The Crown’s Obsession - Chapter 862

Music Recommendation: Framed Memories- Dominic Lewis

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The state in which Rosamund and Sophie were in right now was something unimaginable. In the past, they were the most reputable women of the royal household. Being the former princess of Devon and daughter of the last second deceased King, Rosamund had grown up with a gold spoon in her mouth.

She had never shown any consideration or sympathy for any person who was lower than her in status. And she stood in the corner of the road, now and then trying to stop the people who were walking past her. But people were fickle-minded, who changed their mind like the weather. The people, who once used to respect her, paid no heed to her or the state she was in.

“Please wait!” said Rosamund, her eyes looking frantic. She was only pushed aside by the people as if she was a speck of dust.

Madeline, who stood next to Constance, watched them from afar while Constance looked at some items in the nearby shop. She didn’t know what to do right now. When Lady Constance was in the castle, Rosamund and her family had tortured her in and outside the castle. She didn’t know how much trauma her mother-in-law must have gone through.

“What do you think about this?” asked Constance, picking up one of the mud made artefacts.

Madeline turned to look at the little pot and smiled, “It looks pretty.”

When her mother-in-law went back to looking at the other objects, Madeline wondered if it would be better to leave. Protecting Lady Constance from any mental or physical harm was her priority.

But it was too late to dodge because, on hearing a familiar voice, Constance turned her head in its direction. Both the woman’s gazes met from one side of the road to another. Rosamund appeared to be in shock on seeing Constance alive and standing next to Madeline. She was in disbelief as she had heard about Constance’s death. Everyone had heard about it!

While Madeline was worried that bad memories would trigger Constance on meeting Rosamund Wilmot, who was the cause of her misery and death, Constance stood in her place, staring at the vampiress.

“Who is that, mama?” asked Sophie when she saw her mother staring at a woman. Sophie was in even worse condition, and when her eyes fell on Madeline, her eyes hardened. Here she was, her life turned from riches to rags where she was wearing torn clothes covered in dirt, and there was the Queen who had snatched her rightful place.

Rosamund wasn’t able to process anything in words, and her lips only trembled. She turned scared on seeing Constance walk towards her.

Madeline diligently followed her mother-in-law’s footsteps while also making sure to be on alert if Rosamund were to try any tricks. But the vampiress looked in the worst of the worst conditions.

“I-Is that you, C-Constance?” questioned Rosamund.

Her straight and proud back, now hunched with both her hands holding each other.

Constance replied, “It is me. I didn’t know I would be meeting you again this way.” She remembered the first time when she had met Rosamund. The attribute of arrogance and pride coursed through the vampiress’s blood, talking to her only because Lawrence had brought her to the castle.

The one time when Constance had gone back to visit the castle after she had been thrown out of there, Rosamund and her mother had only continued to mistreat her.

‘How many times do you think we need to remind you to stay away from my brother?’ questioned Rosamund with a deep frown on her face.

‘I only need to tell him something. Please, let me talk to him once. I just need to tell-‘

‘Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson yet. You are a woman with no background, what made you even dream and think that you could stand next to him?!’ demanded Queen Morganna. ‘Get out now! And don’t show your face again!’

‘Don’t you know that my brother is tired of you? Have some shame, to be standing here and thinking he will accept you,’ scoffed Rosamund. ‘But I think you have none, considering how many men you please,’ she sneered before leaving the entrance of the castle.

Constance had wanted to speak to Lawrence, to tell him who she was and how much she loved him, that she was carrying his child. But love seemed to be a trivial subject when it came to the mortals of the living world. A promise that didn’t have any value, nor did the love they showered, which could change at any time.

As the memories dissolved in Constance’s mind, Rosamund quickly fell on her knees in front of her and begged, “Please forgive me for the things I have done and for what I have told you! I have made mistakes and I want to fix them! Please forgive me!”

Sophie looked utterly confused as she didn’t know why her mother was begging a stranger whom she had never seen before. She glared at Madeline because it was all her fault! She had done nothing! Nor had she tried to poison anyone, nor did she commit treason! The least the King could do was to punish her mother and not her!

Four years had passed since the Wilmot’s had been demoted from their position. Vlad had made their lives as difficult as one could ever think that no one in the town or village came forward to help the Wilmot’s.

“Please forgive me! I should have not treated you that way!”

“Who is this mother?” asked Sophie as her mother continued to beg on the ground.

Seeing how Sophie was still trying to stand up and against Madeline, Rosamund pulled her daughter down so that she could join her by sitting on her knees. “This is the King’s mother!” she whispered to her daughter.

Sophie had heard many stories about the woman. But realizing the woman who was supposed to be dead was now standing in front of them, the young vampiress’s eyes turned wide in horror.

“S-she’s a ghost!” Sophie stuttered, and Madeline couldn’t help but internally smile.

Rosamund quietly glared at her daughter for uttering stupid things right now. She shifted her gaze back to look at Constance and said,

“Our condition is so bad that we don’t get anything to eat and starve. No one treats us right. Please help us, Constance!”

“Lady Constance,” corrected Madeline.

“Y-yes yes, Lady Constance,” agreed Rosamund. “The King and your father have made our lives hard, and I agree we deserved it but we have learned from our mistakes. I know what I did was wrong, and I want to make it right. Just give us one opportunity,” she looked at Constance with pleading eyes.

Madeline didn’t know what Constance was thinking as she stood there quietly, looking at Rosamund and her daughter Sophie. The Wilmot’s didn’t deserve forgiveness.

“Thank you for acknowledging that what you did to me was painful. When you inflicted the pain on me, I quietly took it, Lady Rosamund,” said Constance, her expression calm and barely holding any bitterness or anger. “When we first met, I thought we could be sisters. And I wished you would have told me directly that you didn’t like me being next to Lawrence. I would like to forgive you for what you have done to me in the past.”

Though Madeline was not happy, she didn’t utter a word as it was Constance’s decision to make. Rosamund looked extremely happy. A wide smile spread on her face.

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you! I knew you would forgive us, you have a heart of gold, Lady Constance!” Rosamund praised the woman whom she once looked down upon.

Rosamund couldn’t believe that her misery was finally coming to an end. It felt like an eternity had passed while living on the streets.

“But,” Constance said, and Rosamund’s smile faltered. “I might have forgiven you for the things you have done to me, but how can I forget what my son had to go through. The things he had had to hear and bear. People beating him up and him coming home covered in blood, do you know how it feels, Lady Rosamund?”

Remembering the memory broke Constance’s heart because, in the past, it was a recurring event in her and her son’s life.

Rosamund’s lips moved because she could tell how this conversation could go. She shook her head, “N-no, I never even knew you had a son. If I knew I would have-”

“You would have killed him,” came the chill voice from Constance.

Madeline saw Rosamund was in a fix, and she shook her head, but she couldn’t lie. Because the truth was that if she or Queen Morganna knew about young Calhoun’s existence, they would have killed him.

Not knowing what else to do, Rosamund touched Constance’s feet in defeat, “I was stupid and consumed with the thought of wanting power! I shouldn’t have hurt you. I am sorry for everything and believe me when I say I am disgusted for what I have done. I will never ever do anything like that!”

Constance nodded her head. She then turned to Madeline, who had been quietly standing next to her. “Give me the bag, dear.”

Madeline didn’t know what Constance was going to do, but she handed the bag and saw the lady fish for something from it. Pulling a pack of a bun, she placed it in Rosamund’s hand.

Constance then said, “During my time, no one offered me food and I know how it feels when one feels hungry.”