Lifting the beaded curtain, Miranda stepped into the inner chamber. A man sat at a carved round table, dressed in a plain teal robe with subtle patterns. His appearance was unremarkable, yet he carried an air of detachment that made him seem aloof and somewhat melancholic. He inclined his head toward her and gestured courteously. “Please, take a seat, Miss Miranda.”
Miranda seated herself, her expression thoughtful. “Mr. Brandon, I did not expect to meet you here.”
“Nor I,” Brandon replied with a faint smile, his demeanor softening slightly. “I must thank you, Miss Miranda, for pleading on my and Martha’s behalf before Lord Reginald. Without your help, I would not have had the chance to resolve things.” Pouring her a cup of tea, he added, “This is Eugene tea, a rare treasure worth its weight in gold. Please, try it. It is my small token of gratitude.”
Miranda took a sip, savoring the rich, mellow
Miranda didn’t notice anything unusual about Brandon, her concern fixed on Martha’s health. “Have you consulted the best physicians? There might still be hope.”Though Brandon preferred Miranda keep her distance from Martha, he was touched by her sincerity. Shaking his head, he replied, “Even the royal physicians, summoned through Prince Zachary’s connections, have examined her. Their verdicts were all the same. Over the years, I’ve sought every renowned healer and taken Martha wherever there was hope, but the outcome never changed. That she has survived this long is already a miracle.”“I see,” Miranda said softly, her expression darkening.“Enough of these dreary topics,” Brandon said, shifting the subject. “I must apologize. Though Circle Trading has partnered with Jovanna for years, I only heard the owner came from humble origins. I had no idea of any connection to the Croyso family. Speaking of which, it seems there’s an issue with some goods?”Jovanna was the name Lady Langley us
When Miranda returned to the shop, she revealed nothing of the truth. She merely explained that the faulty goods from Circle Trading had been reimbursed at cost and assured everyone that such issues would not happen again. She urged them not to worry. Meanwhile, the servants she had sent to other merchants returned with their findings: two customers who had purchased goods from Jovanna in the past fortnight had also received faulty items. Fortunately, they hadn’t yet used them and hadn’t noticed any issues. Jovanna’s proactive effort to replace the goods and offer compensation surprised them and left them singing the shop’s praises.Hearing this, the steward wiped his brow in relief. If not for Miranda’s foresight, these two incidents could have spiraled into a bigger problem. Reflecting on her poise and strategy at such a young age, his admiration for Miranda deepened.With Jovanna’s affairs settled, and the day’s work done, Miranda returned home early to rest. As Molly helped her ch
That night, after Miranda had taken a bath and changed into her nightwear, she was just about to fall asleep when she suddenly realized the window was left open. Since she didn’t like having others close by while she slept, her maid, Molly, stayed in the outer room. Miranda didn’t bother calling her in. She got out of bed herself, intending to close the window. Just as she reached out her hand, a shadow flickered before her eyes, and a dark figure leaped through the window, staring straight at her.Startled, Miranda instinctively moved to call for help while reaching for the scissors nearby. But as she got a clearer look at the intruder, she exhaled softly in relief. “Lord Reginald, what are you doing here?”Before she could finish her sentence, a shadow loomed over her. Before she could react, Lord Reginald pressed her down. Amidst the chaos, her lips suddenly brushed against something cold and soft. Alarmed, she opened her eyes wide, and her mind went blank with a deafening roar.It
Since calling a doctor wasn’t an option, Miranda asked Molly to check on his condition instead. Molly said, “Miss, don’t worry. From what I’ve seen, it’s just a common cold. I’ll head to the pharmacy to get some fever medicine. Once the fever subsides, he should recover quickly.” Glancing at the delicate Miranda, Molly added with concern, “Miss, your health is already fragile. It’s best not to move around at night. You can rest in the outer room tonight to avoid catching a chill. Besides, if you end up with dark circles, it would be hard to explain to the Lord and madam tomorrow.” After all, Miranda was a young lady of the household and already engaged to Mr. Fulton. Sharing a room with Lord Reginald this late at night would be highly inappropriate. Seeing the sense in Molly’s words, Miranda nodded. “Alright, if anything happens, call for me.” “Don’t worry, Miss. We’ll take good care of Lord Reginald,” Molly said with a smile as she accompanied Miranda to the outer room and
