"Death penalty?" Eld stopped peeling the egg: "You said this person was sentenced to death? Then how is he still alive and kicking, raising storms in South America?"

"It’s simple, he escaped." Arthur sipped his coffee: "A smuggling ship carried him from Hamburg around Gibraltar, then headed south to Rio."

Eld chewed on the egg, pondering: "Hmm... why do you know so much about this?"

Arthur put down his cup, responding blandly: "Eld, a diplomat’s work is quite varied, just like being a family tutor at Kensington Palace."

Once Eld heard Kensington Palace, he immediately forgot about South America: "Speaking of which, how’s the matter at the palace? The rumors outside are boiling over, aren’t they going to respond at all?"

Arthur glanced at Eld: "Does it still need a response? Haven’t you noticed I haven’t been to Kensington Palace for lessons in two weeks?"

...

In the corridor on the west side of Kensington Palace, the slanting winter sunlight cast fragmented shadows outside the window, scattering on the retreating, trembling back shadow of a maid.

The door clicked shut.

The Duchess of Kent stood by the fireplace, posture straight, lips tight. Her gloved hands were clenched as if she wished to crush something.

"Do you want to destroy everything you have?" Her voice trembled slightly, but her tone was as cold as the icy winds of St. Petersburg: "Delina, I doubted before, but now I’m certain. Yesterday, I saw him staring at you for five whole minutes in the chapel at St. James’s Palace. Do you think you can hide it? Do you think I wouldn’t notice?"

Victoria stood by the window, unmoving, as if that bit of winter sunlight could give her some courage. Her fingertip lightly brushed the grey rose on her coat cuff, responding softly: "Mom... Mom, I... it wasn’t intentional... he just happened to be there too... I didn’t say much, just exchanged a few pleasantries..."

She turned, trying to soften her tone, with a hint of a playful plea: "Don’t be angry... it was really just a meeting. And it was in the chapel."

"Pleasantries?" The Duchess sneered, her tone now carrying uncontrollable anger: "Do you take me for a fool? His sketchbook is filled with drawings of you, and you expect me to believe you just happened to meet?"

"Mother, he, he just likes to draw." Victoria tried to explain: "I don’t think there’s anything shameful about it. He’s an educated gentleman..."

"He’s a cunning adventurer!" The Duchess interrupted sharply: "You’re still a child, you don’t understand how men like that approach you! A truly educated gentleman should be like Sir Arthur Hastings, who’s composed and decent, that’s how upright men should be! Elphinstone watches your every move, and you think it’s romantic? It’s dangerous, it’s sordid, it’s..."

"Please don’t speak of him like that!" Victoria’s eyes reddened instantly, her long-suppressed emotions erupted: "He’s of nobility! A brave, educated nobleman, who just received the Royal Guelf Medal. He’s never disrespected me, he respects me, cares for me, and his respect outshines Sir John Conroy’s by far!"

As these words fell, the air seemed to freeze.

The Duchess of Kent’s face darkened swiftly: "What did you say?"

"I said!" Victoria’s eyes brimmed with tears but she lifted her head: "He’s never interfered, controlled, or threatened me... not like, not like Conroy! I like John, I like John Elphinstone, he’s nowhere like John Conroy, that sordid, unscrupulous little man, he’s a dignified Scottish highland nobleman!"

"Silence!" The Duchess shouted angrily, losing her usual demeanor: "How dare you compare him to Conroy?! Conroy is your father’s appointed household guardian, my trusted friend, he’s..."

"Your most trusted person?" Victoria interrupted, her stance unwavering: "Or the person you can’t do without?"

The Duchess’s face showed a near-humiliated surprise, momentarily speechless, she raised her hand pointing at her daughter: "You... you’re mad... Delina, how dare you speak to me like this?"

"I’m just speaking the truth." Victoria bit her lip and said: "I don’t want to be manipulated by him any longer, nor do I want to see you treat me this way because of him."

"He’s doing it for you! He’s sacrificed so much for this family! I can tolerate your willfulness, but not your disrespect, arrogance, ingratitude! For an outsider, a Scottish minor noble you’ve barely met, you insult Conroy?!"

The Duchess’s voice nearly shrill, her face drained of color: "Do you know how he’s cared for you? From the day your father passed, who held this family together? Who stayed up watching you through your coughs and fevers, deflecting outside rumors, managing finances, protecting your reputation? It’s Conroy! He’s loyal, humble, talented, the pillar of our family, and you, you dare equate him with that dandy drawing sketches of you!"

Victoria’s previously bitten lip relaxed: "If he’s so selfless, why does he control my attendants, interfere with my lessons, arrange my visits, even approve what soup I drink and dress I wear?"

"It’s for you!" The Duchess shouted again: "He’s afraid you’ll be exploited, hurt, you’re a spoiled girl! You don’t even know who shelters you!"

"Yes, I don’t know." Victoria’s voice began to tremble: "I don’t know why he monitors me like a property, a commodity ready for marriage. I don’t know why you listen to him in everything, why I must be grateful to a... a person who sees me as a pawn."

The Duchess stepped back, pointing at Victoria: "Who, who taught you these words? Is it Elphinstone? You’ve been completely misled by him. You’re not the obedient child anymore, Delina, have you now begun to distrust even me... and Conroy?"

Victoria stood there silently, then hung her head, tears streaming: "I don’t need others to teach me doubt. It was you who made me doubt, mom. It was you who showed me."

"What?" The Duchess froze, her always proud chin now slightly lowered: "What do you mean by this?"

"I watch you every day." Victoria sped up, emotions rising: "Watching how you follow him, depend on him, hide behind him to avoid all troubles. He’s always by your side, at night in the study with you, during the day barging into the living room under various pretexts, interfering with what I should say, think."

She paused, finally squeezing out the heaviest part from her chest: "Whatever he tells you, you do it. Whoever he doesn’t allow to see me, you comply. He suspected Mrs. Spath, so you sent her away. Now he suspects Leisen, you plan to dismiss Leisen too. You say I’m willful, ungrateful, spoiled. But I tell you, I’m the one who’s truly deprived of choice! I’ve never chosen where to live, what to wear, who to speak with, smile at, even... even liking someone is questioned by you as a crime!"

"Enough!" The Duchess screamed out of control.

The room was silent for a few seconds, leaving only the faint sputtering of the fire.

"You’ve changed." The Duchess of Kent said hoarsely: "You’re not my Delina anymore, you’ve been completely corrupted by Elphinstone."

Victoria, tearfully, countered: "He hasn’t corrupted me! It’s you who never truly knew me!"

She didn’t wait for her mother’s response, turning to walk toward the door.

"Stop!" The Duchess instinctively shouted, pointing at the door: "You return to your room right now! From today, you’re forbidden to step out of the room!"

Victoria halted her steps, back turned, without turning around.

"You’re grounded." The Duchess said word by word: "Until you understand who you are, whom you should love, and whom you should not love!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Victoria didn’t argue further, nor did she continue crying.

She simply nodded slightly, saying gently at the door: "I understand very clearly, mom. It’s just that you don’t want to admit it."