Building Her Own Power

After finishing their game of chess, Alexander Hayes bid farewell and returned home through the small gate between the two families.

When she returned to her room, Lily Evans was telling Belle about today's hottest gossip in the capital: the incident where Imperial Grand Tutor Gu was attacked.

Others might not know the real story behind this, but Lily Evans had already guessed most of it.

After Gregory Gu Jr. left, Alexander Hayes hadn’t shown up, and when Lily Evans went to ask, Dr. Rowan Lin was missing too.

Piecing together the rumors, word from the Gu Family’s experts was that the ones who attacked Gregory Gu Jr. were two people—both top-notch martial artists, knocking out the Gu Family’s fighters in an instant.

There aren’t many people in the world who could pull that off—and as it happens, Lily Evans knows two of them.

Alexander Hayes and Dr. Rowan Lin.

And wouldn’t you know it, both of them just happened to be out when the incident occurred.

"Princess Consort, I'm going to stay at the Evans Manor tonight and keep the Old Madam company. Since she’s moving to the Lin Residence tomorrow—which is right next door—I can just come back with her," Belle said.

"Go on, then," Lily Evans said with a smile.