Chapter 81: The Woman Named Gladys

Diane, noticing Lara’s unsettled mood, wiped the smile off her face and spoke.

“I know that the Opprezé woman is after the position of the Crown Princess. The Opprezé family has long wanted to align themselves with His Highness, even when Empress Eloise was alive. A dog that dares to choose its master—how utterly ridiculous.”

After finishing her words, Diane took a sip of tea. Watching her lips cease their movement, Lara urged her on.

“Continue.”

“In short, His Highness does not trust Opprezé. The reason is unclear, but he refuses to join hands with them.”

“…….”

“Though he rarely lets his emotions show, his expression always darkens whenever he sees the Opprezé siblings—especially that woman, Valérie. And yet, the young lady of Opprezé remains oblivious, still dreaming of becoming his wife….”

Diane spoke her thoughts indifferently, and Lara listened in silence. As expected of someone chosen by Alec, Diane had a remarkable ability to read people.

“They’ll scheme as much as necessary to achieve their goals. These are not people who fear such things. That’s why having a physician is crucial. Of course, having a loyal lady-in-waiting like myself is also important.”

Diane lifted her gaze, meeting Lara’s eyes. Her expression, devoid of any amusement, was resolute.

“You can trust Lady Denbury, whom I introduced to you. She lost her father at the hands of the Opprezés, so she would never be bought by them.”

Lara stared blankly at Diane before parting her lips.

“Then what about you? Can I trust you?”

Diane stiffened for a moment, as if caught off guard by the question. But the silence didn’t last long.

“If you trust His Highness.”

“…….”

“If you cannot believe that I am loyal to you, then trust the Crown Prince. I am his person.”

The woman smiled brightly, pulling up the corners of her lips. Lara gently rubbed her belly with both hands. Would she be able to protect Klaus? She was afraid.

She wanted to leave Alec immediately, but he was adamant. Divorce didn’t even seem to cross his mind. How could he refuse to let her go after everything they had been through? After all the suffering…

“You will witness something amusing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Miss Gladys ruined all of Your Highness’s dresses, didn’t she?”

“I thought we decided to let that go.”

“You may have, but His Highness hasn’t. He always returns what he receives.”

“Diane.”

Had Diane told him everything? Lara furrowed her brows. She had wanted to forget about it—it was such a trivial matter, not something worth retaliation.

She didn’t want to be stressed over something so petty, for Klaus’s sake.

“You need not concern yourself. If you wish to distribute meals to the poor, then do so. Think of it as getting some fresh air….”

“What is His Highness doing?”

The chilling smile she had seen on Diane’s face moments ago made her uneasy.

“You only need to watch.”

---

“Who did this?!”

Gladys’s hands trembled as she rummaged through her wardrobe. Her mind went blank in shock—she had never experienced anything like this before.

Her dresses, shoes, and accessories were all in shreds. Even the indoor dresses that remained intact had torn sleeves and ripped necklines. The only ones left untouched were the most extravagant ones.

The gowns she had ordered from Travis, not even Dranberg, had taken six months to prepare for the upcoming ball. These were dresses that even the emperor’s young concubines envied, sourced from the finest ateliers, adorned with genuine jewels and the highest quality silk.

They were her most treasured luxuries. Some were still intact, but…

“Am I supposed to wear this in front of all the reporters?!”

It was a charity event, not a ball. Every major newspaper in Dranberg would be there. Yet she was expected to wear a dress worth more than an entire estate while handing out stale bread to filthy beggars?

“Who the hell did this?! Who?!”

Gladys screamed. The young maid before her trembled, eyes brimming with tears.

“And what are you crying for?!”

Her rage boiling over, Gladys slapped the maid’s face. A harsh sound rang out as the girl collapsed onto the floor. Seething, Gladys stomped on the girl’s small hands and tore at her own hair in frustration.

Her entire body shook, and tears welled in her eyes.

It must have been that damn Crown Princess. That wretched woman must have bribed someone to do this as revenge for what had happened at the last banquet.

Gladys bit her lip hard, distorting her beautiful face into a grotesque expression.

“That filthy whore! That lowly wench who should be spreading her legs in a brothel dares to—!”

A runaway slave-born rat. How dare she lay a finger on me? She should have learned her place after what I did to her. How dare she seek revenge?

“A disgusting wretch….”

No matter how much she dressed up, filth like her would always stink of the gutter. Gladys couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince had taken her in as his wife.

According to her father, Alec was impulsive and reckless. Surely, he would toss her aside when the time came.

That was what noblemen did. Affairs were temporary. Once he started meeting proper noblewomen of age, things would change. Then Gladys would have her chance.

And yet—

“Who did this?!”

Gladys, who had been mercilessly kicking the maid’s stomach, screamed like a madwoman. The other maids, standing in a line, clutched their hands together and kept their heads down.

“Look at me!”

At her command, they lifted their heads. Gladys’s hand lashed out, striking them all across the face. Their frightened, tear-streaked faces turned red.

“I’m sorry, my lady.”

The eldest maid fell to her knees and begged. Gladys kicked her over.

“Was it you?! Did you take money from that wench and betray me?!”

“N-no, never! We would never—!”

“Then why?! You sold me out for a few measly gold coins, didn’t you?!”

Gladys shrieked, shaking with fury.

“You dare betray me?!”

The thought that someone had deceived and mocked her made her see red. She had never once considered that this might be retribution for her own actions.

To her, the only crime was that a lowly woman had dared to threaten her position.

Gladys gripped the maid’s hair and shook her viciously, as if she were the Crown Princess herself.

“My lady.”

The door suddenly opened, and her nanny stepped inside.

“What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious? These worthless fools—”

“The event begins in twenty minutes. The beggars your guests have gathered are already crowding the streets. And yet you—”

“You think I don’t know that?!”

Gladys turned around, still clutching the maid’s hair. She then threw the girl against the wall. The maid hit the wall with a dull thud before collapsing, sobbing.

“Look at what they’ve done!”

“Who did this?”

“How the hell should I know?! I was about to get dressed, and everything was already ruined!”

Tears streamed down her face. She had spent an entire week preparing for this event, and now everything was in shambles.

“Even so, you must attend. This is your event. The Crown Princess has already departed for the venue.”

Her nanny’s words made her tremble with fury.

“Then I’ll make sure I outshine her,” the old woman whispered, patting her shoulder.

Gladys stared at her reflection. A face as flawless as white magnolia, golden hair like sunlight, and jewel-like green eyes.

Yes. No matter what that wretched woman did, she could never be as beautiful as her.