I had always wondered why I was yet to hear anything about my background from any of them, but I was informed by one of the maids who was around during my stay that Griffin had forbidden anyone from discussing the event and the punishment was banishment.

What I didn’t know was if the decree was to protect his image from being soiled or to protect me from the wrath of his kingdom.

Sitting at the table today, I was grateful to him for the decree regardless of what his reason was. I wanted my penetration into the upper echelons of the palace to be as seamless as possible. That was the only way I could get what I wanted.

“That’s a very lovely diamond on your neck sweetie. May I ask where you got it?” A sweet lady with luscious gray hair enquired, eyeing the necklace Victor got me a couple of weeks ago.

“I’m sorry I can’t say. It was a gift from the prince.”

A couple of ‘Aws’ and other sweet remarks washed over the table as the women gushed over the necklace. Soon, we were thrown into some form of competition as the women began to talk about all the expensive things their partners had gotten them over the years.

“Don’t mind them. It’s not a proper party if they don’t compare the weights of their husband’s pockets. I’m Lady Sheila, by the way.” The gray-haired woman smiled, offering her hand for a brief shake.

“I’m Mira,” I replied awkwardly. She smiled, the look in her eyes saying she knew who I was, but I appreciated the gesture.

“Princess Lilith, why don’t you tell us about that time the prince shut down the park for your birthday,” a dark-haired woman whom I later discovered to be Elder Edmond’s mate asked, and Lilith’s face lit with pride as she recounted the story of how Griffin made her the happiest girl in the world.

“Did I mention that he flew in all of my favorite artists and chefs to host the most intimate dinner for us? Everythingwas so beautiful, and I’m certain it must’ve cost him a fortune, but I know he loves me even more.”

“So, the stories of the divorce are false then?” the woman pressed, and I could see Lilith’s smile falter.

“Of course they are. The prince was almost deceived, but he’s back to his senses now. He knows we’re end game.”

The pain in my heart intensified with every word she said, but I put on a strong front, smiling where appropriate and laughing when needed. I knew she was exaggerating her story to mock me, but then again, I wouldn’t put it past Griffin to go back to her.

“How about you, Mira,” the dark-haired woman continued, and I didn’t miss how she didn’t address me as a princess. Not that I cared, but I was observant.

“We only know the stories of how the prince helped you on a rainy day, and how he fell head over heels for you from that moment. But we barely know anything about you or your family. What is the name of your pack?”

She raised her voice a notch, capturing the attention of the entire table and the table across from us.

“Yes, Mira, I’ve been so curious about my new sister-in-law,” Lilith added, a sinister smile playing on her lips.

I could feel the tension in the room. Griffin looked ready to murder Lilith, while Victor looked calm, as though he had the situation in control regardless of the outcome.

The rest of the audience looked at me with curious eyes, oblivious to the tension simmering beneath the surface and hungry for whatever I had to share.

“There’s not much to be said. I’m just a simple girl living a simple life, and I was merely lucky enough to catch the eyes of Prince Charming over there,” I replied, throwing a shy smile at Victor.

“Oh, don’t be a sour spot. Tell us the whole story. I’m sure the entire council would enjoy stories of how a breeder like you rose to the level of my husband’s personal maid, got cast away for trying to seduce him, and is finally sitting pretty in the arms of his brother. The ladies would love to take gold mining tips from you.” Lilith said with a sickeningly sweet voice, and the entire chamber fell silent. The only thing I could hear was the loud beating of my heart in my ears.

I’d be a fool to say I didn’t expect this from her. In fact, I’ve been waiting for her to pull this off. I didn’t think she’d have the balls to be so open about it, nor did I predict the way humiliation washed over me.

I caught sight of Griffin opening his mouth to defend me, but I beat him to it. I was done with men always coming to my rescue.

“It was quite easy, Lilith,” I replied, and the women gasped while the men watched with interest.

“First, I had to resist being raped by my Alpha’s son, an event that was seen as rebellious and resulted in me being demoted to breeder status, but just as the demotion was about to take effect, Prince Griffin was there to save me from the ugly fate.” I sent Griffin a quick nod of gratitude.

“He took a lowly Omega like me into his palace and gave me the prestigious position of his personal maid because he saw something other than a rank. He saw the human in me.”

At this point, I had the attention of the court, and I could see some of the women wipe stray tears from their eyes. I toyed with the idea of revealing the nature of my relationship with Griffin to them, but I didn’t think it would be wise to complicate my position like that. Lilith looked like she was constipated, Victor had a solemn look on his face, and Griffin wore a look of prideso I continued.

“But because the world is cruel and filled with vipers, someone felt threatened by my presence and set me up to be kicked out of the palace. But as we all know, the goddess protects her own, and soon, I found myself as the CEO of Diamond Corporation, and from there, I landed myself the best man in the world. So yeah, my story might not be the best, but all the challenges led me to the most fulfilling life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Silence followed my speech before one of the women began clapping. Soon, others joined, and I was praised for my resilience and how I fought through it. Some even went as far as saying the hands of the moon goddess rested on me, while others commended Griffin for saving me from ill fate.

I cast Lilith a triumphant look, injecting my voice with the same sickening amount of sweetness hers had. “Does this satisfy your curiosity, dear sister-in-law?”