Unlike the usual tranquillity, the entrance of the prince’s castle was unusually lively today.

A small sedan chair with green embroidered curtains was parked in front of the castle, and the sound of a woman’s soft weeping could be heard from inside.

Outside the sedan chair stood two fierce-looking matrons, who were cursing and scolding.

Ysabeau stood at the entrance of the castle, her hands on her slender waist, her willow-like eyebrows furrowed, exuding an air of unyielding determination.

"Miss, do you even know who is inside this sedan chair? When His Highness the prince and our young lady were inseparable, you probably didn’t even know where you were!" One of the matrons said, waving a handkerchief with an arrogant expression.

"That’s right! At this time last year, His Highness would always send a sedan chair to fetch our young lady. Hmph, you have quite the nerve to block us. When His Highness arrives, you’ll regret it!" The other matron snapped angrily.

Ysabeau’s delicate face turned pale. "Shut up! Who do you think you are, daring to make a scene in front of the prince’s castle? If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll tear your mouths apart!"

"Oh no, you little brat, try it! Come on!" One of the matrons taunted, putting on a shameless face.

Ysabeau was furious and turned to the servants behind her. "Slap their mouths!" At that moment, a man on horseback approached the mansion. It was Roland, returning from the mines.

Although Roland was now in charge of mining operations, he still lived in the prince’s castle. Every time he returned, he would come to see Simon.

When the two matrons saw Roland, their faces lit up with joy. One of them scurried over to him and leaned in close. "Steward Roland, you’re finally back!"

The other matron quickly added. "Steward Roland, look at this maid from the prince’s castle. She’s utterly lacking in discipline!"

When Roland saw the two matrons, his expression turned strange. Unlike Ysabeau, he didn’t seem angry but instead wore a polite smile.

"Aren’t you the matrons from Miss Adelaide’s entourage?" Roland said with a smile.

Seeing Roland’s courteous demeanour, the two matrons immediately became more emboldened. One of them turned to the sedan chair and spoke. "Young lady, Steward Roland is here. Now we don’t have to deal with this wicked maid."

Ysabeau was even more furious. The sedan chair had arrived at the castle’s entrance an hour ago, and the two women had tried to barge in without explanation.

When Ysabeau came out, the two matrons had immediately started berating her, acting as if they were the mistresses of the prince’s castle.

Ysabeau was initially frightened, but she was not one to back down. She stood her ground and refused to let them in.

Now she asked. "Steward Roland, what exactly is going on?"

Roland chuckled and pulled Ysabeau aside. "The young lady in the sedan chair is named Adelaide. She was His Highness’s... Ahem, acquaintance from the pleasure houses. Just leave this matter alone. When His Highness returns, let him handle it. We, servants, shouldn’t meddle in our master’s affairs."

Ysabeau’s anger subsided slightly. She snorted and turned back into the castle. She couldn’t believe that in the past six months, Simon had never mentioned having such an acquaintance.

She wasn’t afraid. Even though they were maids serving Lady Isolde, their status was still higher than that of a pleasure house woman.

The gates of the prince’s castle opened, and the two matrons exclaimed with joy. "Young lady, the gates are open. Let’s go in."

A woman in a red dress stepped out of the sedan chair. Though not stunningly beautiful, she had a certain charm. She glanced at the gilded plaque of the prince’s castle and gracefully walked inside.

With Ysabeau stepping aside, Roland had no choice but to lead the woman to the main hall to wait.

Not long after, Simon and Joan returned to the castle.

When Joan told him that a woman named Adelaide had come looking for him, Simon’s heart nearly sank. This was a debt left behind by his predecessor.

He had no obligation to take on this burden and felt no emotional attachment to this woman.

On the way back, all he could think about was how to send her away.

"My Lord." Roland greeted Simon as he entered the mansion.

After bowing to Simon, Roland gestured toward the main hall. "My Lord, Miss Adelaide is waiting for you inside."

Simon sighed in frustration. "Couldn’t you have found an excuse to send her away? Why did you bring her into the castle?"

"My Lord, this..." Roland was at a loss for words. Had he been away for so long that he no longer understood Simon’s temperament? In the past, Simon would have given him an approving look at a time like this.

Frowning, Simon said. "Never mind, I’ll handle it myself."

Ysabeau, standing beside Roland, was beaming with joy. She spoke. "My Lord, there’s no need to trouble yourself. I’ll have someone drive her out right away."

"Yes, drive her out." Joan chimed in.

As they spoke, a voice called out. "Your Highness..."

The voice carried a tone of melancholy. Simon looked over and saw Adelaide, his predecessor’s former lover.

Adelaide was once the top courtesan in Brambleford, with both beauty and charm. In a small place like Brambleford, even a mediocre woman could be appealing, and Adelaide was far from mediocre.

Back then, Simon had spent his days frolicking with Adelaide. To the current Simon, those memories felt like scenes from a cheesy romance novel.

However, no matter how one looked at it, this was just a fling from his predecessor’s life. Moreover, Adelaide had been recommended by Walter. After that, Adelaide had returned to her hometown for a visit and had been gone for over half a year.

"Miss Adelaide." Simon forced the words out of his throat.

Adelaide looked at Simon, a smile in her eyes. But to Simon, the smile seemed fake, the kind of smile one puts on for show.

He had seen plenty of such smiles in his previous life.

"Your Highness, it’s been half a year. Why are you calling me ’Miss Adelaide’ now?" Adelaide said.

Although Adelaide had been Simon’s lover in the past, it wasn’t like her to come running to him as soon as she returned.

Moreover, their relationship had been purely transactional. His predecessor had paid for entertainment, and to put it bluntly, Adelaide had been nothing more than a plaything. After all, the previous Simon had been a product of his time, deeply entrenched in feudal thinking.

Therefore, Simon felt no emotional burden. But as he thought about it, he found it strange. He decided to cut to the chase. "Miss Adelaide, you must have come here for a reason."

Adelaide nodded. "I never expected that in just half a year, Brambleford would have changed so much. On my way here, I heard about Your Highness’s efforts to govern diligently. Today, I came to share a secret about the Goldwynd family."

"What is it?" Simon asked.

Adelaide glanced at Roland and Ysabeau. "Your Highness, may we speak in private?"

Ysabeau said. "Your Highness, be careful."

Adelaide smiled lightly. "Don’t worry, Miss. I’m just a weak woman. I couldn’t possibly harm His Highness."