Chapter 105 Patrick's Birthday Party
Seeing that Yosef was about to lose his temper,
Cressida said to Anthony,
"Let Emma take Little Duke to try some cool drinks first. I'll come after saying a few words to Prince Yosef."
Anthony looked up at Cressida. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't say them.
He said to Cressida: "You saved me last time, and Father told me to thank you properly. I'll go have the cool drinks first, and you come find me in a bit!"
These words were meant for Yosef to hear. Anthony was still waiting for Cressida.
Young as he was, Anthony seemed to have witnessed so much power struggle in the royal family that he could sense Yosef's aggressive intentions.
Emma led Anthony away. Patrick stood in the distance without approaching, just looking puzzled.
If Yosef liked Rose, why was he now interested in Cressida?
Under the blazing summer sun, Cressida's face was cool and beautiful.
She bowed to Yosef: "About last time, I was wrong. I apologize to Prince Yosef again. I wonder what other instructions Prince Yosef has for coming this time?"
Yosef had originally planned to take her away by force.
He wanted to teach her a lesson, but seeing Anthony there, Yosef couldn't make a move, to avoid making a scene that Doyle might find out about.
However, Yosef understood everything now.
"I was wondering why you wouldn't obey me. Turns out you've already chosen someone. Cressida, do you really think Miguel can protect you?"
Cressida pretended not to understand: "I don't understand what Prince Yosef means. Little Duke came this time to thank me for saving him during the fireworks explosion. It has nothing to do with Prince Miguel."
Yosef sneered.
He circled around Cressida, walking slowly, his narrow eyes full of scrutiny.
Being watched by him with such cold eyes, Cressida remained calm, her lowered eyes appearing very peaceful.
"Don't think that just because you've latched onto Miguel, you'll be safe forever. Cressida, it's not like I'm never coming back to Emerald City. The grudge between us is getting deeper. You can't escape."
"If Prince Yosef is still angry about last time, I can still apologize."
Yosef stopped in front of her: "You'll soon find that the people you're counting on can't be your shield. Cressida, you'd better start looking out for yourself from today on."
With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
Patrick quickly followed, seeing Yosef off with a flattering expression.
Cressida stood in the blazing sun, her mind racing.
Yosef wasn't someone who would let things go. Him leaving Emerald City was a good thing for her.
But would he leave behind some hidden trouble for her?
After seeing Anthony off, Patrick immediately called Cressida to the main courtyard for questioning.
"Why did Prince Yosef come today?"
Cressida explained about rescuing Ethan that day.
Hearing this, Patrick slammed the table and scolded: "You're really foolish! Drinking is such a small matter. Being noticed by Prince Yosef is Ethan's honor, and you dared to bring Ethan back so tactlessly?"
Cressida looked at Patrick coldly.
"Drinking in that kind of place is also fortunate? Once word gets out, Ethan's reputation will be ruined. Michael has already become like that. Does Father want all the Hamilton family boys to achieve nothing?"
This sentence really hit what Patrick cared about.
He slapped his thighs hard twice, then said what he cared about most.
"Cressida, why aren't you a son!"
Cressida didn't want to continue this meaningless conversation with him and got up to leave.
Maybe not just Patrick—even Doyle, after knowing Cameron was Cressida, would think the same way.
Cressida's biggest trouble wasn't admitting she had disguised herself as a man to join the army in her father's place, but rather, could Doyle accept a female general with outstanding military achievements?
In the over six hundred years since Novaria was founded, this had never happened before.
There had been many outstanding queens and female officials, but never had a woman truly reached the peak of military power.
Cressida wasn't afraid of coming clean. What she feared was that society wouldn't accept her.
She feared even more that her hard-won military achievements would become a piece of paper where merits and faults canceled each other out.
Perhaps she still needed to help a wise ruler ascend the throne. As long as she had this achievement, all her crimes would become merits.
Now that Miguel wasn't looking for her, did she have to insist on helping him inherit the throne?
She had chosen Miguel before because in her past life, she had seen him ultimately defeat Marshall and Yosef, becoming the only person capable of inheriting the throne, even powerful enough to directly order the army to attack the palace.
But now, she might need to change her mindset. Did she have to wait for Miguel to choose her?
Couldn't she push him a bit?
Cressida needed an opportunity, and this opportunity came soon.
Patrick's fiftieth birthday was approaching.
As Cameron's father, even before the birthday banquet, many people came to give gifts.
Mabel was overwhelmed and occasionally asked Cressida to help.
"Cressida, look, I've recorded all the gifts people have sent these days on the gift list."
The list was very long, almost endless. This was just before the birthday banquet. Many nobles had been invited to the actual banquet, so there would probably be even more work.
Cressida glanced through it briefly.
Doyle, Odette, Sophie, Marshall, Miguel, Yosef, and other nobles had all sent gifts to Patrick.
She had Mabel keep these gift lists.
Everyone in the entire estate was busy preparing for Patrick's birthday banquet.
The most leisurely and most pleased person was Patrick himself.
In his fifty years of life, he had never had a birthday as satisfying as this year's.
In the past, Patrick wouldn't have dared to imagine that Doyle and Sophie would personally send people to deliver gifts for his birthday banquet.
They gave Patrick plenty of honor and respect.
For a time, the Hamilton Mansion's status among the noble families of Emerald City quietly rose another level.
Patrick was drinking tea in a reclining chair, in a good mood.
Rose came in: "Father, I want to talk to you about something."