that shameless Lila, who caused such a scandal and got Zachary grounded! Even at a glance, Miranda has brought nothing but trouble. She’s surely an ill omen—I can’t trust her near Zachary."As she spoke, a eunuch arrived to report that Miranda had become engaged to Fulton Sheffield.The Queen froze, stunned and furious. What was this? Even if she disapproved of Miranda as her daughter-in-law, that was her decision to make. For Earl Croyso to act first and arrange an engagement for Miranda was an insult to her son, kicking Zachary while he was down. The Que
"Your Majesty… what did you say?"In the palace hall, the queen stared in disbelief at the Queen Dowager, who was reclining gracefully on her chaise. Suspicion and shock filled her voice."At a time like this, you wish to arrange a marriage for Sheffield?"Right now, Sheffield and William’s reputations had hit rock bottom. Nearly the entire capital was condemning them—saying William was shameless and despicable, not only backing out of a marriage alliance with the Croyso family but trying to tarnish Miss Croyso’s name in the process. And Sheffield? They called him weak, spineless, and willing to sell out his own future bride for favor.At such a time, everyone was doing their best to avoid association with the Sheffield family—so why would the Queen Dowager choose to draw near, let alone offer a royal marriage?Worse, the broken engagement meant Miranda was now free from her previous betrothal. Without in-laws to tie her down, it was all too likely that the Queen Dowager would find a
Hearing Fulton’s flustered words and watching his unsteady figure stumble away, Earl Croyso let out a barely perceptible sigh. From how the boy first arrived, Fulton had seemed like a good child—soft-spoken, perhaps a bit timid, but upright in character.What a pity...Fulton’s presence had clearly stirred up the lingering shadows of the broken engagement. Earl Croyso had originally intended to comfort Miranda, but somehow, as the conversation went on, it ended with Miranda comforting him instead—leaving him amused.By the time Miranda returned to her chambers, night had fully fallen.She had assumed Reginald would have left long ago. So when she stepped into her inner room and saw that dark red figure bouncing around inside, she was startled and blurted out, “You're still here?”Reginald had hung his coat on the nearby rack and was now playing with one of Miranda’s embroidery needles. He had threaded it with string and was using it like a throwing dart, aiming it with precision at a
Miranda entered the drawing room and, as expected, saw Fulton’s figure. Beside him sat the Earl of Croyso.It had only been a few days, but the once gentle and refined Fulton looked like a different person—thinner, with a haggard expression. The moment he saw Miranda walk in, his eyes lit up, and he rushed toward her. Yet, as if suddenly remembering something, the light in his face gradually faded, and his eyes dimmed.“Miranda—”“You should call me Miss Miranda, Mr. Fulton,” Miranda said quietly, her head slightly bowed, her voice calm.Fulton had a thousand things he wanted to say, but they were all shattered by those formal words: “Mr. Fulton” and “Miss Miranda.”It hadn’t always been this way. Before, she would call him “Fulton” in that soft, sweet voice. Every time he saw her petite figure, he would feel an urge to protect her. When he learned that his father intended for him to be engaged to Miranda, and that she would become his wife, he had truly been overjoyed. For someone of
Miranda, for her part, felt quite confident about this.Seeing the assurance on her face, Reginald nodded and said with a smile, “Alright then, let’s do it this way. I’ll go talk to Brandon about it.” Then, propping his head on one hand, he gave Miranda a strange look and added, “You know, Miranda, I’m starting to think you’re even more ruthless than I am. I only wanted to take down Broad Loft, but you—you’re going for something much bigger. You want to rope Brandon in too and make sure Zachary falls flat on his face.”“Well, this plan only benefits you, doesn’t it, Lord Reginald?” Miranda replied calmly.These past few days, the Blackwell family had turned her life upside down. But because of Croyso, she couldn’t confront them head-on. Now that she had a chance to deal a serious blow to Prince Zachary and the Blackwells without dragging Croyso into it, she wasn’t going to hold back.Just then, Molly’s voice called out, “My lady, Young Master Fulton has come to see you. Lord Croyso wa
