Chapter 205: Oliver Will Be Fine

Sadie was the Queen Mother's precious pearl. Her free access to the palace meant no one bothered to check her identity. Isolde smiled. "Thanks, Princess!"

Sadie's reputation was legendary. Seeing her familiarity with Isolde, people immediately assumed Isolde was soon to be her sister-in-law. No one dared to speak out of turn in Sadie's presence.

The two women entered the palace, where a palanquin awaited. Sadie Bourbon waved it off. "We'll walk. No need for that."

"Of course, Princess," the supervisor said, bowing low. He knew better than to argue.

As they strolled along the palace path, Sadie Bourbon spoke casually, "Don't let what those people say get to you. Do whatever you want."

"I'm not bothered," Isolde replied, her eyes taking in the red palace walls and golden, glazed rooftops that seemed to stretch on forever.

"Good," Sadie said, sensing Isolde's sincerity. She fell silent.

The two women didn't have much to talk about as they walked. Sadie was naturally reserved, and Isolde had much on her mind but wasn't in the mood to talk.

Then, a man approached. Dressed in a green official uniform, his face was handsome and composed. He carried a stack of books and didn't notice them until he was almost past, engrossed in the pages.

"Clark!" Isolde called. Clark stopped, a look of joy crossing his face. "Isolde? What are you doing here?"

"The Queen Mother's chrysanthemum banquet is today. I'm here to attend," Isolde replied with a sigh. You bookworm, she thought, your fiancée is right in front of you, and you don't even notice.

"Oh," he said, distracted. "Right. I forgot."

His eyes then landed on Sadie. He froze, blinking at her before his pale face flushed bright red. He looked lost, unsure of what to do. His hands instinctively reached out in greeting, but then he remembered the book, which slipped from his grip with a loud thud. He stammered, clearly embarrassed, quickly trying to correct himself. "I—uh—greet Princess Isolde… No, no, no… Sadie, Princess…"

Isolde wanted to smack her forehead. Seriously?

Sadie, ever composed, bent down to pick up the book. She flashed a warm, gentle smile. "Greetings, Lord Langley."

"Thank you, Princess!" Clark mumbled, his face still burning. He took the book back, clearly flustered.

Clark was completely caught off guard. His whole body went rigid, his neck turning an even darker shade of red. Panicked, he mumbled a quick thanks and bolted, clutching the book like a lifeline.

Isolde stared after him, her expression a mix of shock and frustration. She wanted to throw something at him. What a disaster.

"Princess, my brother's not usually like this," Isolde said quickly, worried that Sadie might be offended.

Sadie tucked away her handkerchief, her expression softening, a playful glint in her eye. "Isn't that cute?"

Isolde blinked. Cute? The guy who just bolted in front of his fiancée is cute? She shook her head. Well, I guess we all have our quirks. She just couldn't bring herself to call him cute. Not in a million years.

Sadie smiled, completely unbothered, and kept walking.

Isolde trailed behind, still dazed. For the first time, her brain couldn't quite keep up. Usually, in this situation, even if not mad, she'd at least be disappointed. But there Sadie was, smiling like she'd won the lottery. Isolde's scalp tingled with confusion.

"Your brother's hairpin is a bit damaged," Sadie said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Really?" Isolde blinked, surprised.

"Yeah, I'll get him a new one tomorrow. You can pass it along."

"Uh… Okay." Isolde nodded, relieved. At least the princess didn't look down on her brother. That was something.

Sadie's pace lightened, and that smile remained fixed on her face. Isolde still couldn't figure out why a royal like the princess would even look twice at someone like her brother—she saw him as more of a pheasant compared to her.

She couldn't help but ask, "Princess, what's so special about my brother?"

Sadie glanced at her. "What's wrong with him?"

Isolde opened her mouth, ready to list all his flaws—how he was soft, too trusting, and easily misled. But the words died on her tongue. She couldn't throw her brother under the bus like that.

"He's got a good heart," Sadie said, sensing her hesitation.

Isolde gave a small nod. Yeah, she could agree with that.

Sadie went on, "No one's perfect. We all have flaws, but character can change. If someone's heart is rotten, though, no amount of change can fix that. On the day your brother was heading to the library, he found a little beggar who was hurt. He could have ignored him, kept walking, and never looked back—but he didn't. He took that beggar straight to the medical center, no questions asked. That's when I really noticed him."

Isolde paused, a little taken aback. "Princess, don't you think it was kind of stupid? He risked everything to help someone he didn't even know."

Sadie raised an eyebrow. "On one side, you've got your future—everything you've worked for. On the other, the life of someone you don't even know. It's easy to hesitate. But your brother didn't. He didn't even think about it. He just did what felt right. That says a lot. It means he values life. If he ever rises to a higher position, he'll make decisions that consider the people. That's what makes him stand out."

Isolde felt something shift inside her. She hadn't thought of her brother like that before, but now… She felt a strange sense of respect for him. And at least now, she could rest easy knowing that Sadie wasn't just toying with her brother. She genuinely cared.

For the first time, Isolde stopped worrying that the princess would look down on him after marriage—because she'd always feared that, given her brother was the son of a concubine.

"Isolde, Oliver will be fine," Sadie's voice cut through her thoughts.

Isolde was lost in her own head when she heard Sadie, but she thought it was just reassurance. "Yeah, I'm sure he will."

Sadie said nothing more and continued walking. But then, Isolde felt her emotions stir at the mention of her brother, her heart a little heavier. She sighed softly.

After a long pause, Sadie turned to her, her face serious now. "I mean it. He'll be fine."

Isolde stopped dead in her tracks, grabbing Sadie's hand as their eyes locked. "You really mean it? Who told you that?"