Remembering the etiquette the palace administrator had taught her that morning, she bowed deeply to Arthur and Juliana."Greetings, my dearest parents." However, she was not allowed to stand up straight just yet.She had to wait until the ceremony was done. Arthur and Juliana sat on their thrones, gazing lovingly at their daughter."Velda, you're our beloved treasure, a precious gift from above that was brought to us," Arthur said."Now that you're grown up and so lovely, I'm filled with joy. Starting today, you're officially the one and only special little princess of Charleston. However, remember, being a princess means you have duties too..."Arthur waved his hand, and the ceremony officer, carrying the tray that contained the scroll and the seal, stepped forward. Arthur took the scroll and went on, "Hertfordshire was your mother's fief when she was a princess consort. Today, I'm giving it to you, hoping you'll take good care of it and live up to my and your mother's expectat
"Don't say I didn't warn you. You can fall for anyone, but Matthew's wife is off-limits!" Caleb whispered to Cillian. He had found out that Lucy was still alive and about her ties to Matthew. He noticed his little brother's crush on Lucy. Even though their family, the Sullivans, were not daunted by Matthew, he and Lucy were married. Cillian was fixating on someone else's wife. If Lucy reciprocated Cillian's feelings and he stood a chance, Caleb might have supported Cillian in pursuing Lucy. After all, it was somewhat entertaining to see Matthew lose his composure. However, everyone knew Matthew adored his wife. Cillian longing for her was just setting himself up for disappointment.Caleb had to step in and give his brother a reality check. Cillian got the message with a wry smile. He knew there was no hope with Lucy and had even decided to wish her well. However, was it so wrong to steal just one more glance at her? Cillian sighed and finally gave in. "I understand." Caleb d
Hearing Charlotte's words, the ceremony officer felt a warm glow in his heart and quickly said, "Oh no, Your Highness. Don't worry, the crown is perfectly fine.""Really? Are you taking the crown to the back room?" Charlotte asked with a smile. The officer did not think twice and nodded."Yes, Crown Princess.""Alright then, be careful with it. That crown is my sister's, and we wouldn't want any sneaky thief getting their hands on it."Charlotte seemed to be hinting at something, but the officer just thought she was looking out for him and chuckled. "You're funny, Your Highness. There are no thieves in the palace.""Of course, you're right. Off you go, then."Charlotte waved her hand, and the officer bowed and left. The crowd around them kept up their lively chatter.Charlotte glanced around. Seeing no one was watching, she followed the officer toward the back room.Juliana and Lucy held the knife together and made a ceremonial cut in the cake, marking the end of the ritual."
Arthur and Juliana started dancing, so the others naturally followed suit.Typically, a man with a sense of chivalry would be the one to invite the lady to dance. However, Theodore was a little senseless when it came to romance.Annabella had never been one for coy gestures, so she straightforwardly walked up to Theodore and said, “Prince Theodore, are you going to ask me to dance?”No other woman would be as straightforward as her, and no gentleman would refuse such a request either.Naturally, Theodore extended his hand and said, “Of course. Miss Annabella, may I have the pleasure of this dance?”All things considered, he still admired Annabella for her directness and intelligence.However, her dancing skills and ability to effortlessly navigate social situations were not enough to interest him.Theodore and Annabella danced gracefully, breaking the hearts of many other young women below who also wished to dance with Theodore.Every year, Annabella’s boldness infuriated them.
Charlotte’s words sounded like consolation, but they also extinguished the hopes of these young men.They thought that they might have a chance with the beautiful princess, but it turned out that the long-lost princess was already married.How could they not be disappointed?Only then did they remember Charlotte.The young men approached Charlotte, hoping to invite her to dance.“Your Highness, may I have the honor of inviting you to dance with me?”The same scene unfolded before Charlotte. She smiled at the crowd as if she were about to select one of them.The young men fixed their hopeful gazes on her, but she suddenly withdrew her hand and said, “I’m sorry, everyone, but I’ve also found myself a dance partner.”With that, she went around the group of bachelors and walked away.Were they kidding? These men only approached her after getting rejected. Did they think she would be so easily deceived?If Lucy did not want them, neither did Charlotte.Besides, Charlotte had long
Dumbfounded, Charlotte stood there with a strong urge to annihilate Cillian.So what if she liked him? That did not mean he could reject her and make her look bad!“Silly little brother, how could you reject such a lovely princess? Your Royal Highness, may I have this dance?”At that crucial moment, Caleb showed up to ease Charlotte’s embarrassment, though it was unknown whether he was doing it intentionally.“Sure.”She still needed a dance partner tonight. Since this man showed up, she had no reason to refuse.The two of them spun around the dance floor, and Caleb even gestured toward his brother.Caleb knew that Cillian wanted to be left alone, and when he saw the annoying princess insisting on dancing with Cillian, he had to come to his rescue.Bedtime stories typically ended once everyone was happily dancing away, but it was not over yet for them.Chelsea grabbed Hugh to sneak in and find Lucy, but Hugh only wanted to dance with her.“Chelsea, don’t you see how romantic
At most, there were just a few young men and women and fewer elders in the inner hall. It would not be easy for outsiders to blend in. All of this was for the sake of Lucy’s safety.Soon, the ball came to an end.It may have been a pleasant evening for some, but for others, it was an evening of sadness, boredom, or even jealousy.The commoners satisfiedly left with their gifts, while the nobles bade their farewells.Cillian dared not greet Lucy, so he simply bid farewell to Arthur and Juliana before leaving.Lucy had actually noticed him long ago, but she said nothing as she watched him depart.As night fell, Arthur and Juliana suggested that Lucy and Matthew stay in the palace for the night. They would send them back the next day.Since Lucy’s bedroom was already neatly prepared, the couple agreed.On the way back to Lucy’s room, the maids presented Lucy with the seal and scroll of her fief, along with a box containing the crown and scepter.Since everyone was tired, no one b
Lucy could not wait to share the good news with Matthew, but when she turned around, she saw two streaks of blood underneath Matthew’s prominent nose.“Matt, why is your nose bleeding all of a sudden? Did you have too much to drink last night? Do you need me to help you blow off some steam?”Lucy looked at Matthew with concern, but Matthew raised an eyebrow when she suggested helping him 'blow off some steam'. Lucy instantly understood what he was thinking, and her face flushed red instantly. This damned guy! That was not what she meant by 'blow off steam'.“No need. I just need some tissues. The next time you stand up, try to remember that your husband is right behind you.”Matthew looked at Lucy amusingly. Only then did Lucy realize that she had caused Matthew’s nosebleed.Feeling guilty, Lucy quickly fetched a tissue and apologized profusely, “I’m sorry, Matt. I’m so sorry. Don’t get mad, please. I just got excited when I heard that Chelsea was here to see me. I’ll be more ca