Of course, to beco the Beast King’s concubine—or even more, his queen—Leah would have to work hard.
Perhaps she could start by serving at his side, soothing his raging heart and assisting him in his daily affairs.
Or maybe she could beco the Little Prince’s nanny. Winning the boy over would surely win the Beast King’s heart as well.
Besides, after observing him during the banquet, Leah concluded that the boy was nothing more than an innocent fool. As long as she showed him affection and acted like a mother, he would surely lt and cling to her.
Leah hated children. They were noisy and useless. But if she could endure Ruela and her idiocy for so many years, then enduring Jojo’s antics would be nothing.
Still, in front of Ruela, Leah showed no trace of ambition, only sincere concern of a servant girl to her lady.
"You an... that shabby girl?" Ruela asked as to confirm her suspicion.
"I suspect so, Miss," Leah nodded. "Didn’t you see how she leaned so close to the Beast King at the banquet? I believe he’s been bewitched by her beauty. Now, he is nothing but an obedient dog, listening to her every whim, including dismissing you, his only concubine."
"But why would she do that?!" Ruela cried. "I’ve never hard her!"
"But you are the King’s concubine," Leah replied gently. "That alone is enough for her to see you as an enemy, Miss. Because she sees you as a competition"
She continued instigating, carefully feeding Ruela’s anger until it was ready to explode.
"It’d be easy for soone like her," Leah added. "She’s clever. She could’ve told the King that you’re a bad influence on the Little Prince, so you had to be removed for the sake of the boy’s future."
Ruela recalled Sisi’s polite yet insincere smile at their first eting. Even then, she’d sensed it—that ragged woman was sharp despite her sweet look.
Sisi had that aura of cunningness in her, like a sly fox cloaked in gentleness, bewitching everyone around her to do her bidding.
Ruela clenched her teeth, now fully convinced that Sisi was the one who had persuaded Kael to dismiss her.
"I’ll talk to that bitch!" Ruela snapped as she stood. "How dare she ruin my life when I’ve done nothing to her?!"
She stord out of the courtyard.
Leah watched her mistress’s disheveled retreat with a slow grin.
"With her stupidity, she’ll throw accusations everywhere, disturb the King, and get herself executed," Leah murmured. "Then I’ll plead innocence and be reassigned as a pitiful maid. Everything is according to my plan."
Just as Leah predicted, Ruela rushed toward the throne room.
Only to be stopped by the guard, "What brings you here, Concubine?"
"I want to et the Beast King! I have sothing to say to him!" Ruela stated bravely.
"The King is in Mistress Sisi’s courtyard," the guard inford her.
"M-Mistress Sisi’s courtyard?" Ruela stared as if she’d seen a ghost. "That woman has her own courtyard now?"
The guard’s expression hardened instantly when Ruela referred to Mistress Sisi as ’that woman.’
"Show so respect. She resides in the Queen’s Courtyard," he said coldly. "Many believe she may soon beco our queen."
Ruela didn’t wait to hear more, as she guessed that everyone had been chard by Sisi’s fake smile.
She bolted toward the Queen’s Courtyard without a guide, because she knew the place well.
She knew the Queen’s Courtyard was the most lavish place in the Beast Kingdom, but it had been kept empty as a sacred space to honor the Beast King’s deceased fated mate.
Because of its sanctity, Ruela had never dared to even ask to see inside.
She could only pass by it countless tis, dreaming of the day she might live there as the Beast King’s queen.
And now?
The sacred Queen’s courtyard was given to that ragged woman!
Ruela felt mocked.
She felt her devotion to the Beast King was worthless when a random woman he just t could have everything that Ruela deserved in the first place.
Standing before the courtyard gates, Ruela saw them.
The Beast King. The owl advisor. And that damned woman.
Sisi and Kael were sitting at the table, looking harmonious from afar.
The sight made her teeth ground together.
She rushed forward, but the guards crossed their spears, blocking her path.
"State your business, Concubine," one guard said. "Without an invitation from Mistress Sisi or the Beast King, you are not permitted to enter ."
"S-Sisi invited !" Ruela cried. "Let in!"
But the guards didn’t believe her.
Why would they believe a woman who looked so unstable, as if she might go insane at any mont and attack anyone in front of her?
Leah stood quietly behind her, watching everything unfold.
She knew that Ruela still needed one final push before she fell to her doom.
Leah tugged her away and whispered, "Miss, you can’t lie so obviously. They’re on her side. You need to be... creative."
"T-Then what am I supposed to do?" Ruela asked frantically. "I have to confront them! I need answers!"
’Perfect, she is crazy enough to do extre stuff,’ Leah thought.
"Why not threaten them?" Leah suggested softly. "Tell them you’ll strip in the middle of the palace grounds if they don’t let you in."
Ruela went pale.
"Are you insane?! I’d never do that!"
’You already did,’ Leah sneered inwardly. ’At the banquet. And I made sure you looked like a whore.’
"It’s just a threat, Miss. You don’t actually have to do it," Leah coaxed. "But it’ll scare them."
Ruela looked at her servant girl, and realized that she had no one else but her.
So she had nobody else to trust except Leah.
After a mont, she nodded.
"...Alright," she said shakily. "I’ll do it. I need answers. Right in front of that ragged bitch."
She turned back to the guards and scread:
"If you don’t let in right now, I’ll strip where I stand! You know what it ans to see the body of the King’s woman!"
Ruela’s threat proved effective. The guards were shocked by her words and hesitated, unsure whether they should stop her or let her pass.
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