The Slave Queen - Chapter 54: Chapter 54
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Something about the whole thing just felt... off.
But looking at their delicate Julia in tears, none of them could quite pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
And to be fair, Julia hadn't said anything untrue.
Shawn was known for being cool and distant, but he'd never been rude to a woman—at least, not that anyone had heard.
Yet today, he had publicly pressured them to clear Raelynn's name, with no regard for the Duke's estate's pride.
And as for Julia—his tone toward her had been completely unyielding.
She'd been pampered since birth, never scolded, never spoken to harshly. Of course she'd be hurt.
Not to mention...
Cecilia glanced at Hugo again.
Back when Shawn had come to end the engagement with Ian, he'd all but insulted Julia outright.
All she'd done was try to offer him coffee.
She thought, 'Could it be... Raelynn still hasn't gotten over Ian? That even after scheming her way into marrying Lord Shawn, she's gone and spoken ill of Julia behind her back—making him view Julia in a negative light?'
The more Cecilia thought about it, the more she felt a lingering resentment toward Raelynn.
'That girl just never learns.
'Four years in the palace, and she still hasn't changed. Still so jealous, so petty.
'Looks like she'll need a proper talk before marrying into the Lindsay family.'
Just then, Gabriel suddenly spoke, "Julia... don't you think you were wrong too?"
The words made all three heads turn in surprise.
Even Julia stopped crying.
Cecilia frowned. "Gabriel, she's your sister. How can you say that?"
He answered calmly, "Today was supposed to be a happy day—an engagement between Lord Shawn and Raelynn. A celebration between the Duke's estate and the marquis' estate's. And yet, Julia, you deliberately brought up Raelynn's four years of servitude, and right in front of the Lindsay family elders no less. Were you trying to make them think less of her?
"Ian was originally engaged to Raelynn. If she hadn't gone to the palace in your place, he never would've drifted away. He was the best match Raelynn could've hoped for. If not for Lord Shawn stepping forward, she might've had to marry far beneath her.
"She finally found a good match, and you... you chose today of all days to bring up her past. Do you have any idea what that looked like?"
The more he spoke, the more his heart ached for Raelynn.
And yet, he still found it hard to truly scold Julia.
He let out a heavy sigh.
He thought he'd phrased it gently enough—reasoned with her, even.
Raelynn was the one who'd suffered.
Julia should've understood that, and not taken Shawn's reaction so personally.
But to his surprise, Julia's emotions suddenly flared.
Her eyes went red again as she broke away from Cecilia's arms, visibly upset.
"Gabriel... so you think I was just being petty?
"I've never tried to steal Raelynn's fiancé! I've always seen Lord Ian as just that—a brother! He was supposed to be my future brother-in-law! And now you're saying... you think I wanted to take him from her?"
She looked at Gabriel with wounded disbelief, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.
Cecilia gave Gabriel a sharp smack on the arm. "Gabriel! How could you say something so harsh to Julia?"
But he ignored her.
Instead, he latched onto something Julia had said. "Wait... Julia, did you just say you don't like Ian?"
She froze, unsure what he was getting at, and didn't respond.
Hugo, too, picked up on the shift. "You don't like him? Then why were you always so close with him?
"He broke off his engagement with Raelynn because of you. If you don't return his feelings... then who's going to marry him?"
The match between the two families had been arranged for years. If Julia backed out now, it would be the Duke's estate who ended up in the wrong.
Both Hugo and Gabriel stared at her, waiting for an answer.
Julia realized too late she'd said the wrong thing. Regret surged through her, along with a wave of anger toward Gabriel for siding with Raelynn.
She was fuming inside—but still kept up her delicate, innocent facade.
Tears streaming, she cried out, "Father... Mother... Brother... none of you believe me. Fine! Then just send me to the palace. Let me explain myself to Lord Shawn!"
The moment she said it, the color drained from all three faces.
Cecilia turned pale, her lips trembling. "Wha—what do you mean, go to the palace?"
