Still reeling from the encounter with Sarah, Anna turned to redith and Sylvia, seeking an explanation for their actions. She couldn’t help but feel a mix of surprise and amusent at their boldness.
"Oh, my God! r! Sylvia! What was that all about?" Anna asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
Sylvia grinned mischievously.
"Consider it a soft revenge. I’ve always wanted to give that woman a taste of her own dicine, but redith’s approach was more refined and justified."
redith smiled.
"I promised you I would crush anyone who tries to bully you. Considering her infatuation with your husband, I anticipated that Sarah would react this way."
"Has she confronted you before?" asked Sylvia.
"Yes, she did... once, before the proclamation," said Anna.
Sylvia’s brows furrowed.
"Why didn’t you tell us?"
"I didn’t think it was important since I knew I would return to the duchy soon," Anna explained.
She then changed the subject, turning her attention to Sylvia.
"By the way, Sylvia, what’s the story behind your mother’s family? I’m curious to know. Also, why did they seem afraid of you when you ntioned it?"
Sylvia put on a casual face, sowhat dismissively.
"Ah... it’s not sothing I like to brag about," she replied, evading the topic.
redith couldn’t help but interject, needing to clarify their friend’s previous statent.
"She may pretend not to brag about it, but she talks about it all the ti," she said with a hint of amusent.
Anna’s curiosity grew, and she eagerly requested Sylvia to share the details.
"Please, tell more."
"My mother is the youngest and only daughter of the Marquess of Sylvere, one of the four pillar families of Cassians," Sylvia began.
Confusion crossed Anna’s face.
"The Four Pillar Families of Cassian? I’m not familiar with them."
redith interjected to provide further information, "Aside from the Raychards, who are the royal family, there are four other families known as ’The Four Pillar Families of Cassians.’ These families were the original northern warriors who directly served His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Ro’an. They hold significant status and influence. The four families are the Duke of Sanad and the Duke of Greene, blood-related to the Raychards from the first king’s generation, the Marquess of Roland of whom Her Majesty the Queen’s family once served, and finally, the Marquess of Sylvere, Sylvia’s mother’s family."
Anna nodded, beginning to grasp the significance of Sylvia’s family background.
"So, it’s a high-ranking noble family, second only to the dukes. But why did your mother marry your father, who is a Count? Typically, noblewon of such high rank would seek a match from an equivalent family," she said.
"My father’s eyes first fell upon my mother at a grand ball. They chatted, danced, and found themselves smitten with each other. Their relationship began to flourish from several secret etings. Determined to make her his own, he approached my grandfather, humbly requesting her hand in marriage. However, his request was t with rejection," Sylvia recounted.
Anna’s eyes widened with concern. "Oh, dear! What happened next? Did he give up?"
Sylvia shook her head with a smile.
"No, he did not. He kept on coming to the march and pleaded over and over again. Annoyed, my grandfather instructed my three uncles to beat him rcilessly, but my mother intervened, saving my father from their wrath. He fainted in her arms, and my mother cried endlessly. Since she was the family’s apple, my grandfather and uncles had to give up and release him."
Anna’s voice filled with awe.
"That is incredibly romantic! It sounds like a story straight out of a romance novel."
Sylvia nodded.
"Indeed it does. Even when my mother recalls the tale, her cheeks still flush with that youthful blush."
Curiosity prompted Anna to ask, "How did your grandfather eventually agree to the marriage?"
"After the dramatic turn of events, my grandfather and uncles decided to conduct a background check on my father. They discovered that, while he may not have possessed the strength of a warrior, he was a sincere and honest man. This revelation satisfied my grandfather, who admitted to preferring a gentleman over a strict individual. He longed for a granddaughter, a desire unfulfilled until then, as all his grandchildren consisted of ten boys," Sylvia continued.
redith chuckled, "And that’s after pumling your father so severely! It’s quite an unimaginable twist."
Anna voiced her admiration, "Sylvia, your father’s courage is truly remarkable. Hearing his story, I can’t help but admire him."
Sylvia’s response hinted at humour: "From my mother’s family’s perspective, however, he has always been seen as a bit of a pervert."
redith added her opinion, emphasising the rarity of such unwavering devotion, "Not many n are willing to go to such extraordinary lengths for love. So, it’s important to appreciate and trust your husband for the sacrifices he makes."
