A servant entered the hall and respectfully announced, “Your Majesty, Miss Miranda has arrived.”The king did not lift his head and simply said, “Let her in.”A young woman gracefully stepped into the hall. She had delicate features and a composed expression. She wore an ivory silk gown with pale yellow trim, and a sprig of winter jasmine in soft yellow adorned her neckline. A long, flowing sash draped from her waist, swaying gently with each step, giving her an air of light elegance. Behind her followed a maid in a plain blue dress, head lowered and hands clasped demurely.The two approached and curtsied gracefully. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”The king cast a casual glance at them before briefly shifting his gaze to Earl Croyso. Only then did he say, “Rise.”Without further preamble, he asked, “Miss Miranda, do you know why I have summoned you here?”Miranda lowered her voice and replied, “Your Majesty, I do. The chamberlain who delivered the decree has already explained the matter to
"Hans Dickson, since you already know why I have summoned you, there is no need for unnecessary words," the king said unhurriedly, his expression calm. "Marquis William claims that you and Miss Miranda share mutual affection and that you once brought a handkerchief to the William estate to seek his blessing. Now, tell the truth of the matter. If there is even a single falsehood in your words, you shall not be spared!""Yes, I would not dare utter a single lie!" Hans Dickson replied earnestly, speaking with confidence. "My family is that of a fallen noble house, long without lands of our own. Last year, I came to the capital to participate in the knight selection. During my free time, I often went on excursions to the nearby mountains with friends. It was during one such outing, in September of last year, that I happened to encounter Miss Miranda of House Croyso. "Our conversation was most agreeable, and despite my lowly status, Miss Miranda never looked down on me. Instead, she encou
Marquis William’s eyes widened in astonishment, completely unable to grasp the meaning behind Hans Dickson’s words.A sudden turn of events occurred—just as William was relying on Hans Dickson’s smug accusations against Earl Croyso and Miranda, Hans Dickson unexpectedly uttered these words, causing the situation to take a sharp turn. For a moment, everyone present was bewildered by his statement, staring at both Hans Dickson and Marquis William in confusion.“That statement alone is worth two thousand gold Pieces, wouldn’t you say? It’s enough to be remembered as a remarkable tale.” Hans Dickson smiled, but his expression was as cold as ice. Suddenly, he turned around and made a deep bow to Miranda. “My words earlier were offensive, and I ask for Miss Miranda’s forgiveness.”After Miranda returned the courtesy, Hans Dickson turned toward the king, knelt deeply, and said solemnly, “Your Majesty, the words I spoke earlier were at the instruction of another. In truth, I am completely una
Hans Dickson raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You claim that Miss Miranda and I met in secret multiple times? As the eldest daughter of an earl, Miss Miranda is always accompanied by maids and attendants. Even if she were careless, wouldn’t her nurse have noticed and intervened? How could she possibly have met with me frequently in private?”Earl Croyso nodded approvingly at these words, secretly cheering, Well said!Hans Dickson continued, “Even if we assume, for argument’s sake, that I did have feelings for Miss Miranda, since she is engaged, I would have withdrawn. Would I really be so selfish as to ruin her reputation? And would I have done something as absurd as bringing a handkerchief to her fiancé’s residence to demand a broken engagement? House William is a noble family—if such an incident had truly occurred, wouldn’t they have had me thrown out at once? How could they possibly have broken off the engagement with the Croyso family over such a ridiculous claim? Isn’t that laughab
Hearing these words, everyone except the king, Earl Croyso, the lady in the purple dress, and her maid was utterly shocked. “She…” Marquis William was dumbfounded. “If she’s not Miranda, then who is?” “This is my niece, Rose! Stop staring. The maid beside her isn’t Miranda either—she’s just a maid!” Earl Croyso scoffed. “I knew you’d try to bribe someone to make false accusations!” Clearly, this was a trap set by Earl Croyso and the king. If Hans Dickson truly had a relationship with Miranda, he should at least have met her in person and recognized that this woman wasn’t Miranda. But if he had been bribed and was merely fabricating claims, he would naturally assume that the lady in the purple dress was Miranda upon hearing her introduce herself as such, with Earl Croyso repeatedly calling her by that name and offering his reassurances. Given the circumstances, anyone would believe it. Marquis William had only seen Miranda when she was a very young child. Later, due to Sophie
"What did you say? Sheffield and the Croyso family have broken off the engagement?"Inside the manor, upon receiving the news, Reginald stared fixedly at Harland, who had just delivered the message. The letter he had been reading was clenched in his palm, crumpled into a ball. His shimmering eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a chill colder than ever before—an icy aura that was both piercing and oppressive.An illicit affair… a broken engagement…"Exactly. I heard that Sheffield had a fierce argument with the Croyso family over this. On the way back to their estate, Sheffield and Lady Sheffield were cursing the entire time, making no attempt to keep their voices down. It seemed as if they wanted to make a public spectacle of it. I overheard them saying that Miss Miranda was… was improper, that at such a young age she was already entangled with a man. They claimed the engagement could not proceed and must be called off. The moment I heard it, I rushed back to report."Harland had alread
