I watched them with piqued interest. My mind flashed back to my previous conversation with Laura when she had suggested that someone in the imperial palace was secretly aiding Adela.
Judging from Adela’s inadvertent intimacy, I guessed that this person must be Lucy.
Just when I thought Lucy was going to take a stand for Adela, she slapped her hard, leaving Adela baffled.
My eyebrows flew to my hairline as this show got more interesting.
Adela covered her cheek and stared at Lucy in disbelief. “How. . how dare you slap me?”
“Why shouldn’t I slap you? After all, I am the wife of the former crown prince Richard and the mother of Richard’s child. The person you’re accusing of being a murderer is the Alpha of the border pack. You, the daughter of an Alpha of a small pack, have no right to point your finger at her just like that,” Lucy snapped.
Although many years had passed, Lucy was still the same, except for her appearance. She was as two-faced as ever.
Adela probably hadn’t imagined that Lucy would humiliate her in front of everyone without hesitation. She stared at Lucy blankly for a long time.
The crowd was curious about Lucy’s sudden arrival. After all, even though she had been residing in the imperial palace for a long time, she hardly appeared in front of people. The public had almost forgotten that she even existed.
Looking at the thin clothes she wore, it was easy to guess that she hadn’t lived prosperously in the past few years. For the outsiders, although Lucy had given birth to a son of the royal family, she was still a sinner’s wife and an outcast.
Adela began sobbing and muttered, “You all bully me.”
Lucy’s face darkened. She softly scolded, “Don’t you understand what’s going on? Why do you have to make a fool of yourself?”
Adela choked with sobs. She restrained her tears and reluctantly said, “But she embarrassed me in public.”
Then she shot a glare at me.
I met her eyes frostily, not taking her attitude seriously. The crowd watching the drama unfold kept growing. Adela shouted again, “So what if she is the Alpha of the border pack? I’m the future queen.”
I curled my lips in disdain. I didn’t want to be the center of attention like her, so I turned around and made to leave.
The next second, however, Adela pounced on me and was about to rip my mask off while yelling that I was an ugly monster.
I made a quick decision and shoved her away. She slammed into the ground.
However, she quickly got to her feet and was preparing to pounce on me again when Lucy grabbed her wrist. “Do you think the king will still want to marry you after seeing you like this?”
Lucy’s words brought Adela to her senses. She pursed her lips and stood silently.
Lucy scrutinized Adela and warned her coldly, “You are not the queen yet. You should know your place and stop being so self-important.”
Adela was rendered speechless. She stomped her feet in a rage and rushed away in tears.
Now that the show was over, the crowd dispersed. Lucy then approached me.
My guard was up, and I was a little scared. I still clearly remembered her hostile attitude toward me in the past.
Crystal’s POV
Lucy came to a halt in front of me. She took off her hat, revealing her pale and thin face. While her features remained delicate and beautiful, she was not as lively and active as before.
She was only a few years older than me. When she was in military school, she was well-known for her beauty. But in the short span of a few years, both her appearance and temperament underwent a massive change.
I inwardly sighed, but I couldn’t muster up any sympathy for her. I just pitied her child.
“I’ve heard quite a lot about you. I’m glad to finally meet you today, Alpha Crystal.” The corners of Lucy’s mouth curved up into a small smile. Her demeanor was unexpectedly gentle.
I thought she would behave haughtily, but she didn’t. Instead, she chatted about the interesting tourist spots of the imperial capital with me.
She looked so laid-back, which was the complete opposite of the Lucy I knew before. Was it possible that her experiences of the past few years had changed her completely?
I didn’t dare to let my guard down. I was alert when answering Lucy’s questions the entire time. When I spoke, I tried to keep it as soft as possible, not revealing my real voice.
Just when I couldn’t tolerate continuing the conversation, Firman suddenly ran to us. He first called Lucy ‘Mom’, and then hid behind her and eyed me timidly. “Hello, Ms. Quinn.”
Lucy tugged him to stand in front of her, gently patted his head, and said with a smile, “You shouldn’t always hide behind your mother when you greet others. Be polite, young man.”
Firman obediently nodded and greeted me again. This time, he said in a louder voice, “Hello, Ms. Quinn! Nice… Nice to meet you here.”
My heart softened. I removed a toffee from my pocket and offered it to him. “Hello, Firman. I’m happy to see you here too.”
With a smile, Lucy interrupted and said, “Firman has mentioned several times to me that you were his favorite teacher. He has been a shy kid since he was little. He doesn’t know how to express his needs well, which often makes him the target of bullies. I truly appreciate the wonderful care you’ve taken of him at school. Recently…”
Her voice caught and she heaved a long sigh. With a worried expression, she continued, “A few kids have always bullied him in school. But I haven’t seen him come back with any wounds in the past few days. Even his clothes are no longer dirty.”
Then, Lucy took Firman’s hand and sincerely bowed to me. “Thank you, Alpha Crystal.”
I quickly stopped them and relaxed a little. “You don’t need to thank me. It’s my job as a teacher. In the future, I will do my best to stop the other kids from bullying Firman. Don’t worry about him.”
Regardless of any feuds between the adults, the child was always innocent. I sincerely hoped that Firman would live a good life without being influenced by outer factors. At least he could have a good childhood.
Lucy thanked me from the bottom of her heart. She turned to Firman’s nanny, took something from her, and then handed me a delicate box. “Firman has helped baked this cake. I hope you will take it.”
Firman also looked expectant, hoping that I would take it.
I couldn’t refuse his kindness, so I accepted it. I eased up on my vigilance as I speculated that Lucy was probably so nice to me right now because of Firman.
“Shall we go to the pavilion nearby for some afternoon tea?” Lucy asked with a smile.
I wanted to refuse, but Firman also chimed in, “Let’s go. I have baked many other desserts…”
As I observed his flushed face, I could only nod in agreement.
Firman was almost the same age as Arron. Every time I saw a child that was the same age as mine, my mind always returned to my two beautiful babies at home. This was probably the biggest change I’d undergone as a mother. I was tenderhearted to children.
Crystal’s POV
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