Chapter 1734

"Well then, I'll give you a chance to explain. Why don't you explain why you were so sure that Chloe had fennel on her?"

Barbara's face paled, "I... I was just guessing."

Queen Julia closed her eyes deeply, took a deep breath, and cut her off.

"Enough, stop making up excuses."

"But Grandma..."

Queen Julia suddenly opened her eyes, a fiery anger burning within them.d2 holds © this.

"Even if you could convince me once or twice, how will you convince them?!"

She gestured to the surrounding crowd, her angry rebuke silencing any attempts by Barbara to deny the accusations.

Barbara turned, meeting the shocked and scornful gazes of the crowd. Every stare was filled with disbelief and contempt, some even with a disgust too profound for words.

Her heart, which had been anxiously hoping for a smooth resolution to the situation, now plummeted.

For a moment, it felt like her heart had stopped beating.

In fact, she felt like a dead woman walking.

She was at a dead-end, with no way out.

Her grip on Queen Julia's arm involuntarily tightened, the taste of iron filling her mouth.

She wanted to deny her involvement, but upon seeing Queen Julia's stern expression, she swallowed her words.

William's shift from the initial shock and heartache to the current calm indifference had deeply wounded Barbara's heart.

Over the years, she had always yearned for her father's attention and approval, secretly hoping he would acknowledge her.

But now, she knew that was not possible.

Ava shared Barbara's despair.

At this moment, there was no remorse in their hearts, only regret.

They had meticulously planned every detail, never expecting Chloe to be pregnant.

They had gone to great lengths to frame Chloe, including using fennel, which they had procured from a shady source.

They knew Chloe was a perfumer, but they underestimated her keen sense of smell.

They thought they could confuse her with the scent of incense, but she saw through their ruse.

They didn't expect Lola to be rescued, who now pointed the finger at them.

They had meticulously planned this, hoping to oust Yasmine and Chloe from the royal family, making them pariahs.

But why did things tum against them now?

Ava suddenly turned her head towards Yasmine, only to see Yasmine's face, which bore a smile that was neither genuine nor friendly, but rather filled with icy coldness.

Her heart sank.

Yasmine spoke slowly. "The monarchy is the pinnacle of our nation. Its existence brings peace and prosperity, it's a beacon for the people. Without the monarchy, there would be no Y Country. Attacking the future of the monarchy is no less than a disaster for the nation. This is not a simple matter, it's a capital offense."

Ava turned pale. These were the words she spoke in haste to accuse Chloe just now. If she was not mistaken, Yasmine threw those exact words back at her.

Ava shook her head desperately and fell at Queen Julia's feet, pleading. "Mother, I really didn't do it. How could I hurt Brisa. I have no reason to harm her."

Queen Julia remained silent.

As Ava was caught red-handed with the evidence against her, a few simple words weren't going to change anything.

Julia's silence was a clear signal that there was no room for Ava to deny or fight back.

"Mother, you must believe me, I really didn't do it."

Her plea fell on deaf ears.

"Princess Ava, you brought this upon yourself. If Queen Julia really believes you, wouldn't that make us all fools?"

"Yes, the evidence is crystal clear. You're just deceiving yourself."

"Think about your actions and words just now. We used to have a good impression of you, but now, it's a waste of feelings, even feeding a dog would be better."

"As an adopted daughter, you not only failed to accommodate the true heirs, but you also planned to harm them and even coveted the throne. Did you even take a look at yourself? Without the noble blood of the royal family, yet enjoying the life of a princess, you should be grateful to the Queen and her kin. But instead, you bit the hand that feeds you, it's unforgivable."

"In this world, there truly are all sorts of strange and despicable people, who are capable of doing such malicious and shameless things."

The barrage of accusations left Ava in no doubt that she was finished.

Queen Julia stepped back, her slight movement causing Ava to snap back to reality. She clung desperately to the Queen's dress.

"Mother, mother! No matter what, I admit I may have had ulterior motives, but it doesn't prove I did it.

Could you forgive me once, just this once, mother, I beg of you, for the sake of our years of faithful service."

Barbara quickly followed suit, "Grandma, this is a private matter for the royal family. There are many things we still don't understand. Can we return to the palace and discuss this?"

Chloe let out a cold, sarcastic chuckle, "Well, so now you want to take this back to the palace for discussion?" Her voice dripped with icy scorn, "If this is private matter, then who do you think is behind my little 'run-in' here?"

Chloe frowned coldly and stepped forward.

"If your memory fails you, allow me to refresh it."