The Chief Lady-in-Waiting’s legs trembled with fear upon hearing this, and she could barely stand, wishing she could immediately hide.
In the Imperial Palace, many servants feared the sinister Second Prince, known for his cruelty. But only those who became the Princess’s personal servants knew that the Princess, gentle, kind, and approachable, was actually the most terrifying one.
The death of Lady Nora was suppressed from the public, but the court ladies couldn’t be kept in the dark.
Now, everyone feared meeting the same fate as Lady Nora.
"I’m sorry, Her Highness has just returned from the training base and is tired, she has already rested," said the lady-in-waiting, mustering her courage and quickly catching up to show her dedication to duty.
Hughes suddenly stopped, a sinister smile on his face, "Since my sister has already rested, then I won’t disturb her."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness."
"Your Highness, what are your orders?"
"Leave the newcomer contest guest invitation for my sister."
Hughes’s servant had long been ready and immediately presented it upon this order. The lady-in-waiting did not dare delay and respectfully received it.
The door to the room silently opened, and Theresa, dressed in home attire, walked out with grace and composure.
"Weren’t you resting?"
"When my brother comes to see me, even if I’m resting, I have to get up!" Theresa’s smile was innocent and kind, and with a slight glance at the new lady-in-waiting, she complained, "The new lady-in-waiting is not yet familiar with her duties; she doesn’t understand anything. Brother, don’t blame her, it’ll be better once she’s used to it."
Scared by Theresa’s words, the lady-in-waiting turned pale, and sweat beaded on her forehead.
Initially, the Second Prince had no intention of punishing her, but the Princess’s words, seemingly pleading, were actually pushing her towards the abyss.
If the Second Prince punished his own sister’s lady-in-waiting upon his return to the palace, the whispers of the image-conscious could render him a reputation for brutality.
So, while it might have been just a small phrase, if successful, the gains would be tremendous.
Theresa didn’t need to exert any effort, while the lady-in-waiting became an unfortunate pawn in her game.
Hughes looked at his sister with profound meaning, too lazy to pay attention to the lady-in-waiting.
"My sister is always so understanding. If I don’t harshly punish your new lady-in-waiting, it would be an injustice to your kind reminder."
"You’ve misunderstood, Second Brother. How could you think so badly of your own sister? I would be more than happy if you weren’t angry."
A surge of defeat and resentment rose in Theresa’s heart. In the past, her schemes and subtle manipulations had always gone uninterrupted, and if someone felt something was amiss, they would think it was just their imagination.
Even if discovered, they would just laugh it off or simply indulge her intentions.
But this time, the Second Prince called her out directly.
Theresa lost face on the spot, and she naturally knew why.
It was detestable Lin Fu’s fault.
She had only been careless for a moment, allowing Lin Fu to turn the tables and cause such a chain reaction, nearly causing the collapse of the image she’d cultivated for years.
During the newcomers’ orientation, those people were still crazily worshiping and respectful towards her, but returning from the training base to the Imperial Palace, her situation was completely different.
From high-level generals to court maids, their looks were no longer the same.
All this was Lin Fu’s doing.
What was most insidious was that Lin Fu dared to manipulate Major General Fu Xing and oppose her.
Her requests to see the Emperor had been rejected, which was unthinkable in the past and was a warning from the Emperor—with everyone in the palace watching!
Perhaps soon rumors of her fall from grace would spread.
With so much bad news piling up, how could Theresa possibly sleep?