Stolen by the Rebel King
Chapter 300: Consequences

Chapter 300: Consequences

Like every rumor, it quickly took on a life of its own, mutating after every re-telling. King Cyrus could only gnash his teeth in anger as the streets gossiped about his favorite daughter.

Hazelle did her best — or so the king thought — to stop it, but her powers were limited. With her husband’s sway of the crowd dwindling, there wasn’t much she could do. But on the other hand, there wasn’t much she wanted to do as well. She had worked hard for the Molinero sisters to fall and now that one had taken the bait, Hazelle wasn’t prepared to save her from her own blunder.

More importantly, Queen Anette made sure news of Drusilla’s disgraceful affair was spread far and wide, so much so that everyone, from young infants at their mother’s breasts to the old and penniless beggars living in the slums, knew about Drusilla’s wanton behavior.

And everyone had an opinion about it.

Drusilla had been forced by her father to remain in the palace so he could ensure she wasn’t out sleeping with other men, but she couldn’t escape the snickers and whispers following her every movement.

Most of her siblings gave her a wide berth, pretending she didn’t exist.

Even the servants were giving her disparaging looks, treating her with the same blatant disrespect

they used to give Daphne.

"It’s that slutty whorish princess," the maids said snidely to each other, pointing at Drusilla. "She tried to seduce her sister’s husband and failed, so she went for the duke instead. But the duke would rather die than marry her! Stay away from her― she might be diseased!"

Reputable members of Reaweth’s nobility had already seen Drusilla in the nude, but she never expected those people to commission artists to draw her naked body and spread the images around! Now, even people who weren’t there knew what her breasts and womanhood looked like.

"Hey! It’s the royal whore! Do you think she’ll sleep with us?" The guards chortled between themselves as they blatantly ogled Drusilla’s body with barely concealed lust. "We’re not nobility, but we could share her!"

In addition to lewd propositions by soldiers, Drusilla was also getting all sorts of letters from male nobles, offering to show her a good time. Burning them gave her slight satisfaction, but it wasn’t enough― for every one letter she burnt, there were at least three more ready to take their place.

In the eyes of reputable society, Drusilla was nothing more than a slut who would spread her legs for any man.

After a week of this, Drusilla could take it no longer. Her reputation was rock bottom, and there was no salvaging it.

"Mother! I’m ruined! I should just die!" Drusilla wailed as she threw herself into her mother’s arms. Lady Josephine could only hold her tightly, rubbing comforting circles around her back even as she internally cursed her own idiotic daughter.

Her poor precious baby was tarnished, and no amount of pleading on her behalf would change matters. While the marks left behind by the duke had faded, there was no erasing Drusilla’s mistake.

King Cyrus had actually struck her in the face when she tried to suggest arresting those who spoke ill of her daughter! Lady Josephine had to cover her face with powder to mask the red mark he left behind.

She could only gnash her teeth and swallow down the anger. Her daughter’s own foolish actions had ruined everything she had so painfully built for them both. Lady Josephine was once the favored wife of the king. She might only be a concubine, one of low birth at that, but King Cyrus had treated her just as well as he did Queen Anette― maybe even better!

As such, Lady Josephine had always made use of her position in court. She would whisper suggestions and ideas into the king’s mind, poisoning him with her own thoughts. That was how she survived for so many years.

Yet, after this scandal had spread across Reaweth like an infectious disease, the king hadn’t visited her in her chambers. According to the maids Lady Josephine had planted around the palace, King Cyrus had either been spending the night in his office or in Queen Anette’s chambers.

The servants of the palace were bright, much more so than their masters would ever think. They’ve seen the shift in dynamics and the change in treatment. As such, they knew that it was no longer beneficial to butter up Lady Josephine and Princess Drusilla.

In comparison, Princess Daphne and Queen Anette had much better treatment now.

"What do I do, Mother?" Princess Drusilla sobbed into her mother’s arms.

Lady Josephine was the only one in the palace that she could confide in. The servants gossiped about her behind her back, her siblings — even Alistair — treated her as though she was nothing more than a speck of dust. Even King Cyrus wouldn’t speak to her.

It was all Daphne’s fault.

"She drugged me," Drusilla continued. "It shouldn’t have been me. I just know it’s her!"

"You should’ve thought about the consequences before teaming up with Lady Hazelle," Lady Josephine hissed. "What made you think that she would speak up for you? What made you assume that the witch was on our side?!"

"But Brother Alistair―"

"Prince Alistair only cares for those who would be beneficial to him," Lady Josephine said.

She coldly ripped Drusilla away from her torso, her fingers and clawed nails digging into Drusilla’s shoulders. The young lady winced but kept her silence, watching as her mother’s gaze turned crazed.

"Right now, you’re of no use to him. Do you understand, Drusilla? You’re a burden!" Lady Josephine continued to screech.

"Mother―"

"No!" Lady Josephine pushed Drusilla away all of a sudden, sending the girl sprawling onto the floor.

Drusilla looked up, stunned. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her mother; the woman had her arms around herself, shaking her head profusely back and forth as she stared off into the distance.

"No... This can’t be..." Lady Josephine murmured under her breath. "We’ll find a way... We will..."

She then turned her gaze to Drusilla, a smile slowly stretching her lips. For the first time since she had entered the palace, Drusilla felt fear of the woman who had given birth to her. She hadn’t felt this way since she had been accepted by her father to live the life of a princess.

Lady Josephine lunged forward, her knees hitting against the ground with a loud thud. She then grabbed Drusilla’s shoulders, madly shaking her daughter as though her life depended on it.

"Drusilla, you must bear the heir of a king!" Lady Josephine said. "You must bear a child for King Atticus. That is the only way we can remain in this palace!"