Chapter 2

The next day, Eldwin arrived at my family’s estate to ask Rosalie and me for our hands in marriage. He brought two sets of gifts, one for each of us.

Rosalie’s consisted of forty-eight chests full of jewelry and charters for lands.

Mine, on the other, was a palm-sized jewelry box with a handful of gold nuggets in it.

My mother burst with rage on the spot and wanted to throw that box out of the house.

Rosalie immediately kneeled down in front of my mother nervously. “Please forgive me, Mrs. Shaw. I am willing to hand over my gifts to Lina.”

Eldwin immediately put himself between Rosalie and my mother. “You are as heartless as your daughter, Mrs. Shaw. I can’t imagine how difficult it has been for Rosie to grow up in the Shaw family’s estate and how badly you both must have mistreated her.”

Rosalie hid behind Eldwin with a pitiful, aggrieved look on her face.

I reached out to grab my mother’s arm. “Just hand the gift back to him, mother. There is no need to argue with them.”

My mother could not stand the accusation and immediately snapped, “This little rat always pretends to be helpless. I have never mistreated her in all these years!”

Eldwin’s expression darkened. “Since Rosie has married me, she is now Lady Gennings. How dare you insult her in front of so many people?! I will teach you a lesson.”

Eldwin’s father was a marquess, while my mother was only the wife of a government official. If he held her accountable, it would bring us a lot of trouble.

I bowed to Eldwin.

“It was a slip of the tongue. Please forgive my mother, Lord Gennings.”

Eldwin lifted his chin and said cockily, “That is all? A slip of the tongue? No, I want you both to apologize to Rosie.”

My mother screamed with rage, “How ridiculous! How outrageous! A mistress of a household should not have to apologize to the child of her husband’s concubine!”

I quickly whispered in my mother’s ear. She backed down and stormed back into the house.

Then, I looked over at Eldwin and Rosalie. “If my mother apologizes, everyone in the city will say that my sister is disrespectful. I will apologize on my mother’s behalf.”

Eldwin could not let Rosalie bear the blame of being disrespectful to her elderly, so he did not insist on making my mother apologize.

He took Rosalie’s hand and led her to where he had placed her gifts as if he was showing off his wealth. Every item in her chests was priceless.

In contrast, the gold nuggets he gave me looked like a joke.

I picked up the box and handed it back to Eldwin. “Here, take it back.”

Eldwin was rather angry. “I only brought you a gift out of formality. When the queen’s order arrives, you will have to marry me even if I don’t give you a penny.”

I did not bother to explain anything to him and simply returned the gold nuggets before turning around and walking away.

While I was preparing medicine for the queen, Eldwin stormed in with Rosalie in tow. “There was a huge pearl in one of the chests I gave Rosie. Did you take it?”

I frowned and answered, “No.”

“As if I would believe you. We shall find out once I search your place.”

Rosalie immediately rummaged through my study. All my herbs and medicines were scattered on the floor.

“If you can’t find the pearl, I will demand an apology,” I said in anger.

Just then, Rosalie picked up a pearl from a corner behind the door. She looked very pleased. “I found it, Eld.”

Eldwin took the pearl from Rosalie and turned to me. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

I looked at the pearl that appeared out of nowhere. “Rosalie brought it into my study to frame me. I did not steal from her!”

“The evidence is against you, yet you still dare to deny your wrongdoings! I will report to the queen and cancel our engagement!”

Eldwin took Rosalie’s hand and stalked out angrily.

I had not done anything wrong, so I was not afraid of him reporting this incident to the queen.

After they left, I tidied the scattered herbs and medicine in the study. Later on, the queen’s handmaidens came over to collect Her Majesty’s medicine.

Unexpectedly, after the queen took the medicine that night, she fainted.