“A partner?” Reginald caught the implication in Miranda’s words, thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, “Circle Trading?”“You know about that?” Miranda was taken aback.Reginald let out a cold snort. “The young master of Circle Trading fell in love with Jovanna’s miss at first sight and has been showering her with favors. Not only did he admit to the counterfeit goods incident, but he even offered to supply her inventory at cost from now on—didn’t even want to charge for shipping. With a relationship like that, it’d be a shame not to make good use of it.”Miranda instantly looked a bit uneasy.She had only come up with that idea on the spur of the moment to confuse the mole inside Jovanna’s shop, which was why she had asked Brandon to play along. But the whole situation was still rather awkward, so she’d kept the matter confined to just those within Circle Trading and Jovanna’s team. How on earth had Reginald heard about it? Miranda brooded in silence.“Circle Trading may be a kn
“Good idea!” Miranda beamed with delight and began calculating. “This way, Jovanna will no longer have any connection to the Croyso family, and you’ve never gotten along with Prince Zachary to begin with—this is the perfect opportunity to strike him. Even if you do nothing else but stubbornly hold on to Jovanna’s shop and continue selling silk threads and ready-to-wear garments, it’ll be enough to disgust Prince Zachary and the Blackwell family! But if we simply take down Broad Loft this easily, it feels like letting them off too lightly. Why not take our time and make them suffer a huge silent loss?”Reginald was stunned. His eyes fixed on Miranda, burning with curiosity. “What do you mean?”“Lord Reginald, you may not know this, but Prince Zachary didn’t open Broad Loft just to run a profitable little shop,” Miranda explained, outlining Zachary’s plan to monopolize the silk and clothes trade. “So as long as you buy out Jovanna’s shop, you’re guaranteed to profit!”Reginald had only
The people who had been caught swapping in fake goods were still being held at the Croyso estate. Miranda did want to teach Broad Loft a harsh lesson—ideally, to bring them down completely. However, her father had already smashed up the estatefront of the William family and they argued in front of the king, who had then come down hard on William. In such a sensitive moment, it was not wise to make any further rash moves.Especially considering that Broad Loft was backed by the Blackwell family. Prince Zachary had grand ambitions—he wanted to monopolize the entire silk and garment trade in the capital. Jovanna was already a thorn in his side. If they forced Broad Loft to collapse entirely, it would surely enrage Prince Zachary beyond measure.And frankly, angering Zachary over a single shop just wasn’t worth it.So once the full situation came to light, both her father and aunt agreed—there was no point in provoking Zachary further. Better to tolerate it if possible. Besides, her aunt’
“So what?” Miranda asked, then suddenly realized something. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Don’t tell me—those two times, you were trying to steal my seven-colored glass bead?” Her expression was a mix of shock, anger, and amusement—unsure whether to be furious or laugh.“Steal? What do you mean, steal? That bead should’ve been mine to begin with!” Reginald said indignantly. “I later asked around and heard you barely know anything about chess! I just don’t get it—how did you beat Brandon?”That question had bothered him for a long time.When he first heard the news, he’d nearly died of frustration.He’d been searching for the seven-colored glass bead for ages. Finally, he’d caught wind that the chess club was using one as a prize. So he disguised himself and entered the tournament. He’d already won three matches in a row and was about to get it… but out of nowhere, Miranda had swooped in and won it first.What stung the most was learning that this person who’d won the prize supposedl
Reginald didn’t suspect himself at all. He thought it had something to do with the Sheffield estate or William, and his expression changed instantly, becoming cold as ice. “Something like that happened? Someone actually dared to kidnap you and nearly ruined your reputation? That kind of scum must not be spared—a thousand deaths wouldn’t be enough to atone! Who is it?”Someone dared treat his little kitten that way? They must have a death wish!“Lord Reginald, it’s not convenient for me to tell my father about this. I wonder if you could help me teach that scum a lesson?” Miranda smiled sweetly, her beauty blooming like a flower—but when she mentioned that “scum,” she couldn’t help grinding her teeth.Reginald responded without hesitation. “Of course—I’ll kill him for you!”“How noble of you, Lord Reginald.” Miranda offered a flattering smile—then her expression suddenly turned cold, her face icy and emotionless. “In that case, Reginald, you scum, go ahead and kill yourself to pay for