Provoking a Graceful Bloom Novel

---- Chapter 119 "Your Highness." From not far off, two guards approached cautiously, faces full of hesitation, clearly wanting to say something. Frederick cast them a sharp glance. In unison, the guards fell to their knees. One spoke, voice quivering, "Your Highness, j-just now, we were patrolling nearby and witnessed the dispute between Ms. Talmar and Lady Campbell. W-we saw everything clearly." All eyes immediately turned to the two men. Frederick's expression darkened. He asked coldly, "And what exactly did you see?" The guards exchanged uncertain glances, still hesitant.

Matters of those above them were not theirs to involve themselves in, yet this woman had taken cruelty too far, Finally, the first guard clenched his jaw and said, "Your Highness, we saw Ms. Talmar attempt to ruin Lady Campbell's face. Lady Campbell was frightened and reached out to defend herself, and somehow Ms. Talmar ended up scratching her own neck." "What?" Sebastian hurried to Selena's side, pointing at Freya, his body trembling with fury. "She tried to ruin Lena's face?" ---- "S-she was the one who shamelessly started it!" Freya shot back, glaring at the siblings with indignation.

Selena met her gaze evenly, expression cold. "Pray tell, what have | done to merit being called shameless?" "You still have the gall to ask?" Despite her body being battered and aching, Freya refused to lose face in front of so many witnesses, She wouldn't show weakness before these men, no matter the pain. Especially with Nathaniel not far away. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to step forward while enduring the pain and straightened her posture. "You deliberately broke off the engagement to attract Fred's attention. That was nothing but a pretense of reluctance!

You knew Fred would be here today, that's why you came, in an attempt to seduce him! You shameless wretch, do you even have any sense of decency?" Frederick's face betrayed shock. "You... you came here for me?" He assumed Selena had abandoned all thoughts of him, yet clearly... her heart had never strayed. His mind was a tempest of conflicting emotions, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to even name the feelings stirring within him. ---- Not far off, the figure seated in the chair radiated an icy chill. Cloud stepped back hastily, heart pounding with unease.

Selena had actually taken the initiative to seek out Frederick? Nathaniel looked furious to hear that. It looked like Cloud and Liam were in for a rough time after this. Sebastian couldn't help but glance at his sister. He had suspected for some days that her heart still lingered with Frederick, yet had never imagined she would pursue him to this extent. Her pride would never have permitted such a thing. Before anyone could speak, a soft chuckle drifted from not far behind Sebastian. It was Lilia. At first, she merely smiled to herself, but soon, her amusement could no longer be contained.

She erupted into full laughter. "Truly, it is enough to kill me with laughter! How in all the world can there exist someone so foolishly self-important?" Lilia managed to say before continuing to laugh loudly. Freya gaped at her, fury burning through the pain that wracked her battered body. Every fiber of her being longed to crush this insolent girl where she stood. Just wait. One day, she would see Lilia pay with her life. She would remember this grudge forever! ---- "You find it amusing as well?" Freya hissed through gritted teeth.

"You walk with someone so shameless, does it not-" "Do you know why I'm with Selena? If she really came to see Prince Frederick, would she need me to come along?' Lilia stepped up beside Selena, eyes on Frederick, a cold smile on her lips. "Don't get the wrong idea, Your Highness. Lena didn't come for you."