In response to Lucy's request, Anabella had someone bring what Lucy had asked for. In the meantime, Lucy went to the dressing room to change into something else. A short while later, Anabella's lady-in-waiting put Anabella's gown on a mannequin before presenting it to everyone.In high heels, Lucy circled the evening gown, carefully examining it from every angle.The people around her murmured, "This Clusian woman is clearly just putting on a show. I bet that she'll humiliate herself soon."The comments section of the livestream was also lively. Someone had commented, "Isn't that Mrs. Ripley? She already hit the jackpot when she became the wife of a rich man. She should just leave now and stop embarrassing us Clusians."At Eberhard Residence, Brett clicked his tongue. "This is boring. She's just an attention-seeking clown. I'm not watching this anymore."Rhett persuaded him, saying, "Brett, don't leave just yet. Everyone is saying that she'll humiliate herself, but I think she'l
As soon as the woman arrived, the guests present gasped in surprise."Oh my goodness, that's Chloe!""Chloe is Faldoria's top designer. She ranks among the top ten best designers in the world, and her designs are always bestsellers…""Chloe will surely comment on the Clusian's work! This is going to get interesting!"The comments section of the livestream was even more lively. Someone asked, "Do you guys think Chloe will praise or criticize Mrs. Ripley?"Back in Eberhard Residence, Rhett remarked, "Brett, Mom used to be very talented in designing. Don't you think this woman's design style is a bit similar to Mom's? I'm even starting to think this woman is our real sister!""So what if they are similar? She has nothing to do with us. By the way, I wonder if Ann has inherited Mom's talents. We should ask her to try it out when she's back. She might even be better than this woman!"In the palace, Tobias was finally at ease when he saw that Chloe had arrived. He had been afraid th
Lucy was utterly speechless at Tobias' overbearing attitude."Fine. Has your fever gone down?"As Lucy spoke, she instinctively reached out to touch his forehead, only to be startled by the heat. "Oh my god, your fever hasn't gone down at all. Why are you running around?"Tobias quirked a brow, staring deeply into her eyes. "Are you worried about me?" He felt incredibly warm inside. Although he was wealthy, there were few who truly cared about him. Hearing Lucy's words of concern, Tobias felt a wave of emotion in his heart.As Lucy raised her brows, a cunning look crossed her face. "Even if it were a sick animal in front of me, I wouldn't just ignore it. Come on, I'll take you to the hospital."Tobias suddenly grabbed the back of her head, his gaze menacing. "Woman, you dared compare me to an animal?" Lucy quipped, "You're the one admitting you're an animal; I never said anything like that."Tobias snorted coldly. "You and your sharp tongue!"As his gaze fell on her red lips
"Ms. Lane, when did you arrive in Faldoria?" When Lucy turned toward the direction of the voice, she realized it was Anna speaking.A look of jealousy and malice crossed Anna's face when she looked at Lucy. Anna then smiled and said, "Can't I come to Faldoria? I had just gotten off the plane when I heard that Tobias was sick, so I rushed over to take care of him—unlike some people who were busy messing around."The livestream of Lucy at the banquet had shot her to the top of the trending charts. So, naturally, Anna had seen everything and was extremely jealous.Puzzled, Lucy questioned, "Busy messing around? Ms. Lane, I don't care what you do, but you can't just say whatever you want. When was I busy messing around?"Anna snorted as Lucy glared at her coldly.The women stared at each other so intensely that it was as if they were trying to burn a hole in one another's heads.Noticing the hostility between Lucy and Anna, Tobias raised a brow.Finn gave him a look as if saying,
Finn was confused. Why did Tobias want him to do that?Noticing Tobias' warning glance, Finn immediately understood his intentions. Glancing at Lucy, Finn prayed for her in his heart.When Lucy heard what Tobias said, she was surprised. "What did you say? You want her to give you a massage? Aren't you afraid of being caught by the media?"Just thinking about their intimate interactions annoyed Lucy immensely.Tobias said indifferently, "There are no journalists here. Besides, it's not like it has to be her. You can be the one who gives me the massage as well."He snorted secretly. He wanted to see how long she could keep her composure and pretend like this was nothing.Lucy parted her lips, but she didn't know what to say. She could only look at him incredulously.If he wanted her to give him a massage, she supposed she could probably do it…Right then, Anna came in and coquettishly said, "Tobias, I heard you have a headache. I just learned how to give massages, so let me help
After Tobias had been kidnapped as a child, he had often been haunted by nightmares, leading to chronic insomnia. The long-term lack of sleep had also led to his frequent headaches.Lucy lay beside him, while his head rested on her thighs. She gently massaged his head with her slender fingers, and Tobias slipped into a deep sleep about ten minutes later.Even though her legs were numb, Lucy tenderly cradled his head and covered him with a blanket. She then attended to herself and washed up. Meanwhile, Chad asked around and found out that Lucy was in this hospital. However, outsiders were not allowed in since it was a royal hospital. Hence, Chad could only wander outside the hospital.After Lucy finished washing up, she heard her phone vibrating. She quickly picked it up. Worried that it might wake Tobias, she answered the call in the bathroom. "Hello."Chad said excitedly, "Lulu, you finally answered my call!""Chad, I was just about to call you that day, but something came up,
