At Harmony Pce, Eleanor questioned the middle-aged man before her. His head was bowed, and she asked sharply, "How is this possible? How did Carissa find out about Cece''s identity?! Did that wretch herself tell Carissa''s people?"


    The man was tall and handsome, though a bit weathered. Hearing Eleanor''s usation, he quickly shook his head.


    "It''s impossible. Celeste would never take the initiative to tell Lady Carissa. She has always been so obedient to you and never dared to disobey your orders."Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "She wouldn''t dare." Eleanor''s eyes shed with hostility. "Her mother is still imprisoned in my pce dungeon. If she wants her mother released, she had better be obedient."


    "Of course. She''ll definitely listen to you."


    Eleanor red coldly at him, growing more enraged at his demeanor. "Go and ask her. Also, instruct the others to keep a lower profile and not let anyone learn of their identities. I suspect that Carissa only learned about Celeste and is making a fuss to provoke me, hoping to make me hesitate and disrupt my ns. I won''t be fooled by her tricks."


    "Understood. I will speak to them about it."


    Seeing that he had nothing else to say and was solely concerned about his daughters, Eleanor''s gaze grew even colder. "Get out!"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Henry turned and left. Over the years of internal strife and scheming, his once imposing figure had be slightly stooped.


    Eleanor watched his retreating figure, thinking of the man who bore some resemnce to him. Her heart stirred briefly, only to be engulfed by a surge of deep-seated hatred.


    Years ago, she had sought Hector''s hand in marriage as a princess, but he had dismissed her without a second thought. Instead, he had chosen the lesser and more insignificant woman, Mnie Sullivan. On their wedding day, Eleanor had cursed them, wishing they would be childless and doomed to an unhappy end.


    Yet, Mnie had given birth to six sons and one daughter. The more Eleanor despised them, the more they seemed to flourish, their love for each other ever strong. The Duke of Northwatch had no concubines or secondary wives.


    After all these years of resentment, Eleanor knew she would never forget the man who had suddenly intruded into her heart and disrupted her entire youth. When the news of his death came, sheughed wildly, and then cried just as uncontrobly.


    He died well, but why wasn''t it Mnie who died instead?


    At least Mnie''s sons had all died with him. Mnie must have been heartbroken. Indeed, she cried so much that she nearly went blind.


    In time, the entire family was wiped out, which was truly a satisfying turn of events.


    Wretches always get their just desserts.


    But that man, even at the moment of


    his death, probably never once thought of Eleanor. And in the dead of night, she still dreamed of the moment she first saw him, her eyes full of wonder, her cheeks flushed with shyness.


    The things she could not have were the most unforgettable.


    She threw the cup to the ground, and it shattered with a loud crash.


    Staring at the broken pieces of porcin, her eyes were filled with hatred. If only her father had agreed to let her marry Hector! If he did, she wouldn''t now harbor such extreme resentment toward him, thete king, as well as toward the current king.


    ''Oh, Father, did you know? You''ve ruined your daughter''s life!''


    At Hibiscus Lane, the side gate of a house creaked open, and a maid ushered in Henry as she said, "Don''t worry, Your Grace. Mr. Langley returned to Gracehold Estate today and won''t be back until tonight at the earliest."


    Henry nodded. "Take me to see her."


    The manor in Hibiscus Lane was a property of the Earl of Gracehold, arranged by Dorothy for Samuel and Ruby to stay in.


    Today, Dorothy had sent for Samuel.


    With his status as heir apparent


    stripped away, Samuel was


    beginning to panic. The situation grew even more dire when he heard that there was a petition to have his name removed from the National Examination Register. Ovee with fear and anxiety, he feltpelled to return to the estate and seek his grandmother''s intervention.


    Henry met his daughter in the sitting room. Ruby, now going by Celeste, stood up and curtsied. "Greetings, Your Grace."


    Henry looked at his daughter''s bowed head and sighed softly. "I''m your father. There''s no one else here, so just call me ''Dad''."


    Celeste lifted her head. "Alright, Dad."


    Henry sat down, his clothes rustling as he settled into the chair. "How was your identity discovered? Your mother is quite upset and has asked me to find out if you''ve been in any private contact with Lady Carissa."