Chapter 96 Miguel Caresses Her Scar
On a vibrant summer day, the morning sun wasn't too harsh yet.
Cressida wore a purple silk shirt with a sheer outer robe and arrived at Miguel's palace.
Anthony had been waiting for her in the palace's training ground since early morning.
Seeing Cressida, he ran over quickly: "Ms. Hamilton! I'm finally recovered. I've missed so many lessons, and starting today I need to catch up fast."
Cressida asked with a smile: "Your ankle injury is completely healed?"
"Of course!" Anthony lifted his little foot and rotated his ankle in the air to show her.
With Miguel away, Cressida took Anthony through some basic drills.
He was indeed working hard, throwing punches with great force, even shouting encouragement to himself.
After watching him practice for an hour, Cressida raised her hand and called him over to rest.
Anthony jogged over, wiping sweat from his chin.
"Ms. Hamilton, I don't want to rest. I want to keep practicing."
"Don't rush, I want to show you something." Like a magic trick, Cressida pulled a whistle from her sleeve.
She put it to her lips and blew. Anthony tilted his head curiously.
Soon, a dark shadow swept across the sky.
"What's that!" Anthony looked up, completely surprised.
A bird the size of an eagle was circling in the air. It looked like an eagle, but not quite.
Cressida blew the whistle again, and the bird dove down.
"Ms. Hamilton, watch out!" Anthony spread his arms and bravely stood in front of Cressida.
However, the bird flapped its wings and obediently landed on Cressida's outstretched arm.
Cressida pulled out two bird seeds from her pocket to feed it. Anthony's eyes widened.
"Ms. Hamilton, is this your pet?"
Cressida nodded: "It's a red-tailed hawk. A few months ago, like you, it had a broken wing and couldn't fly or even move."
"Now it's mostly recovered and needs to practice flying again, but like you, it can't rush things."
"Skills aren't built in a day. Rather than pushing yourself for three hours today, it's better to spread that time across daily practice. With steady effort, you'll definitely see results."
Anthony's eyes sparkled.
"I understand, Ms. Hamilton."
He reached out his small hand and tentatively touched the red-tailed hawk. Finding it didn't attack, he liked it even more.
"Ms. Hamilton, can I play with it often?"
"Yes, it usually stays at the martial arts hall. If Prince Miguel allows it, I'll give it to you."
After saying this, Cressida had Anthony extend his arm and placed the red-tailed hawk on it.
He exclaimed with delight, then carefully stroked its smooth feathers, afraid of startling the bird.
"I'll tell Father!" he said, blinking his bright eyes.
James walked over with a maid following behind. Cressida recognized her—it was Quiana, who had pierced her ears last time.
James said coldly: "Ms. Hamilton, Prince Miguel has something to give you."
Quiana smiled: "There are several bolts of fine silk. Prince Miguel would like Ms. Hamilton to try them."
Cressida remained calm: "Alright."
She showed no sign of suspicion, just told Anthony she'd be back, and followed Quiana.
Along the corridor, past a courtyard full of blooming flowers, Cressida entered a pavilion.
Inside, on the shelves were four or five garments in stunning colors. The fine silk shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.
Two maids came in to help Quiana dress Cressida.
"Please change behind the curtain, Ms. Hamilton." Quiana followed Cressida behind the screen.
In front of Quiana, Cressida removed her outer robe, revealing her delicate shoulders.
Quiana immediately noticed a scar below her collarbone.
"Ms. Hamilton was injured here before?" Quiana asked, seemingly casually.
Cressida nodded slightly: "I was wounded by an arrow."
Not far away, behind layers of hanging curtains, a pair of sharp eyes suddenly narrowed with a dangerous look.
Quiana: "How dangerous! Was it from your time at the military fortress?"
"Yes..."
Just as Cressida responded, before she could put on the new outer robe, someone approached with cold, heavy steps.
Miguel lifted the beaded curtain with one hand, his handsome face stern, eyebrows sharp, eyes deep.
Seeing him there, Cressida didn't seem surprised. She just pulled her collar closed to cover her shoulders.
"Prince Miguel is also in the pavilion?"
Quiana immediately tried to ease the tension: "Prince Miguel just said he wanted to see if Ms. Hamilton liked these clothes, but..."
"Quiana, leave." Miguel suddenly interrupted.
In this situation, he had no interest in explaining anything to Cressida. He urgently needed answers.
Cressida glanced at him sideways, her eyes flickering, impossible to read.
Quiana's gaze moved between Cressida and Miguel, then she bowed her head and withdrew.
The door closed. Light filtered through the shuttered windows into the room.
Cressida happened to be standing in a beam of light, her bearing cool and spirited.
She quietly watched Miguel approach, then he suddenly lifted her chin.
"Cressida, do you recognize this?" He held up the broken arrow shaft.
When Cameron had blocked that fatal arrow for Miguel, who knew Miguel would still keep it.
Cressida said nothing, so Miguel pressed closer.
"I only work with honest people. Cameron, you lied to me. What should your punishment be!"
The last sentence was spoken with heavy emphasis.
He even called her by Cameron's name directly.
Cressida's expression didn't change. Instead, she asked back: "Why does Prince Miguel think I'm my brother?"
Miguel's rough fingertip reached out and traced over the scar below her collarbone.
"Still asking? This wound—why is it in exactly the same place as the arrow wound from back then?" His voice gradually deepened, carrying a hint of fierce displeasure.
Cressida pressed her lips together. Suddenly, she let go and removed the outer robe from her shoulders.
Now she wore only her chest binding and inner skirt, her shoulders fully exposed to Miguel's view.
Cressida gathered her long hair and swept it over her neck, then slowly turned around, showing him her bare back for close inspection.
"Prince Miguel, look carefully. Do I have the same penetrating wound on my back as Cameron?"
At this sight, Miguel's cold expression froze.
Her back was flawless, without a trace of injury, let alone a scar.
What was going on? Had he been mistaken?
"Where did your arrow wound come from!"
"I lived with Cameron at the military fortress, sometimes moving around constantly. Getting injured was unavoidable."
Her words seemed full of holes, yet Miguel couldn't find grounds to refute them.
Miguel felt he was just one step away from the truth.
He had sent people to investigate Cressida. Among those Blade of Victory at the military fortress, very few had seen her.
Everyone only heard that Cameron's sister was with the army, but she rarely appeared. They assumed Cameron was deliberately protecting her.
However, some said they had seen a woman who looked very much like Cameron going in and out of Cameron's tent.
Miguel had considered that Cressida might be Cameron.
Her combat skills weren't those of an ordinary woman.
But Miguel just couldn't catch her in a mistake.
Cressida pulled her collar closed, turned her head, and met Miguel's sharp gaze directly.
She asked a very bold question.
"If I said I was Cameron, would Prince Miguel prepare to execute me?"