FreeNovel"Whack!"
A loud slap echoed, landing squarely on the woman's face, cutting off her words mid-sentence.
"You—"
Brittany shook her hand, her eyes ice cold. "First off, my son is my treasure, not something for just anyone to critique."
"Second, I've never thought about sending my son away, let alone abandoning him."
"Third, the affairs of the Salter family are none of your business. We still have Noel. Have you considered the consequences if your
words from just now reached Imperial City?"
The woman froze.
Noel was not only a well-known figure in Imperial City but his tales also spread throughout Craneville.
Known for being ruthless.
Crossing Noel would mean she could kiss her good days goodbye.
Piper hadn't expected Brittany to be so forthright.
Seeing the woman's plea for help, she intervened: “Ms. Lte, she spoke out of turn. Please, don't take it to heart.”
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Brittany grabbed a wet wipe to clean her palm, her voice cold, “Ms. Walker, keep your people in check. If there's a next time, it
won't just be the Salter family you'll have to worry about. The Lte family won't let it slide either!”
With that, Brittany strode away.
Such gatherings were utterly tedious.
Outside the banquet hall, Brittany found a secluded spot to sit and rest.
Piper glanced at the warned woman nonchalantly and said, “If you can’t hold your tongue in the future, don’t bother sticking
around.”
The woman's face paled, murmuring an acknowledgment.
They had whispered suchments countless times in private.
Yet, Piper had never shown such solidarity before!
She usually reveled in such events, basking in the adulation from every corner, finding pleasure in the attention.
The banquet officially began.
The queen, hand in hand with Eltham, made a grand entrance.
The atmosphere heated up, and Brittany, hearing themotion, returned to the banquet.
The Lte family had prepared a set of jewelry as a gift for the queen, valued at a small fortune, which suited the queen
perfectly.
The queen was visibly pleased, nodding and giving Brittany a warm smile, “You are thoughtful.”
Brittany maintained her usual polite smile.
Piper looked at the jewelry with a hint of disdain.
When it was her turn, she unveiled a lavish gift box, inside which was a chess set crafted from the finest jade.
“Knowing your interest in chess, | had this set made from the finest jade by top artisans...”
The queen was surprised by Piper's grand gesture.
Such quality jade, even in small amounts, was extremely expensive, let alone an entire set. It surpassed Brittany's jewelry in value.
“Piper, this is very considerate of you.”
The queen clearly loved the chess set but hesitated because of its value.
Piper saw her hesitation, “Please don’t refuse. You've watchedgrow up, treatinglike your own daughter. It's only right for
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you to have the most precious gift on your birthday.”
Gratefully, the queen accepted, “Thank you.”
Gifts kepting, each more valuable than the last.
Brittany stood among the crowd, a flicker of jealousy in her eyes at the praises showered on Piper.
Eltham, thinking she was upset, reassured her.
“Piper and | grew up together, and mother treats her like her own. It's natural for her to give such a gift.”
“You've also chosen something mother loves. Don’t overthink it.”
Realizing his misunderstanding, Brittany wanted to clarify but swallowed her words instead.
After the gifts were presented, the queen seemed to remember something, “Next week, Craneville will wee a group of
distinguished guests for a chess tournament.”
“Piper, | recall you once won a chess championship. I'll leave the full responsibility of this event to you.”
In Craneville, heavily influenced by A country's culture, chess was widespread.
Welandia, treating chess as its pride, hosted the largest global chess tournament, showcasing the game's cultural significance.
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