Chapter 018: Discarded

That night was the most restful sleep Lina Riley had enjoyed in a long while. There were no unexpected visitors, and no nightmares interrupted her slumber.

Facing the bronze mirror, she noticed Daisy Harper standing behind her, looking torn about whether to speak. Lina asked, "Why so anxious?"

Daisy's cheeks reddened, and she shook her head hastily. "It's nothing."

She insisted it was nothing, but her hands moved more forcefully as she styled Lina's hair, tugging so hard that Lina winced. Startled, Daisy stopped immediately.

"My lady, I'm so sorry!"

Lina turned around, looking a bit more serious. "You're hiding something from me. What happened?"

Daisy knelt, flustered. "I swear, I have no ill intentions."

Sensing she'd frightened the girl, Lina softened her expression. "Daisy, we grew up together. You're like a sister to me. If something's troubling you, don't hold back."

Daisy looked grateful yet conflicted. She glanced at Lina's face, then blushed more deeply as she lowered her gaze.

Seeing Daisy so shy, Lina made a quick guess—maybe she'd fallen for someone? That wouldn't be such a big deal. But Daisy hadn't even fully matured yet, so early romance could be risky. Lina would have to keep an eye on things.

So, putting aside her earlier stern tone, she teased gently, "Do you have a sweetheart? Who is it?"

Realizing Lina had misunderstood, Daisy shook her head vigorously. "No, my lady, that's not it!"

Now Lina was truly puzzled. "Then what is it?"

She hadn't planned to press her so hard, but Daisy was acting much too uneasy for her normally carefree personality. If she was hiding something, it must be important.

At this, Daisy appeared even more torn, her eyebrows practically knit together. She risked another glance at Lina, then finally, as if resigning herself, asked, "Is it really alright if I say it?"

Seeing that she was willing to speak, Lina encouraged her softly, "Of course. You can tell me anything."

Daisy, taking a long moment to think, steeled herself. "My lady… are you fond of The Princess Royal?"

Lina, who'd been ready to listen patiently, never anticipated the conversation would turn on her. Shock flared in her eyes. "Why would you ever think that?"

Daisy flinched, startled by Lina's sudden alarm. She leaned back, stammering, "Last night, you mumbled in your sleep. It went on for ages, and I kept hearing 'The Princess Royal'…"

Lina felt as though she'd become the main character of some silly rumor. Her cheeks grew hot, and she wished she could vanish to avoid this embarrassment. Yet she had to get to the bottom of it. Trying to steady her trembling voice, she feigned nonchalance and asked, "What exactly did I say?"

That question only made Daisy blush harder. She bit her lip, draining all color from it, then whispered, so quietly Lina had to lean in to hear, "You said, 'Does it hurt, Princess Royal?' and…'Your Highness…'"

Sensing Daisy was about to quote even more incriminating lines, Lina hurriedly raised a hand. "Alright, I get it. That's enough."

If only there were a hole in the floor for her to hide in. Taking a deep breath, Lina insisted, "I admire Her Highness as any loyal subject would. There's nothing romantic about it."

If The Princess Royal discovered such rumors, she might well go mad. Lina, aware of how serious that could be, fixed Daisy with a solemn gaze. "We'll keep this between us. Don't speak of it to anyone."

Daisy nodded fervently, covering her mouth as though to seal her lips, and even raised a hand to swear an oath. Lina stopped her. "No need. I trust you. It's late, and I must go to the palace."

"Please be careful on your way, my lady."

Not until Lina disappeared from view did Daisy realize she was still holding the comb. She stood there for a moment, recalling that she hadn't finished styling Lina's hair. It was too late to chase after her now.

Daisy sighed and fretted for a while, then consoled herself. "Maybe it doesn't matter. My lady is usually so composed. She's not going to have that kind of dream every night. Don't overthink it."

Meanwhile, galloping away from the estate, Lina noticed her half-styled hair. She slowed her horse, undid the partial coiffure, and used a single red ribbon to gather all her hair at her nape. She felt much lighter afterward and calmed herself before heading toward the royal palace.

Upon arriving at the palace gates, Lina dismounted and was about to tie her horse when a young attendant ran up and took the reins. "Please go on, my lady. The Princess Royal is waiting."

Lina felt a bit uneasy. She seemed to be a very different type of royal guard—she never had to stand patrol or keep watch. Clearly, it was The Princess Royal's doing. Guilt gnawed at Lina for her "incriminating" dreams, making her scalp tingle. Granted, she'd been on real battlefields… but that didn't mean she wasn't scared right now.

Every step closer to The Princess Royal's chambers sent Lina's pulse pounding, and in her anxiety, she walked slower and slower.

Inside her quarters, Lucille Everard sat at ease, though her gaze flickered restlessly toward the door every so often. Whenever she realized what she was doing, she forced her attention elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Beatrice Byrd sat reading, exclaiming softly now and then, enthralled by the story. Dressed in a green gown, her hair styled by palace attendants, she still looked out of place. Whether sitting or standing, her posture was lax, and from time to time, she giggled at something in the book.