Miranda picked up a handkerchief and walked toward the bedside. Just as she took her first step, Lord Reginald immediately sensed the movement, his gaze darting sharply in her direction. Facing the tension head-on, Miranda carefully observed Lord Reginald’s reaction and cautiously moved closer. “Lord Reginald?” she called out tentatively. “It’s me, Miranda. You have a high fever, and it needs to come down. Can I place a cold cloth on your forehead?” Lord Reginald frowned slightly, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes. He tried hard to focus his gaze, as if attempting to make out the figure before him. After a while, he murmured, “Miranda?” “Yes, it’s me,” Miranda replied softly. The tension in Lord Reginald’s brow eased. The rigid and defensive posture he had held instantly melted away. With a dull thud, he collapsed back onto the bed. Startled, Miranda quickly reached out to check the back of his head. Thankfully, the mattress and bedding were soft, and he seem
Miranda originally thought Reginald had recognized her, as he obediently allowed her to apply a cold compress to his forehead. Feeding him medicine shouldn’t have been a problem either. However, things didn’t go as smoothly. At first, Reginald was willing to open his mouth, but after swallowing the first sip of the bitter concoction, his face immediately scrunched up like a bitter gourd. Though he didn’t spit it out, he started dodging left and right, shaking his head vehemently, tightly sealing his lips, and absolutely refusing to take a second sip.His behavior was just like that of a child afraid of bitterness, unwilling to drink medicine!Who would’ve thought that the mighty Reginald had such a temperament? Miranda was both amused and exasperated. She coaxed him, saying, “Lord Reginald, please be good. Don’t dodge anymore, alright? Open your mouth and drink the medicine obediently; otherwise, you won’t get better!” At first, she found his childlike behavior rather amusing. But afte
“That’s such an innocent question!” Miranda thought to herself, though she kept her expression neutral. Out loud, she replied, “I have no idea. Just as I was about to sleep last night, you suddenly appeared out of nowhere and collapsed with a high fever.” As she spoke, she instinctively stepped forward to check his forehead. Feeling its coolness, she smiled with relief. “The fever has finally gone down.”Last night?Reginald paused, faintly recalling some trouble from the night before. He vaguely remembered walking a long distance, seeing a face that brought him peace, and then everything blurred. So... last night, in his feverish state, he had stumbled into the Croyso estate and ended up in Miranda’s room?It was a miracle he’d managed to evade the estate guards while so out of it. Otherwise, it would’ve caused a huge commotion.And… feeling her soft hand against his skin, Reginald’s gaze deepened.“Lord Reginald, since you were ill, why didn’t you stay home to rest? Why come here in
"Say it again. What do you want to eat?" Miranda fixed her eyes on him, as if trying to bore a hole through his face."Cake... cake. What's wrong with that?" Lord Reginald shrank slightly, baffled. It was just cake. Did she really need to flip out over it?He dared to say it again! Miranda's chest heaved with anger. She no longer cared that the person before her was the unpredictable Lord Reginald. She roared, "Shut up!""What for? I just want some cake! Is that such a big deal?" Lord Reginald was taken aback, having never seen her like this before. More importantly, he inexplicably felt guilty again. His usual arrogance faded, and he mumbled, "Even if the cake from the Croyso household is complicated to make and requires rare ingredients, I’ll pay you double—"Before he could finish, Miranda’s enraged shout interrupted him."Lord Reginald, go to hell!" How dare he bring it up again! Even if he had been feverish and unaware last night, it was still unforgivable! Seething, Miranda grab
The Blackwell family, Prince Zachary, and the Queen?Miranda's heart sank—no wonder Broad Loft was so arrogant; with a background like that, it all made sense! Yet her expression remained skeptical as she said, “Don’t try to fool me with random names! Who are Prince Zachary and the Queen? Would they really concern themselves with a small shop like Broad Loft?”“Broad Loft may be small, but Caleb’s ambitions are grand. The street where Jovanna is located is the most prosperous district in the capital. Caleb wants to buy out every shop on that street and turn it into a hub exclusively selling silk threads and clothing, gradually monopolizing the entire silk and garment trade of the capital, driving other shops and brands out of business.”Miranda’s heart jolted. Others might not grasp the full significance of those words, but she understood perfectly well—because she had done the same thing in her past life while managing the Hans family business.Although they were not conducting busin
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