Chapter 6 Bestowed Marriage for the Princess, Who Will Marry Her for Me?
Emma tried to rush into the courtyard, but several women blocked the doorway and gave her a hard shove.
The push sent Emma stumbling backward.
"Who dares touch Miss Hamilton's courtyard?" the women snarled viciously.
Emma looked a bit disheveled and turned back to look at Cressida.
But Cressida stood completely still, her expression firm and cold.
Emma made up her mind, scrambled to her feet, grabbed a rock from the nearby flower bed, and hurled it at those women.
"There's only one Miss Hamilton in this house—our Cressida!" Emma went all out, scaring the women into scattering.
Emma charged in, hitting and smashing things. A glint of approval flashed in Cressida's eyes.
This wasn't Cressida's home—she had returned to a den of wolves and tigers, a place that devoured people without leaving bones.
If Emma had to rely on her for everything and couldn't stand on her own, she was destined to be unsuitable for living here and couldn't become her ally.
Inside the main courtyard's room.
Clio and Rose held each other, crying like two tearful souls.
"Mother, if I hadn't pretended to faint, I probably wouldn't have lived to see you and Father again today."
"Good child, you've suffered a terrible injustice. Don't say anything, just lie down and rest."
"But Cressida won't tolerate me. I can't cause trouble for you and Father. Why don't you send me away?"
"No!" Clio became agitated. "This is your home. Don't say such things again—you're breaking my heart!"
Rose collapsed into Clio's arms and burst into tears again.
Patrick frowned nearby, his face dark with anger.
"I never expected Cressida to be so unruly. She dared to fake her death at the border and come home without even telling us—she caught us completely off guard!"
Rose's crying gradually stopped, and she said weakly, "Yes, and Cressida is still so young. If she had stayed at the border and earned merit for another ten years, that would have been enough."
Hearing this, Patrick slammed the table in frustration, calling it a shame. His anger, which had been at a three, rose to a seven.
Another ten years of glory, and he might have had a chance to advance his title.
Patrick only had an honorary title without real power. If he could advance further, that would truly be leaving his name in history!
But now, Cressida had come back without consulting him at all!
Clio dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.
"Since she's already back and cut off her retreat, we can't send her back to the border. Why don't we just send her to my mother's home in Regal City?"
"No. Princess Russell knows she's Cameron's twin sister. If we send her away, I'm afraid it'll cause gossip." Patrick shook his head.
"Then what do we do?" Clio grew anxious. "Rose absolutely cannot be sent away. She's been with us for ten years and even cured your leg."
Patrick clasped his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth in the room.
Rose looked at Patrick and Clio's expressions.
"Father, Mother, let Cressida stay. I won't compete with her—I'll give in to her in everything."
Clio's eyes instantly reddened as she hugged Rose's shoulders. "That's too unfair to you."
"As long as Father and Mother aren't troubled, what does a little unfairness to Rose matter? It's better for the family to be harmonious."
Rose and Clio held each other and sobbed.
"Enough! Stop crying. Her return isn't such a big deal. As long as she behaves and stays in line, she can't cause trouble. You arrange for people to keep a close eye on her," Patrick said.
Clio was about to nod when the butler knelt at the door to report.
"Mr. Patrick Hamilton, Mrs. Clio Hamilton, this is terrible—Ms. Cressida Hamilton had someone smash up Ms. Rose Hamilton's courtyard!"
"What?" Patrick shot to his feet.
Rose grabbed his sleeve. "Father, don't be angry with Cressida. I'll give her the courtyard."
Patrick shook off her hand, furious. "She comes back and immediately throws her weight around. If I don't put her in her place this time, she'll be even more lawless!"
He then told the butler Noah to fetch the family punishment rod and strode out.
Clio helped Rose up sympathetically. "Alright, don't try to plead for her in this matter. She made you lose face in front of Princess Russell. Your father should teach her a lesson."
"Mother, I don't blame Cressida. I'm just afraid Father will hurt her badly, and if word gets out to Princess Russell..."
"You're still so thoughtful. I'll go check on things."
Cressida had Emma empty the room of almost everything.
Only simple tables, chairs, and a bed frame remained.
When Patrick stormed in angrily gripping the rod, he saw Cressida sitting calmly in a chair drinking tea.
"You rebellious girl, you..."
He was about to explode when Cressida suddenly slammed her teacup on the table.
She scolded, "Father, Mother, you've been terribly foolish!"
Her words carried the force of thunder, making Patrick and Clio freeze.
Emma closed the door behind them and stood guard outside.
Cressida spoke steadily, "If you wanted to adopt a new sister into the family, why didn't you inform me beforehand?"
"It's a small matter. You were at the front lines—how could we disturb your focus?" Patrick said.
Cressida shook her head. "Because I didn't know, on my way back I told Princess Russell that we only had one daughter in our family. When Princess Russell saw her just now, I barely knew how to explain."
Hearing this, Patrick's anger dissipated by more than half.
"Even so, you shouldn't have smashed up your sister's courtyard like this. You come back and immediately cause trouble—do you have no sense of propriety?" Clio accused.
Cressida's gaze swept over to her.
"I shouldn't smash it? Should I wait for Princess Russell to find out that Father and Mother raised a daughter to replace my identity, living here all along without explanation? If she investigates further, who will suffer?"
Patrick's expression stiffened.
"You're making it sound too serious—it won't come to that!" Clio said.
Cressida laughed coldly. "Won't it, Mother? Just now those women kept saying this was Miss Russell's courtyard. How long have you been raising her for all the servants in this household, high and low, to only recognize her?"
Clio's tone faltered, unable to refute.
Finally, Clio could only offer a weak explanation: "She knows medicine and cured your father's leg. That's why the servants recognize her."
Her tone shifted as Clio accused again, "Since you knew Rose's identity, you shouldn't have made things difficult for her in front of Princess Russell just now."
Cressida's face was cold. "Did I tell her to wear red?"
Clio was speechless.
"Why did you suddenly fake your death and return to Emerald City? Why didn't you discuss it with us first?" Patrick asked the question he cared about most.
"There was no time to discuss. I had to come back."
"Why?"
"If I hadn't left, the King would have arranged my marriage to the princess. Which of you could have married her in my place?" Cressida's calm, cold tone was like a thunderclap.
It frightened Patrick and Clio, their faces turning very ugly.
Cressida wasn't lying. She had indeed heard the rumors—Chris had told her after returning from reporting duties in Emerald City.
With the great war settled, Cameron's prestige was too high, and he was quite popular among the common people.
For such an outstanding pillar of the state, if the ruler didn't want him to overshadow the throne, Doyle would only give him two choices.
First, death. Second, become one of his own people.
Clearly, Doyle was unwilling to sacrifice a talent like Cameron, so he thought of marrying off a princess.
Plus, after ten years of hardship and with the war over, Cressida had no interest in pursuing more glory, so she simply faked her death and returned to Emerald City.
She had left home at fourteen, with infinite longing for the family affection she'd missed.
But her experiences in her past life had given her a harsh wake-up call. She was completely clear-headed now.
Patrick's lips parted several times but he couldn't say anything.
"You did the right thing. This matter required quick action." Finally, he spoke.
Cressida glanced at the punishment rod in his hand and raised her eyebrows slightly.
"Father, you're holding the family punishment rod—you weren't planning to beat me with it, were you?"