Lucille, observing how comfortable she looked, felt an inexplicable irritation. She snatched the book and took a quick glance before tossing it aside in disgust. "What a load of nonsense."

"My book!" Beatrice cried. "You just don't appreciate a good story!"

Lucille narrowed her eyes, already contemplating tidying the palace and discarding all such "useless books." Watching Beatrice scramble to fetch her reading, Lucille found herself puzzled. At last, she asked, "I recall you never used to read that sort of thing. It's only been a month, yet you've changed so much."

Beatrice paused, set the book aside, then dumped out the cold tea in her cup and replaced it with hot tea. The fragrant aroma filled the room. Despite the calm air, Beatrice knew it was but a brief respite.

She responded in a rare moment of sobriety—this was the Beatrice Lucille knew best. "Do you find me worse this way?"

"No, it's fine. Better than your usual gloomy face. Still, you're too noisy sometimes—try to tone it down." Lucille gave Beatrice a once-over and added, "You haven't lost your mind, have you?"

Beatrice merely smiled ruefully, drinking her tea like it was liquor. "No, I've just figured a few things out. Anyway, that's enough about me. I see you keep glancing at the door. Are you waiting for Lina Riley?"

Catching her out made Lucille raise an eyebrow. With a sardonic laugh, she replied, "Why would I wait for her? You must be reading too many worthless books, conjuring up fantasies."

Beatrice ignored Lucille's attempt at deflection, busying herself with topping off her teacup. A few strands of white hair showed around her temples. Lucille frowned, remembering a time not long ago when Beatrice had no grey at all.

Concerned but not wanting to pry, Lucille sighed, "I recall you didn't have white hair last time I saw you. What happened this past month?"

Beatrice drank the rest of her tea in a single gulp. "Don't worry. It's settled now."

Seeing that Beatrice wasn't inclined to elaborate, Lucille let it go. Yet there was something else that puzzled her: Beatrice seemed oddly invested in Lina Riley, even supportive of…whatever it was between them.

Outside, snow had begun to fall again, soon dusting the ground in a thin white sheet. This year's snowfall had lasted so long that trouble likely brewed in both the northern and southern regions. It wasn't ideal weather for martial competitions, but the kingdom still lacked enough capable warriors—or at least, Lucille didn't trust them.

She had once planned to lead troops herself, but her illness had made it too risky. A leader who couldn't stay in command was a liability on the battlefield. Fate, however, had played a joke on her by throwing Lina Riley into her path, where she found her health unexpectedly improving. She still felt the pull of mad impulses, but now they remained under control.

Beatrice observed Lucille gazing out at the falling snow. Memories stirred, prompting her to remark wistfully, "We first met on a day just like this—snow everywhere. Hard to believe it's been over ten years."

Lucille gave a dismissive snort. "You seem to like the snow. I can't stand it."

The atmosphere turned as frosty as the winter scene outside. Beatrice was used to Lucille's sharp moods, but still felt a twinge of resignation. She sighed, gazing at the snowy courtyard. "You hate snow, and I hate the rain. Everyone has their own troubles."

Lucille chose not to respond. She clicked her tongue at the relentless snowfall and rose as if about to leave—until she spotted a crimson figure in the white expanse. Through the wind and flurries, she recognized Lina at once. Lucille's restlessness vanished. She sat back down.

Beatrice took note of this with a secret smirk. "She's right on time. Don't be too hard on her."

Lucille shot her a warning glance, prompting Beatrice to raise her hands in surrender.

When Lina finished brushing the snow from her clothes, she was about to kneel outside when Lucille's voice came from within: "Come in."

Lina stepped inside, enveloped by the warmth. Her reddened cheeks and ears were already stinging from the cold wind, yet there was a hint of heat across her face for reasons unrelated to the weather.

Beatrice greeted her cheerfully, "Did you sleep well last night?"

The good doctor's teasing broke Lina's self-conscious air. She responded politely, though with a hint of sarcasm, "Thanks to your help, very well indeed."

Beatrice laughed unabashedly. "I told you—you can trust my remedies."

Her smug attitude shattered whatever lingering gratitude Lina had felt. Lucille cut off their banter. "Lina, stand to the side and wait."

Obediently, Lina moved behind Lucille. Right away, Lucille and Beatrice resumed discussing politics.

Depose the current monarch and establish a new ruler? Lina's heart pounded. This was high treason. Should she even be hearing this?

Picking up on Lucille's plan to dethrone the monarch, Beatrice firmly objected, "No. Victoria Ashwood is no match for our current ruler."

Lucille said nothing at first, her eyes sliding shut. Then, with a quick turn of her head, she looked at Lina—who had been trying to appear invisible—and asked, "What do you think?"

Lina froze. "!?"