Pampered by the Villainous Tyrant King

Chapter 37 (M)

This was true. In her damp and wet state, Lady Ceto looked like a pile of rags that a large beast had pissed on. Annabeth was wearing much simpler clothes due to functionality, but her beauty was far more highlighted and elegant.

Finally, Lady Ceto appeared to have some sort of shame blossom on her face as she realized what was happening. But hadn't she been promised that the queen's position would eventually be hers once she first secured a spot as the king's mistress? That person had promised her! The queen was infertile! So naturally, the king should be looking for another woman. Ceto's eyes landed on a pink mark on the queen's neck that hadn't been there at the afternoon tea.

"Lady Ceto will be bestowed thirty whip lashes for insulting the queen, trespassing in the Eldoris Palace, and breaking and entering the sacred Gardenia Palace. She is also hereby demoted to be a commoner for the rest of her life with the next three generations of her descendants to be commoners. Grand Duchess Euryale's title shall remain firmly on her head." Percy decreed. "Lady Hazel and Sir Nico will be given the titles of baroness and baron, respectively."

Percy had already decided that the Grand Duchess title was to die on his great aunt's head. But that would leave Nico, a very trusted knight, and Hazel, a young girl who was an important spy in his relatives' stronghold, in awkward positions. As king, Percy wanted to give them higher positions, but since the siblings were still young and were of illegitimate birth, the baron positions were appropriate until the two continued to rely on their own strength and could ascend to higher status.

Ceto looked shocked and was about to protest when the knights next to her shoved a piece of cloth into her mouth. Soon, even her muffled shrieks soon disappeared from the Grand Hall.

Upon hearing of Ceto's punishment, Grand Duchess Euryale frantically wrote a letter and slipped a maid two gold coins to deliver the letter to Marigold Palace.

Dowager Queen Amphitrite read the letter and immediately tossed the letter into the nearest fireplace. How stupid was this relative of the throne? If Amphitrite had not taken precautions beforehand, the Grand Duchess' actions would pull the dowager queen into the boiling cauldron as well.

At first, Amphitrite had thought perhaps she could use the Grand Duchess to insert someone close to the throne. But after getting to know the Grand Duchess and her granddaughter Ceto, Amphitrite was sure that these two would be fools costing far more than they were worth. When Lady Ceto asked whether she could become the queen after becoming the king's mistress, the dowager queen gave her some vague notion of a promise that really didn't affirm anything.

As expected, the Grand Duchess and Lady Ceto were rash and pushy. Amphitrite would have preferred to use Lady Hazel instead. Though young, Lady Hazel was more intelligent than her wide, innocent eyes portrayed her to be. But all communications to Lady Hazel had fallen through.

"If the Grand Duchess tries to communicate again, ban her." Amphitrite ordered.

She had far more busy things to do than entertain the delusions of an old lady who had fallen from power.

Still, the influence that the queen held over the king was far more powerful than Amphitrite had thought. How had that little whore tamed the king?

It didn't matter. She had planned quite a few gifts for the king in the coming days.

*********************************

After washing up, Percy naturally came to visit the queen in her quarters at Dahlia Palace. The maids who were brushing her hair bowed and exited as the king entered. So, he naturally took upon the role they abandoned.