The King took his seat on the left and only then noticed Miranda, who stood with her head lowered. He asked, “Mother, who is this young lady?”The Queen Dowager smiled warmly. “Ah, she is a hidden gem I discovered today. Miss Miranda, raise your head and let His Majesty see you.”A sense of foreboding grew stronger in Miranda's heart. Yet, with no way to refuse, she slowly raised her head.The Queen Dowager kept her eyes fixed on the King, observing every subtle change in his expression without missing a detail.When the King saw Miranda’s face, a faint, unclear glimmer seemed to flash in his eyes. He arched his eyebrows slightly and carefully examined her. A trace of admiration appeared in his gaze. After a while, he smiled and said, “No wonder Mother is so fond of you. Such remarkable beauty is indeed rare!”Had the King shown either indifference or a dramatic reaction upon seeing Miranda, the Queen Dowager would have been able to gauge his thoughts more clearly. But now, with his m
After chatting with the young nobles for a while, the Queen Dowager signaled the start of the banquet. Food was arranged in a buffet around the grand hall, allowing guests to enjoy a relaxed and leisurely time. Groups formed as everyone mingled, drank, and danced.Andrew glared at Miranda with a fiery gaze, his heart seething with anger and resentment.The woman he had once broken off an engagement with was now favored by the Queen Dowager? To make matters worse, there were even whispers that the Queen Dowager intended for her to serve in the royal court and accompany the King! She was nothing but a woman of tarnished reputation—someone he had rejected. Yet here she was, becoming more and more prominent. It was infuriating. Even though he knew Miranda was already engaged to Fulton, which likely ruled out her entering the palace, the contrast between her radiant success and June’s misfortune today made his fury unbearable.“Isn't it a pity, Miss Miranda?” Andrew sneered, approaching he
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
"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
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 respe
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 h
“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 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
Miranda and Selena stepped down from the carriage and, under the guidance of palace maids, made their way toward the Queen Dowager’s side hall.The path was lined with lush greenery and vibrant blooms, yet neither girl spared a glance—they each walked with focused silence, lost in their own thoughts.Upon reaching the side hall, the Queen Dowager greeted them with a display of warm affection. Before they could finish their curtsy, she had already waved over her maids to help them up and seated them at her sides, one on the left, the other on the right.Taking Miranda’s hand in hers with a look of loving concern, she said, “You poor child, having suffered two such unfortunate engagements. But it’s all behind you now—don’t let it trouble you. You’re a girl of great fortune. Riches and glory await you. Someone like Sheffield isn’t worth a second thought.”After offering her condolences, she turned to Selena, taking her hand and asking after her with tender care. Anyone who didn’t know be
"I was still very young back then. Madam Anna taught me some medicine with great care, but most of the time, I was buried in medical books and learning to identify herbs. I didn’t spend much time by her side. As for what happened that year… I only remember that it started with something happening to you, my lady. Someone died, and Madam Anna began a thorough investigation, but she couldn’t find any clues. During that time, both Madam Anna and Lady Langley looked very troubled. Later, for reasons I still don’t understand, Madam Anna suddenly passed away."Everything at the estate fell into chaos. Lady Langley interrogated all the servants from Anna’s side. Many died during that time. Some said Lady Langley was silencing witnesses. After that, Lord Croyso returned and drove Lady Langley out of the estate, swearing revenge on her…”Molly recounted the events in fragments—she had been too young and uninvolved to fully understand what had happened.But from Molly’s words, Miranda couldn’t
After the encounter at the royal palace, Hans was confident he had made a good impression on Earl Croyso. He had originally planned to take things slowly, building rapport step by step, not wanting to rush the process. But after overhearing that conversation between the two commoners, he couldn’t help feeling restless. If even those two penniless men could see the value of such a marriage prospect, how could the sharp-eyed nobles of the capital not see it too?There were plenty of promising young aristocrats in the city. If one of them made a move first, what did he have to compete with them? In birth, in title, in power—he had none of it.The more he thought about it, the more anxious and excited he became. Finally unable to suppress himself, he laid his plan today—and sure enough, was successfully invited to House Croyso. What he didn’t expect, however, was to run into Miss Selena so soon after arriving at the estate. It was as if fate itself was lending him a hand.He believed that
News that Hans had returned to the manor alongside Earl Croyso soon reached Miranda. She had anticipated that someone as opportunistic as Hans would never miss a chance to cozy up to the Croyso family—especially after she had deliberately sent those words to his ears. Hans Dickson would surely play some trick to win her father’s favor. And sure enough!Miranda gave a faint, cold smile and whispered something to Molly, who nodded and quietly left with her orders.Meanwhile, in the Tongze Courtyard, Hans had just finished applying medicine to his injuries and came to express his thanks to the Earl. The two quickly engaged in conversation. The Earl had already taken a liking to Hans, and Hans, in turn, spoke in a manner that was both agreeable and subtly flattering. As a result, their discussion grew increasingly congenial, and the atmosphere was warm and relaxed.Just then, a clear and melodious voice called from outside, “Father!”A flash of red swept into the room—a girl of thirteen o
"You had your chance and refused it. Now you'll learn the hard way!"The thug sneered. "Just a lowly knight, daring to offend the House of William? Because of you, Lord William’s title was reduced. Did you really think you could cross him without consequences? This is a lesson!"Hans laughed coldly."So that’s who you’re with—William, the pompous fraud who tried to bribe me into smearing someone else? Hah! A man that vile and shameless—yes, I offended him, and I’d do it again. If you’ve got the guts, come at me!"With that, the group surged forward, and a fierce brawl broke out.Back at the palace during the confrontation, Earl Croyso had already formed a favorable impression of Hans Dickson—a knight who was upright and proudly unbending. Especially since Hans had stood up to the House of William because of Miranda, Croyso’s goodwill toward him only grew. Seeing him outnumbered now, the earl was about to step in—only to pause, intrigued by the young man’s stance and poise.In a matter
Fulton listened expressionlessly as the edict was read aloud. So this was the glory bought with his parents’ betrayal of Miranda? It turned out he wasn’t just a gilded canary trapped in a cage—he was a puppet, to be moved and used at will.And yet, no matter how much resentment burned within him, the decree had already been issued. The marriage was now inevitable. As the heir of the Sheffield family, he had no power to defy the Queen Dowager’s command.How laughable. How pathetic. How tragic.And so, when the reading ended, Fulton didn’t even bother to accept the scroll. He turned and walked straight back to his chambers.But if anyone was truly distressed, it wasn’t Fulton—it was the Lady of S
“Is she serious? She is marrying you off to Fulton?” The queen was fuming. “Never mind that the Sheffield family has shallow roots and was never worthy of you to begin with—after what they’ve done lately, what daughter from a decent family would agree to marry into that mess? And you're a princess! Even with all the reasons the Queen Dowager gave, it still sounds completely far-fetched to me!”“Please calm down, Mother,” Gina said softly, far more composed than the queen. “Since the Queen Dowager told you directly, it means the matter is already decided. If I’m not mistaken, she probably wants to use this opportunity to win over the Sheffields. By granting them such an honor, she hopes to sweep away the recent scandal and make them feel indebted to her and to the Blackwell. That’s likely the real reason behind this arrangement.”“How did you know? That’s exactly what she said!” the queen cried, her voice rising with emotion. “She claimed it was to pave the way for Zachary’s future, but
"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