Said No to the Prince and Yes to the King novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144 Such Foolish Thinking

Finished

Tears streamed down Stella’s cheeks, and her eyes, visible above her veil, were swollen and red from crying.

Timothy snapped at the servants at once. “Hurry and fetch medicine to bring down the swelling. Look how puffy her eyes have grown.”

As he spoke, he shot Stella repeated subtle warning glances, a silent warning for her to hide her bruised face from Christopher.

Stella understood his meaning clearly and hung her head even lower.

Servants rushed about in a fluster, scrambling to find the healing salves.

Nadia and Christopher walked slowly away, gently supporting Stella between them.

Jasper had stood hidden in the distance for a long while.

He watched everyone crowd around Stella, fussing over her every need.

Timothy, usually stern and authoritative, bowed his head and spoke softly in front of Christopher.

Christopher, barely able to stand steady himself, still held Stella with the gentle care of someone guarding a precious treasure.

Everyone pitied her, comforted her, and catered to her every sorrow.

Jasper’s mind drifted back to the day Margaret had suffered severe, brutal wounds. No one had offered her a single word of sympathy back then. Every servant in the estate had mocked her, blamed her, and turned their backs on her pain.

She had survived a fall from a deadly cliff by sheer luck.

Christopher, who’d once claimed to care for her, had chosen to hide the truth, all to spare Stella’s worry.

And he, her own brother, had only planned to punish her for the mess.

Margaret was the one who’d saved Christopher’s life, yet the whole household still doted on Stella without question. In the end, Margaret had endured twenty cruel lashes for a crime she never committed.

After her punishment, Margaret had never cried out in pain. She’d simply hidden away alone in her quarters to heal in quiet solitude.

It was not the same for Stella.

A single day of suffering drew endless compassion from everyone around her, with people tiptoeing around her to soothe her grief.

Has Stella been the one forced to endure endless unfair treatment all these years?

Everyone says Margaret is the cherished, fortunate daughter of the household.

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Chapter 144 Such Foolish Thinking

Finished

But deep down, Stella has always been the one showered with endless favor and protection.

A sharp, heavy ache twisted in Jasper’s chest as the truth settled over him.

Everything Margaret had told him was true.

Christopher had believed the whole household favored Margaret, so he’d lavished all his care and sympathy on Stella instead.

He had believed Christopher’s heart belonged to Margaret, so he’d given unwavering favor to the seemingly helpless Stella.

They had both been wrong, from the very start.

He had made his first mistake the day he’d decided Margaret, destined to be Crown Princess, ought to yield to Stella in all things.

Now Margaret had stepped back willingly–she had even let go of the Crown Princess title without a fight.

Jasper let out a long, weary sigh and turned to leave, only to hear Timothy’s voice call out behind him.

‘What is wrong with you?” Timothy frowned. “You rushed to Stella’s side at once whenever she was hurt in the past. Why stand here watching like a stranger today?”

Jasper turned slowly. “Do not worry, Father. I am only worn out.”

‘Rest, then,” Timothy said with a dismissive wave. “You took lashes as well. Stay in your room and recover for the next few days.”

His tone softened with quiet frustration. “The estate has changed greatly in such a short time. Margaret’s whole demeanor has shifted–she speaks and acts like a different person entirely. Stella has changed, too; her gentle, ladylike grace is gone, and her jealousy is plain for all to see. As their elder brother, you ought to guide them and keep the peace.”

By then, Christopher and Stella had vanished around the courtyard bend.

“The

Timothy stared after their fading figures, his expression grave. “The Crown Princess title belongs to Stella now, beyond any doubt.”

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