Chapter 103 Yosef Wants to Teach Cressida a Lesson?
Rose remained silent, but her breathing gradually became rapid.
Clearly, that's exactly what she thought.
She knew what Cressida was capable of.
Cressida, who killed countless people on the battlefield, wouldn't play by the rules with Rose.
Even while sitting, Cressida kept her back straight.
She looked into Rose's eyes: "You're so afraid of me. Seems like you know you've done something I can't tolerate."
Rose: "I haven't."
Cressida toyed with a golden hairpin: "Rose, you're a natural-born liar. You know very well what you said to Prince Yosef. No need to hide it from me."
Rose watched her movements, her heart pounding wildly, sensing danger.
Cressida leaned forward slightly, moving closer to her.
"But don't worry, I won't kill you directly." Otherwise, wouldn't that let you die too easily?
"What exactly do you want?" Rose's face turned pale.
Cressida pressed the golden hairpin against Rose's chin. Rose didn't dare move as the hairpin traced down from her jaw all the way to her throat.
Cold sweat rolled down Rose's face.
"I said I won't kill you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to. Rose, you know my secret. My patience is limited. If I find out again that you're secretly dealing with Prince Yosef, trading favors and betraying me, I'll make sure Mother sees your corpse in the street. Understand?"
Cressida's voice was cold and her tone wasn't particularly harsh, but it made people feel inexplicably afraid.
Rose's lips trembled. She didn't dare move because that hairpin, like a knife, was pressing against her neck and starting to hurt!
Feeling the intense killing intent in Cressida's eyes, Rose quickly nodded slightly.
Cressida withdrew the hairpin and turned to leave.
As soon as she left, Rose collapsed uncontrollably onto the bed.
When the maid returned, she smelled something foul.
The maid was shocked: "Ms. Hamilton, how did you... how did you wet the bed?"
Rose's eyes reddened as she cursed through gritted teeth: "Shut up! You damn bitch, do you want to die?"
The maid didn't dare speak again.
While changing Rose's sheets, Rose covered her face with a pillow, letting out mournful, suppressed sobs.
She would make sure Cressida died!
After several days of thunderstorms, the weather finally cleared up.
The temperature rose again. Outside Echo's window, dragonflies circled above the lotus pond.
"Mr. Hamilton, these past few days, it's all been my fault for being so difficult." Echo sat in Patrick's lap, feeding him a grape.
Patrick said: "You're carrying a boy, so it's natural to be more difficult. Mrs. Clio Hamilton was the same way back then. Echo, if you can give birth to a son, you'll be a hero of the Hamilton family. I definitely won't treat you badly!"
Echo smiled shyly and leaned against him.
"Echo only wishes to stay by Mr. Hamilton's side. I don't dare ask for anything else. But Mr. Hamilton has been so good to me, yet there's one thing I've been hiding from you, and I feel guilty about it."
"What is it?" Patrick asked.
Echo: "Actually, the heat rash from before—I caused it myself."
Patrick immediately sat up straight in his lounge chair: "Why?"
Echo lowered her head: "After finding out it's a boy, I've been scared every day, afraid that Mr. Michael Hamilton might suddenly come and push me. Mr. Patrick Hamilton knows how careful I am with this pregnancy."
"So I wanted to leave the estate and go somewhere safe, but Cool Breeze Manor is too cold, even harder to bear."
Patrick laughed heartily: "What are you afraid of? Michael may be crazy and foolish, but he's living with Mabel now, not in our courtyard."
"But Mrs. Mabel Hamilton often comes to check the accounts, and every time Mr. Michael Hamilton follows behind her," Echo said pitifully. "Mr. Michael Hamilton has a noble status, while the child in my belly has a lowly status. How dare I complain? I can only endure it, but I'm afraid something will happen and I'll regret it forever."
Patrick looked at her: "So what do you want to do? Should I send you to another residence? That would be such a hassle."
Echo held onto his arm: "Why not just have Mr. Michael Hamilton stay with Mr. Reid Hamilton?"
Patrick frowned, somewhat opposed.
