The Slave Queen - Chapter 63: Chapter 63

"Lady Raelynn, watch out!"
At the cry, everyone turned their heads.
Nina, quick to react, was the first to spot the cake flying straight at Raelynn.
Without hesitation, she stepped in front of Raelynn.
The cake hit Nina squarely, splattering across her body.
"Nina!"
Sienna let out a startled cry. But when she realized it was only a cake and not something dangerous, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Both maids immediately turned their attention to Raelynn, their voices filled with concern. "Lady Raelynn, are you alright?"
Raelynn gave a calm nod of her head and turned her gaze—steady and composed—toward Julia.
Julia stood holding a tray, another piece of pastry still pinched between her fingers.
She had stumbled, and if not for Isabel and Katherine catching her in time, she might've fallen.
Yet she didn't even offer an apology. Instead, she looked pitifully at Cecilia and whined, "Mother, I almost tripped..."
Cecilia had initially been angry when she saw the pastry nearly hit Raelynn.
But the moment she saw Julia's anxious little face, her heart softened.
"Julia, are you hurt? How did you get so careless?"
She hurried forward to support her gently.
Julia, seeing she wasn't being scolded, quickly replaced her distressed expression with a playful one. She stuck out her tongue with a sheepish smile. "I was just so happy to be going to the Ice Party with you today, Mother... I got a little too excited, that's all."
"Just be more careful next time, alright? You're a noble daughter of the Duke's estate. You need to carry yourself with grace."
"I will, Mother."
Julia smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
As if only just noticing Raelynn, she suddenly gasped. "Oh no—Raelynn, I'm so sorry! I didn't watch where I was going."
Sienna's blood was boiling.
She'd served Margot for years. While she wouldn't call herself worldly, she certainly knew how to read people.
And she'd heard more than her share of stories from the back courtyard.
But someone as bold and shameless as Julia? That was a first.
What surprised her more was how Cecilia acted like nothing had happened.
Her heart ached for Raelynn.
Everyone knew that while cake wouldn't stain a gown, its sticky sweetness and crumbs could still cling to the fabric—and leave a lingering smell.
And today was the Ice Party. Nobles from every corner of Hazond City would be there.
Raelynn had dressed so elegantly. If her gown had been marked by food, wouldn't the whole thing become a joke?
Even if she changed clothes, how could anything compare to the outfit Margot had specially commissioned for her?
And besides, changing outfits could cause a delay—and even a small delay could spark more gossip.
The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt with both Julia and Cecilia.
But she was just a maid—and no longer Margot's personal one at that.
There were some things she couldn't say directly. All she could do was bite her tongue and try to find another way to stand up for Raelynn.
As she weighed her options, Raelynn's calm, airy voice broke the silence.
She didn't even acknowledge Julia's apology.
She didn't glance at her. Instead, she looked straight at Cecilia.
"It seems that even noble girls raised in Hazond City forget their manners sometimes—snacking in the street without a care. Not worried at all about how that might look."
The moment she spoke, Cecilia and Julia's expressions shifted.
Her words were pointed and carefully chosen.
Not only was she calling out Julia's lack of decorum, but she was doing it in a way that left little room for defense.
A noble daughter, raised with strict etiquette, would never walk down the street eating—and certainly not in front of her own home, where anyone could see.
And "accidentally" flinging food at someone? That wasn't clumsy.
That was calculated.
Cecilia had wanted to sweep this under the rug. But Raelynn had ripped the cover off entirely.
Julia's eyes widened. Of course she understood what Raelynn was really saying.
Her face burned with humiliation, but she forced herself to sound wronged. "Raelynn, how could you accuse me like that? I was just... hungry! That's all. I didn't mean to do anything wrong!"
Cecilia frowned. She could tell Raelynn wasn't going to let this go.
Part of her was annoyed—she felt Raelynn was being petty. But she also knew that, in front of so many people, Julia's behavior had indeed crossed the line.
For once, she didn't scold Raelynn. Instead, she turned to Julia and spoke with rare sternness.
"If you were hungry, you could've waited and eaten in the carriage. How many times have I told you? When you're out in public, you represent the Duke's estate. What you did today was shameful."
She hoped her words would teach Julia a lesson.
But all Julia heard was that Cecilia had taken Raelynn's side. To her, it was just another sign that Cecilia was starting to favor Gabriel again.