Chapter 137

Chapter 137

The maids worked efficiently, their movements quick and practiced as they stripped the dress from Tu Nan’s body and replaced it with one of Maria’s gowns.

Tu Nan watched the maids surrounding her with a slight headache. One of them placed a corset around her waist and pulled the laces tight with a sharp tug.

She gasped, the air catching in her throat.

“There’s no need for the corset,” Maria said, standing to the side and stopping the maid from tightening it further. “Once I ascend to the Throne, I will definitely order all of these things destroyed.”

Tu Nan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“…Actually, I don’t think what I wear is that important.”

“No, my dear, what you wear is very important,” Maria countered, her tone disapproving.

She sifted through her jewelry box before finally selecting a lustrous pearl necklace. Moving behind Tu Nan, she personally fastened it around her neck.

Maria’s pale, slender fingers gently brushed aside Tu Nan’s long hair as she draped the cool pearls against her skin.

“When facing your enemies, you must always maintain your best state,” she whispered into Tu Nan’s ear.

Tu Nan reached up to touch the necklace.

“There.” Maria let go and walked around to the front to inspect her. She finally nodded with satisfaction. “Now you look the part.”

*

The two arrived at the Dining Room. The King and Queen had not yet arrived, but three young men were already seated at the table. Upon seeing them enter, one of the men immediately stood up and greeted Maria with a smile.

“Princess, you are as beautiful as ever today.”

Maria gave him a slight nod. “Thank you for the compliment, Prince Tracy.”

“And who is this?” Tracy asked, looking at Tu Nan standing beside Maria.

“This is my friend, Judy. She came specifically to accompany me before the Wedding,” Maria explained.

“Prince Tracy, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Tu Nan lifted her skirts and performed an elegant curtsy.

“Since when does my sister have such a beautiful friend? Why was I never told?” a somewhat frivolous voice interjected.

Tu Nan looked toward the source of the voice. The man sitting next to Tracy was watching her with great interest.

Maria frowned, her voice tinged with displeasure. “Dennis, this is my friend.”

His identity wasn’t hard to guess. Tu Nan curtsied to him as well, speaking in a gentle tone, “Greetings, Prince Dennis. Maria and I were childhood playmates. It has been a long time since I last visited the Royal Palace, so it is only natural that you wouldn’t recognize me.”

“This friend of my sister’s is certainly much more likable than she is,” Dennis said with a laugh, his words a blatant provocation directed at Maria.

“Please, sit down,” Tracy interrupted their exchange with a smile, acting the part of the considerate host. “Standing for too long is tiring.”

Maria took a seat opposite him, and Tu Nan followed suit, sitting beside her.

“The one sitting next to Dennis is my other brother, Eugene,” Maria whispered into her ear. “Dennis is frivolous and exceptionally lecherous. As for Eugene, he is a cruel man who never places any value on human life. I suggest you stay far away from both of them.”

Tu Nan cast a discreet glance at the two men.

Like Maria, Dennis had black hair and pale skin. However, he had dark circles under his eyes and deep hollows in his cheeks, clearly showing the signs of a life of excessive debauchery.

As for Eugene, he was different from the other two. He had flamboyant red hair and skin the color of wheat. His eyes were exceptionally narrow, and a deep, violent aura lurked within his dark pupils.
One look was enough to know he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

Tu Nan quickly withdrew her gaze and gave Maria a subtle nod.

If she had to choose between the two, Dennis seemed like the lesser of two evils.

Suddenly, she felt an unmistakable weight of a gaze on the top of her head. Tu Nan paused for a moment and looked up, meeting Dennis’s eyes directly.

Seeing her look over, he curled his lips into a smirk and winked at her, flashing what he clearly thought was a charming smile.

Tu Nan suppressed the irritation rising in her heart, gave him a shy smile, and quickly lowered her head.

“Have some tea,” Tracy said, reaching out to pour a cup and pushing it toward Maria.

He even poured a cup for Tu Nan.

“Thank you,” Maria said, not refusing. She picked up the cup and touched it to her lips in a symbolic gesture.

Tu Nan followed suit with a word of thanks and took a sip from her own cup.

“My sister and Tracy are about to be married, yet you’re still so cold to each other,” Dennis remarked from the side, clearly enjoying the friction. His smile was suggestive. “You’ll be family soon; there’s no harm in being a little more intimate.”

Maria’s expression soured. She slammed her cup onto the table with a heavy thud.

She looked at Dennis and shot back, “Since you’re so concerned about my marriage, Brother, perhaps you should settle your own affairs first. It would save Father and Mother from having people constantly coming to them in tears, claiming they’re carrying your child.”

The smile vanished from Dennis’s face, and he glared at Maria with a dark, sullen expression.

“What is there to argue about in front of outsiders?” Eugene, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up in reprimand. “You are a Princess and a Prince of this kingdom. Act in a manner befitting your status.”

The King was gravely ill, and someone would eventually have to inherit the Throne.

Among the three heirs of the royal family, Maria was about to be married off, leaving only Dennis and Eugene as potential successors to the Throne. However, Dennis had always been reckless and absurd in his conduct, and the King seemed to have no intention of choosing him.

Throughout the kingdom, everyone speculated that the one most likely to inherit the Throne was the Eldest Prince, Eugene.

Tracy maintained a smile on his face, his tone gentle. “It’s normal for siblings to bicker.”

Maria let out a cold sneer.

Dennis’s expression shifted as he felt he had lost face, but he ultimately restrained himself out of wariness toward Eugene.

From the beginning, Tu Nan had played the role of an invisible observer.

She was studying them.

Dennis’s attitude toward Maria was one of utter contempt; he clearly didn’t care for his sister. His blatant disregard suggested that the King likely didn’t hold Maria in high regard either.

As for Eugene, it was hard to tell which sibling he favored more; he seemed far more concerned with the reputation of the royal family.

These three siblings…

They were truly a fractured family, divided in both appearance and spirit.

As for Tracy, his reaction was even more interesting.

On the surface, he was attentive and meticulous toward Maria, yet he hadn’t shown even a hint of anger at Dennis’s treatment of her. His expression remained calm, his tone soft.

It was clear that his feelings for Maria were far from sincere.

The dynamics between these people were truly worth pondering.

“Their Majesties, the King and Queen, have arrived-”

The Attendant’s drawn-out announcement instantly snapped the four people at the table out of their private thoughts.

They stood up and turned toward the source of the voice.

The Queen entered, supporting the King as they made their late arrival.

Though it had only been half a month since she last saw him, the King looked much older than Tu Nan remembered.