The Slave Queen - Chapter 75: Chapter 75

As the trio was leaving, they happened to encounter Grant's attendant ushering in several shabbily dressed civilians.
The commoners were the lowest of the low, including street vendors, porters, and even a beggar.
They had never set foot in such an upscale establishment before. Each of them looked awkward and out of place.
The shrewd attendant, upon passing Julia and her two maids, suddenly stopped a few commoners.
The attendant pointed at Julia and asked, "Folks, do you recognize this young lady?"
The commoners scrutinized Julia closely, and Isabel and Katherine recoiled fearfully, taking two steps back.
In their hearts, neither Isabel nor Katherine could stand being gawked at by such lowborn men.
Fortunately, after a careful look and confirming they had never seen Julia, they shook their heads sheepishly at the attendant. "No, we don't recognize her. How could humble folks like us ever meet such a noble lady?"
Their voices carried clearly, and every word rang out unmistakably to all present.
Isabel and Katherine instantly quickened their pace.
Their only thought was to escape that place as soon as possible.
At that moment, Isabel and Katherine exchanged a glance, both feeling immense relief. 'Thank goodness Lady Julia has passed out,' they thought.
If Julia were conscious and had to face the public exposure of her deception, she'd surely be devastated.
If Julia witnessed her secret being exposed like this, she might even try to end her life.
However, Hugo and Cecilia loved Julia so much that they wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice Raelynn for her.
Isabel and Katherine thought to themselves, 'Maybe if we tell the Duke and Duchess about this when we get back, they might still find a way.'
At this thought, Isabel and Katherine exchanged a knowing glance, then quickened their pace even further.
In stark contrast to the frantic retreat on the other side, the scene around Raelynn was a picture of warmth and gratitude.
The attendant ushered the commoners before Raelynn. The moment they saw her, as if she were their very savior, they instantly dropped to their knees before her in fervent gratitude.
One of the commoners cried out, "Lady Raelynn, you saved our whole family's lives.
"My wife and son both caught a terrible cold, but we had no money for treatment. Their illness only got worse day by day. Then I heard Lady Raelynn was running a free clinic at the Reformed Church. I gathered my courage to try. To my amazement, she didn't charge a single penny, not even for the medicine. That's how my poor wife and son were finally saved.
"Lady Raelynn, you're our family's great savior!"
Then, he bowed to her repeatedly.
The others had similar stories. Some couldn't afford medical treatment for their families, while others had lost their food supplies to natural disasters. In their darkest hours, it was Raelynn who saved them.
To outsiders, Raelynn always presented herself simply as a young lady from the Duke's estate, never specifying which daughter she was.
This gave Julia the perfect opening to exploit.
But little did Julia know, she had just shot herself in the foot.
With all the commoners expressing heartfelt gratitude to Raelynn, there remained no room for doubt among those present.
Even Grant, who had staunchly believed in Julia's innocence, made the rare concession of admitting his mistake to Raelynn.
Raelynn, however, was gracious.
Though Lark, Trina, and the others didn't offer Raelynn a formal apology, their eyes were filled with deep regret whenever they looked at her.
It seemed they had been right to distance themselves from Julia, but when it came to Raelynn, they realized they never truly knew her at all.
With the truth out, Margot's stern expression softened a little.
Margot let out a long, heavy sigh.
She reached out and took Raelynn's hand in hers. "Raelynn, you are such a good girl. I'll always be proud of you.
"And all the honor that was rightfully yours, I'll help you reclaim every bit of it!"
Her aged eyes, which had witnessed the vicissitudes of life, now shone with unwavering resolve.
Raelynn's heart swelled with gratitude as she nodded. "Thank you, Grandmother."
Still kneeling on the ground, Verda stared blankly at the dramatic turn of events, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.
Verda still couldn't believe it. She thought, 'How could Julia, who treats me kindly and seems innocent, choose to impersonating someone else?'
"No. You must all be conspiring to frame Julia!" Suddenly, she spoke up, shattering the heartwarming moment.
Yet the truth was plain for all to see.
No one paid Verda any heed. They all dismissed her as a madwoman spouting nonsense.
Suddenly, Verda scrambled to her feet.
Her not-so-bright mind finally found a new angle.
Verda jabbed a finger at Raelynn and shrieked, "So what if you give charity to the poor? You're just trying to atone for your own sins. Don't pretend it's out of kindness for the common folk!"
At her words, all eyes snapped to her again.
But this time, people wanted to see what outrageous remark she'd come up with next.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Verda raised her voice and accused, "You're the one who caused the noble consort to lose her unborn prince. You prevented him from ever coming into this world!
"Everyone knows you were sent to the palace as a maid. All this charity you're doing today is just your pitiful atonement. That prince you killed must haunt you every single night. Tell me, can you even sleep in peace"
As she spat out these words, Verda was convinced she had Raelynn dead to rights.