The Abandoned Luna's Journey to Power Chapter 365: Has She Been Bullying You?

Cindy's POV:

In complete contrast to the secret room in Crystal Palace, filled with bloody schemes, the inner hall of the royal palace overflowed with a warmth of family joy.

The Moon Goddess festival banquet had not yet begun. Adam brought Astra and me to Stillwater Palace to greet the elders.

The fireplace burned brightly, and the room felt as warm as spring.

Queen Elizabeth wore a festive dark red robe today. She sat comfortably on a soft couch, smiling widely.

Right in front of her, Astra sat properly at a small square table. A notebook lay open before him, and he wrote carefully, his expression serious and focused.

"Great! Your writing is neat." Queen Elizabeth wore her reading glasses and watched Astra's writing while praising him constantly. The wrinkles on her face deepened as she smiled. "This child may have gone through some setbacks, but his learning spirit hasn't disappeared at all. Adam, you must teach him well. Do not let him pick up those rough habits you learned on the battlefield."

Adam stood nearby and nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, Grandma. I hired the best teacher in the Royal Court for him. Besides, with Cindy watching over him, he wouldn't even have the chance to learn anything bad."

The shadow that had weighed on my heart these past few days since Sephiria's death was finally lifted, driven away by this pure warmth as I watched the scene unfold.

After finishing a page, Astra carefully blew on the ink to dry it. Then he held the notebook with both hands and presented it to Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth took it and looked at it, her eyes glistening with moisture.

On the paper was a congratulatory poem praising the great achievements of the former king.

"You're such a good boy." She gently patted Astra's soft hair. Then she seemed to remember something. Her cloudy yet sharp eyes glanced toward Queen Isabella, who was sitting nearby and looking slightly uncomfortable.

A teasing smile appeared at the corner of Queen Elizabeth's mouth. She deliberately turned to Astra and asked, "Astra, let me ask you something. You've been staying in the palace these past few days. This 'grandmother' of yours..." She pointed toward Queen Isabella. "Has she been bullying you? If she dares to bully you, tell me. I will knock her with my cane!"

The moment those words came out, the hall suddenly fell silent.

Queen Isabella's hand trembled while holding her teacup, and she almost spilled the tea onto her beautiful dress.

Her face turned pale with fright. She quickly set down the cup and jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She waved her hands repeatedly as she tried to explain. "Oh my, Mother! No way! How could I possibly bully Astra? Astra is such a good boy. I barely have enough time to dote on him!"

To prove her innocence, Queen Isabella grabbed Princess Raya, who had been happily eating pastries nearby, and pulled her over like a lifeline. "Raya! Hurry and prove my innocence. Haven't I been extra nice to Astra these past few days? Didn't I even give him many gifts?"

Princess Raya still had half a piece of cake in her mouth. She spoke with a muffled voice. "Mm-hmm! Mother even gave Astra the most beautiful sapphire headpiece from her private treasury yesterday! She also warned that anyone who dared to bully Astra in the future would be going against her!"

Queen Elizabeth watched Queen Isabella's flustered attempt to explain herself, clearly terrified of being misunderstood. The scene was so amusing that she finally burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha!" She laughed so hard that she leaned back and forth, tapping the floor lightly with her cane. "Look how frightened you are. I was only teasing you. I've lived in this deep palace for so many years. I just wanted to see you, the always proud Queen Isabella, to end up embarrassed for once. Ah, that really makes me feel much better!"

After hearing Queen Elizabeth's merciless teasing, Adam could not help laughing out loud. I covered my mouth and lowered my head as I laughed softly as well.

Only then did Queen Isabella realize she had been completely played by Queen Elizabeth. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she stomped her foot lightly. "Mother! Why do you always make fun of me?"

Although she complained, she wasn't truly angry.

She glanced at me standing beside Adam. The critical and guarded look she used to have was gone. In its place was a hint of awkward friendliness.

The hall soon filled with laughter again, warm and lively.

On the night of the Moon Goddess Festival, this royal family, which had once been full of schemes and distance, finally felt a little like a real family.