Stanley kept the news about that person to himself and simply said, "She said you can't go back to that position anymore and wants to work with me."
Selena raised an eyebrow. "What did she offer you?"
Stanley stared at Selena for a moment before suddenly laughing. "Your Highness, do you really want to know?"
Selena looked at him. "Hmm?"
Neither Lillian nor Stanley were easily swayed individuals.
Selena was inexplicably interested in the conditions offered by Lillian.
Stanley noticed her thoughts and smiled slightly. "I can't tell you right now, but someday... you'll find out."
Selena was surprised.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Stanley; it's just...
Seeing her furrowed brow, Stanley sighed. "Selena, believe me when I say I will never hurt you."
And Selena felt reassured about this.
Everyone has their own secrets - if Stanley didn't want to say anything, Selena wouldn't force him either. She just looked towards where Lillian was surrounded by a group of powerful aristocrats speaking in hushed tones with a heavy gaze.
"Lillian won't just sit back and watch me enter the center of power in the royal court today; things won't go smoothly," she said.
Selena never took her cousin's methods lightly - neither did Stanley underestimate Miss Regent's tactics as he gently smiled and said: "I'll always be by your side."
Selena waved her hand dismissively. "No need, she's targeting me, and I want to bring her down too."
With that, Selena walked towards Madam Samantha with Stanley calmly following behind.
Madam Samantha watched as the two approached her, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
Selena took hold of her mother's arm. "Mom, I'm fine. You should go rest now."
Madam Samantha didn't like being in such situations. Besides when Selena was crowned queen and Madam Samantha personally held her hand during the coronation ceremony, she had hardly appeared in public during Selena's reign as empress for so many years.
Madam Samantha patted Selena's hand gently. "Selena, your father has something to tell you. Go find him."
After Selena left, Stanley met Madam Samantha's gaze.
"Ma'am," he said with a slight smile on his face. "Do you have something to say to me?"
Madam Samantha looked at Stanley with a mix of regret and complexity in her eyes before turning to look at Selena again.
"Stanley," she said softly. "Do you feel sorry for seeing Selene walking among these people?"
Stanley followed Madam Samantha's gaze towards where Selene was walking through the crowd surrounded by countless gazes filled with scrutiny and disdain from noble men and women alike.
He saw how they looked at her with amazement mixed with calculation while women pointed fingers openly without any shame or restraint.
Stanley tightened his long fingers slightly before saying,
"Ma'am," he replied calmly but firmly."Seeing this kind of situation breaks my heart for your daughter."
He was used to seeing her in a lofty and noble manner that was unmatched by anyone else. No one had ever dared to disrespect her in the past. If someone looked at her with evaluative eyes like that, they would have been dragged away long before Selena had to say anything.
But now...
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