"Chad, what nonsense are you talking about?" Lucy's expression turned serious.Chad forced a smile. "Lulu, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously."Looking stern, Lucy said coldly, "We're talking about lives here. You shouldn't joke about such matters.""Alright." A glint of cold malice flickered in Chad's eyes. Lucy used to have eyes only for him. Why was she so cold and serious toward him now?It had to be Tobias's fault! Once Tobias was out of the picture, Lucy would be his!"By the way, you said that you found your family. Congratulations on finally reuniting with your parents," Lucy said sincerely. However, she failed to notice the fleeting hostility in Chad's eyes when he heard the word "parents". He sneered inwardly. The waiter arrived with two drinks. Lucy reached for a glass of juice and took a couple of sips.She said, "Chad, I appreciate your feelings, but fate has dealt us a cruel hand. I'm married now, and I'm unworthy of your affection. You should find a b
Noticing Tobias' distrust, Lucy felt a slight pang in her heart.Her eyes dimmed with sadness. "Tobias, regardless of whom I meet, I've never betrayed your trust. What do you mean by questioning me like this?"Had he found out about her meeting with Chad last night?With an inquisitive gaze, Tobias stared deeply into her eyes. His commanding presence made it impossible for her to evade his scrutiny, and even the slightest flicker of guilt in her eyes didn't escape his notice.His heart turned to ice, and it twisted painfully."What do I mean?" Tobias sneered. "You know I don't want to end up like my parents. If you've done something to betray me..."What would he do then?Divorce was out of the question, but his pride couldn't bear the thought of infidelity. Tobias' emotions were tangled at that moment, leaving him deeply conflicted."What are you going to do? Divorce me?"Tobias said, "I'll offer you one last chance."Lucy sighed softly. "Tobias, please hear me out. Last nig
Lucy heard what Tobias said and didn't dare to look at him. She lowered her gaze, allowing tufts of hair in front of her forehead to conceal her emotions. "Why would I feel jealous? I don't love you."Tobias heard the last part of her sentence and felt as if countless insects were gnawing on his heart, making him feel itchy and painful. Both of them fell quiet, and things were a little awkward between them."The doctor's here, Prince Toddy.""Let him in."The doctor entered the bedroom and brought with him medical equipment of his own. He did a series of checkups on Lucy and said, "It's the same diagnosis as before, Prince Toddy. Her internal organs remain untouched, but she was wounded severely on the outside. "We need to apply a specialized ointment on her skin. Otherwise, she will have scars."Tobias said, "What are you waiting for, then? Get us the specialized ointment.""I've given you all of them, Prince Toddy. Use it wisely for now. The only person who possessed these sp
It seemed like Tobias was afraid that Lucy might reject him again. He added, "You haven't gone home for an entire night, Greta. Sully and Eli are extremely worried about you. I didn't want to alarm them, so I lied and said you're staying in the castle as a guest."If you insist on going back and letting them see you in this state, the twins would be worried and scared. Wouldn't you say?"Solomon and Elio were Lucy's weak spots. Initially, she was determined to leave. However, she hesitated when she heard what he said. Lucy lowered her head and looked at herself. Her limbs were injured, and her fingers were slightly bent. She was trembling ceaselessly as well. It looked as if her joints were distorted, giving off the impression that she was a disabled person. On top of that, Lucy's skin was cracked open from all the lashes. She looked absolutely terrifying. If she showed up in front of Solomon and Elio, looking like this, she would definitely traumatize them. With that said, Luc
Staying in the castle for the long term? Elio, who was a curious and mischievous kid, thought about the lavishing and magnificent castle, and his eyes sparkled. He responded to Tobias without any hesitation, "I do!"Meanwhile, Solomon wasn't interested in the castle that much. He wanted to spend some time with Tobias. On the other hand, he wouldn't be able to see Noah anymore if he went to the castle. So, he stuttered and said, "I don't."Elio looked at Solomon in confusion. The latter seemed to see through the former's bewilderment, and he asked, "Do you honestly think we can do whatever we want in the castle, just like the way we lived at the farm? "Moreover, we won't be able to see Noah anymore once we move there."Noah might've been a stepfather, but he took a huge place in the twins' hearts. Tobias was disappointed when he heard what Solomon said. "Do you two care about Noah very much?"Solomon responded, "Of course!" He considered his stepfather to be a good father. Tobia