Anna’s concern resurfaced, causing her to look down. "I understand. That’s why I can’t stop worrying about him."
redith intervened to ease Anna’s anxiety, "Let’s set that matter aside for now, shall we? The more we dwell on it, the more nervous Anna will be. How about we focus on sothing else to relieve the tension? Where would you like to go?"
Anna took a mont to consider, attempting to redirect her thoughts.
"I’m not quite sure..."
"Do you want to eat sothing?" Sylvia asked.
Anna shook her head. "No, I don’t feel like it."
Sylvia then turned to redith, "Any ideas, r?"
"No, it’s been quite so ti since I’ve been to the palace, except for the recent incident, and the place I’ve been is definitely not a perfect spot for enjoynt," redith replied, referring to her ti in the prison dungeon.
Sylvia nodded in agreent.
"Yes, definitely not."
They continued walking down another hallway when they encountered two maids walking side by side, engaged in a lively conversation. As they approached each other, the maids bowed respectfully to Anna and the noblewon.
Anna recognised them imdiately and exclaid, "I know you two!"
The maids looked up, surprised by the princess’s words. One of them tentatively asked, "My lady, you rember us?"
Anna nodded eagerly.
"Yes! You were the one who got scared when you found His Highness, the Grand Duke, on my bed, and you... " She turned her gaze to the other maid. "You’re the one who defended against the other maids who spread malicious rumours about ."
The maid’s face turned pale upon hearing the princess’s statent.
"But... I never told that to anyone!" the maid exclaid, her voice filled with surprise and concern.
Anna responded to her, saying, "I saw it with my own eyes. I was under the nearby tree when it happened."
Overwheld by guilt, the maid fervently bowed, apologising.
"Oh, forgive , my lady! I didn’t an to hide it! I’m new here and didn’t want to cause any trouble!"
Anna quickly intervened, soothing her worries.
"It’s all right! I’m not here to reprimand you. I just want to say thank you for what you did for . I truly appreciate it."
The maid slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with nervousness. "You do?" she asked tentatively.
Anna nodded warmly.
"Yes, I do. I’ll never forget your kindness. What’s your na?" she asked.
The maid replied, "My na is Scarlett, and my friend here is Mary."
Curious about the encounter, redith interjected, asking for more details, "What is all this about, Anna? What’s your story with them?"
Anna replied, "Just a few things that happened during my stay at the palace."
She proceeded to share her story with her friends.
Upon hearing the tale, Sylvia suggested, "Ah... then you should report this to His Highness! Let them be the witnesses for the slander case!"
Anna contemplated for a mont and responded, "No need. I believe the other maids aren’t the main culprits. Besides, the rumours have already died down. Bringing it up again would only cause unnecessary trouble for these two, and I don’t feel like pursuing it."
"You’re just too kind, Anna." Sylvia sighed.
"Thank you, my lady. We’re deeply grateful for your kind thoughts," Scarlett expressed her gratitude, bowing once more.
Mary, wanting to help further, offered, "My lady, if you don’t mind asking, where are you heading to? I heard you left in a rush last night. Did you leave anything important in the room? I could go and fetch it for you."
Anna shook her head.
"Oh, I did return to the mansion last night, but I didn’t leave anything important behind. I just need to find a place to ease my stress. His Highness the Grand Duke is occupied with an important task, so I must wait for him to finish."
redith, seeking a secluded place for their conversation, inquired, "Can you suggest a more private location where we can freely talk? You both might know since you work here."
Scarlett pondered montarily before suggesting, "How about that place?"
"Which one?" Mary asked.
"The secret garden," Scarlett answered.
"Oh, that one!" Mary exclaid.
"There’s a secret garden in the palace?" Anna expressed her curiosity.
redith and Sylvia were also interested in knowing.
Scarlett clarified, "Well, it’s not exactly a secret garden, though there is a beautiful garden there. We call it that because nobody goes there anymore, except for the retired gardener and a few other servants responsible for its maintenance. It’s been temporarily closed."
"You’ll be amazed when you see it, my lady!" Mary added with excitent.
"What is that place, and why is it closed?" asked Anna.
"It is the Crown Prince’s quarters. It’s closed because there’s no new Crown Prince yet," said Scarlett.
Anna connected the dots, comnting, "That ans it was His Highness, the Grand Duke’s place when he was the Crown Prince."
Scarlett confird, "Yes, my lady."
A smile ford on her face, and she turned to redith and Sylvia, who both shared her excitent.
"Lead us there!" Anna exclaid, eager to explore the place.
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