Even though the Dowager Queen and His Majesty have spoken as they did, the engagement between the Sheffield family and the Croyso family was established first—it is only natural. Is the esteemed Sheffield family truly incapable of weathering such minor turbulence? To break off the engagement at this moment, merely to curry favor with the King and the Dowager Queen—playing the whore while still trying to feign virtue. And worse, they want to brand Miranda with the crime of secret dealings, shifting all the blame onto her, completely disregarding her!No, something isn’t right. Perhaps Sheffield did this on purpose.By proposing the annulment first, they were bound to offend Miranda. Fearing that if she truly entered the palace to serve His Majesty, she might rise in power and seek retribution, they made their move in advance. This way, they could shift the blame onto Miranda, avoiding the disgrace of selling out their fiancée for royal favor. At the same time, they could tarnish Mirand
The great hall fell into a heavy silence, with nearly all eyes fixed on the trembling Marquis William.At this moment, Marquis William was filled with bitter regret.Had he known it would come to this, he would never have been so eager to sever ties with the Croyso family and use June to climb up to the Blackwell lineage. Though he had successfully secured the marriage with June, the outcome was far from glorious—June had been publicly humiliated by Lord Reginald, and the Queen Mother had ordered her out of the palace. What was supposed to be an honorable alliance had turned into an unbearable burden. Yet, the marriage had been decreed by the Queen herself, making it impossible to annul. And now, to make matters worse, Hans had seized the opportunity to turn the previous broken engagement with Miranda against him, shifting all blame onto the William family while painting himself as righteous and virtuous.Now, the entire court likely believed that the William family had betrayed their
Seeing the man's attire, the burly warrior beside him immediately realized that this must be one of their brothers who had gone to the palace to assassinate someone—now back and enraged, looking for a fight. But upon hearing the words "His Highness is dead," his heart was struck with unspeakable shock, his mind going blank for a moment.Stepping forward, he shielded Miranda and raised his sword to block the masked man’s saber.“Calm down! The commander said this woman might still be useful. Don’t go against his word!”But before his words had even finished, the situation changed in a flash.The masked man abruptly twisted his blade, slashing toward the burly warrior’s neck with lightning speed. The angle was vicious and sudden—nearly impossible to guard against.The burly man had assumed this was merely a furious comrade; it never occurred to him that he would suddenly turn his blade on him. Let alone defend himself—he was still in stunned disbelief even as the blade sliced across his
The man in black twisted Miranda's arm with one hand and held a dagger across her with the other. He jerked his chin toward Molly, signaling her to open the door. His grip on the dagger only tightened.Molly glanced worriedly at her miss before stepping forward to open the door.Standing outside was the regal and elegant Queen Dowager, flanked by Margaret and others—Selena stood nearby.The moment the door opened and the Queen Dowager saw Miranda being held hostage, her expression changed drastically. She shouted, “Who are you? How dare you seize a noble lady? Release her at once!”“Oh, how dearly the Queen Dowager treasures this Miss Croyso,” the man in black sneered. “Good. If Your Grace doesn’t want anything to happen to her, then cooperate and help us get out of the palace. With your seal, I don’t suppose it’ll be difficult? Once we’re somewhere safe, we’ll let her go. How about that?”“Your Grace, you mustn’t!” Margaret cried urgently. “These assassins are after His Majesty’s lif
Hearing those words, Miranda finally let out a breath of relief.The fact that the King was willing to assign her tasks meant he had accepted her explanation.Of course, the King would not so easily trust her loyalty; she would still need to prove herself through her future actions. But at least, for someone like her—cornered by the Queen Mother with no way out—there was now a glimmer of hope ahead.As long as the King truly intended to oppose the Queen Mother, and as long as she could assist him in bringing her down, Miranda would be able to regain her freedom and no longer live under the Queen Mother's control."I understand. I will strictly follow Your Majesty's instructions," Miranda replied. "I used an excuse to leave earlier, and I cannot be away for too long. If there are no further orders, I shall take my leave."The King watched Miranda’s retreating figure in silence.Because of that familiar face, he couldn’t help but pay her a little more attention, though he did not show i
