Chapter 189 This boy is at most seventeen or eighteen years old...
I paused for a few seconds, then said, "Really?"
“Yes.” He moved closer to me, so close that his hot breath wafted into my nose. “I’m already tired of her. Her ass is really disgusting, big and fat, but she’s proud of it, thinking her ass is the most beautiful in the world.”
I was speechless. This prince is so vulgar.
"If Bernard dumps you someday, come find me. I'll make sure you're doing well." His hot breath drew closer, and I involuntarily took two steps back. He quickly moved closer again, chuckling hoarsely, "You must be pretty good, otherwise you wouldn't be able to charm so many men. Mine's not bad either. How about we try it tonight?"
Not wanting to offend anyone, I just smiled wryly, turned around, and left.
“The Crown Prince is a womanizer; he’s had over a hundred mistresses.” After leaving the garden, Hailuo, who had been sidelined earlier, slipped over and whispered, “He changes to a new one every now and then.”
I chuckled. "Aren't you afraid of getting sick from interacting with so many people?"
"The Crown Prince is very strict. Every mistress has to undergo a physical examination, and only those who pass can sleep with him."
"Where is the Crown Prince's wife? Doesn't she have any objections to having so many mistresses?"
“The Crown Prince’s wife came from the Duran family. She was very well-educated and was a typical virtuous wife and loving mother. She didn’t dare to have any objections at all.”
Two days later, at the Jord family ball, I saw both the Crown Prince's wife and Bernard's wife. They must have come for me; they were dressed in dazzling, shimmering jewels, with red and green eyeshadow that shimmered subtly, long eyelashes, and luscious lips—they were very beautiful.
They walked towards me from a distance. At first, I was confused and didn't know who they were. Hero whispered something to me.
Princess Ayana, the Crown Prince's wife, had her silver hair piled high, exuding elegance and grace, with an ethereal air. Mrs. Nora, Benoit's wife, had long, silver hair cascading over her shoulders, reflecting the crystal chandeliers with a soft sheen, possessing a rational and proud beauty.
“Lady Lanna, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Princess Ayana said first.
Mrs. Nora smiled and said, "You are much more beautiful than I imagined."
I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult, so I politely replied, "Not at all, you are the truly beautiful one."
Princess Ayana and Lady Nora exchanged a smile, seemingly finding my reply somewhat abrupt.
“I have always admired you,” Princess Ayana said politely, “especially after hearing that you helped quell the unrest in the Elven Realm and captured the Great City of the West.”
Mrs. Nora smiled and said, "You are so capable. We women can only manage housework at home."
I realized I'm bad at conversation and don't know how to respond, so I can only give an awkward laugh.
The two women's eyes held a hint of mockery and contempt.
The music started playing, and the nobles flocked to the dance floor. The two women's attention was also diverted. I breathed a slight sigh of relief and prepared to leave when a tall, fair-skinned man extended his hand to me. "Lady Lana, I would like to invite you to dance."
Before I could react or say yes or no, I was pulled into the dance floor by this hand.
Under the dazzling crystal chandelier, the man, or rather the boy, was at most seventeen or eighteen years old. He was mysterious and handsome, with pale skin, a charming smile, and a noble demeanor. His short silver hair revealed his royal status.
I can't dance, and he was spinning me around, which made me dizzy. I was further dazzled by his sparkling teardrop-shaped diamond earrings, ruby necklace, and crystal brooch.
When the song ended, I almost lost my balance and swayed, falling against the boy. He gently but firmly supported me. "Are you alright, Mrs. Lana?"
"It's okay, this dance is too dizzying."
"I'm sorry, I saw you couldn't get away, so I dragged you here to dance."
Thank you. May I ask who you are?
“Derson, the youngest brother of Prince Bernot and Crown Prince Ivanhoe.” He smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth. “You may not have heard of me, but I have long heard of your great name.”
"How could I not have heard of it?" I quickly replied—of course I hadn't, but I couldn't say that, "I've heard so much about you."
He smiled slyly, without exposing my lie.
I was just about to find a place to leave when I suddenly caught sight of a long-haired maid rushing towards us. I was surprised; did she have something urgent to tell me? Desen turned around as if sensing something, his expression changed drastically, and he grabbed me and pulled me forward immediately. I didn't know what was going on, so I could only run after him.
The maid suddenly accelerated, bumping into two noble ladies in succession. The ladies cried out in alarm and cursed, but the maid paid no heed and charged straight at us. I finally realized something was wrong and sped up, but the maid was even faster. She lunged forward and tackled me to the ground, a dagger appearing as she stabbed me in the back and waist. "You killed my mother! Die!"
I was in so much pain that I lay on the ground, unable to utter a sound. Amidst my screams and cries, the frantic maid was quickly pulled away. Desen subdued the maid, grabbing her throat with one hand and holding her wrists behind her back with the other. I was bleeding profusely and was carefully helped up by several maids.
