Chapter 214
“All in?” Nolan’s voice turned icy. Including your life?”
“Of course Isabelle smiled sweetly. “Eliza was never suited for bloodshed. But me? I can be your sharpest sword, Your Highness. For you. I
Before she could finish, a blade suddenly pierced through the side of the carriage–clean and swift–narrowly grazing her neck
A bead of cold sweat rolled down Isabelle’s forehead.
Outside. Nolan calmly withdrew his sword “I have plenty of swords,” he said flatly. “I don’t need one like you. And next time you compare yourself to Serenity, I won’t miss.
With that, he mounted his horse and gave a cool glance toward the carriage. “Burn it,” he ordered.
“Yes. Your Highness, Ross replied without hesitation.
Thus ended Isabelle’s first grand seduction attempt–kicked out of the carriage by Ross, and her opulent coach dragged off and set ablaze.
Isabelle was fuming. Humiliation simmered in her chest like acid, though she’d somewhat prepared herself for failure. She just hadn’t expected to be dismissed quite so thoroughly.
Still, she thought, if Nolan had been that easy to seduce, she would’ve lost all interest in him
He was, after all, the Prince Regent. The man feared and revered across the land. There had always been whispers about his deep disdain for women’s advances–yet Eliza was the lone exception.
Some claimed he only protected her because it was royal decree, because she was the Holy Lady. But Isabelle didn’t buy that. Once she’d steadied her mood, she turned to her returning maid, Aria Hogan, and asked, “So? Did anything happen at the banquet after I left?”
She’d left early to prepare for Nolan, leaving Aria behind with her father to observe until the end of the feast,
Aria chuckled. “You left too soon. You missed one hell of a sh
show.
Aria smiled slyly. “The King chose Sophie. Declared it in front of the whole court–he wants her as a royal consort. She’s been placed in the Empress Dowager’s palace to begin training
At first, Isabelle was stunned. A royal consort? For Sophie?
All that wide–eyed, trembling innocence must’ve paid off somehow.
But the moment Aria mentioned Sophie staying behind to “learn the rules,” Isabelle’s instinct kicked in
“She didn’t even speak to Gabriel or the others afterward. Just rushed off with the Empress Dowager, Aria added.
That made Isabelle laugh outright. “Utter fool. Being this stupid should be considered a talent.”
Aria blinked. “Wait is something wrong with her being chosen?
Isabelle’s tone turned cool. “In every proper selection, palace maids are sent to the home of the chosen girl. They’re taught palace etiquette before entering Hut Sophie? They’re keeping her inside from the start. That’s a trap, not an honor.”
She paused, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “She could be locked away for ten days, ten months, even longer. And when
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Chapter 214
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the time comes, all it’ll take is one sentence–She’s too slow, unfit for the role–and just like that, Sophie becomes the joke
of Hasen City”
Aria’s eyes widened. Serves her right. She really thought the Padilla family had no one left to defend them?”
Isabelle let out a cold snort. “Let’s go. Time to plan the next move.”
Meanwhile, in the mountain–side herb garden, Eliza was busy transplanting a cluster of iron–skin dendrobiums. These were the ones that had survived her no–spiritual–energy test batch–grown solely through technique, not mystical soil.
Malaki stood beside her, watching every motion with a meticulous eye, correcting her form bit by bit. Only when she grew confident enough did he help her finish the planting
They worked until sunset before finally calling it a day.
That’s enough.” Malaki said, brushing dirt from his hands. Time to head back for dinner. Just monitor the growth over the next few days”
“You too.” Eliza replied with a smile. “Back to the monastery.”
After waving him off, she slowly made her way back toward Saint Grace Nunnery. But the moment she stepped into her courtyard, she froze.
A familiar face she hadn’t seen in days was suddenly there, seated at the table under the eaves–surrounded by a full spread of elegant, fragrant vegetarian dishes, perfectly arranged. Not a single plate missing.
Nolan turned at the sound of her steps, his smile warm and natural. “You’re back? Go wash your hands–we’re ready to eat.” The way he said it, he sounded less like a prince regent… and more like a husband waiting for his wife to come home.
