Claire's POVWatching Louis return, I helped him take off his thick coat and hung it on the nearby rack before handing him the hot tea I had prepared."How did it go? Did Evans confess anything to you?""He swore it had nothing to do with him and hinted that it might be related to Maria.""Maria?" Hearing that name, I furrowed my brows, a hint of confusion creeping into my mind. "But before this, Evans always seemed to defend Maria fiercely. It looked like they had some sort of alliance...""That was my thought too. But it seems there's obviously a rift between them now. But maybe it's a good thing for us, after all, one is as cunning as a fox, and the other as venomous as a snake."Louis finished speaking and closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair.I moved behind him, starting to gently massage his temples with my fingers. Under my ministrations, Louis's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and he raised his arm, grabbing my hand."I want to hear your thoughts, Claire. What do you th
Maria's POVAfter admiring my beauty in the mirror, I glanced sideways at Andy, who was leaning against the door.At the moment, he was idly kicking the carpet by the door, looking utterly bored, which annoyed me to no end."Have you remembered everything I told you to do?""Of course, my queen."Andy impatiently rolled his eyes, but upon noticing my icy gaze, he quickly approached me, trying to sweet-talk his way back into my favor."Didn't I remember every word you said? Come on, stop frowning, give me a kiss, my beauty.""Get lost!"I pushed Andy away with disgust, glaring at him as he stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance."You almost ruined my carefully prepared makeup.""Hah, carefully prepared?" My rejection made Andy embarrassed and angry. "You only dress up like this when you go to see Louis, right? Too bad, he only has eyes for—""Shut up!"I snapped at Andy angrily, slamming the wooden comb on the vanity.The comb broke with a sound."Never, ever mention that wo
Claire's POV"Oh, Claire, it's so good to see you!"Upon receiving the servant's notice, I hurried to the castle's hall where Maria, dressed in her finest attire, quickly rose from the sofa and approached me with a fake smile. She gave me a perfumed, insincere hug."Maria? Why did you..."Before I could ask her purpose, Maria had already grabbed my hand and started complimenting me in an overly exaggerated tone."Oh, dear, you must tell me what cosmetics you're using! You look even more stunning today than the last time we met!"For the sake of the Moon Goddess.I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and forced a smile as fake as hers. But I wasn't here to engage in meaningless social pleasantries with her. I decisively withdrew my hand from Maria's grasp."Sorry, dear, but actually, I'm not wearing any makeup today."This sarcastic response caused a crack in Maria's smile. Although she maintained a warm expression, her eyes turned cold like a snake's.This woman definitely doesn't hav
Maria's POVAs I glanced at the grandfather clock in the hall, I quickly realized that it was already fifteen minutes past the time I had arranged to meet Andy.That useless fool, did he manage to steal the letter or not? Doesn't he know how disgusting it is for me to flatter this foolish Claire against my will?!Damn it, what happened?!“Well, I’ll consider what you said today, Maria.”Just as I was feeling increasingly irritated, Claire suddenly stood up from beside me. She lifted her chin high, giving me a disdainful glance, clearly indicating she wanted me to leave.“And regarding what you said about Garfield Evans—I will inform Prince Louis. But in fact, he is already wary of Evans. Evans is currently detained by Louis in the castle, so there's no need for you to worry about him anymore.”“What?!”Bad news kept coming one after another. Hearing that Evans was detained, I almost jumped out of the sofa in shock.“Evans is detained by Louis?! Why have I never heard about this?!”“It
Louis's POVTwenty minutes ago.The hurried footsteps disturbed my contemplation in the study, where I had been staring at a portrait of Liam.“Your Highness, we’ve captured a suspicious man in the castle’s corridor. We haven't ruled out the possibility of him being an assassin, so we need to escort you to a safe place immediately!”However, facing the panting guard, I stood up from the armchair, buttoned my suit jacket, and spoke calmly.“Have you identified the man yet? And where is Claire?!”“We have already dispatched a patrol team to protect Claire and Maria! As for the captured man… he insists he’s not an assassin, but we haven't confirmed his identity yet.”“Wait, did you just say, Maria?”I squinted at the guard, “She’s in the castle now? With Claire?”“Yes, Your Highness.”“When did this happen?”“About ten minutes ago.” The guard answered with his head down, “Your Highness, should we use the whip on the suspect? Give me a little more time, and I believe we can get him to tal
Louis’s POV“Prince Louis.”When Maria’s voice sounded from behind me, I instinctively frowned. However, as I turned around and saw her heavily made-up face filled with panic and fear, a strange sense of satisfaction welled up within me. Why was she afraid? Had she already learned about Andy’s capture?I quickly pondered the possibilities. Regardless of the reason, enjoying this woman’s discomfort always brought me pleasure. Too bad it wasn't time to reveal her true nature just yet.Suppressing my emotions, I motioned for Maria to walk down the stairs and sit in front of me. “Have a seat, Maria. Would you like something to drink? Tea or coffee?”As expected, my deliberate display of friendliness made Maria lower her guard temporarily. That familiar smile reappeared on her face, and her shrewd eyes studied my expression. “Tea with milk, no sugar.”The servant received the order and silently left the room. When she returned, a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of Maria.“So, Maria
Claire's POV“Andy?!”When I appeared at the doorway with Andy Barton, I saw the shock and fear on Maria’s face.“Weren’t you detained by Louis? How are you here?”“I’ve been in the next room all along, you b.itch! You’re so heartless and cruel!”Andy’s teeth gnashed in fury, looking like he wanted to tear Maria’s fake face apart.“You knew I did this for you! Yet you not only refused to plead with Prince Louis for me but also agreed to have me killed! Why? Maria? Why would you do this to me?!”At this moment, Andy’s furious roars carried a hint of sobbing. This poor man probably couldn’t understand yet that to someone like Maria, he was nothing more than a stepping stone.As I looked at Andy with pity, Maria turned her gaze toward him. She stared at Andy, taking several steps back as if he were a dangerous and filthy contaminant.“You’re insane, Andy! How could I ask you to do such a thing?! Evans has already made the letter public, so even if you stole it, it wouldn’t…”“Wait!”Loui
Claire's POV“Chris is here?!”Louis frowned and shot a sharp, dagger-like look at Maria. “Did you arrange this too?”“You needn’t think so poorly of me, Prince Louis.”Seeing a way out, Maria quickly shed her tearful demeanor, a hint of smugness replacing it.“I’m just a mother. When a child is separated from his mother, he will naturally want to find his mother. It’s inevitable.”While Maria’s expression revealed her satisfaction, Louis’s face darkened completely. The air grew thick with impending danger. Everyone present held their breath, fearing they might be the one to ignite Prince Louis’s wrath.“Prince Louis, please believe me, I really didn’t—”“Stop thinking you can always use Chris to escape punishment, Maria.”Louis lifted his chin, looking down at Maria with cold disdain. He delivered a nearly threatening warning, “You will pay for your crimes. Remember my words.”“Louis, I—”Before she could finish, Louis grabbed my hand and walked out, ignoring Maria entirely. As we pa