The Slave Queen - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

After Cecilia left, Julia turned to Ian with a sweet, practiced smile.
"Lord Ian, please, have a seat."
After a night of rest, the swelling on her face had faded significantly.
Her eyes — once red and puffy — had regained their usual clear, innocent shine.
That soft smile alone was enough to leave Ian, already infatuated, completely mesmerized.
"Ah—yes," he said, quickly sitting down, concern clouding his expression. "I heard that Raelynn hit you the moment she got home. Is that true?"
The mention of getting slapped made Julia's lips quiver. She turned her head slightly, pretending to be embarrassed — though inwardly, she cursed him for being tactless.
Sure, it had happened. But did he really have to blurt it out so bluntly? So undignified. So humiliating.
Still, to Ian, her silence only made her look more wronged — as if the pain was too much for her to put into words.
His heart twisted with pity, and his eyes reddened. "That Raelynn! I can't believe I ever thought well of her. I even felt guilty about breaking off the engagement... but now? She's nothing but a venomous woman!"
Then he muttered to himself, almost in relief, "Thank heavens I'm not the one marrying her."
Julia almost rolled her eyes on the spot — but managed to hold it in.
The moment she turned her head, she summoned her tears like flipping a switch.
Right on cue, a single teardrop slid down her cheek.
Ian jumped up in alarm, completely flustered. "Julia, please don't cry!"
Julia shook her head, tears falling faster now. "Lord Ian, don't blame Raelynn. It's all my fault.
"I stole the life she should've had... I'm the reason she was sent into the palace as a servant... I took you away from her. Everything is my fault. If anyone should be punished, it's me. I'll atone for everything. I'll give you back to her..."
She cried like a fragile blossom in the rain, then suddenly turned as if to run out the door.
Ian, completely overwhelmed, rushed to pull her into his arms without thinking.
"Julia, this isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, please!"
But she wouldn't stop crying. She kept insisting she'd return him to Raelynn.
Ian's heart felt like it was being torn in two.
"I'll go explain everything to her myself!" he declared, voice tight with emotion.
Before he could move, a calm, low voice came from the doorway. "What's going on? Julia, why are you crying like that?"
A tall, slender young man stepped into the room, his complexion a bit pale, but his presence unmistakably sharp and commanding. It was Gabriel.
His gaze landed directly on Ian, firm and unblinking.
"Gabriel," Ian greeted quickly, stepping forward with a slight bow.
Gabriel gave him a brief nod, then looked toward Julia, brows lifting slightly in question.
He knew Ian's feelings for her were genuine. There was no way he'd have made her cry on purpose.
But Julia kept sobbing, refusing to speak.
Seeing this, Ian stepped in again, eager to explain. "It was Raelynn. She's still upset about the broken engagement and took it out on Julia. She slapped her. Julia did nothing wrong, but she's been blaming herself — she even said she wants to give me back to Raelynn and atone!"
He let out a long sigh.
"I know it was wrong of me to break off the engagement, but Julia had nothing to do with it. If Raelynn wants to be angry, she should take it out on me — not punish Julia like this.
"I thought she was so calm when she agreed to end things — I even admired her for it. But now? Turns out she's playing dirty behind our backs."
Of course, by this point, Ian had conveniently forgotten that all of this stemmed from his betrayal — from the moment he changed his mind and chose Julia instead.
Gabriel's brow furrowed.
He had come thinking something serious had happened, but it was just more drama involving Raelynn.
He'd already heard about what happened the day before — how Julia had provoked Raelynn and ended up getting slapped.
To be honest, if it had been earlier, he would've sided with Julia without a second thought.
Even knowing she could be sharp-tongued, he would've brushed it off.
But after kneeling in the cemetery all night, he'd had time to think. And something had changed.
He realized Raelynn wasn't a saint — and she didn't need to be. She had no obligation to keep turning the other cheek.
The truth was, Julia had gone too far. She'd insulted Raelynn first. And with their parents constantly siding with Julia, it was no surprise that Raelynn finally lost her temper.
And honestly... compared to the Raelynn who used to tearfully explain herself all the time, he found he preferred this new version of her.
He waved a hand, visibly impatient. "You and Julia are the ones who wronged Raelynn. And don't forget — Grandmother is the person Raelynn values most. You upset her that day. That alone puts you in the wrong.
"So let's just leave it at that. No more bringing it up. Ian, just focus on treating Julia well. As for Raelynn... stay away from her."
Neither Ian nor Julia expected him to say that.
They stood there, stunned — completely at a loss for words.