Echo: "Mr. Reid Hamilton only has Ms. Lucy Hamilton and the two children born to Mr. Reid Hamilton's concubine. If Mr. Michael Hamilton goes there, it'll be livelier, with people to keep him company. Mrs. Mabel Hamilton can also free up her hands to properly handle household affairs, and I won't have to worry every day."
Patrick didn't respond.
Echo pleaded: "Mr. Patrick Hamilton, I promise, just let Mr. Michael Hamilton get through this period. Once I give birth, everything will be fine."
Echo took Patrick's hand and placed it on her belly.
"You have to think about the child in my belly too."
Finally, Patrick nodded: "Alright, we'll do as you say. Reid isn't that busy with official duties anyway!"
Michael was handed over to Reid.
But unexpectedly, Mabel refused.
Cressida went to see her and brought up the matter.
At that moment, Michael was outside in the courtyard, catching dragonflies.
"Mabel, Michael is trouble. I had Echo help you send him away. Why are you still keeping him?"
"Cressida, I really feel sorry for him. When he did evil things before, that was one thing, but now that he's become a fool, I actually find him more agreeable. Clio is in no condition to take care of him, and at Reid's place, Brynn is barely functioning herself. If Michael goes there, something bad might happen again."
Mabel smiled: "The servants take care of him anyway, so it doesn't tire me out. And if Echo is afraid, I just won't bring Michael when I go check the accounts there in the future."
Cressida couldn't persuade her and had to let it go.
The household was peaceful for a while, but a huge uproar erupted within Novaria.
On Regatta Festival day, among the twenty-five oarsmen who were slaughtered, one person's relative struck the grievance bell outside the royal court and eventually died from exhaustion.
Next to the corpse was a blood letter, every word written in blood, accusing Yosef's subordinate of luring their family member onto the racing boat with a high reward, then afterward framing Sophie for the atrocity.
Doyle immediately ordered a thorough investigation and uncovered solid evidence one after another.
No one looked deeply into how that blood letter had penetrated the layers of security of the royal guard and ultimately reached Doyle.
No one questioned why Yosef's subordinate would arrange for people to board the racing boat by paying them heavily.
In any case, the evidence was complete, and Doyle was furious on the spot.
He ordered that Yosef's subordinate be stripped of his military position and sentenced to exile at the border.
As for Yosef, he also received Doyle's severe rebuke.
In the royal study.
Yosef knelt on one knee, his luxurious velvet cloak trailing on the floor.
"Father, this matter has nothing to do with me. Someone is deliberately framing me." He said in a deep voice, with unwillingness in his tone.
Doyle stood with his hands behind his back in front of the oak desk, then turned and pointed at him, saying angrily: "If you had kept a low profile and weren't so arrogant and domineering, how could others have had the opportunity? Do you know that recently, more than half of the impeachment documents from the Privy Council are accusations of you treating human life as worthless and disregarding the law!"
Yosef's narrow eyes suddenly contracted, killing intent churning in their depths: "These treacherous officials—sooner or later I will eliminate them!"
"You still dare speak so recklessly!" Doyle scolded sternly. "I have ordered that you go to your fief under the pretense of inspecting your territory and lie low for half a year. You can return to Emerald City after this storm passes."
Yosef's head shot up, looking at Doyle in disbelief: "Father! You want me to leave at this moment? Do you also believe those outsiders' slander? I absolutely did not act during the Regatta Festival!"
Doyle gazed at him, his tone softening slightly but carrying unquestionable authority: "I naturally know that, but circumstances force your hand. You must learn to endure! This is a good opportunity—go to your fief and temper your character. Stop giving me headaches!"
"Father! But..."
"Say no more! If you speak another word, I'll punish you with house arrest for life, never to step outside your fief again!"
Yosef finally left the study with a dark expression.
The maids and servants who saw him along the way acted as if they'd seen a demon, all bowing their heads and retreating, not even daring to breathe loudly.
After leaving the palace gates, his trusted aide who had been waiting outside immediately came forward, bowing and asking: "Prince Yosef, shall we return to your residence now?"
"Go to The Hamilton Mansion!" Yosef growled through gritted teeth, turning to board the gilded carriage parked nearby.
Since he had been punished so severely by Doyle, he naturally wouldn't let that woman Cressida off easy either. Today he would give her an unforgettable lesson no matter what.