The Slave Queen - Chapter 37: Chapter 37

When Isabel came in to report, Julia was still inside throwing a fit.
At the news, a flicker of panic crossed her face.
"He's here? Now? What does he want?"
Ever since she'd learned that Raelynn's future husband was the highly respected Shawn, her opinion of Ian — the unremarkable, idle man of the Marquisate — had plummeted.
She'd never really liked him anyway. What she enjoyed was the feeling of stealing everything that belonged to Raelynn.
But now? Her thoughts were already shifting to Shawn.
Compared to Ian, she told herself, she actually admired Shawn. Maybe even liked him.
After all, if someone like Raelynn could get close to a man like that, why couldn't she?
A man like Shawn — poised, brilliant, and dignified — was far more worthy of being her husband.
So now, already in a foul mood and with her face still bruised from yesterday, the last thing she wanted was to deal with Ian showing up uninvited.
Isabel and Katherine exchanged a quick glance before Katherine spoke up carefully, "Lord Ian said he hasn't seen you in a few days, Lady Julia... and he also mentioned something about Lord Shawn..."
'Shawn?'
The moment Julia heard his name, her mood shifted. She turned quickly to Katherine. "Help me freshen up. I'll put on a veil before I see him."
"Yes, Lady Julia."
Seeing that she wasn't flying into a rage this time, Katherine quietly let out a breath of relief.
Julia had become more and more temperamental over the years — and harder to serve.
Still grumbling to herself, Katherine quickly helped her change into a fresh outfit and draped a sheer white veil over her face.
She paired it with a set of delicate crystal earrings that caught the light when she moved, giving her a graceful, almost ethereal elegance as she walked.
Julia examined herself in the mirror, checking every angle. Once she was sure the bruises were hidden, she casually threw a snow-white fox-fur cloak over her shoulders and made her way toward the front hall.
With Hugo at court today, it was Cecilia who received Ian in the main hall.
Looking at the young man who would soon become her son-in-law, Cecilia was naturally pleased.
"Ian, just wait a moment — Julia will be here shortly."
But when she mentioned Julia, her smile faltered slightly.
And understandably so — after all, Julia had been slapped by Raelynn just yesterday. Even with a night's rest, the swelling hadn't completely gone down.
She worried that if the two stood too close together, the bruises would be hard to miss.
Still, he'd come all this way to see Julia — and they did share a close bond. That had to be a good thing.
She couldn't very well turn him away.
Ian, however, looked a little anxious.
He glanced toward the door, clearly hoping for a glimpse of her. Not seeing her, he turned back and asked, "Lady Cecilia, I heard Julia was hurt. I came right away to check on her."
Of course, that wasn't the full truth. He had another, more important reason for coming — one he hadn't mentioned.
He was here... to see Raelynn.
Cecilia froze for half a second when she heard him.
She hadn't expected word of Julia's injuries to travel so fast — let alone reach him.
Just as she was about to come up with an explanation, Julia entered with graceful steps, her veil fluttering gently as she walked in.
"Mother. Lord Ian."
She gave a perfectly practiced curtsey, every movement elegant and refined.
Even with her face covered, she still radiated the poise of a well-bred noblewoman. Cecilia couldn't help but nod in approval.
At that moment, she felt reassured — Julia was, after all, still presentable.
Ian returned her greeting, then stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
Up close, he could see the faint redness on her cheeks behind the veil, and his heart twisted with concern.
"Julia, you..."
Before he could say more, Julia stepped back slightly, widening the space between them, and subtly glanced toward Cecilia.
Only then did Ian realize how inappropriate his concern had seemed in front of Cecilia.
Luckily, Cecilia wasn't the strict or old-fashioned type.
In her eyes, these two had grown up together, were close as children, and were already all but promised to each other.
A little intimacy was nothing to frown upon. In fact, she thought, it was good — once Julia married into the Lindsay family, their closeness might help her win more affection from Ian.
With that thought, she gave a light cough and said gently, "Julia, my throat is acting up again. I'll go lie down for a bit. Be a good girl and entertain Lord Ian for me."
Then, with Tuesday's help, she slowly stood up and left the hall.
"Yes, Mother," Julia replied quietly.
But inside, she was already growing impatient.
With Shawn now firmly on her mind, she had little interest in dealing with a clingy admirer like Ian.
Still, she was good at reading people — and even better at keeping them in her pocket.
Even if she didn't care for Ian anymore, she knew better than to push him away.
Instead, she leaned into what she did best: keeping him exactly where she wanted him.