Chapter 2

I was completely stunned.

“Henry, where is your respect for the royal family?”

Henry’s face went stiff. “Why must you speak so harshly? We’re simply getting what we each want anyway.”

“Rest assured, if you don’t want to marry me, I won’t force you. You’re free to go find the woman you love and spend the rest of your life with her.”

Henry’s face flushed red, then turned pale. “What do you mean by that?”

Just as I was about to explain, a figure suddenly appeared and slapped herself in the face repeatedly till it was swollen.

“Your Highness, Lord Lapointe’s innocent. He did not mean to offend you. I beg you, please, do not hold it against him. If you must blame anyone, blame me! It is I, his maid, who failed to watch over my master properly.”

Her words were rather cryptic, yet for some reason, Henry suddenly flew into a rage.

“Margot, there’s no need to beg for mercy from her! If she hadn’t abused her power to seize your shop, you wouldn’t have been forced to work as a maid in the Duke’s mansion.”

I laughed in exasperation.

In my previous life, Henry was convinced that I had instigated the Magistrate of Jehvale to shut down Margot’s shop. He made me bear the blame for the rest of my life.

As I lay dying, Henry confronted me. Yet at that time, I had not even heard of Margot.

I tried to explain. I produced the original court documents from the Jehvale District as evidence.

But he claimed that I had fabricated the evidence in advance, just in case he ever discovered the truth.

Seeing Margot’s face swollen from all the slapping, Henry helped her up with a look of pity. His gaze toward me was tinged with disgust.

I had been given a second chance this time around, and I was not about to put up with him anymore.

“With her bookkeeping skills, it’s a miracle she hasn’t been driven out of business already, let alone managed to run a shop.”

I turned to leave. Then, I bumped into a group of noblewomen from the capital on their way to the palace.

Before I could greet them, Henry hurried after me. Disregarding their presence, he shouted angrily, “Zenia Seymour, who do you think you’re insulting? I’ll marry you if you want, but I’m taking Margot as my mistress!

“Margot said that for a man of my standing, having multiple wives is perfectly normal. Even as a princess, you cannot disregard the principles of human relations and the law. If you truly love me, you should let me enjoy the pleasure of having multiple partners.”

A sharp pain stabbed at my heart. My face burned as if I had been slapped.

Henry did not care about my reputation even in the slightest. He could trample on my dignity right in front of the capital’s noblewomen.

I could barely catch my breath. It took me a long time to force the words out through gritted teeth.

“Take as many mistresses as you like. It’s none of my business.”

Henry was not joking.

Back at the Duke’s mansion, he immediately began making frantic and loud preparations to take a mistress.

Cartloads of silk and crates of gold, silver, and jewels were all delivered to Margot’s quarters.

Henry was foolish, but Lady Lapointe was not.

She ordered Margot to be bound and sent to me to do with her as I pleased.

I did not want to get involved in this mess anymore. So, I rushed over to stop it.

Just then, I saw Henry standing in front of Margot. He was crying his eyes out.

“If you send Margot away, you’ll not find me alive.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you and His Highness have been up to! You forced Margot to close her shop. You see her as a nuisance and are trying to kill her.

“If you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll go to the Queen tomorrow and report you.”

Margot hid behind him and wept pitifully. She looked every bit the picture of a woman with a love as deep as the sea, yet utterly powerless.

I stepped forward at the right moment to stop Lady Lapointe.

“Enough! Let her stay with him.”

Lady Lapointe panicked. She slapped Margot and sent her reeling.

“Apologize to Her Highness at once!”

“There’s no need!”

I hurriedly stopped Lady Lapointe.

I took out a pair of rings and said to Henry, “I won’t be attending your wedding, so consider these rings a wedding gift.”