Chapter 204: Banquet
Natasha smiled gently, her face warm and kind. She took Isolde’s hand, giving it a couple of reassuring pats. “Well, if you’re confident, of course I’m going to support you.”
As she spoke, she stretched her back, letting out a tired sigh. “Ugh, I’m exhausted. I need to take a break.”
“Then go ahead and rest quickly,” Isolde urged, concern in her voice.
Natasha reached out, silently asking for help to get up. Isolde quickly turned around, her heart tight as she fought back the tears threatening to spill. Isolde couldn’t help but think how truly worn out Natasha seemed. Making clothes was such a hassle.
A warmth surged inside Isolde’s chest. To be loved, protected, and cherished so deeply—it felt so good. She couldn’t imagine her life without it. Oliver, if you come back safe, I will be whole for the rest of my life.
Every year, Queen Catherine hosted an autumn banquet. When the chrysanthemums bloomed in full glory, she’d invite the noble ladies to the palace to admire the flowers and sip red wine.
The Queens from the two palaces had always been at odds, but things had changed over time. Especially after the fall of the Regent, Leopold Conway, Queen Catherine had begun to respect the Queen Dowager, taking her advice and listening to her in most matters. The Queen Dowager, for her part, was also extremely respectful of Queen Catherine. She would definitely be attending the banquet.
The harmony between the two queens was a rare and wonderful thing for the Eryndral Empire. It made things a whole lot easier for the King.
The Chrysanthemum Appreciation Assembly wasn’t about flowers. It was really a way to get the women to bring their daughters into the palace for a stroll. The King had become completely consumed by politics. The once-a-year talent show had been scrapped. As a mother, Queen Catherine couldn’t help but worry for her children. Without the royal selection, no new faces would be entering the palace.
What made things worse was the fact that the King was absolutely smitten with Queen Sophia. He barely gave the other concubines a second glance, and as a result, there were only four princes and princesses in total. To Queen Catherine, forty would have been perfect.
In the end, the Chrysanthemum Banquet was just a cover. The real goal? Getting those women to bring their daughters into the palace. Unfortunately, Queen Catherine’s good intentions were never taken seriously by the King. As a result, Queen Catherine began blaming Sophia, thinking she was simply jealous and deliberately keeping the King from taking a concubine. This situation had caused some tension between them.
Now Sophia had succeeded her predecessor, who was Catherine’s niece. However, that niece was arrogant and had gained notoriety for, shall we say, causing harm to one of the concubines. In the end, she was left crippled.
Even though Catherine knew her niece’s downfall had nothing to do with Sophia, she couldn’t help but feel slighted when the King started doting on this concubine back in the day. As time passed, the tension only grew.
On the other hand, the Queen Dowager was fully aware of the animosity between the two, but chose not to intervene. She could have easily diffused the situation with a few words, but she decided to leave it be. If she didn’t want to get involved, she wouldn’t.
Now, getting back to the point—Isolde had received an invitation to Catherine’s chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. On the morning of July 18th, Isolde woke up and began getting ready. She had a mission today, so she was a little on edge. Esme had already started briefing her on palace etiquette the day before, making sure to explain the situation with the Queen Dowager.
She said, “Apart from the Marquis of Greystone, there are two other key figures around her. Don’t make any enemies with them. No matter what happens, the Queen will always have their backs.”
Isolde, though familiar with the events from her past life, knew little about the inner workings of the palace. She quickly asked for more details.
Esme replied, “One is Rowena Ellington, now a first-rank servant in charge. She used to serve the Grand Queen Mother before coming to the Queen Dowager’s side, where she earned the Queen’s deep respect.” Rowena is sharp—she can read people like an open book, so don’t even think about hiding your thoughts. “The other is Judith Maddox, a remarkable woman who grew up alongside the late King. I’ve heard that the King wanted to make her a consort, but she turned him down.” She’s warm-hearted, kind, and treats others with respect. As long as you show her a bit of courtesy, she’ll consider you a friend.
When Esme said this, she seemed a little worried. Isolde, looking at herself in the mirror, nodded and said softly, “Thank you for the advice.”
Esme let out a soft sigh. “You don’t have to thank me. I know you’re not just in the palace to admire the flowers. Putting everything else aside, I hope the Marchioness will be able to help you. She’ll probably be there too.”
Isolde turned around, taking the nanny’s hand, her eyes a bit teary. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me, madam.”
“Why are you thanking me? I promised Doug I’d look after you, so I’ll make sure everything goes smoothly,” Esme’s voice softened. She had come to repay Doug’s kindness, but she never expected to grow so fond of this smart, straightforward girl.
At that moment, Noelle entered and called out, “Lady Isolde, the carriage is ready.” The servant quickly added a golden butterfly hairpin to Isolde’s bun and gave her makeup a final touch. “All set.”
Both the servant and Noelle would accompany Isolde, but they wouldn’t be able to enter the palace—only wait outside.
As they left the courtyard, Isolde spotted Martha striding toward her, holding out her hand. “I heard you’re going to the palace. How about I join you?”
Isolde pulled her hand away and gave Martha a cold look, then walked off without saying a word. Martha, clearly irritated, huffed, “What’s this attitude? Who do you think you are?”
Behind them, Esme and Noelle overheard. Esme frowned and muttered, “Shameless!”
Isolde didn’t even flinch. She simply said, “No need to waste time on people like that.”
The carriage finally arrived at the east gate of the palace, where several other luxurious carriages were already lined up, waiting to be inspected. Women’s carriages were parked outside, and a palanquin would transport them into the palace. But given the palace’s strict security, they had to go through identity checks before they could enter.
As Isolde got off the carriage, she became the center of attention. Everyone was whispering, clearly intrigued by the County Princess who had married a dead man.
“Is that the County Princess of Cromwell? She’s not bad-looking. Why would she marry a dead person?”
“She’s a County Princess for sure, but wasn’t she dumped by the Valen family before? Now she’s the widow of Oliver Valois. For someone like her, that’s already a bit of a glory.”
“How glorious can that be? She can’t even have children.”
“So what? She can always adopt from the side family.”
Though their words were whispered, every one of them reached Isolde’s ears. She didn’t react, her expression unreadable, as though none of it had anything to do with her. Then, Sadie approached. She took Isolde’s hand and shot a disdainful glance at the gossipers. “Isolde! Come on, follow me inside. No need to hang around here.”