Chapter 2393 - 314: The Most Gentlemanly Knight (Part 2)

The Duchess of Kent heard this, and her eyes instantly reddened: "Enough, Arthur, enough, that’s all in the past, there’s no need to mention it again."

Conroy stood by, his throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn’t know what to say.

He could hardly believe his eyes, was the person in front of him Arthur Hastings?

Was it the White Hall politician who never bowed his head?

The person who personally cut off his political career in Ramsgate?

Such a proud person, would actually kneel in front of the Duchess of Kent on his own initiative?

The Duchess’s voice trembled: "You... you speak, please get up and speak."

"Please allow me to speak like this." Arthur slightly bowed his head, but his back remained straight, even though he maintained a half-kneeling posture, there was not the slightest sign of humility on him: "Your Highness, I am a knight, although just a low-ranking junior knight. But this does not mean I can forget the knightly spirit of humility, honor, sacrifice, bravery, compassion, honesty, justice, and piety."

Arthur lifted his eyes and looked at the Duchess: "Over the years, I have done many things and because of this, I have been attacked and harmed in many ways. They say I am a politician, a speculator, someone who climbs on others’ shoulders. I don’t care about these rumors because I have a clear conscience, because this is the path I chose, I am responsible for everything I have done, and I am willing to bear all the malice and consequences."

The reception hall quieted down, the flames in the fireplace crackled.

The Duchess looked at the person half-kneeling in front of her with red eyes, the firelight from the fireplace danced on his profile, casting a long shadow from the brow bone diagonally downwards.

Arthur’s hand rested on the cane, his back still straight: "What I’ve done, I admit. The price I need to pay, I will not lessen by a single bit. But, Your Highness, Flora in her entire life, has never done anything to wrong anyone. She entered the court at nineteen, following you for thirteen years. In these thirteen years, not a day went by that she didn’t put all her effort into her work. The tasks you assigned, she did. The tasks you didn’t assign, she also did. When you were happy, she stayed by your side with a smile. When you were unhappy, she stood quietly to the side."

His voice paused slightly: "Her entire life has been spent thinking for others."

Tears fell from the Duchess’s eyes.

"These thirteen years, every day of Flora’s life, every single thing she did, she did right by you, by Kensington Palace, and by her own conscience. She never harmed anyone, she never used anyone, she never spoke ill of anyone behind their back. She just appeared at the wrong time, in the wrong place, extending the wrong kindness to the wrong person, and thus found herself in the mire of malicious rumors."

Conroy saw the Duchess’s tearful eyes, his heart tightened sharply.

He was too familiar with this expression.

For twenty years, whenever she showed such an expression, it meant her heart was softening, it meant she was about to make some ’unwise’ decisions.

"Enough!" Conroy stepped forward, blocking between the Duchess and Arthur: "Sir Arthur, have you said enough?"

Arthur lifted his eyes, calmly looking at him.

Conroy looked down condescendingly at this person half-kneeling on the ground, this person he had always hated, always feared, always wanted to overthrow but never succeeded.

At this moment, this person was kneeling in front of him, kneeling on Kensington Palace’s marble floor, kneeling like a supplicant.

What a beautiful picture.

"You say Miss Flora is innocent?" Conroy sneered: "You say she shouldn’t bear this? Then let me ask you, did you ever think of this day back in Ramsgate? Did you ever think that if you hadn’t meddled back then, hadn’t obstructed the signing of the Regency Agreement, everything today would be completely different?"

Conroy’s voice grew louder and louder, the words stifled in his heart finally found an outlet: "If Delina had signed that agreement back then, Her Highness would now be the Regent King! She would have the right to inquire about governmental affairs, the right to arrange court matters, the right to protect those around her! A few mere whispers in the face of a Regent King, what do they count for? Those who dare only gossip behind the scenes, would they dare be so presumptuous to Her Highness’s Chief Lady-in-waiting?!"

His finger nearly poking Arthur’s face: "But you! You! You jumped out, stood on King William IV’s side, stood on Melbourne’s side, stood on the side of all those who didn’t want the Duchess to wield power! You personally cut off Her Highness’s chance at regency, you personally pushed Kensington Palace into this vulnerable position!"

He took a breath, his voice filled with undisguised delight: "Now, you kneel here, and say Flora shouldn’t bear this? Say she is innocent? Say she is kind? Who doesn’t know this?! But, Sir Arthur, don’t you think it’s too late to be saying this now!"

The reception hall was terrifyingly quiet.

The Duchess’s lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back down her throat.

Because some part of what Conroy said, was also what she thought in her heart.

If Arthur hadn’t stepped forward back then...

If Victoria had signed that agreement back then...

If she had become the Regent King...

Flora certainly wouldn’t be in this position today.

Conroy looked satisfactorily at this scene, watching the Duchess’s evasive eyes, looking at Arthur’s silent stance, feeling that he finally regained a victory in this long-drawn-out shadow war.