CHAPTER 214: ORDERS

The person that the noble women were talking about was actually Charlotte.

But considering the events happening between the couple recently, it wasn’t surprising.

Aristia intended to pass by, but her curiosity to know what exactly they were talking about got the better of her.

"... that Marchioness Oswalt isn’t getting a divorce again."

"I heard so too. And I thought a divorce was bound to happen." The noble woman saying this actually sounded disappointed.

"I thought so too. I wonder what happened to change her mind."

"Yes. Not only that, she’s also paying attention to that basta— boy." The noble woman speaking changed her would last minute, glancing around to make sure no one overheard.

Seeing that the other guests weren’t paying attention to their little group, she relaxed, unaware of a child hidden in the bushes.

"I think she’s accepted him." She continued, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"It’s outrageous, accepting her husband’s illegitimate child," another person scoffed. "Maybe it’s just for show. On the surface, it seems like they’re close, but really, she still hates him."

A lot of them nodded. Many of the nobles actually agreed with this.

Aristia quickly got bored listening to them. But at least she had confirmed that Charlotte wasn’t pursuing a divorce anymore.

Unlike these people, she knew the truth. Charlotte wasn’t pretending, she really had become close with Wade.

She turned around and crawled out of the bushes, only to come in contact with a pair of shoes...

Her heart skipped a beat. Who had seen her like this...?

Her head trailed up slowly until she reached the face.

It was chocolate brown eyes staring at her in amusement, eyes sparkling a bit.

A relieved sigh subconsciously left Aristia’s lips and she chuckled awkwardly, smiling innocently.

"You like hiding in the bushes a lot, don’t you, princess?" The person said.

"Charlotte..." Aristia crawled fully out of the bushes and dusted her clothes. She really was relieved. She had been careless. Who knew what would have happened if it had been someone else who had caught her instead of Charlotte.

Charlotte took a leaf out of her hair.

"It’s really not ethical to eavesdrop, princess." She said, scanning Aristia’s body and then looking behind her at the noblewomen who hadn’t noticed anything.

The place they were in was quite secluded, and not a lot of people were there, so no one could hear what the noblewomwn were saying and no one would be able to see or hear Aristia in the bushes behind them.

Aristia shook her head. "No, I wasn’t eavesdropping. I was just... trying to catch a squirrel."

Vasily laughed in amusement. "Did you catch it?"

Aristia sighed sadly. "No. It ran into the bushes and I followed after it, trying to catch it. But it was too fast. I was just about to come out after it got away when you came."

She looked at Charlotte with an expression that said, "what a pity".

Charlotte shook her head. She obviously didn’t believe it, but she said, "Since you haven’t caught the squirrel you were chasing, would you want to return to the main part of the garden? Your friends are searching for you."

"Well, it’s a bit disappointing that I didn’t catch that squirrel, but since my friends are waiting, let’s go." Aristia said, already moving away.

Charlotte smiled, but her eyes glanced towards the still unsuspecting noblewomen.

She sneered silently.

She had heard all of the noblewomen’s conversation. Some of them were really looking forward to her divorce from her husband. But they were bound to be disappointed.

Aristia turned, noticing that Charlotte was still there.

"What’s wrong? Aren’t you coming?"

With that thought, Charlotte turned away and followed after Aristia. "I’m coming."

Soon, it was time for the food to be served.

The guests all took their seats.

The meal began with the usual accompaniment of chatter.

Charlotte scooped some food into Wade’s plate, "Eat more."

"Thank you, mother." Wade muttered, smiling up at her.

The nobles’ keen eyes noticed this action of hers, and they exchanged

Duchess Winston glanced at Charlotte and Wade with thoughtful eyes before glancing away.

It was just a casual glance, so no one noticed.

She returned to speaking with the person next to her, every bit of her exuding grace and elegance.

Unlike the last tea party hosted by Duchess Winston that the factions attended, time time, there were no scruples.

Everyone minded themselves around Charlotte and Wade, addressing them with the proper respect.

After the tea party ended, the guests left one by one. It was only servants left cleaning up the garden.

Duchess Winston stood up and left the garden.

She strolled back to her room with her lady-in-waiting following behind her. Her lady-in-waiting was an aristocrat so she had attended the tea party.

The lady-in-waiting respectfully opened the door and Duchess Matilda entered the room.

Just as the lady-in-waiting closed the door, Matilda opened her mouth to speak.

"It’s just as they said." She hummed to herself.

In the eerily quiet room, her lady-in-waiting heard her words clearly.

She turned to look at her mistress. There was not a frown on her face, but her face was unsmiling.

Her lady-in-waiting raised a brow. She understood what her mistress meant.

"So, she’s not divorcing?" Her lady-in-waiting asked, but it was more like a statement than a question.

This caused her mistress to chuckle. It was a deep, dark sound that swept a slight shiver up her spine.

"I could have let her go, but there’s no need for that anymore."

Thinking of that woman and boy relating cordially, and even acting like they were really mother and child, made her brows knit together and her grip on the handkerchief tightened.

Others didn’t know the truth, but Matilda did.

She knew very well that Charlotte wasn’t just pretending.

"Does that mean..." Her lady-in-waiting looked up at her with a stunned look on her face.

Matilda Winston had a cold, calculating look in her eyes.

"Inform her to carry out my orders now."