Chapter 10
Early that morning on the day of the autumn hunt, Una Rhodes left the general’s residence together with her mother, with Eileen Rhodes following behind them.
As a general, Glen Rhodes, of course, went to the royal hunting grounds with the king and his officials.
Today, Una Rhodes wore a hunting dress, looking stunningly brave. Her black hair was tied up in a hairstyle typical of men, making her truly unforgettable.
Seeing her beloved daughter like this, and thinking back to how she had performed in Shangshu Fang these past days, the princess was extremely relieved.
“Una, let’s take the carriage together.”
“Mother, I want to ride a horse,” Una Rhodes said firmly, her bright eyes impossible to ignore.
The Crown Princess hesitated slightly. “Una, your sister is going to ride in the carriage with me. Are you really not going to ride in the carriage?”
Una Rhodes understood her mother’s intentions. She took her mother’s hand and said gently, “Mother, since Una has entered the Shangshu Workshop, and everyone else rides horses to the royal hunting grounds, Una certainly won’t be at a disadvantage compared to the others!”
Una Rhodes was full of energy. The crown princess didn’t say much, merely urging, “Be careful with everything.”
“Yes.”
With her mother’s approval, Una Rhodes swiftly mounted her horse. Eileen Rhodes, standing behind her, watched Una’s valiant appearance with admiration. Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was paying attention, Eileen tightly gripped the hem of Una’s dress.
During the royal autumn hunt, the main street was already under control of the troops stationed there by the Ministry of War. The palace’s carriages went first, followed by those of various officials.
All these are arranged according to rank and regulations. Therefore, due to the relationship with the Crown Princess, the general’s convoy is given priority.
Many carriages had stopped outside the royal hunting ground. When Una Rhodes appeared before everyone on her fine horse, everyone was dazzled.
Robert Johnson had no intention of paying attention to the wives and daughters of officials. But Una Rhodes was simply too striking. Once he noticed her figure, his expression became dark and unreadable.
How come he never knew that Una Rhodes had such abilities? Before, he even laughed at everything Una Rhodes said in front of the emperor, thinking it was nothing but nonsense. But now it seems that Una Rhodes really does have some skills.
Enid Johnson wasn’t particularly noticeable among the princes. However, her gaze was fixed on Una Rhodes. Today, Una Rhodes was truly impossible to take one’s eyes off.
The king’s gaze also fell on Una Rhodes. For some reason, the image of his elder sister flashed through his mind, and he sighed inwardly.
If my elder sister had chosen to pursue a career in government, like Una Rhodes did, things might have turned out differently.
Controlling his emotions, the king glanced at Robert Johnson discreetly. Noticing that Robert Johnson’s gaze toward Una Rhodes had become colder, the king gave orders to Kent, who was standing nearby.
“Keep an eye on Prince Three today.”
Kent had served the king for many years and naturally understood his intentions. “Your servant obeys,” he said.
Everyone settled in at the royal hunting ground. The Rhodes family’s tent was not far from the royal tent. Glen Rhodes, as a general, was responsible for patrolling the area. The crown princess was invited by the king to his tent to catch up on old times.
Una Rhodes was taking a rest in her tent. Murray Porter had just sent someone with a message, saying he would come to find her later to go horseback riding together. Since he happened to be at the hunting ground with nothing to do, and since tomorrow was the actual day of hunting, it would be a good opportunity to relax and stretch one’s limbs today.
Eileen Rhodes appeared before Una Rhodes, holding a teacup and moving with graceful movements. No one noticed the flash of disgust in Una Rhodes’ eyes.
Leaning back on the soft couch, she said coldly, “What do you need, sister?”
Eileen Rhodes’s eyes showed unease as she said softly, “Sister, I’ve brought you some tea.”
Eileen Rhodes acted submissive in front of Una Rhodes. However, Una Rhodes paid her no attention and spoke with hidden intentions.
“Sister, I’m afraid you’ve forgotten that serving tea and water is the duty of the servants in the household. Have you forgotten that you’re now the adopted daughter of the general’s family? You really shouldn’t have to do such things.”
What Una Rhodes really meant was to make Eileen Rhodes realize her true identity. So what if Eileen Rhodes was the adopted daughter of the general’s family?
Deep down, Eileen Rhodes is just a country girl who has no place in high society. Thinking of becoming a phoenix? That’s just a dream!
As soon as Una Rhodes said those words, Eileen Rhodes’s eyes reddened slightly, and she lowered her head in silence.
Una Rhodes couldn’t stand to see Eileen Rhodes like that, so she quickly told Monroe to send her away.
“Miss, why do you treat the second young lady in such a way?”
Menglu could tell that her young mistress was very dissatisfied with the second young lady brought back by the master. But she had no idea why exactly.
“Marilyn, what do you think of Eileen Rhodes?”
Asked by Una Rhodes, Monroe thought for a moment before responding, “The second young lady seems gentle and delicate. She’s very respectful toward the lord and the eldest princess, as well as toward the other young ladies. I really can’t see anything suspicious about her.”
“Is that so?” A hint of mockery flashed in Una Rhodes’s eyes. Sure enough, if she hadn’t experienced so much in her life, she might have been deceived by Eileen Rhodes’s disguise.
Fortunately, fate gave Una Rhodes one more chance. This time, she definitely wouldn’t let Eileen Rhodes get away with anything!
With these thoughts in mind, Una Rhodes looked at Monroe and said, “In the future, be cautious around Second Miss Liu Xin. As the saying goes, it’s always wise to be wary of others.”
“Yes, your servant understands.”
Just then, Murray Porter’s cheerful voice came from outside the tent: “Is Miss Rhodes here?”
Upon hearing this, Una Rhodes came out of the tent. Murray Porter, Elaine Porter, and Ingrid Johnson were waiting for her outside the tent.
“The Sixth Prince is also here.” Una Rhodes didn’t seem to expect that Murray Potter would be able to bring Ingrid Johnson along, so she paid him little attention.
When Una Rhodes asked about this, Enid Johnson felt a little embarrassed. “Sister Chen, I just got bored, so I thought I’d race against you guys. You wouldn’t refuse, would you?”
Enid Johnson’s stubborn little face looked at Una Rhodes. Una Rhodes immediately felt sorry for her and pinched Enid Johnson’s cheek, saying something.
“Sure, but the sixth prince should still be careful not to fall off his horse.”
Una Rhodes had merely said it as a joke. Neither Murray nor Porter took it seriously. But Ingrid Johnson swore to herself that one day, she would become strong enough to protect Una Rhodes.
He must be worthy of Una Rhodes!
A group of people appeared in the forest. From a distance, they saw Prince Three, Prince Eight, and the others.
Robert Johnson noticed Una Rhodes. His eyes were filled with disdain. Remembering the embarrassment Una Rhodes had put him through before, Robert Johnson rode his horse over to her.
“I’ve met the Third Prince.” Out of courtesy, Una Rhodes bowed to Robert Johnson along with the others. Robert Johnson’s gaze remained fixed on Una Rhodes, completely ignoring Enid Johnson’s mention of his third brother.
Robert Johnson glanced back and forth at Una Rhodes, smiling mockingly. “Miss Rhodes isn’t the same as before. I wonder if you’d be willing to compete with this prince today?”
Upon hearing this, the faces of Murray and Porter changed slightly. They didn’t dare to act rashly. Enid Johnson wanted to say something, but Una Rhodes gave her a reassuring look, then met his challenging gaze head-on.
“I wonder what the Third Prince wants to compete with me in?”
In a contest, Una Rhodes certainly wouldn’t be afraid. Although Robert Johnson was the third prince, his skills were truly lacking.
