Said No to the Prince and Yes to the King novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124 As Long as They Are Safe

Margaret remained rooted in place with no shift in her expression after Jasper left. Winter stepped forward to meet her at once.

Finished

“Ms. Campbell, this is the first time Mr. Jasper Campbell has spoken to you with such kindness,” Winter said softly. “He even made chicken soup for you himself. He did misunderstand you, after all, but he’s trying to make amends. Why refuse his olive branch?”

Her meaning was plain. They could not avoid one another each day, and a small compromise would ease the constant tension.

Margaret replied coldly, “After the way he treated me, if I forgave him over something as small as a bowl of chicken soup, how could I ever look my own soul in the eye?”

Winter carried the bowl of soup to her side. “Still, I truly believe his apology was sincere this time.”

“He only seeks to ease his own guilty conscience,” Margaret said plainly. “Men who cling to their own false sense of right cannot stand the weight of regret.”

She took the bowl from Winter’s hands, walked to the courtyard edge, and poured every last drop of soup onto the ground.

Winter’s eyes widened in shock. “Ms. Campbell, this is his heartfelt gesture. He has never done anything like this for you before…”

“Do you honestly think I still need such empty gestures from him?” Margaret tossed the bowl harshly onto the ground, her gaze sharp with disdain. “I want nothing from him. His soup disgusts me.”

Meanwhile, inside the study at the Ducal Palace, Cyan reported, kneeling respectfully on one knee, “All matters in Maplewood Village have been fully settled. We cleared every surrounding village, rescued and sheltered every woman who was abducted, and handed harsh punishment to all men involved in trafficking innocent women.”

He kept his head bowed as he continued, “King Spencer learned of your ordeal and personally ordered new magistrates for every county in the region. I have suppressed all words of what you and Ms. Campbell endured, per the king’s direct command. No rumors of the village massacre will spread, and Maplewood Village sits in such a remote area that no outsiders will uncover the truth.”

Theodore narrowed his eyes slowly from behind his desk.

“Anything else?” he asked in a low tone.

Cyan did not dare lift his gaze to meet his eyes. “More than half the women from Maplewood Village have chosen to leave and start new lives elsewhere. A few brave women refused to depart, and several insisted on coming to the city to thank you and Ms. Campbell in person. I did not turn them away and have arranged safe lodging for them within the capital.”

Theodore nodded faintly. “Leave those matters in Margaret’s hands.”

1/3

Chapter 124 As Long as They Are Safe

‘Understood.” Cyan rose to his feet once his report ended and stepped aside in silence.

A faint look of dissatisfaction crossed Theodore’s face.

He had hoped to hear more.

Finished

Theodore had not seen Margaret since returning to Breston. She was meant to visit here today, yet she never arrived.

An odd, hollow ache lingered in his chest.

After a long pause, Cyan finally realized something. “One more thing, Your Highness. A messenger came from the Prime Minister’s Estate with word from Ms. Campbell earlier today. You were tied up with official business at the time, so I delayed passing the message along.”

Theodore’s attention sharpened at once. “What did she say?”

Cyan said cautiously, “Her maid was kidnapped, and she hoped to ask for your aid. I sent Baxter to assist immediately. They returned to the estate unharmed, so Baxter did not linger afterward.”

He rushed through the explanation, fearing he would leave out critical details.

Theodore’s expression shifted several times, yet he asked no further questions about the incident. “As long as they are safe.”

Cyan let out a quiet breath of relief. “Ms. Campbell is far stronger than most women. A band of ordinary men stood no chance against her. Baxter said she easily took them down with hidden small weapons–she ooked bold and unyielding the entire time.”

Theodore said calmly, “She has never been like other delicate noble ladies. Even a mob of violent commoners could not overpower her.”

‘Truly, this trouble was trivial for her,” Cyan agreed.

He hesitated, then added carefully, “Yet word has spread that after the kidnapping, Crown Prince Christopher went to the Prime Minister’s Estate and ordered twenty lashes for her. She already carried old, untreated wounds, and the brutal beating is likely why she could not come here today.”

A cold glint flashed in Theodore’s eyes. “Christopher?”

Cyan nodded. “Yes. He was injured in the chaos when the hidden treasure map was uncovered that day. An unknown foe ambushed him, leaving a deadly, lingering poison in his veins. The royal doctors have no cure for this rare, vicious toxin that plagues the criminal underground.”

He kept his head low. “By all accounts, this poison is fatal once it flares up. Crown Prince Christopher was at the Prime Minister’s Estate in his weakest state, and Ms. Campbell’s skilled healing work purged the toxin and saved his life. Yet everyone credits Ms. Stella Campbell for his recovery. Rumors claim Ms. Stella Campbell studied under a reclusive master doctor, so Crown Prince Christopher believes she cured him. Crown Prince Christopher blamed Ms. Campbell for his slow recovery and lingering pain.”