Morgan Shangguan stifled her laughter and obediently rinsed her mouth. Only then did Damien Gray feed her a peeled mandarin segment.
The attending maids had no mind for pondering the motives behind such grand marriage alliances. They simply gazed at Morgan Shangguan with envy, sighing inwardly at her luck—how could the Ghost King be so handsome, gentle, and attentive? Truly a rare and wonderful man!
Eating candied fruit before mandarin makes the citrus taste less sweet. Normally, this would be something the maids should notice, yet Prince Damien had already thought of it. Even among ordinary folk, it’s hard to find a man so considerate—let alone a prince, who should be the one served, but now serves others without complaint!
The stares directed at her were far too obvious. Morgan Shangguan couldn’t help but furrow her brows and glance at Damien Gray, sighing inwardly—was this fox’s charm simply too overwhelming?
In the increasingly delicate atmosphere, Damien Gray suddenly spoke, "I simply think that Miss Shangguan and our emperor are a perfect match. Since their feelings are mutual, why doesn’t His Highness the Crown Prince give them his blessing?"
His words sent a ripple of confusion through the room. Minister Magnus Shangguan’s brows drew together as he looked from Morgan to Mona, his heart clenching with a sudden, uneasy anticipation. He was certain Damien Gray referred to Mona, but Mona’s devotion had always been to Crown Prince Adrian—how could her name be entangled with the Emperor of Silvermoon Kingdom? Memories of Mona’s trip to Silvermoon flashed through his mind, and a faint dread rose—could Prince Ethan truly harbor feelings for Mona? Disappointment and worry mingled in his chest, the air thick with unanswered questions.
Adrian Yarrow’s frown deepened, a shadow passing over his face. "Your Highness, the Ghost King, what exactly are you implying?" The memory of his journey to Silvermoon with Mona was vivid; he was certain Mona and Prince Ethan had never crossed paths in such a way. Yet, with Damien Gray’s reputation for cunning, Adrian’s heart raced with caution—he could not afford to let Mona’s reputation be tarnished, nor could he underestimate the Ghost King’s schemes. The tension in the room grew palpable, every word carrying the weight of social consequence.
Mona Shangguan glanced at Morgan Shangguan, wondering if Morgan wanted to ruin her relationship with Adrian Yarrow. Seeing how much the Ghost King doted on Morgan, if she truly wished it, that would explain his words. Instantly, Mona’s resentment toward Morgan deepened yet again!
Her face contorted with confusion and a flicker of anger, lips trembling as she forced herself to remain composed. "Your Highness, the Ghost King, have you perhaps misunderstood something?" Mona’s voice was strained, her hands clenching at her sides, barely containing the frustration and humiliation burning inside her.
Damien Gray frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "How could it be a misunderstanding? My consort and I saw you with the emperor ourselves..." He stopped mid-sentence, seeming to realize he shouldn’t say more, and offered an apologetic smile before falling silent.
Yet such words inevitably sparked countless speculations, and Mona Shangguan, hearing this, became even more convinced that Morgan was behind it all!
Morgan Shangguan rolled her eyes and pinched Damien Gray’s waist. Although she had indeed witnessed that spectacle herself, wasn’t Damien’s comment just making Mona hate her even more?
Damien Gray calmly took her hand in his, and Morgan didn’t resist. Whether Mona’s hatred deepened or not made little difference to her—she simply didn’t care.
Mona Shangguan hadn’t shown any abnormal signs for a while now, so Damien Gray guessed the poison in her system had been cured. Her hatred for Morgan ran so deep that he felt a touch of displeasure—there was no way he’d let her live peacefully!
It could only be blamed on Mona for being so disappointing, having driven Adrian Yarrow to ignore her. Damien’s original plan was to wait until Mona married Adrian and bore his child before revealing the truth to everyone.
Saying it now wouldn’t have quite the same impact, but perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Jin Locke frowned. "Your Highness, the Ghost King, please don’t speak so recklessly—this concerns Mona’s reputation!"
His refusal to engage would have been better, but by responding, he played right into Damien Gray’s hands.
Damien Gray frowned in apparent difficulty, as if struggling with himself before finally saying, "I truly did see it, and so did my consort. I suppose Miss Shangguan is just afraid the Crown Prince will blame her, so she doesn’t dare speak up!" He even kindly advised, "Your Highness, matters of the heart can’t be forced. Since Miss Shangguan loves the emperor, why try to keep her? Besides, she’s already carrying the emperor’s child!"
His words were like a bombshell. Mona Shangguan could no longer hold back—she shot to her feet and shouted angrily, "You’re lying! Morgan, did you put him up to this?" The hatred in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Jin Locke’s brows knitted tightly. He opened his mouth to speak, hesitated, and finally sighed, "Princess Consort, Mona is your sister." He couldn’t understand what had happened to make Morgan suddenly turn against Yun Xuan, and now show no sisterly affection toward Mona either.
Even if Mona had done something wrong in the past, they were still sisters—there was no need to go so far!
Ever since Jin Locke last appeared, Damien Gray had paid close attention to him. After all, few knew Morgan Shangguan was Yun Fengqing’s person, so he naturally had to investigate. Morgan saw no reason to hide anything and told him everything, which led to his complete lack of goodwill toward Mona and utter loathing for Jin Locke. Still, he had to admit some gratitude—if Jin had been smarter back then, perhaps none of this would have happened.
A flash of mockery crossed Damien Gray’s eyes, but he spoke gently, "It’s precisely because they’re sisters that my consort cares about Miss Shangguan."
Jin Locke looked doubtful, while Minister Magnus Shangguan’s face flushed with anger. Seeing Adrian Yarrow so calm, he frowned and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this must be a misunderstanding." The relationship between the Crown Prince and Mona was already tense—Damien’s actions would surely ruin Mona’s future.
A glimmer flickered in Adrian Yarrow’s eyes. Since Damien Gray dared say such things, he must have real evidence. In that case, even if he didn’t marry Mona, Minister Magnus could say nothing. But wearing such a green hat was hardly honorable. Though he disliked Mona, marrying her was the best way to secure Minister Magnus’s support.
In truth, he wished Morgan and Mona’s standing in Minister Magnus’s heart could be reversed.
While Adrian Yarrow was still torn, Damien Gray, to prove his innocence, clearly stated the exact time and place he saw Prince Ethan and Mona Shangguan in their compromising act!