"Miranda?"The King, who had just risen to his feet, slowly sat back down, frowning slightly. After a moment, he said, "Let her come forward."Guided by Giles, Miranda approached gracefully and knelt in salute. "Greetings, Your Majesty."The King studied her closely, trying to guess her intentions. "You asked to see me. What is it you wish to say?""I..." Miranda hesitated, carefully choosing her words."Your Majesty's teachings remain engraved in my heart. Yet, in this world, eight or nine out of ten things do not go as one wishes," Miranda answered calmly, her head bowed. Slowly, she lifted her gaze and caught sight of a sheet of paper on the table. Daringly, she picked it up with a gentle motion. The King silently watched her actions."For a piece of paper," she said softly, "its greatest wish would be to remain pure and untouched — neither stained by ink nor creased by water. Yet once a hand reaches out and soaks it in ink or water, the paper has no strength to resist."She did no
That day, the King came to pay his respects at the Queen Dowager’s palace. The Queen Dowager ordered tea to be served.A young lady stepped forward, dressed in a gown of pale blue silk—the soft, mist-like color seemed steeped in delicate light, graceful and ethereal. Her hair ornaments matched in hue, adorned with teardrop-shaped tassels that swayed gently with her movements, catching the light like liquid glass. Her skin was fair as porcelain, her features fresh and luminous, like a lotus emerging from clear waters.Her simple attire, serene beauty, and quiet elegance gave the impression of a cool spring flowing through a sweltering day—soothing and refreshing.When the King saw that the one serving tea was Miranda, he paused. His gaze lingered briefly on her attire, on her calm expression, on the faint scent of perfume that wafted near. His eyes flickered with a shadowed gleam as he said with a faint smile, “I heard Miss Miranda fell ill shortly after entering the palace, and has be
Miranda was filled with doubts.Zachary had taken a liking to her and, without even asking her opinion, went straight to the Queen to request a royal marriage decree. The Queen Dowager fancied her and instantly ordered her into the palace as a companion. They were all powerful figures—so why was it that when Reginald liked her, he remained so silent? So composed? Why hadn’t she sensed even the slightest hint of his feelings?Even after hearing about her engagement to Sheffield, he simply vanished from her world. Aside from that one moment—when he stumbled into her chambers feverish and disoriented—he never once made a move. He didn’t even try to interfere with the betrothal between the Croyso family and Sheffield.Weren’t people like them always forceful and self-indulgent in love and power alike? And Reginald, with his flamboyant and unrestrained nature—why had he acted so differently?Her head throbbed. With a shake, she tried to banish the thoughts. There was a clear disparity in s
In that faintly charged, ambiguous atmosphere, Reginald’s ears suddenly twitched. He had caught the faint sound of footsteps approaching. His expression changed instantly. He gave Miranda a small nod, pulled up his hood, and with a light, soundless leap, landed on the windowsill. With one hand gripping the ledge, he gave a pull—and in the next breath, his figure vanished from sight.Miranda understood at once and quietly closed the window.***It was deep into the night. No stars, no moon—only utter darkness.Miranda lay upon soft pillows, her eyes shut tightly. Beads of sweat gathered on her pale, smooth forehead, soaking into her hairline. Her head moved slightly from side to side, as if trying to shake something off. Her sleep was uneasy.She dreamt of many things from the past.Foolishness from a previous life. The days in the Croyso household, sharing what felt like a mother-daughter bond with her stepmother. Hans’s sweet lies after she married with him—and her naïve, wholehearte
“Although His Majesty shows great respect and deference to the Queen Dowager, and her position in the palace seems untouchable,” Miranda said firmly, “if their relationship were truly as unshakable as it appears, then why would she need to use me as a pawn? That alone tells me—they don’t fully trust each other. I’m convinced there’s a rift between them.”Her eyes gleamed with quiet intelligence.“Besides, the Queen Dowager is from House Blackwell. So is the Queen. If Prince Zachary ascends the throne, the maternal family’s power will be overwhelming. Lord Reginald, tell me—could the King possibly feel at ease with that? Don’t you think he might also want to bring down the Queen Dowager and the Blackwell family?”If the answer to all of those questions was yes—then that was her opportunity.Especially when she recalled that moment at the Croyso estate—how the King, upon first seeing her, had lost his composure and shattered his teacup. Yet in the Queen Dowager’s hall, he had greeted he
“Miranda, what do you intend to do?” he asked cautiously, probing her thoughts.Miranda didn’t answer directly. Instead, she returned the question, “What do you think I should do, Lord Reginald?”“Just as you said, the Queen Dowager is ruthless and cunning. She doesn’t care if she destroys you in the process. So, Miranda, don’t confront her head-on. Evade her, pretend even, let her think she’s won—just don’t suffer for nothing!” That was the real reason Reginald had come today—to warn her. Earlier, he’d gone to the palace to attend council with the King and was granted leave to walk in the royal gardens afterwards. That gave him the opportunity to send Miranda a message, even now, to meet her here in person.Though he’d already passed along a warning through a young eunuch, he had still worried something might go wrong. That’s why he had been hiding near the gazebo all along, ready to intervene if needed.He had seen everything with his own eyes.In the end, it was Selena who suffered