Tobias used the military authority to his advantage and swiftly subdued Killian and all the leaders of his faction. All of them were incarcerated by the royal guards, and the signals were jammed. Not even God himself could help Killian and his ilk now. All they could do was sit on their thumbs in their respective homes. Moreover, Tobias revoked Killian's dukedom and stripped the latter of his military authority over Killian's negligence in Marie's education. After all, she drugged a prince. Now, Killian was nothing but a loser.Killian flew into a rage. "Damn it. King Samson had to show me some respect, but Toddy just disrespected me. How dare he lock me up at my home and make me a laughingstock in front of the entire world?""Marie has been imprisoned in the dungeon for a long time now, Kilian. What if she can't take it?""I'll never let her die!" Killian bellowed. "Did they think I command only the factions in the castle? They have grossly underestimated me."Killian couldn't
Tobias accompanied Lucy and looked after her carefully. News of Marie's arrest quickly made its way to Samson. Once he knew what happened, he was enraged at her actions. Before he had time to comfort Tobias, Marie's father, Killian Lemoine, rushed into the castle in a fit of rage. "King Samson. Prince Toddy actually ordered his men to arrest Marie for the sake of a civilian. Do you have no respect for me as a duke?" Killian ordered angrily, "Release Marie at once. Otherwise, I'll make you regret it."Samson slammed the table. "Are you trying to launch a mutiny, Killian?"Killian responded, "All I want is for my daughter to be safe and sound. If someone so much as touches her hair, I won't mind going up against the throne to the bitter end!""Why, you!" Samson was agitated. "You are feeling heartbroken for what happened to your daughter, but Lucy was also her parent's sweetheart. Why haven't you thought about how poorly you've educated Marie while she did those heinous acts?""I
Lucy cried out, "Get away from me!"The royal guards acted like starving wolves. They pounced at Lucy and tore her clothes to pieces, making her look even more miserable. At the critical moment, a figure flashed past them. A thudding sound could be heard as one of the royal guards was sent flying into the air. Every time Tobias swung his fist, he sent another royal guard flying. He bellowed coldly, "How dare you lay your grubby paws on what belongs to me? Death has come for all of you!""Prince Toddy." The royal guards immediately felt that something was wrong and fell to their knees, their faces drained of color. "Take all of them away!"Lucy was downright miserable. There were filthy liquids and blood all over her body. On top of that, her hands and feet were covered in bloodied welts. Her hair was disheveled, and her face was pale. It felt as if she was one touch away from passing away.Tobias' heart seemingly stopped beating. He was so heartbroken that the veins on his fo
Someone stole Duchess Lemoine's necklace.Tobias felt that this was something fishy, but he couldn't be bothered by it now. His head throbbed as he thought about how he had forced himself on Lucy. He said, "Dante, do you think Greta will hate me?"Dante stuttered, "Ms. Everhart was f-furious when she left and asked you n-not to look for her. Otherwise…"He stopped himself from finishing his sentence.Tobias asked, "Otherwise?"Trembling, Dante said, "Otherwise, s-she would beat you up each time she saw you."Tobias massaged his throbbing temple. "Prepare all the shoes, clothes, and accessories any woman would like. They need to be the best in the world. I'll apologize to her when dawn breaks.""Okay."Tobias stood by the bedside, heavy-hearted.Outside the window, the guards were scouring high and low. When Tobias saw what was happening, his eyes twitched for some unknown reason, as if he had an ominous feeling that something terrible had happened.After finishing breakfast a
At 3:00 am, Lucy felt like her bones were about to shatter.That damned man! How long had he been starving himself? He had come onto her seven times, devouring her completely.Tobias was sound asleep. Lucy lost herself for a second as she stared at his handsome face. At that moment, her heart beat wildly. When she regained her senses, she was so furious that she cursed him out internally.She wanted to help out of kindness but ended up giving herself to him. Lucy didn't want anything to do with him anymore and only wanted to remember this as an unfortunate event.Lucy got up, but her legs were so weak that she collapsed on the floor with a thump. She was even more furious.She turned to look at Tobias, who was fast asleep. She conveniently took her clothes from the bed and left while supporting herself on the wall.The corridor was still empty, but Lucy noticed the guards surrounding the entrance when she arrived on the first floor. Dante was also there. He was dozing off from wa
"Hmm… L-let go."Lucy tried to resist, but Tobias' kiss was like an ever-burning flame. She felt uncontrollably weak in her knees. It was hard for her to breathe, as if her mind was foggy from the lack of oxygen. She even kissed him back fiercely.Her kiss, in return, was like a fuse being lit, igniting the burning passion in Tobias. He aggressively ripped open her clothes, but the intricate design of her gown made it difficult to tear off. Lucy regained her senses and forcefully pushed him away.Tobias was caught off guard. With a loud knock, he collapsed on the floor. He moaned in pain as the back of his head hit the floor hard.His face flushed with an unnatural shade of red. He curled his body up in agony, and his voice sounded gruff. He had the last ounce of rationality in him. "Help me…"Lucy was blushing as well. In shock, she exclaimed, "What's the matter with you?"She walked closer to him and realized something was wrong with Tobias, assuming he had eaten something upse