99 The Lady's Downfall

HOWEVER MUCH GRACEFUL Dahlia Capell was beforehand, she was just as unsightly at the moment. 

She was on her knees in front of the throne, her hair disheveled, clothes torn in some areas, and her face red and swollen on one side. Streaks of dried tears marked her beautiful face, running down her cheeks. The swell of her eyes, however, was a tell-tale sign that she had only just stopped crying.

Gone was the image Alice had grown familiar with of the noble lady. Now, she looked like a pauper that had lost her home.

"My goodness," Alice muttered under her breath, unable to hold her shock. 

No one other than Spade ― who had been standing right beside her ― heard her words. He shook his head subtly, his eyes clear of any emotion. Alice wondered what must be running through his mind at the moment. After all, he was with her when they saw Dahlia Capell and her lover on the streets.

Spade was the one that didn't wish to report her.