35 The Marriage Pac

Lucy was dumbfounded. Chalice was engaged to the Crown Prince? But then again, such a situation wasn't too surprising. After all, Duke Alaric was the Prime Minister as well as the sworn brother of the Emperor. It was inevitable for them to join their families in marriage.

"A marriage pact? You and Chalice?"

The Crown Prince nodded solemnly at her. His brows then furrowing at her question.

"Does Miss Lucy not know? I was so sure you were aware since you and Lady Chalice seem quite close. I assumed she told you about it. After all, isn't that why she kept chasing after me despite my efforts of keeping her at bay? Well, I quite understand as well why she would keep it from you. It is a sensitive information, after all. General Cartier is a very strict man, he wouldn't allow a servant to know such matters."

Lucy stilled as she listened to the drone of the Prince. Her face grew cold and she dispiritedly gazed at the man. It took a while before she spoke again. This time she dismissed him herself.

"If there is nothing more Your Highness, then pardon me. I shall take my leave. I have things to attend to."

She walked away without waiting for the Prince's reply. Not that she cared, anyway. Except, because of her hastiness to get away Lucy failed to see the mocking sneer that formed in the Crown Prince's lips and the words he quietly uttered in her absence.

"Only a lowly woman and yet you repeatedly refused my advances. Even mocking me as well. If you weren't such a beauty, I'd have your head rolling right about now. Who are you proud of? That disgusting woman coveting the empress' crown meant for my beloved. Not if I can help it."

With this statement and a ridiculing scoff, the Crown Prince left the Amaranth manor in disdain.

Meanwhile, Lucy arrived at her room and flopped herself weakly to the soft bed. Her heart was unsettled. It was as if she was brought back to those times of sufferings. She wasn't a fool. She had seen through what Prince Troy was thinking.

Truthfully, if she wasn't used to such ploys, maybe she would have believed the seemingly harmless words he has said. This would made her start having resentment and doubt towards Chalice and sprout a sliver of trust towards him.

In the end, royalty was always like this. Beyond the glamorous dresses and embellished crowns, it will always be embroiled in two-faced schemes and internal war. How naive of her to think otherwise. How foolish of her to expect the opposite.

'It's not the time to wallow in such thoughts, Luciana. You need to take actions. Think. It's impossible for Chalice to know about the marriage pact firsthand. It's impossible for the Duke and Duchess to keep something like this from her especially if it's regarding her lifelong event. This isn't as simple as it seems.'

The monarchial heirarchy flashed into her mind along with a particularly interesting rumor going around the ladies of the court. The Crown Prince also seemed to have said the older generation and specifically mentioned Duchess Lyana's father, General Lucius Antonine de Cartier.

That's right! It was impossible for the Duke and Duchess to set up a marriage between the Crown Prince and Lady Chalice. They dote on her too much to force her into an arranged marriage.

However, it wasn't only the emperor and the duke who are bossom buddies. The same thing goes for the Retired Emperor and General Cartier. If this was a previous arrangement by those two people then everything makes sense.

That would mean everything was all a machination. The rumors which dragged Chalice's reputation through the mud, the ridicule she faced, the little accidents she got into which had isolated her from ladies of the court; all of it was instigated by that two-faced Crown Prince.

No. It's not only him. That woman must have been involved, as well. The vixen who was always so envious of Chalice. Lady Vanessa Jermaine de Monseratt. The rumored lover of the Crown Prince and daughter of Marquis de Monseratt, who is one of the most influential courtier of Idalia; second only to the Duke of Amaranth. The so called unparalleled Lady of the Court.

She narrowed her eyes. The Monseratt family has been known to have high aspirations. Given the fact that the majority of high society and even the masses were very much in suppport of Lady Vanessa being with His Highness. It seems her family do not want it to end there and is also eyeing the empress position.

How hateful! Her Lady Chalice did not ask to be betrothed to that scum. Lucy lamented and felt sorrow for Chalice. She has suffered through so much for something that was beyond her power.

Lucy sat abruptly. She stood up and went to the study table. She took out a bunch of stationery from the drawer and started to draft two letters.

She won't let her be kept in the dark further. Only with sufficient information could Chalice prepare for whatever circumstances may befall her. After all, she has changed. She was no longer that old Chalice who cowers around the vicious ladies of high society. Besides, this was Lucy's role. And she would make sure she does it properly. Lucy will not let Chalice suffer that fate.