The Slave Queen - Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Julia simply couldn't face a situation like this. She wanted to keep playing unconscious until her maids took her back to the carriage. She wanted to figure things out after she returned to the Duke's estate.
Right now, Julia couldn't care less about her reputation. All she wanted was to escape this suffocating scene as quickly as possible.
However, she would've never thought that after all these years, these two maids of could be so utterly useless.
They saw that Julia had fainted, yet they didn't even have the nerve to carry her back to the carriage.
Julia thought, 'Just wait until we get back. I'll make sure these worthless girls pay dearly for this!'
But when Julia heard that Grant was about to summon civilians as witnesses, she realized she could no longer feign unconsciousness. With no other choice, she slowly and reluctantly stirred awake.
Julia clutched her head and mumbled, "My head hurts so bad..."
Fear drained all color from her face, leaving her as pale as a sheet.
Her act was so frighteningly real that, for a moment, even the onlookers couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
Julia shot a pitiful look at Margot. Then, in a voice so low only Isabel could hear, she hissed, "What are you waiting for? Get me back to the Duke's estate now. Do you want those lowborn scum to expose me in front of everyone?"
Hearing this, Isabel quickly pleaded with Margot, "Mrs. Lennox, Lady Julia is suffering from a terrible headache. May she return home so we can summon a physician to examine her?"
At that moment, the noblewomen who had been thoroughly deceived by Julia, led by Lark and Trina, burst into sarcastic remarks.
A noblewoman scoffed, "Funny how you had so much energy when slandering Raelynn just now, but now you've suddenly fainted."
Another added derisively, "And if you really fainted, how come you still managed to scold your maid? I heard every word. You called the commoners 'lowborn scum' and wouldn't let them come forward to identify you!"
Hearing this, Julia's face went deathly pale.
She turned around and finally noticed Lark standing right behind her.
She bit her lip hard while cursing inwardly, 'Isabel and Katherine are so unreliable!
Why does Lark have such incredibly sharp ears?
'God, I'd love to slap Lark's face right now. But with so many people watching, I cannot make a scene.'
She put on a pitiful act and whimpered with reddening eyes, "Lark, I know you hate me, but how could you slander me like this? You're trying to ruin me. How will I ever show my face again?"
Lark was a blunt person. She thought, 'What a blatant attempt to turn the tables!'
Upon hearing this, her eyes widened in fury as she snapped back, "You damn two-faced snake. You tricked all of us, and now you have the nerve to smear me?"
As Lark spoke, she suddenly seemed to realize something and turned to face Raelynn.
She exclaimed, "You!"
"I get it. You must have been bullied by her, too. That's why your reputation is so ruined now. I remember when you first returned to Hazond City, you didn't know noble etiquette, but you were genuinely kind and polite."
Raelynn blinked in slight surprise.
She thought to herself, 'How I'd love to applaud Lark right now. She has unwittingly hit the nail on the head.'
But Raelynn knew perfectly well that Lark wasn't her friend yet.
The only reason she figured out the truth was because she had fallen for Julia's schemes.
Her actions weren't out of any sense of friendship or loyalty.
So Raelynn had no intention of showing her any gratitude.
Hearing Lark's words, Trina and the others nodded as if suddenly enlightened.
Trina said, ""Oh, I remember now. It was Julia who kept telling me how Raelynn supposedly bullied her after she returned to the Duke's estate. That's why I started to dislike Raelynn in the first place."
Not only Trina and the others, but also the noblewomen watching—who had once considered Julia a friend—began recalling past incidents.
In an instant, their gazes toward Julia turned several degrees colder with disgust.
Julia never imagined that a single remark from Lark could have such a devastating effect. Consumed by fury, she bit down on her lower lip so hard that blood seeped out.
Left with no other choice, Julia resorted to her usual act. Tears were streaming down her face as she put on a pitiful show. She hoped to shift the blame back onto Raelynn.
Julia said, "I don't know how it happened, Sister. Why do you hate me so much that you have to ruin my reputation in front of everyone?
"Is it because our parents favor me over you? If that's what bothers you, I can leave Hazond City right now..."
Before Julia's words had even faded, Raelynn suddenly let out a mocking laugh.
She asked, "Would you bear to give it all up?"
Julia was momentarily stunned.
The onlookers exchanged puzzled glances at Raelynn, sensing there was a pointed meaning behind her words.
Raelynn continued, "After all these years of living someone else's life, Julia, could you really just hand over all this privilege and go back to that backwater you came from?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Raelynn laid bare Julia's most dreaded secret in front of everyone.
She thought, 'Since Julia wanted to use Verda's words to utterly destroy my reputation, I could just as well rip away the facade she clung to most.
'Let everyone see that she is truly a usurper who stole my place and schemed at every turn to push me down.'
The moment her deepest secret was laid bare for all to hear, Julia let out a piercing scream. This time, she truly fainted.
Flustered and in a panic, Isabel and Katherine scrambled to support Julia. Without even bothering to explain to Margot, they carried her out of the Ice Party together.