439 Chapter 439


    439.Chapter 439


    "Matthew, do I really look that terrifying?" Sophie suddenly chuckled, forcing a smile as she suppressed the murderous glint in her eyes.


    She thought, I can''t kill him yet. If I acted now, Father would undoubtedly suspect


    me.


    He has already been displeased with me recently.


    If I wanted to act, it had to be at the perfect moment.


    ''Besides, I still need to squeeze everyst bit of value out of Matthew. Otherwise,


    all the effort I''d put into this charade would have been for nothing.


    After calming herself, Sophie touched her bloodied face and, as usual, put on a pitiful expression. "Matthew, do you think! look hideous now? Is that why you don''t care about me anymore?"


    "What? No, of course not! That''s not what I meant at all Matthew, who had been startled by her earlier gaze, quickly softened when he saw her tearful expression. "It''s my fault! I must''ve been seeing things earlier. I''m sorry, Sophie. Please, don''t cry, okay?"


    "Really? You''re not lying to me?" Sophie pouted, her voice tinged with mock indignation.


    "Of course not. How could I ever dislike you, Sophie? Matthew reassured her earnestly,


    "No, you''re lying. You must be lying to me." Sophie turned away, covering her face with her hands, her voice trembling with feigned sorrow. "I offended Diana earlier, and since she''s your fiancée, I''ve put you in such a difficult position. Even


    if you don''t dislike me, you must resent me deep down, right?"


    As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face. "It''s all my fault... I understand if you me me, Matthew. I really do... m so sorry..." she sobbed, her cries echoing pitifully.


    "No, Sophie, that''s not it." Matthew didn''t expect Sophie to think like this. He panicked immediately, and the strange feeling that had risen in his heart just now disappeared in an instant


    He hurriedly coaxed, "Don''t say that. Diana is always like this. She hit you because of me."


    The more Matthew spoke, the sadder he became.


    Just as he coaxed Sophie, the second sentence became to speak for Diana.


    Sophie immediately frowned.


    She thought, This little bitch really has some means to make Matthew miss her so much.


    ''She is just as annoying as that little bitch Eliza.


    ''No wonder they are together.


    ''Little bitches are bound to group up.''


    Sophie sneered in her heart, her eyes were as terrifying as poison.


    She thought, "You two bastards, just wait


    ''I will definitely not let you go.


    Sophie was busy plotting her next move, while outside Hasen City, a convoy was making its way back to the capital.


    At Saint Grace Nunnery.


    Eliza had been feeling uneasy all day. Her right eyelid wouldn''t stop twitching, as


    if warning her of something.


    It felt like something was about to happen.


    She closed the scriptures she had just finished copying and handed them to Renee, saying, "Take these to Sarah."


    As part of her duty to pray for the nation, Eliza had to transcribe sacred texts every day.


    Oncepleted, the scriptures were routinely sent to the pce, where the Empress Dowager would review them before. passing them on to the Ministry of Rites.


    The Ministry of Rites would then use these prayers during ceremonies, offering them at various rituals before finally burning them.


    Thus, every day, someone from the pce worry to collect the transcribed prayers.


    Sessfully unlocked! After handing off today''s prayers, Eliza couldn''


    to the herb garden.


    She quietly weeded with her small hoe, hoping to clear her mind.


    It was her usual way of calming her thoughts whenever she felt unsettled.


    out thinking, she grabbed her hoe and he d


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    439 Chapter 1039.


    Normally, a bit of weeding or nting herbs would quickly lift her spints


    But today, no matter how much she worked, her uncase only grew


    "What''s wrong with me today?" she muttered, pressing a hand to her chest.


    Straightening up, Eliza pressed a hand to her chest, trying to soothe the difort.


    She gazed down the mountain for a long while before finally picking up her basket and hon. "Forget it. I just head back for now," she said softly.


    She felt that Diana should be back soon.


    Every time she came back, she would yell that she was hungry. If Eliza didn''t prepare dinner earlier, she was afraid that Diana would start yelling again when she came backter.


    Thinking of this, Elizaughed, and then quickly walked back to the small courtyard.


    Diana was already on her way back to Saint Grace Nunnery.


    Inside the carriage were two baskets of glistening grapes.


    Earlier that day, the Empress Dowager had summoned Diana to the pce because a shipment of tribute goods had arrived. including fresh grapes and exquisite silk fabrics.


    The Empress Dowager gifted her two baskets of grapes and let her pick two bolts of silk she fancied.


    Diana was thrilled and picked out two bolts of shimmering brocade without hesitation.


    She wasn''t particrly fond of such shy fabrics herself, but Eliza adored them. She felt that they would look stunning on her.


    as still important for her to have


    Even though Eliza had taken vows and couldn''t wear such things anymore, Diana felt it was


    them


    After spending some time in the pce, Diana left with the grapes, the silk, and several other rewards, her mood as bright as the morning sun.


    But she hadn''t expected trouble to find her so soon after leaving Hasen City.


    A guard said, "Miss Baker, someone''s tailing us."


    "Tailing us?" The smile on Diana''s face vanished in an instant. Her expression turned icy as she asked, "When did they start following? How many? Are they armed?"


    "They started after we left the city. It''s hard to get a clear look, but there are at least thirty of them, all carrying weapons.” Diana''s eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp as a de. "Looks like they''re up to no good."


    "Miss Baker, we only brought ten guards today. If ites to a fight, we''ll be outnumbered."


    Diana had brought dozens of guards with her to Hasen City.


    But since she frequently visited the pce, traveling with such arge entourage


    felt too conspicuous. She had started limiting her group to just ten guards.


    She had even considered cutting it down to three or four, given her own formidablebat skills.


    However, the Empress Dowager had insisted she keep a sufficient number of guards, fearing that news of her potential ascension to Empress might leak and attract danger.


    So, Diana had been traveling with ten guards recently.


    Yet even with these precautions, someone had still set their sights on her.


    She thought, ''Who could have sent these people, and what did they want?"


    After a moment''s thought, Diana gave her orders. "Pick up the pace. Keep moving forward. Once we reach the woods ahead, we''ll act ording to the situation."


    "Yes, Your Grace"


    The carriage sped toward the forest a mile away


    The pursuers seemed to catch on to their n and quickened their pace, rapidly


    closing the gap


    The moment Diana''s camage dashed into the woods, a hooked chain came


    hurtling out from the shadows.


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