Said No to the Prince and Yes to the King novel Chapter 212

Chapter 212 Do Not Show Off Your Trivial Skills

Finished

The murmurs of the crowd drifted to Stella’s ears one after another, and her face darkened instantly.

Norma’s expression turned sour as well.

She had never held a favorable opinion of Stella to begin with, and seeing her sudden, unsightly swelling only lowered her regard further.

Amid the bustling whispers around her, Margaret pretended not to hear a thing and took a slow sip of honey water.

Most others would have stayed silent and kept their heads down in this situation.

Christopher understood this well, too. He leaned toward Stella and spoke quietly. “Forget it. There are plenty of dancers performing today. No one will notice if you sit this one out…”

Unwilling to back down, Stella stepped forward suddenly and dropped to one knee before Norma.

‘Queen Norma,” she said firmly. “Do you remember your birthday years ago? I once performed a dance for you. You told me then that when I grew older, I must dance for you again. Now that I am fortunate enough to stand before you once more on your birthday, I have practiced all these years diligently–and I wish to dance for you again today.”

She bowed respectfully after speaking, her clear, steady voice drawing the attention of every guest present.

Norma could no longer pretend not to notice her. She softened her expression into a gentle smile. “It’s you, Stella, isn’t it? I remember you well.”

She paused for a moment, then added, “You were but a child all those years ago. To see you now, grown into such a graceful young lady–truly, young people change greatly with time.”

Stella lifted her head, her gaze resolute. “I am grateful you still remember me. I do not usually look like this. I was poisoned by some malicious person overnight, which left me swollen and disfigured…”

As she spoke, she shot Margaret a pointed, meaningful glance.

Whispers rippled through the crowd at once, everyone guessing what lay behind her words.

Norma also glanced toward Margaret with subtle implication, then asked, “Who would dare poison you? Do you know who the culprit is?”

“Today is Norma’s birthday banquet, Let us set such matters aside,” Spencer cut in coldly from the side. “If you wish to dance, then go ahead.”

Daring not to overstep after Spencer spoke, Stella bowed obediently.

It was nothing like what she had imagined.

She’d pictured herself radiant and beautiful, captivating the entire hall with a single dance.

Now, she could never achieve that same breathtaking charm.

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1:27 am P PM.

Chapter 212 Do Not Show Off Your Trivial Skills

Finished

Even so, she refused to give up.

This was the fruit of years of hard practice, and she hoped to change Norma’s impression of her with this performance.

She walked firmly up to the raised platform, her stubborn resolve softening the crowd’s judgment of her.

“No wonder they said it was a strange illness–she was poisoned after all.”

“She’s still the famed beauty of Breston at heart. Even swollen, her

grace

remains.”

“It takes courage to step up and dance looking like this, even when others mock her. She truly respects Queen Norma.”

“Regardless of anything else, it takes real boldness to stand on that stage in her condition.”

“I hear she’s to marry Crown Prince Christopher soon. I wonder if she’ll slim back down in time for the wedding.”

The crowd chattered below. Instead of starting her performance right away, Stella turned to face Margaret and called out loudly, “Margaret, didn’t you say you would play accompaniment for my dance? Why haven’t you come up yet?“.

A hush fell over the banquet for a heartbeat.

In an instant, every pair of eyes locked onto Margaret.

“That’s Margaret?”

‘No way–the lady beside Prince Theodore is Margaret?”

‘I’d heard she was hideously plump and plain. The rumors were all lies.”

‘I thought she was some noble lady from a distant estate. I never knew she was on such close terms with Prince Theodore.”

‘I’ve heard Prince Theodore visited the Prime Minister’s Estate several times lately. I wondered why–now it’s clear he was going to see her.”

“She was said to be unbearably overweight, but she looks slender and lovely now.”

The crowd erupted into noisy, shocked murmurs.

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