Chapter 120: An Audience for Scandal

Chapter 120: Chapter 120: An Audience for Scandal

Although Deborah was incomparably excited, she wasn’t foolish enough to raise the alarm immediately.

For a scandal of this magnitude, timing mattered.

She had to wait until the two inside were caught at the most compromising moment possible.

They needed to be seen entangled together, clothes dishevelled and in the throes of passion, with no room left for excuses or denials.

Only then would the affair become undeniable.

And once a crowd witnessed it with their own eyes, the story would spread throughout Caelvyr before the day was over.

Deborah’s smile widened.

I really can’t wait to see Elysia’s face.

The thought alone lifted her spirits considerably.

---

Back in the main garden, Elysia was still trying to make sense of Adela’s sudden disappearance.

Evren, standing nearby, offered what reassurance he could.

"Adela is still young. I doubt she can cause much trouble."

He spoke gently.

"Even if she did leave the house, she couldn’t have gone far."

Elysia remained quiet.

She wanted to believe him.

But she couldn’t.

Adela’s behavior at Draevenor Manor continued to trouble her.

The girl had been willing to threaten her own life simply to force a marriage with Cassiel. That level of obsession was not something Elysia could dismiss as a childish infatuation.

Someone capable of going that far would not simply accept being confined at home.

If Adela had deliberately slipped away today, there had to be a reason.

And Elysia strongly suspected that whatever she had planned would not end well.

Before she could voice her thoughts, a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Greetings, Your Grace."

Elysia looked up.

Deborah stood before her.

Her hair had been hastily rearranged after her earlier mishap, but a few damp strands still framed her face. Despite the humiliation she had suffered, there was a peculiar brightness in her eyes.

More importantly, she was smiling.

Elysia knew that smile.

She had seen it too many times across two lifetimes.

Whenever Deborah wore that particular expression, it usually meant that she had already devised some scheme.

A memory from her previous life surfaced.

After Elysia had become Crown Princess, Deborah had once visited the Crown Prince’s Wing wearing exactly the same smile.

At that time, they had not yet openly turned against one another. Elysia had welcomed her warmly, thinking she had come as a friend, and had even confided some of her private worries.

She had never imagined that Deborah was listening for weaknesses rather than offering comfort.

Only a few days later, Elysia had received devastating news.

Vaelen was taking a concubine.

And that woman was Deborah.

Elysia still remembered the moment she heard it.

She had stood frozen, as though lightning had struck directly at her feet.

The disbelief.

The humiliation.

Both had lodged themselves in her memory ever since.

Their next meeting had been the following day, after Deborah had already spent the night in Vaelen’s bed.

Deborah had arrived two hours late to pay her formal respects, dressed with unusual care and wearing a face full of satisfaction.

She had bowed with perfect courtesy.

"My apologies. His Highness kept me rather late last night, so I wasn’t able to rise early this morning. I hope Your Highness doesn’t mind."

The words had been apologetic.

The smile had not.

The same smile was now appearing before Elysia again.

The curve of her lips. The gleam in her eyes. Even the same carefully composed look of innocence. It was unmistakable.

Only this time, Elysia understood exactly what it meant.

She studied Deborah calmly.

"Lady Deborah, your hair is still damp."

Her gaze briefly passed over Deborah’s disheveled appearance.

"You should have rested longer in the west wing. There was no need to hurry back."

Deborah didn’t seem bothered.

Her smile remained.

"Your Grace mentioned earlier that His Grace would be coming today, though perhaps somewhat later."

She tilted her head.

"I wonder when exactly he will arrive."

Elysia answered simply.

"When he arrives, I’m sure he’ll send someone to inform me."

"Is that so?"

Deborah’s smile deepened.

"How can you be certain he won’t visit someone else first?"

Elysia’s brows drew together.

"What exactly are you trying to imply?"

Deborah merely gave a mysterious little smile.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

She let the words linger before adding softly, "Just don’t end up crying when you do."

Elysia’s expression changed slightly.

She was becoming increasingly certain that Deborah knew something.

Before she could question her, hurried footsteps sounded nearby.

"Your Grace."

Elysia turned.

Bran was approaching.

Alone.

Her eyes immediately sharpened.

"Is the Duke here?"

Bran nodded.

"He arrived a short while ago."

Then he scratched his head, his expression becoming confused.

"But why are you here, Your Grace?"

Elysia stared at him.

"What do you mean?"

Bran looked genuinely puzzled.

"Didn’t you say you would be waiting for His Grace in the room in the west wing?"

For a moment, Elysia couldn’t process his words.

"What?"

Deborah raised a hand to her mouth.

"Oh my..."

Her voice was deliberately loud enough for those nearby to hear.

"Could it be that His Grace mistook another woman for you?"

The remark immediately attracted attention.

Several nearby nobles turned to look.

Elysia’s eyes narrowed.

Deborah, however, wore an expression of exaggerated concern.

"What a misunderstanding that would be."

Her voice carried farther.

"If His Grace went to the west wing expecting to meet Duchess Elysia, yet she is standing here..."

She let the sentence trail off.

The implication was obvious.

A few people exchanged glances.

Whispers began to spread.

"What is happening?"

"Did the Duke go somewhere without the Duchess?"

"Perhaps there has been some mistake."

Deborah lowered her gaze, hiding the satisfaction in her eyes.

Exactly as planned.

The growing commotion soon attracted the attention of the Duke of Merlinspire.

He hurried over, clearly concerned.

"What has happened?"

Deborah immediately stepped forward.

"Your Grace, did you know Duke Cassiel has arrived?"

The Duke of Merlinspire blinked.

"Duke Cassiel? He’s here already?"

"Yes."

Deborah nodded sweetly.

"I heard that he went to the west wing shortly after arriving."

Her eyes flicked towards Elysia.

"But Duchess Elysia is right here."

She widened her eyes as though genuinely confused.

"So... what could His Grace possibly be doing there?"