Chapter 160: Step Mother Suffering the Rumour
The heavy brass doors of the royal chamber creaked, and the grand ballroom fell into a tense, expectant silence.
"House Bennington tribute!"
The royal herald's booming voice echoed off the gilded ceiling, slicing through the remnants of the court's gossiping whispers.
Standing a pace behind King Alden on the elevated royal balcony, Lord Richard Bennington stiffened.
As a prominent vassal of the crown, his duty anchored him to the throne room's highest dais from the very beginning of the evening. He could not descend to walk with his family.
Instead, the burden of representation fell upon one person.
Down on the polished marble floor, Lady Stephanie, the malicious stepmother who had spent years ruling the Bennington estate with an iron fist, felt the entire room's temperature plummet.
Her usual haughty poise, defined by a sharply tilted chin and a sneering gaze, was utterly shattered.
