Reginald, in a fit of jealousy: Who is he, and why are you always trying to protect him!
This man could see right through her thoughts. Couldn’t he be a little less intelligent? Since it was impossible to hide anything from him, she decided to ignore him and turned her head away. Against someone who could see through you completely, any trick was futile; she no longer wished to play the fool.Reginald was highly displeased with her attitude. He forcibly turned her face towards him and said, “Speak up! Who is he to you? Miranda, good girl. Tell me, okay?” He deliberately softened his voice.Miranda closed her eyes and covered her ears, choosing to ignore him entirely.“Miranda, if you keep this up, I’m going to get angry!” Reginald’s tone was icy, but Miranda remained unfazed, which only fueled his anger. He suddenly said, “Fine, if you won’t talk, I won’t force you!”Miranda, surprised, opened her eyes and met Reginald's gaze.“But since you’ve chosen not to speak, I’ll tell you the truth. Yes, you’ve offended me! I’m targeting you on purpose. Not just now but in the futu
In the same grand, opulent study as every other night, the King sat at his desk, reviewing reports. At some point, Tom had slipped in quietly, dismissing the attendants before speaking in a hushed tone, "Your Majesty, I’ve gathered information on Miss Miranda."The King's red pen paused mid-stroke, and he looked up.A faint scent of ambergris filled the room, delicate yet deeply penetrating. However, after Tom’s report, the air seemed to thicken, the atmosphere growing tense and oppressive. “What did you find?”His regal yet slightly aged face remained calm and indifferent, betraying no emotion. But Tom, who knew him well, sensed the King's foul mood and cautiously replied, "Not wanting to alert anyone, I did not investigate too deeply into the Croyso estate. All I know is that Miss Miranda is the daughter of the late Lady Croyso, the former wife of Lord Croyso. It’s said she was deeply loved by him, but she passed away young. After her death, Lord Croyso’s mistress, Sophie, brought a
Hearing the long-forgotten name, Tom's expression darkened, and he slowly lowered his head.No one knew how long had passed before the king snapped out of his thoughts, his expression returning to the same calm indifference as before. Reflecting on the current situation, he spoke in a low voice, “Tom, you must keep my visit to Earl Croyso a secret. Don’t mention it to anyone. Perhaps Miranda's resemblance is merely a coincidence, but if the wrong people see her, even a coincidence will no longer be just that. You understand the gravity of this, don’t you? Also, return the portrait to Earl Croyso.”There was a hint of helpless sorrow in his voice as he spoke the last sentence.Earl Croyso could still possess a portrait of his late wife, often gazing upon it in fond remembrance. But he, as the king, couldn’t even have a portrait of Alice within the vast palace. Anything related to Alice was forbidden in this palace, deeply buried and locked away by time, not to be spoken of by anyone, f
This was Ivan’s second encounter with Lord Reginald.Before this, he had heard countless rumors about the Duke of Veylar in Thornborough. Naturally, from Zachary’s circle, the tales about Reginald were anything but flattering. They described him as capricious, eccentric, and cruel—someone who valued human life no more than grass. And since arriving in the capital, the stories about Reginald had only grown darker. Yet, curiously, during their first encounter in the prison of the Ministry of Justice, Ivan had sensed Reginald’s unorthodox and wanton nature, but he found it hard to dislike him.And now, he finally understood why—Reginald was “candidly cunning.”Like now, he openly admitted that he let the assassins strike first, so Ivan would owe him. But precisely because of this honesty, Ivan, who was no stranger to political deceit, found him somewhat trustworthy. Still, his resolve was firm, and he shook his head, politely refusing, “Thank you for your kindness, Lord Reginald, but my l
Sophie’s one goal in her past life was to elevate her daughter by marrying her into a higher rank of nobility, but despite her best efforts, progress had been agonizingly slow. That is, until a significant opportunity arose: the queen herself approached Xavier, Selena’s influential uncle, hoping to find a suitable woman from his family to win the king's favor. The queen had long understood the politics of the court and knew that if she didn’t arrange a mistress for the aging king, Lady Liudmila, always scheming, would find a way to insert one of her own. Better for the queen to act first and ensure the loyalty of the new mistress. Xavier, eager to oblige, presented portraits of both his own daughter and his niece, Selena, to the queen. The queen, immediately captivated by Selena’s extraordinary beauty, chose her without hesitation.Though Selena was initially hesitant, her reservations quickly faded. The allure of great power, wealth, and glittering jewels was too strong to resist. Mo
In the warm April of early spring, the lush greenery of the forest adorns the rugged mountains with vibrant hues. From afar, the varying shades of green intermingle like a soft and beautiful green carpet gently draped over the hills. Dozens of guards, riding tall horses, escort four carriages as they slowly make their way up the tranquil and secluded mountain path.On this day, the Countess is leading the women of the household up the mountain for a picnic. The fresh air of the outdoors is filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass, mingled with a hint of earthy scent, refreshing the senses with each breath.Selena suddenly focused her attention and said, "Hmm, I think I hear the sound of a violin?"Indeed, as she spoke, everyone gradually began to hear a faint, ethereal violin melody, drifting gently into their ears. Slowly, the sound became clearer, as if the musician was approaching them.Miranda, upon hearing the first note of the violin, was struck as if by lightning, left spe
The blood-soaked world, which had begun to spread from where the man in white stood, was suddenly obscured, replaced by the slate-blue carriage curtains. With Hans' figure no longer in sight, Miranda instinctively glanced at Selena, who had just drawn the curtains.A fleeting glance—half-revealed, half-concealed—left behind a hint of mystery and suspense, enough to stir a young girl's heart. At her mother's signal, Selena slowly let go of the curtain she had lifted, shielding the figure in white from view outside the carriage. “Miranda, what are you thinking about? You seem so lost in thought!”Miranda snapped out of her reverie and gave a faint smile. “It's nothing.”Now fully awake from the shock of seeing Hans again, the intense pain and hatred she had felt gradually settled. She began to contemplate the hidden motives behind Hans’ sudden appearance today.Was this Hans’ own idea, or was there someone else pulling the strings?In this life, she would not be kind. If anyone wronged
Miranda followed the noise and saw two people standing in front of a flowerbed, broken shards of a celadon flowerpot scattered around their feet."You are so thoughtless! My dress is covered in dirt now. What are you going to do about it?" One of the girls dressed as a maid spoke up, "I already told you this orchid belongs to my lady. You insisted on taking it, and now the pot is broken! This orchid is rare and precious, worth a fortune. You have to pay for it!" The other maid, though looking guilty, tried to maintain her composure. "Stop pretending. That orchid clearly belongs to the estate. You tried to steal it, and when I caught you, the pot broke. It's not my fault! I'm a maid of the Croyso family!" "How shameless!" ...Miranda recognized the maid claiming to be from the Croyso family. She worked for Selena, perfectly imitating her mistress’s sharp temperament. Listening to their quarrel, Miranda quickly pieced together what had happened. It seemed that Selena’s maid had seen