Her Gilded Revenge For Stolen Fate novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

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“Flora once gave birth to a child with the Phoenix Fate, so she has some resistance to the Cuckoo Child. Plus, her integrity and dignity mean she wasn’t affected as much as Matthew,” the System explained in its cold, mechanical voice.

Vivian nodded, signaling she understood. She fixed her gaze on Matthew and, in a seemingly offhand way, asked, “Matthew, there’s something I don’t understand.”

Matthew snorted. Vivian drawled, “You’ve always looked down on me and never bothered with what I do. So why are you convinced that just because I spoke with Enoch, it means I’m having a secret meeting with him?”

Enoch was at a loss for words. He couldn’t help thinking, ‘Sometimes I really wish she’d stop talking. A secret meeting? Isn’t she worried about her reputation?‘

Matthew’s back went rigid, his hands clenched so tight that the veins popped. He had to force himself not to glance at Celia, worried Vivian might catch on.

If anyone found out Celia was the one pulling the strings, her name would be dragged through the mud, and that’d be the start of her troubles.

As Celia’s big brother, it was his responsibility to keep her safe and to shield her from any harm.

Matthew’s scholarly face twisted with rage, blood seeping from his bitten lip as he let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “Who do you think you are? You dare to interrogate me? You’re nothing but a lowly daughter,” Matthew snapped.

Vivian remained unruffled, her gaze steady. She knew that, under the Cuckoo Child’s spell, Matthew would never implicate Celia. Still, Matthew was so hopelessly foolish that it made Vivian sick. She couldn’t be bothered to say another word.

Enoch finally noticed Quentin still kneeling and helped him to his feet. Then, Enoch said, “Vivian is Flora’s daughter and Quentin’s eldest child. How can anyone treat her this way?”

Quentin’s arm went numb. Enoch might look charming and polished, but he was ruthless at heart. He had slain thousands, possibly tens of thousands, on the battlefield. Enoch was a cold–blooded killer.

Being this close to a menace like him made Quentin’s knees shake. Still, after years of surviving the intrigues of court, he had learned to keep his composure.

He patted his chest and said, “Your Highness, I’ll teach that brat a lesson. Vivian won’t face any injustice on my watch.”

“Teach him a lesson?” Enoch echoed, his voice flat, but there was a cold edge in his eyes.

“I’ll make sure he gets punished for real,” Quentin blurted out, scrambling to appease Enoch.

Enoch nodded, satisfied, and turned to leave. As he passed Vivian, he murmured, “How are you going to pull this off right under everyone’s noses?”

Vivian smiled, saying nothing. With the Manual of Agriculture in hand, getting the Silvermoon Twinbloom to bloom was a piece of cake. The real challenge was slipping the potion to Enoch without Flora and Celia noticing.

She had to make sure the bottle disappeared before Flora or Celia caught on. Only then could she breathe easily, and Enoch could continue playing the part of someone touched by Fortune.

At first, Vivian thought about using a porcelain bottle, but even if she smashed it, the shards would still be obvious. Tossing it in a corner wouldn’t work because someone would notice. She racked her brain, but couldn’t come up with a good solution.

With the Festival of Fortune around the corner, Vivian was ready to take a huge risk and hide the potion in her jewelry. Fortunately, ever since Vivian got her Golden Plume back, her luck had started to turn for the better.

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Chapter 45

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As she strolled past the busy market stalls, she spotted a small statue labeled as crystal. In reality, it was soapstone, soft and fragile enough that even the lightest touch could shatter it..

Once Vivian confirmed how soft the soapstone was, she fashioned it into a small bottle that kept the potion safely inside, When the time came, she could smash the delicate bottle to bits and erase any trace.

With no need to hide anything in her jewelry, Vivian pinned her hair up with a simple silver hairpin and showed up looking plain and unassuming.

Hadley hadn’t lied earlier. Her search had turned up nothing. The soapstone bottle had already been crushed to dust, stomped into the ground by the highborn nobles.

It would be strange if anyone could find a trace. The Crestdawn Manor guards tied Matthew up and dragged him back to Aurea Manor With that, the whole circus finally came to an end.

Quentin wiped the cold sweat from his brow and shot Celia a cold look. He knew why Matthew always went after Vivian. It was all to protect Celia.

Previously, it had been petty drama that never touched Quentin, and he had always favored his favorite daughter.

Today was different. Matthew had lost control in public, right in front of Enoch, and the King and the Queen Mother stayed out of it to let him save face.

Still, the Snyder family was about to be the talk of the town, the joke everyone in Aurestus whispered about. For Quentin, who valued his pride above all, it was a blow worse than

any wound.

“Father,” Celia said, her voice trembling and tears streaming down her cheeks. Normally, Quentin would have softened instantly and spoken to her in a gentle, comforting tone.

But right now, he couldn’t help but look at his obedient, gentle daughter in a whole new light. Sylvia, the woman by Quentin’s side, knew him inside out, and she could tell he had come to despise Celia.

He was the head of the family, and everyone in the Snyder family treated him with the utmost respect. His every look and word could make or break the future of the younger generation.

Vivian was the only one Quentin despised. Even though she was the eldest daughter, Flora didn’t go out of her way to make life hard for her, and Sylvia never lifted a finger to help. Therefore, everything Vivian ate, wore, or used was unremarkable.

Even when it came to picking out fabric for new clothes, the silk shop sent the finest materials to the other ladies first. Only the leftover scraps ever reached Maple Yard.

That was why Vivian always appeared so plain, never catching anyone’s eye. The only thing she possessed that drew attention was the pearl personally bestowed upon her by the King.

Sylvia shuddered at the thought of what awaited Celia if Quentin’s hatred persisted. Celia would suffer the same fate as Vivian, mocked and mistreated by everyone.

A chill ran down Sylvia’s spine, making her shudder. At the same time, she couldn’t help but blame the daughter she loved

so much.

Sylvia thought, ‘Even if Celia suspected Vivian and wanted to expose her, she should have talked to me first.

“That would have been so much better than the mess she’s gotten us into, which now feels impossible to fix. Two heads are always better than one, but it’s too late for regrets.

Sylvia was sweating bullets, shooting desperate glances at Flora for help, but Flora had somehow produced a string of sandalwood prayer beads, running her fingers over them while murmuring prayers under her breath.

She didn’t pay the slightest attention to the chaos unfolding nearby. Seeing Flora so unfazed and composed made Sylvia

Chapter 45

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more frustrated and bitter inside.

Sylvia thought, ‘Careless, irresponsible, and utterly unfit. Without the protection of her birth as Grand Chancellor’s eldest daughter, she would never have been worthy of being Celia’s mother. If she had any self–awareness at all, she’d give up her place as lady of the house.”