Chapter 35
The sharp reprimand from Andrew made everyone at the banquet immediately lower their heads and bowed. “Your Majesty!”
The King has arrived!‘ Waldo’s heart tightened in fear. He quickly yanked his hand away from Priscilla and hissed, “The king’s here! If you don’t want to die, bowed and pay vour respects!”
Priscilla had never seen the King before, but with everyone else bowing, even if she had the courage, she knew better than to act up in front of him. The King held far more power than Waldo.
Seeing Waldo bow, Priscilla hurriedly followed suit, murmuring, “Your Majesty.”
However, she forgot to salute the Queen. More importantly, she didn’t think much of
the women
in the imperial harem.
To her, they were merely women who had climbed to their positions by using their charm to manipulate men. She had little respect for them.
She didn’t look at the Queen, but the Queen’s gaze lingered on her for a long time.
“What’s going on here, Waldo?” the Queen asked, her voice calm but tinged with concern.
Consort Adele, who had arrived with them, immediately spotted the bloodstains on Waldo’s neck.
She then noticed Priscilla’s disheveled hair, indicating that a physical altercation had taken place. Her heart sank.
She thought, ‘Great! I haven’t even had a chance to intervene, and this troublesome girl has already created a mess for herself.”
Unease crept through Consort Adele as her gaze shifted to Jessica, who stood not far behind them.
Although her hair was a bit tangled, Jessica didn’t seem distressed. In fact, her natural beauty made the slightly disheveled look seem almost endearing.
She thought, ‘What is going on with these three?‘
Once the King and Queen had entered, everyone finished their bow and quickly stepped aside.
Waldo still had visible wounds on his neck, and with the Queen just having addressed him, there was nowhere for him to retreat.
“Father, Mother, I-”
“Your Majesty!” Before Waldo could finish, Jessica stepped forward, slowly walking toward him and Priscilla. She bowed, stopping a few paces from them.
“Jessica, what is the meaning of this?” The king, who had watched Jessica grow up, looked at her, puzzled.
Jessica had always been gentle, well–mannered, and exceptionally beautiful, and the King had always held a certain fondness for her.
Although her decision to break off their engagement had upset him a bit, it wasn’t enough for him to dislike her.
Jessica remained bowing, slowly moving a few steps/forward. She spoke in a soft but firm voice, “Your Majesty, I am an innocent woman, yet I’ve been falsely accused of corrupting the military camp as a seductress. I beg the Queen to send a matron to verify my purity.”
“What?” Both the King and the Queen were taken aback, almost losing their composure.
They thought, ‘To have a matron examine her purity–this is an immense humiliation! What can have possibly driven this beautiful, delicate girl to willingly endure such disgrace?‘
The king’s face darkened. “Waldo, what’s going on here?”
Waldo thought, ‘How could such a scandal unfold so publicly?‘
1/2
Chapter 35
Waldo didn’t know how to explain. He had only just learned about the rumors circulating outside.
But how could he explain? If he said too much, his father would think he was meddling in trivial disputes among women–unworthy of his positi said too little, he’d still be in trouble.
Finally, he sighed and answered truthfully, “I don’t know how it started. I only just heard about the rumors involving me and Jessica, but it’s really nothing serious.”
“Seems like just some petty squabbles between women!” Consort Adele, her mind in turmoil, quickly moved to smooth things over. “Such trivial matters don’t need to trouble the king. They can resolve it once they return!”
She was about to step forward to help Waldo up, but unexpectedly, Jessica continued to bow, moving forward several more steps.
Straightening her back, her gaze firm, she spoke with a clear, strong voice, “Your Majesty! There are rumors spreading that I’ve corrupted the military camp over the years. This is a disaster for both me and the Yates family. It’s not a small matter, as Consort Adele claims! If I cannot clear my name today, 1 will die here in front of the world to prove my innocence!”
ぐう
