Chapter 339: Chapter 336: That Voice, He Would Recognize It Even in Ashes
His features hadn’t changed much, but the makeup he applied daily made his face look plain and unremarkable—a far cry from his former self.
After about three hours, the car finally stopped at a side entrance of the Imperial Palace.
It was already ten o’clock. The sun scattered across the land, its lazy rays bathing people in a warm glow.
The five of them got out of the car and, in step with one another, followed their leader toward the side entrance.
After the leader showed their credentials, Ethan Ellsworth finally stepped through the gate that had haunted his thoughts for so long.
The first thing he saw was a wide road. The Imperial Palace was huge.
It took them over half an hour just to walk down the road. There were many gates, and parts of it resembled an ancient palace. The only difference was that the buildings here were all a luxurious, sky-blue, showcasing their magnificence.
After many twists and turns, they arrived at the dormitory area.
The lead captain assigned the five men their dorms and told them to drop off their luggage before joining him for a briefing on their daily duties and essential regulations.
After they had seen their work posts, the five men stood in a line as the captain began to explain the rules of the Imperial Palace.
"When you’re on guard duty, you must keep your eyes forward. The only difference between here and your previous post is that there are women here, and there weren’t there," the captain said, pacing back and forth. "You can glance at any of the women—there’s no explicit rule against it. However, there are two women you must *not* look at."
A new guard asked, "Captain, which two women?"
"Our First Lady and our princess. If they are passing through this area, someone will give advance notice. When that happens, you just lower your heads. You can raise them again after two minutes."
Another guard asked, "Captain, why can we see them on TV but not here?"
The captain’s tone became stern. "These are the rules set by our Supreme Leader. Do you want to go ask him yourself?"
The guard shrank back. "No."
’Asking him personally would only lead to one outcome: either being discharged from service or thrown in prison.’
’He wanted neither of those outcomes.’
Just as the captain was about to say more, a soldier in a green uniform trotted over. "The First Lady is heading to the hot springs."
The captain froze for a moment, then looked sternly at the five men before him.
"Lower your heads, now! The First Lady is about to pass this way."
The five men quickly and uniformly lowered their heads, their gazes fixed on the ground.
The captain included.
Ethan Ellsworth kept his head down. These few minutes were absolute torture for him.
Finally, he heard footsteps approaching.
He fought the urge to look up as she and her entourage passed in front of them.
Only then did he risk a slight turn of his head to look.
Her silhouette... it was so familiar.
For a moment, he couldn’t bear to look away.
’He prayed, prayed that she would turn her head.’
Perhaps his wish was so strong that she actually stopped.
She turned around.
And saw him.
They were some distance apart, so she couldn’t see him clearly, but his gaze felt exceptionally familiar.
The captain shot him a look and hissed, "Noel Chaucer, what do you think you’re doing? Get your head back down!"
Ethan Ellsworth quickly lowered his head again.
But Chloe Marshall had already turned back.
She walked slowly toward them, scaring the captain half to death.
Standing in front of Ethan Ellsworth, she spoke. "What’s your name?"
Before Ethan Ellsworth could speak, the captain, thinking she was about to punish the new recruit, hurriedly interjected, "Ma’am, he’s an outstanding soldier just transferred from the service today. He’s not yet familiar with the rules here. I’m in the middle of teaching him. Please forgive his lack of etiquette."
In her two years in the Imperial Palace, Chloe Marshall rarely went out. Fortunately, Lillian Bancroft had no other woman, so aside from facing his mother’s rebukes, her life was, by comparison, relatively easy.
However, she rarely smiled.
"I wasn’t asking you. I was asking him. Step back!"
The captain hastily retreated a few steps, his head bowed, not daring to look up.
’Ethan Ellsworth already knew in his heart. The woman standing before him was, without a doubt, his moron.’
’He’d recognize that voice even if it were ash, and he would never forget that face.’
He raised his head and looked at her.
"Ma’am, my name is Noel Chaucer. I’m new and don’t know the rules."
Chloe Marshall took a step back, tears bursting from her eyes.
’She stared at him, never in her wildest dreams imagining he would find a way into the Imperial Palace. He looked like a completely different person; he must have suffered a great deal.’
’But she couldn’t acknowledge him now, not when their daughter was still in Lillian Bancroft’s hands.’
Fortunately, everyone’s head was bowed, so no one saw her tears fall.
She wiped her eyes with her hand and replied with composure, "Seeing as this is your first day, I won’t report this. Captain, just make sure you teach him properly."
Turning around, she walked away.
Ethan Ellsworth watched her go. ’She cried. That has to be Chloe. But why did she—’
"Moron."
The word escaped his lips in a low, natural murmur. He didn’t realize that the other four guards thought he was a complete fool, and the captain was scared out of his wits.
Chloe Marshall’s feet felt as if they were filled with lead, too heavy to move.
Then her pace suddenly quickened. She walked so fast that her attendants had to rush to keep up, and soon, they all disappeared from sight.
Only then did the captain take a deep breath.
He stared at Ethan Ellsworth.
"Noel Chaucer, you have truly disappointed me! Not only did you let my words go in one ear and out the other, but you dared to call the First Lady a moron! I think you should get out of the Imperial Palace right now, before you cause trouble for me and everyone else."
Ethan Ellsworth apologized, "Captain, I was calling *myself* a moron just now. How could I forget your words? I didn’t curse the First Lady. How would I dare?"
Hearing this, the captain thought it actually made sense.
He admonished, "You must be cautious in your words and actions here. You can’t be as casual as you were before. You’re lucky the Supreme Leader wasn’t here, or you’d really be dead."
Ethan Ellsworth quickly agreed.
Chloe Marshall entered the hot springs chamber.
She forbade anyone from entering.
She was the only one left.
Her body slid down the door to the floor.
She drew her knees to her chest.
’What just happened felt like a dream.’
’She had seen him.’
’He had come.’
’He must have come looking for me.’
’Heaven knows how badly she had wanted to throw her arms around him and say, "Boss Ellsworth, I’ve missed you so much."’
’But that was now a luxury she couldn’t afford.’
’She was now not only Lillian Bancroft’s wife but also the First Lady of Harrowin.’
’Although it was a unilateral act on Lillian Bancroft’s part, if she were to flee and be caught, she would face public execution or a life sentence in front of the people of Harrowin.’
’The nation’s dignity was always greater than the individual’s.’
’Besides, Dorothy was still here.’
’How could escape ever be easy?’
Thinking of how they had stood so close, yet felt as far apart as the ends of the earth, Chloe Marshall couldn’t help but break down and sob.