Julia looked straight at Cecilia—the one person she could still sway—and with a sudden, desperate resolve, dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
But looking at their delicate Julia in tears, none of them could quite pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
And to be fair, Julia hadn't said anything untrue.
Shawn was known for being cool and distant, but he'd never been rude to a woman—at least, not that anyone had heard.
Yet today, he had publicly pressured them to clear Raelynn's name, with no regard for the Duke's estate's pride.
And as for Julia—his tone toward her had been completely unyielding.
She'd been pampered since birth, never scolded, never spoken to harshly. Of course she'd be hurt.
Not to mention...
Cecilia glanced at Hugo again.
Back when Shawn had come to end the engagement with Ian, he'd all but insulted Julia outright.
All she'd done was try to offer him coffee.
She thought, 'Could it be... Raelynn still hasn't gotten over Ian? That even after scheming her way into marrying Lord Shawn, she's gone and spoken ill of Julia behind her back—making him view Julia in a negative light?'
The more Cecilia thought about it, the more she felt a lingering resentment toward Raelynn.
'That girl just never learns.
'Four years in the palace, and she still hasn't changed. Still so jealous, so petty.
'Looks like she'll need a proper talk before marrying into the Lindsay family.'
Just then, Gabriel suddenly spoke, "Julia... don't you think you were wrong too?"
The words made all three heads turn in surprise.
Even Julia stopped crying.
Cecilia frowned. "Gabriel, she's your sister. How can you say that?"
He answered calmly, "Today was supposed to be a happy day—an engagement between Lord Shawn and Raelynn. A celebration between the Duke's estate and the marquis' estate's. And yet, Julia, you deliberately brought up Raelynn's four years of servitude, and right in front of the Lindsay family elders no less. Were you trying to make them think less of her?
"Ian was originally engaged to Raelynn. If she hadn't gone to the palace in your place, he never would've drifted away. He was the best match Raelynn could've hoped for. If not for Lord Shawn stepping forward, she might've had to marry far beneath her.
"She finally found a good match, and you... you chose today of all days to bring up her past. Do you have any idea what that looked like?"
The more he spoke, the more his heart ached for Raelynn.
And yet, he still found it hard to truly scold Julia.
He let out a heavy sigh.
He thought he'd phrased it gently enough—reasoned with her, even.
Raelynn was the one who'd suffered.
Julia should've understood that, and not taken Shawn's reaction so personally.
But to his surprise, Julia's emotions suddenly flared.
Her eyes went red again as she broke away from Cecilia's arms, visibly upset.
"Gabriel... so you think I was just being petty?
"I've never tried to steal Raelynn's fiancé! I've always seen Lord Ian as just that—a brother! He was supposed to be my future brother-in-law! And now you're saying... you think I wanted to take him from her?"
She looked at Gabriel with wounded disbelief, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.
Cecilia gave Gabriel a sharp smack on the arm. "Gabriel! How could you say something so harsh to Julia?"
But he ignored her.
Instead, he latched onto something Julia had said. "Wait... Julia, did you just say you don't like Ian?"
She froze, unsure what he was getting at, and didn't respond.
Hugo, too, picked up on the shift. "You don't like him? Then why were you always so close with him?
"He broke off his engagement with Raelynn because of you. If you don't return his feelings... then who's going to marry him?"
The match between the two families had been arranged for years. If Julia backed out now, it would be the Duke's estate who ended up in the wrong.
Both Hugo and Gabriel stared at her, waiting for an answer.
Julia realized too late she'd said the wrong thing. Regret surged through her, along with a wave of anger toward Gabriel for siding with Raelynn.
She was fuming inside—but still kept up her delicate, innocent facade.
Tears streaming, she cried out, "Father... Mother... Brother... none of you believe me. Fine! Then just send me to the palace. Let me explain myself to Lord Shawn!"
The moment she said it, the color drained from all three faces.
Cecilia turned pale, her lips trembling. "Wha—what do you mean, go to the palace?"
Julia looked straight at Cecilia—the one person she could still sway—and with a sudden, desperate resolve, dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
End of The Slave Queen Chapter 54. Continue reading Chapter 55 or return to The Slave Queen book page.