Chapter 209 Who Is Truly Lowly
Lucida wasn't as mature as Kirenya. Anne's words easily provoked her. "Isn't a shameless woman like you who has rumors with her ex-husband lowly? You don't even know the most basic self-respect and self-love, and you're still throwing yourself at a man. When I think about someone like you becoming a duchess, I even wonder if His Majesty and you..."
"Shut up!"
Kirenya quickly interrupted Lucida. She glared at Lucida, still shaken.
How dare she make up rumors about Anne and His Majesty in front of so many people? If the King got angry, even she couldn't protect Lucida.
Lucida had just spoken without thinking. She quickly caught herself and, under the scrutinizing or mocking gazes around her, added, "Is His Majesty trusting your abilities too much?"
Anne smiled slightly. "His Majesty's trust in me is an honor for the Virlet family. However, what Miss Lucida just said doesn't apply to me at all. It would be more appropriate to ask Her Highness the Princess about it."
"Since you think not having basic self-respect and self-love makes someone lowly, then what about Princess Kirenya, who actively climbed into bed and offered herself?"
Lucida froze at these words, then flew into a rage.
"You bitch, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you think my mother, such a noble princess, would be a whore like you? Who do you think you are? Don't think being a duchess or some regiment commander makes you special. If you dare slander my mother again, I'll use a dagger to slash your face and clothes and throw you out on the street!"
Anne wasn't angry. She laughed softly and glanced at Princess Kirenya, whose face had turned deathly pale beside Lucida. "Whether what I said is true or false, Miss Lucida, why don't you ask your dear mother? Back then, she shamelessly chased after my father. I think quite a few people here remember that. And during all those years my father was alive, Princess Kirenya's party invitations never reached the Virlet family. But as soon as news of my father's death spread, the Princess completely ignored what national mourning meant. Not only did she brazenly hold a party, but she also invited my mother to attend. When my mother didn't come, she had people spread the message that my mother's poor handling caused my father to die without receiving timely treatment."
Princess Kirenya seemed to sway on her feet. She stared at Anne, her eyes nearly bulging out. "What does it have to do with me? It was that bitch Sophia... If she hadn't taken it upon herself to arrange for some things to be transported to the battlefield, how would Duke Skoda have died on the battlefield waiting for the medical supplies she arranged? You..."
"Aunt Kirenya, you might be confused about something."
Friedel suddenly spoke up. "The things Lady Sophia arranged to transport to the battlefield were winter supplies prepared jointly by the Virlet family and Kivara family, not medicine. The person who adjusted the arrangements for transporting food and medicine at that time was Father."
"According to what you said, are you trying to say that Father's poor handling caused Duke Skoda to die from untreated poisoning?"
Kirenya stopped short. She whipped her head around to look at Friedel. She had never really liked this nephew because sometimes he was too much like her annoying brother, the previous king. They both protected the Virlet family, even going so far as to target her, who was also of royal blood.
"I didn't mean that."
Princess Kirenya said through gritted teeth. "That was just a rumor. And Duchess Virlet is pinning the source of this rumor on me without any evidence!"
"I have evidence."
Anne said flatly. She looked at Princess Kirenya as if watching a clown.
"When the news first came out, I wrote to Master Anson and other seniors asking them to help investigate the source of the rumor. Grandfather also sent people to investigate. In the end, we found out that this news came out right at the party Princess Kirenya invited my mother to attend."
"At first, it was only among a small group of people, but soon messengers spread it throughout the entire Soth Empire. Princess Kirenya's capable assistant Starr put in quite a bit of effort in all this."
Anne glanced at Starr. The woman whose name was called looked at Anne in shock, her fan falling to the ground without her noticing. "How do you know..."
Although she quickly stopped herself from finishing the sentence, everyone present understood that Anne was right—this matter definitely had a lot to do with Starr.
"Of course I know. I even know how much you were paid—a whole bag of gold coins with your mother's family crest on the bag. And also... oh, including those things your husband doesn't know about. Your husband doesn't seem to be here, so do you need me to say everything out loud?"
Starr's expression changed. Finally, she slowly put away her contemptuous look, her expression somewhat serious as she looked at Anne. "That won't be necessary."
Anne received Starr's signal of surrender. She turned to continue looking at Princess Kirenya. "As for how I know it was Princess Kirenya's party, I also have to thank her and Miss Lucida for their abuse of servants, which caused servants to be replaced very quickly, and information could be intercepted by me easily. When Princess Kirenya was denouncing my mother's crimes in front of the noble ladies, didn't you feel even a bit of shame?"
"Of course you wouldn't feel ashamed. After all, you knew my father already had a fiancée and that they were very much in love, yet you tried to squeeze in between them again and again—arranging assassins, bribing people to poison them, and finally even stripping naked and running to my father's bed to offer yourself. Miss Lucida, if this happened to someone else and you knew about it, how many times would you call them lowly, and how many times would you call them a whore?"
"I accepted Princess Kirenya's invitation because I'm generous and know proper etiquette. I know that grudges from the previous generation shouldn't be transferred to the next. But as soon as I arrived at the Princess's estate, I heard the Princess and your daughter leading others in throwing mud at me, and you let Miss Lucida be rude to me again and again. Is this the reason Princess Kirenya invited me to the party? You wanted to humiliate me in front of all these nobles, thinking that because I'm divorced, I should stay home crying, and when you maliciously slander me, I should just endure it without saying anything?"
Princess Kirenya's lips trembled with anger. She glared at Anne, but couldn't help recalling how she had tried every method back then but couldn't kill that bitch Sophia. In the end, she could only find a way to bribe a servant of the Virlet family in the capital. She changed into servant's clothes and snuck into the villa, stripped herself naked, and lay in Skoda's bed, waiting to give someone a surprise.