Chapter 78:
Makenna’s POV:
I was caught off guard when Clayton stepped in to defend me.
The surprise quickly turned into a mix of gratitude and something more as our eyes met across the room. His smile was warm, gentle even, and it sent a sudden flutter through my heart.
Embarrassed by my own reaction, I quickly looked away, my fingers nervously pinching the fabric of my dress.
Clayton, being a prince, carried a weight of authority that couldn’t be easily dismissed. His intervention turned the tide in my favor, silencing any further doubts about my integrity.
Leonardo threw me a meaningful glance. Sensing the shift in the room, he decided to bring an end to the ordeal. With a stern expression, he issued his judgment.
“Enough. Hayley, you conspired with the maid to deceive everyone. You’ll receive thirty lashes, and your wages for the next three years will be confiscated as a fine. As for the maid… she is to be exiled from the pack, banned from all werewolf territories for life.”
Hayley and the scarlet-haired maid immediately broke down, their pleas echoing through the hall.
“Your Majesty, please! We’re sorry! Show us mercy!”
But their cries fell on deaf ears. Leonardo, clearly irritated, gestured for the guards to take them away. The soldiers complied, dragging the two women out of the hall as they continued to beg for forgiveness.
With the disruption removed, Leonardo made a few remarks to remind everyone of proper conduct and then signaled for the banquet to resume.
The attention that had been so intensely focused on me finally began to shift away, and I allowed myself a small sigh of relief. However, before I could fully relax, I caught Kristina glaring at me with barely concealed malice.
Meeting her gaze, I raised an eyebrow and lifted my goblet in a mocking toast, smiling.
Your next journey starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․𝒸o𝗺
Kristina’s expression darkened further, but I simply turned away, uninterested in her simmering rage.
The music resumed, filling the hall with a light, melodic rhythm. Guests returned to their previous activities, eating, drinking, and dancing as if nothing had happened.
I wasn’t in the mood for dancing, though. Instead, I took Alice’s hand and guided her to a quiet corner where we could talk in peace.
Alice, still riding the adrenaline from the earlier confrontation, couldn’t stop praising me.
“You were amazing, Makenna! You handled Kristina and the others perfectly.”
I tried to downplay it, responding calmly, “Their tactics were crude and predictable.”
Yet, despite my composed words, the memory of what had just happened lingered in my mind.
Kristina, Hayley, and Jessica had all taken their shots at me. And though I had emerged unscathed, it was clear that Clayton’s intervention had played a crucial role. Without his support, escaping their trap would have been far more difficult. After all, I was just a lowly slave here.
The thought of how close I had come to real trouble left me uneasy.
Life in the palace was proving to be more challenging than I had anticipated, with enemies around every corner.
I decided to push those worries aside, choosing to focus on the present moment instead.
As Alice and I chatted about lighter, happier topics, I began to relax, enjoying the food and company.
But just as I reached for another piece of cake, a hand adorned with a diamond ring snatched it away.
At first, I didn’t think much of it and simply reached for another slice, but the same hand took that one too.
Realizing something was off, I looked up and found myself face-to-face with Jessica and Frank. Both were dressed impeccably, their eyes gleaming with mischief as they held the cake slices.
My instincts told me they were here to cause trouble. Keeping my expression neutral, I asked, “What do you want?”
Jessica’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she replied, “I want to eat some cake. Is that a problem? Or do you think you’re the only one allowed to have any?”
She waved her hand, flaunting the diamond ring on her finger. “Oops! This diamond is so heavy, it’s hard to do anything with it on.”
I rolled my eyes at her obvious attempt to provoke me. Choosing to ignore her, I took Alice’s hand and led her to move to another spot.
But Jessica wasn’t done. She blocked our way, thrusting her hand in front of me so I couldn’t miss the ring.
“Has Frank ever bought you anything like this?” she taunted, her voice filled with smug satisfaction. “He got it just for me. It cost a hundred thousand gold coins.”