"Who committed this crime? Who did you stab?" A furious shout came from the crowd. Through my blurry vision, I saw a bearded man in a luxurious silver robe striding forward, surrounded by several guards.
Just as they were approaching us, we suddenly heard a collective gasp. The maid, without any apparent method, broke free from Dessen and lunged at the bearded man again. Then, with a loud bang, the maid exploded!
The deafening roar, the splattering of blood and flesh, the sheer horror—I fainted…
For the Eastern Territory, where conspiracies and intrigues abound, this explosion was still a sensational event.
While I was recovering from my injury, the mastermind behind the maid was exposed, and it turned out to be Bernard's former chief mistress—the one whose face was disfigured and covered in urine and feces by Deira.
She lay in bed, terminally ill, and smiled weakly: "So what if it's me? Let me die, I'm not afraid."
She was on her deathbed, so naturally she wasn't afraid. Driven by revenge, she was desperate to kill me.
I disfigured her, caused her to fall out of favor, and led to her punishment by Bernard. All her misfortunes stemmed from me; she wanted me dead. But she forgot that she was the one who imprisoned me for years, ensuring I would never see the light of day again. Oh, right, she initially wanted me dead, to die on Iani's wedding night, but that failed, so she framed me and sent me to the harshest prison in the East, the sixth level underground, where sunlight never shines, and I never even get a chance to go out for fresh air. She wanted me dead, wanted me insane, wanted me ruined there.
She conspired with Sharin's daughter, the maid who caused the explosion, to buy explosives from the black market and bribe people in the palace to infiltrate the palace disguised as maids.
It was only then that I learned that Sha Ling was dead; she had committed suicide a few days earlier. Her daughter believed that I had killed her and wanted revenge for her mother, even going so far as to set herself on fire to take my life.
But the nobles were skeptical of this claim. If I was truly the former chief mistress's target, why would this maidservant so desperately throw herself at Abdul, the bearded man in the luxurious silver robe, and Bernot's adoptive father?
Through meticulous investigation and layer-by-layer examination, it was finally discovered that Abdul had also been in a relationship with this chief mistress. This chief mistress was the illegitimate daughter of a tycoon, and had known Abdul for a long time, having had a relationship with him when she was only a teenager. Abdul was attracted to her charm and spent a lot of money to make her the most famous socialite in high society circles.
Later, when Benoît returned to the capital, a socialite took a liking to him. Abdul actually encouraged her to become Benoît's mistress, and gave her a lot of support both openly and secretly. The socialite, in turn, proved herself capable, not only becoming Benoît's mistress but also his chief mistress.
She continued her relationship with Abdul, but very secretly. She was reluctant to give up the abundant resources Abdul possessed, such as information, money, and connections, while Abdul needed her to occasionally obtain information from Bernot.
The two had a mutually beneficial relationship and things had gone smoothly until I appeared, which changed everything. She sensed a crisis. Abdul then told her the family secret of Ianif's family, the secret of the bride-hunting on their wedding night, and she immediately plotted to kill me.
The plan was undoubtedly a success, but it created a rift between her and Abdul. Abdul demanded a large sum of money from her, claiming that the news of the honeymoon hunt was expensive, and almost emptied half of her wallet. She initially refused to pay, but Abdul threatened to tell Bernot if she didn't.
She had no choice but to pay. Later, Abdul asked her for money several more times, and she was forced to give it to him again. She then went to Benot for money, but after a few times, Benot gave her less. She grew poorer and poorer, and when Abdul asked for money again, she couldn't produce any. Abdul urged her to go to Benot for more, but she feared that if she asked for too much, Benot would become suspicious. To satisfy Abdul's greed, she had to secretly sell herself, sleeping with several nobles to obtain a sum of money to appease him.
She hated Abdul, but was even more afraid that Bernot would find out the truth, so she went further and further down the path of prostitution.
Years later, her framing of me came to light, and she was abandoned by Bernard. She secretly went to Abdul, wanting to get some money back, but Abdul turned his back on her and threw her out.
Unable to confront Abdul, she had no choice but to accept the loss.
Therefore, when she was planning the bombing with Sha Ling's daughter, she said that if the bomb didn't kill her, it would kill Abdul. "If you can kill Abdul, your illegitimate son will get all my property."
Sha Ling's daughter's illegitimate child is only six months old, and the biological father has disappeared. Raising him alone is extremely difficult. However, if you have a large sum of money, deposit it in a private bank in the Eastern Territory, pay a management fee every year, and someone will manage your money. Every month, a sum will be transferred to your beneficiary, and someone will personally deliver it to your door.
Shaling's daughter could hire a wet nurse for her son or find a family to adopt him. In the interest of receiving money every month, the son would grow up safely. If the son died or went missing, the money would remain locked in the bank for life.
Although the former mistress's money was not as much as before, it was still a large sum of money in the eyes of Sha Ling's daughter, so she gritted her teeth and did this.
He sought revenge for his mother's death, raised his son, and his daughter, Shaling, was also a hero, if not for being his adversary.
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