Chapter 176 The Murder Case Exposed! Princess Bella Develops Admiration

Chapter 176 The Murder Case Exposed! Princess Bella Develops Admiration

The room glowed with warm light as elegantly dressed ladies chatted and laughed, filling the air with the soft rustle of silk and the faint scent of perfume.

They were drinking plum wine, sweet and mild, nothing strong enough to go to anyone's head.

Cressida mostly stayed quiet, listening as the others talked about expensive fabrics they'd bought and pretty jewelry they'd had made.

Then the Captain-General's daughter glanced over at Cressida with a curious look. "Ms. Hamilton, don't take this the wrong way, but I heard a rumor recently. Not sure if there's any truth to it."

Cressida set down her cup. "Go ahead."

"They say you're going to marry Yosef and become Princess Bella's sister-in-law."

The words had barely left her mouth before Bella let out a little cry, her pretty face flashing with mock indignation. She raised her hand as if to swat her. "How dare you say something like that about Cressida! I won't let you get away with this!"

The Captain-General's daughter laughed and dodged, holding up her hands. "Please, Your Highness, I only heard it from someone else!"

"Someone else! Who?" Bella pressed. "How would I not know something about my own brother?"

"Then let's just say I heard wrong... please don't push me on it, Your Highness. If I go around giving away people's secrets, no one will ever tell me anything again."

The Captain-General's daughter lifted her cup with an easy smile, offering a toast as her apology.

Cressida responded with a polite, measured smile. "These are just baseless rumors. Don't take them seriously. Just the other day someone was saying I was going to be matched with Joseph."

The ladies all laughed at that.

"Ms. Hamilton is quite the catch these days. Whoever marries you will be very lucky."

"Of course she is — this is General Hamilton's sister Cressida we're talking about!" Bella was Cressida's most devoted champion.

She speared a slice of snow pear with a toothpick and popped it into her mouth.

She chewed for a moment, then gave a small, dismissive snort. "My brother doesn't deserve Cressida."

The other ladies gasped. "Only you would dare say something like that, Your Highness."

Bella lifted her chin, eyes bright. "I'm just telling the truth. I'd say it even if he were standing right here. Besides, my father would never give Cressida to him."

Seeing that Cressida showed no interest in the matter, the ladies let the subject drop.

One of them worked up the nerve to ask with a grin, "So in Your Highness's opinion, what kind of woman does Prince Yosef actually like?"

Bella thought it over. "Someone gentle and well-mannered, and ideally someone who never talks back, never fights back, and just puts up with everything without complaint. Otherwise, who could stand his awful temper?"

The ladies laughed again behind their hands.

"My brother absolutely cannot stand anyone who pushes back against him," Bella said.

Cressida sipped her wine and turned this over quietly in her mind. No wonder Yosef had been coming after her so relentlessly — apparently she had every quality he hated most.

Not that it mattered. They were enemies. What Yosef thought of her was none of her concern.

Just then, noise broke out near the door — hurried footsteps rushing back and forth. Bella frowned at the sound.

"What's going on with Lumina Retreat? I thought this place had excellent soundproofing. It's so loud out there, and the staff aren't doing anything about it."

She slapped the table. "Someone go find out what's happening."

A maidservant who had been standing quietly to the side stepped forward at once.

But just as she was about to open the door, someone knocked from the other side.

When the door opened, the manager of Lumina Retreat was standing there, smiling apologetically.

"Your Highness, ladies — I'm terribly sorry. Something has come up at the establishment. Officials have arrived and need to clear the building. I'm afraid I must ask all of you to head home for now. Tonight's bill is entirely on us, and the next time you honor us with a visit, I'll personally send ten jars of fine wine as a gift."

Bella frowned. "Officials? What for?"

The ladies crowded toward the door alongside her, craning their necks to see.

One look was enough — they could make out people from the Court of Judicial Review moving through the corridor.

"Well..." The manager was trying to figure out how to word things without frightening these sheltered young women.

Then one of the ladies let out a sharp gasp. "Look — that's the coroner!"

"A murder?" Bella said immediately.

She gathered her skirts and walked out quickly, curiosity pulling her forward. The other ladies followed close behind.

Cressida hung back a step and asked the manager in a calm, even voice, "Who was hurt?"

The manager wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "It's... a young nobleman, sir. He's dead. One of the staff found him when they went to bring more wine. The body was still warm. We never expected anything like this to happen."

He watched Cressida's face anxiously, afraid this would ruin his reputation.

"In all our years of business, nothing like this has ever happened. What terrible luck."

A scream from Bella cut through the air.

Cressida stopped talking to the manager and walked toward the sound.

The moment she got close, Bella spun around and threw herself into her arms.

"Cressida! There's a dead body in there!" Bella was shaking.

Cressida glanced over.

Outside the room where Everett had been, officers from the Court of Judicial Review had sealed off the area, and the coroner was inside examining the body.

Bella wasn't the only one shaken — the other ladies who had followed her over looked badly frightened too.

Cressida paused, then said, "How did something like this happen? This place clearly isn't safe. Let me take you back to the palace now."

Bella nodded, her face pale, her hand still gripping Cressida's sleeve.

As the group of ladies moved to leave, the Chief Clerk from the Court of Judicial Review stepped in front of them.

"There's been a death on the premises. Everyone must be searched before they go."

Bella's eyes went wide with outrage. "Open your eyes and look at who you're talking to. Search me? Are you out of your mind?"

Her maidservant immediately produced an official token.

The officer took one look at it and went white. He dropped to his knees.

"Your Highness, please forgive me. I had no idea you and your companions were here. I deserve to be punished."

"He's only doing his job," Cressida said quietly.

Bella gave a cold huff. "I can't be bothered with you. Cressida, let's go."

They left together, each lady climbing into her own carriage, all of them still rattled. Cressida had offered to see Bella back to the palace, and Bella had taken her at her word, holding onto her sleeve the whole way until they were seated inside the carriage.

Bella pressed a hand to her chest. "What awful luck. Why did we have to walk into something like this?"

Cressida's face was calm and composed, betraying nothing.

"I was the one who invited you here," she said, her voice carrying a note of apology. "I thought it would be a quiet, pleasant place. I'm sorry you had to be frightened like this."

"Oh, don't blame yourself for that. I was thrilled when you finally invited me out. It's this place's fault for not keeping better watch — letting all sorts of people in."

Bella knew the dead man was Everett.

But a young nobleman of his kind barely registered to her. He was simply not important enough to dwell on.

She looked at Cressida, steady and unshaken, and her eyes lit up with open admiration.

"Cressida, you're amazing. You saw a dead body and didn't even flinch. I'm in awe of you."

"...I've seen a lot at the frontier garrisons. I suppose I got used to it."

Bella rested her chin in her hand and gazed at her with a dreamy expression.

She was picturing General Hamilton again, using Cressida as a window into what he must be like.

"One day I want to go to the frontier myself," Bella said, lost in thought. "I want to see the place where your brother lived."

A rare flicker of guilt moved through Cressida.

She had arranged today's outing with Bella as cover — a distraction, a way to deflect attention.

But Bella had been completely genuine with her the whole time.

Cressida told herself she would find a way to make it up to her someday.