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
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 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
Hearing those words, Miranda finally let out a breath of relief.The fact that the King was willing to assign her tasks meant he had accepted her explanation.Of course, the King would not so easily trust her loyalty; she would still need to prove herself through her future actions. But at least, for someone like her—cornered by the Queen Mother with no way out—there was now a glimmer of hope ahead.As long as the King truly intended to oppose the Queen Mother, and as long as she could assist him in bringing her down, Miranda would be able to regain her freedom and no longer live under the Queen Mother's control."I understand. I will strictly follow Your Majesty's instructions," Miranda replied. "I used an excuse to leave earlier, and I cannot be away for too long. If there are no further orders, I shall take my leave."The King watched Miranda’s retreating figure in silence.Because of that familiar face, he couldn’t help but pay her a little more attention, though he did not show i
"Miranda?"The King, who had just risen to his feet, slowly sat back down, frowning slightly. After a moment, he said, "Let her come forward."Guided by Giles, Miranda approached gracefully and knelt in salute. "Greetings, Your Majesty."The King studied her closely, trying to guess her intentions. "You asked to see me. What is it you wish to say?""I..." Miranda hesitated, carefully choosing her words."Your Majesty's teachings remain engraved in my heart. Yet, in this world, eight or nine out of ten things do not go as one wishes," Miranda answered calmly, her head bowed. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and caught sight of a sheet of paper on the table. Daringly, she picked it up with a gentle motion. The King silently watched her actions."For a piece of paper," she said softly, "its greatest wish would be to remain pure and untouched — neither stained by ink nor creased by water. Yet once a hand reaches out and soaks it in ink or water, the paper has no strength to resist."She did no
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