Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 105 "He isn't foolish, merely blinded by love. Once he regains his senses, he will see many things clearly," Selena said. But such matters no longer concerned her. "| shall go check on Grandfather. Sally, you must remind Seb to take his medicine later. Don't let him forget." Just as she was about to step out, Sally called after her, "My lady, perhaps you should visit Lord Sebastian first." And so, Selena made her way to her brother's residence, Lustre Pavilion, to see him.

Sally had asked her to drop by because, on Victoria's order, there had been a delivery of portraits early that morning. When Selena arrived, Sebastian was sitting at a table, staring blankly at the collection, However, his gaze never truly rested on any of the images. "Ms. Stone personally delivered them at first light," Sally whispered. Martha Stone was the queen dowager's maid. Sebastian looked up at his sister, his expression slightly uneasy.

" Lena, Her Majesty's intention is that | select a suitable young ---- lady and marry promptly." "His Majesty just mentioned for the queen dowager to see to your marriage during the martial arts exhibition, and portraits arrive first thing this morning? That is remarkably fast, as though it was planned well in advance," Selena noted with a frown. She stepped forward, examining each portrait with care. They were all daughters of prominent families, with some even hailing from distinguished lineages. Yet, Sebastian was the heir of the Duke of Blackmoor's household.

By normal standards, these young ladies were slightly beneath him. Sebastian and Selena cared little for such distinctions themselves, but in matters of royal matchmaking, pedigree was paramount. These portraits seemed more like a perfunctory gesture than a serious proposal. "A decision made only yesterday, and portraits prepared by this morning. This does not feel like the queen dowager's doing," Selena murmured, brow furrowing Victoria had long since secluded herself within the inner palace and was rarely seen in public.

Also, having always turned a blind eye to the intrigues of the harem, she would never have prepared something like this in advance. "It seems someone visited the queen dowager last night, though ---- itis unclear whether it was Lady Ruth or the queen," Selena mused. "The queen?" Sebastian frowned. "Lady Ruth | could understand, but why would Her Majesty concern herself with my marriage?" "Lately, Her Majesty has taken an interest in courting favor with our family." Selena's words left much unsaid, yet Sebastian understood perfectly.

If Adelaide was concerned with Selena's marriage, it was only natural that she would be equally invested in Sebastian's. "But Prince Benjamin is still so young. Even with Her Majesty's careful plotting, it will be some time before he is able to shoulder the responsibilities she has in store for him," Sebastian said. In the harem, a child of six might not even survive to adulthood unscathed. The matter was complicated by the fact that the other princes now wielded considerable power, each more formidable than the last.

Even the ministers tacitly assumed that the succession would inevitably involve only the current generation of princes. Benjamin was barely six years old, and Wilfred's health had noticeably declined in recent years. Should the king not live to see the young boy come of age, the need to appoint a crown ---- prince would arrive sooner rather than later. "Does Her Majesty's scheming even matter?" Sebastian asked "One prepares for the future to secure an invincible position. No matter the plots, one must first lay the groundwork," Selena replied.

But Adelaide's position in the harem remained precarious. "| think these portraits were chosen by Lady Ruth. Among them are a few young ladies whose fathers are known supporters of Prince Frederick," Selena said Sebastian's brow furrowed. "Why would Lady Ruth concern herself with my marriage? Given the quarrel you had with Prince Frederick, it is impossible for me to maintain any cordial relations with her faction." Selena shook her head. "I fear Lady Ruth never intended to be on friendly terms with us. These young ladies are meant to uncover the secrets of your body."