Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 299: Moonstone’s Judgement II

Chapter 299: Moonstone’s Judgement II

"No..." Drusilla was on the verge of tears, her eyes filled with a whirlwind of emotions.

A deep flush of shame tinged her cheeks, and her lips trembled as if struggling to find words to explain. Her gaze was heavy and her shoulders were slumped, shaking with every long breath she took in. Yet, even as the seconds ticked by, she couldn’t find a single word to help refute her own case.

Everything was sealed in stone and there was nothing else she could do about it.

"Perhaps it is indeed time for Drusilla to wed," Queen Anette said from one side, looking at her husband. She searched his face for a sign — any sign — of how accepting he was of her suggestion.

Yet, he remained stoic as ever.

She carefully continued, watching King Cyrus and studying his expressions, prepared to stop short the moment she noticed a shift.

"Rumors can’t be kept under covers for long," Queen Anette cautiously said. "Eventually, the attendees of tonight who witnessed it would spread the information. We should have her married as soon as possible."

"There’s not much use in that if she’s married to any other man," King Cyrus snapped. "Either way, the people who witnessed this clownery had seen who it was she was in bed with. If Drusilla married another, the rumors would only be uglier."

"But, with all due respect, Your Majesty, it might be harder for Drusilla to find a husband if word gets out," Hazelle reminded. "Perhaps it’s best for her to find out before the rumors spread."

"It will not spread," King Cyrus firmly said. He eyed everyone present in the room, his eyebrows knitting together into a tight frown. "No one is to speak of this. It is a disgrace to the royal name." He glared at his daughter-in-law and warned, "Make sure of that, if not, it would be the last thing you do."

Hazelle gritted her teeth, her fists clenching at her sides. Yet, with all the annoyance and injustice she felt, she could only swallow it down with a perfect fake smile. She curtsied — almost in a little too over-exaggerated manner — and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she said.

With her husband now kicked off the position of the next heir to the throne, there was nothing she could do but bow her head and plan for her own return to the peak. This little slip-up of Drusilla’s was perfect― Hazelle could finally rid the thorn in her side. This no-good sister-in-law of hers was more than a mere half-sister to her husband. She could see it in the way he looked at her, and she at him.

Whoever Alistair favored more than herself — his rightful wife — would need to be removed from the equation.

Even Daphne, annoying as she was, wasn’t as much of a prick that Hazelle hated to see in comparison.

Atticus merely whistled as he watched this family drama unfold. He smirked, leaning closer to his wife, who was trying to wipe her moonstone ring clean until it gleamed again. She hated the thought of Drusilla wearing her ring twice, even if it was an experiment to put her in her place.

"They’re not going to succeed," he whispered to Daphne, his eyes still trained on the family of jesters. "Look at your mother. She’s already scheming."

"Of course she is," Daphne muttered back, keeping her voice low. She spared a glance to look in their general direction, and true enough, her mother’s expression was filled with glee.

She was practically gloating and praying for Drusilla’s downfall, and everything could be seen clearly, written plainly in her eyes. For a woman who was supposed to have mastered the art of masks and false pretenses, this was a joy that Queen Anette couldn’t even be bothered to hide.

"Your ring came in much more handy than I thought," Atticus continued to comment, admiring the rainbow sheen that colored the milky white stone. "But the sheen isn’t as strong as your half-sister’s. Maybe that should be corrected?"

Daphne rolled her eyes, her mood instantly lifted. A smile threatened to tip the corner of her lips up as she huffed at her husband, shaking her head in playful anger, her hands on her hips.

"Is that the only thing that is inside your head?" she asked, flicking his forehead.

He was so tall that she had to stand on the tips of her toes― Atticus even bent down slightly when speaking to her! That was a little embarrassing, but Daphne tried not to care too much about it.

"It is," Atticus replied earnestly. "We should return to our room. Right now. Immediately."

Daphne barely even had the chance to reply before a loud banging sound caught her attention. She jumped in fright, looking for the source of the noise only to see Duke Lanperouge on the floor still, his forehead pressed against the lacquered wood and his hands stretched out in front of him.

"Thank you!" he said. He raised his head before slamming it back down with another kowtow. "Thank you, both of you! Is there anything you desire? Is there anything I can do to thank you both? Please, just name it!"

Atticus frowned, pulling Daphne protectively into his hold before taking a step back and away from the crazed duke.

"Stay away from us," he coldly said. "You are a Duke of Reaweth; you should know who your loyalties should lay with."

"Of course!" Duke Lanperouge immediately stated. "Thank you, King Atticus. Thank you, Crown Princess Daphne. You have my support with regard to the throne. May you lead Reaweth into an era of prosperity!"

Listening to all of this from one side, King Cyrus’s eyebrows ticked. He glared harshly at his daughter and her husband, then at the failure of a princess who was still rocking herself back and forth, clothed only by a bedsheet and nothing more.

Drusilla was a wreck. King Cyrus had put in so much for this favored daughter, doing his best to raise her to become the most-beloved princess of Reaweth. Yet, in just one night and with just one mistake, she had shattered her own reputation.

Perhaps his queen was right. It might be high time to find Drusilla a husband before the rumors got too far out of hand. He sincerely doubted Alistair’s useless wife would be able to stamp the rumor mill down.

True enough, outside in the main hall, words have already begun to spread. Atticus had destroyed the door, allowing snippets of their confrontation to be overheard.

"Have you heard?" a noble who witnessed the entire debacle told another who hadn’t been present. "Princess Drusilla was caught in bed with a man!"