398.Chapter 398
He said, “Mr. Padilla, Mrs. Padilla, and Mrs. Kassandra Padilla, I’m back! I’ve brought Eliza back with me!”
This is Eliza, the daughter of Miss Caroline Padilla, the bloodline of the Padilla family. Eliza will inherit the Padilla family and become the next head of the Padilla family‘ Malaki, choking back tears, silently shared everything about Eliza with the Padilla family ancestors.
Then, Malaki thought to himself, “Mr. Padilla, Mrs. Padilla, and Mrs. Kassandra Padilla, with Eliza here, you can finally rest in
peace.
Eliza stepped forward to light candles for them, but upon inspecting the memorial plaques, she found everything damp and moldy.
She couldn’t light candles under such circumstances.
Hence, Eliza turned and knelt on the ground before the gravestones. After standing in silent tribute like Malaki, she slowly straightened up, gazing at the memorial plaques as she said, “I pray to you, all the ancestors. Please let me successfully change my last name. After I change my last name from Stonor to Padilla, I’ll officially become a member of the Padilla family. I will restore the Padilla family’s honor and reclaim everything that rightfully belongs to us.”
She no longer belonged to Duke’s estate, yet hadn’t fully become a member of the Padilla family either.
Hence, she would have to find a way to take back what Gabriel had stolen from the Padilla family, no matter how difficult.
But once she changed her last name to Padilla and became part of the Padilla family, she would have every reason to do it
After all, a daughter of the Padilla family reclaiming what belonged to them was only natural.
But that was why Gabriel reacted so strongly to Eliza’s idea of changing her last name.
He would never allow her to change her last name so easily.
But no matter what Gabriel did, Eliza’s resolve to change her last name was unshakable.
Though she had become a nun and was not supposed to care so much about those worldly things, like her last name, her identity as the Holy Lady meant she would not be limited to being a nun.
Changing her last name required a simple ceremony, and she did not need to invite anyone. But first, she needed to clean up the Padilla family’s estate.
Malaki was naturally entrusted with handling this matter.
Then, after Eliza returned to Saint Grace Nunnery, Diana, who had been summoned to the palace immediately after she annulled her engagement, finally reappeared after two full days of absence.
“What’s wrong? You look terrible.” As Diana stepped inside, Eliza frowned and asked, “Did someone give you a hard time?”
‘Was it the Empress Dowager? Or the Emperor? Eliza wondered.
“That’s right. Someone gave me a hard time.” Now that only Eliza and two others were in the courtyard, Diana vented without restraint, “Do you know what the Empress Dowager made me do after I entered the palace? She taught me how to manage the inner court herself.”
Diana cried as she said. “There were so many account books piling up like mountains. I’m not even the Empress yet, but the Empress Dowager trusted me enough to let me check them. And not just that. She demanded | finish reviewing them all within two days. After I finished going through the accounts, there was more waiting for me, like inner court petitions, court meetings, administrative offices, palace rules, ceremonial protocols, reward and punishment systems, and the Balanced Approach. Oh my god. I’ve barely started going through the accounts, and my head is already spinning.”
Diana collapsed onto Eliza’s bed dejectedly. “Liza, what should I do? I don’t think I’m competent to be an empress.” “Then don’t go.” Eliza poured her a cup of coffee, waited for her to sit up, and then handed it to her. “The Empress Dowager wants someone who can handle palace politics and help stabilize the empire You’re great at the latter, but it seems you don’t enjoy the former. So, if you truly don’t want to go to the palace, it’s not entirely out of the question to discuss alternatives,”
Hearing Eliza’s words, Diana shook her head firmly after a brief pause. “No, thank you, Liza. Even though I’ve been complaining nonstop, the truth is, I can’t back out. I need to go to the palace.”
