Married To My Billionaire Stepbrother - Chapter 323

Chapter 323: Not An Official Princess
The next day, Natalie had to leave for the royal palace, where the event she had been invited to was being held. At the center of the majestic palace gardens, the event was arranged on the open lawn. The atmosphere was pleasant, with a comfortably cool breeze carrying the fragrances of various flowers across the garden.

Only the VVIP guests were invited, along with selected participants from around the world, for the perfume preparations for the Queen. It wasn’t a competition, but rather an opportunity for the Queen to experience perfumes created by different perfumers—the best of the best. However, in the end, she still had to choose the one she liked the most.

Natalie arrived at the royal palace, watching through the car window as it came into view before the vehicle stopped inside. The palace was even grander in person, more majestic than the pictures she had seen. Even from a distance, she could sense the richness and deep history of the royalty.

This is the place where my mother was born.

That was the first thought that crossed her mind. Her mother could have been a princess, perhaps even ruling this country, if not for the villains in her life. But from the little she understood about her mother from their single meeting, she knew Caryn was never greedy for such things. She preferred to earn everything on her own. She was an immensely prideful woman—so much so that Natalie was certain there was no one else like her.

But if Caryn had remained a princess, Natalie could easily picture her as a capable, strong ruler—the best this country would have ever had.

Stepping out of the car, Natalie was led to the garden, where she saw other participants had already gathered. The Queen and the guests had yet to arrive. She made her way to her designated seat and engaged in conversation with other perfumers.

“You know, we heard that the mysterious perfumer Dew has been invited here as well,” one of them said.

“Really? I can’t wait to meet him… or her…”

“No one knows if Dew is a man or a woman.”

“Is today the day we finally get to see Dew in person?”

Natalie quietly listened to their conversation when, suddenly, she noticed an annoyance making its way toward the venue.

Charlotte, Briena, and their friends.

Charlotte approached the group, and everyone greeted her. Though they had all witnessed what had happened the previous night, they still needed to show their respect to the princess. At the same time, they couldn’t help but wonder if another drama would unfold now that Natalie was present. Silently, however, they all supported Natalie.

Natalie remained seated in her chair as if the princess’s arrival didn’t concern her in the slightest.

“I hope you all are comfortable here,” Charlotte said, trying her best to make amends for the previous night’s mishap. She had to maintain her image as the royal princess.

“Yes, Princess Charlotte. Thank you so much for your concern,” the others replied.

Charlotte’s gaze shifted to Natalie, who was busy on her phone.

“Natalie, you should greet the princess,” Briena said, as no one else dared to address her. Rina had already faced the consequences, and the other friend wasn’t willing to repeat the mistake.

Without looking up, Natalie responded, “And who are you to instruct me on that? My mother? As far as I remember, we have no blood ties.”

Briena kept her calm, maintaining a genuine-looking but entirely fake expression. “Natalie, though we are not blood-related, we still lived like sisters. You might have forgotten, but to me, I still consider you my sister.”

“That’s your issue, and you can take it somewhere else,” Natalie replied in a bored tone, her gaze still fixed on her phone screen.

“Alright, I won’t pester you. But like every guest, it’s your duty to greet the princess of this country, as you are representing our country,” Briena added before turning to the other participants. “Don’t you all agree?”

Everyone could only nod, feeling obligated to side with the princess in this moment. In their hearts, however, they felt it had nothing to do with them.

“I see no princess here,” Natalie replied flatly.

“Natalie, you are disrespecting our princess,” the other friend finally spoke up, while Charlotte and Rina fumed inside at Natalie’s arrogance.

Natalie finally raised her gaze to look at the women standing in front of her. She observed Charlotte from head to toe and said, “As far as I know, according to the rules of this country, someone becomes a princess only after they are officially crowned by the Queen in a coronation ceremony to declare them as the Crown Princess. But, as per my knowledge, there has been no coronation ceremony for Ms. Charlotte to date. So, I am not compelled to call her a princess.”

“You’re going too far, Natalie,” Charlotte finally spoke. “I am the only daughter of the royal family, and the entire world knows I am the only princess.”

Natalie smirked and leaned back in her chair comfortably. “Who knows? All of a sudden, another princess might show up and take that place!”

Charlotte’s heart clenched at those words, but she quickly regained her composure. “What are you talking about? Are you slandering our family by implying the existence of illegitimate children? Do you want to be punished?”

“I said nothing of that sort,” Natalie countered coolly. “There’s no need for you to get so worked up—unless you’re worried about something. Or who knows, maybe there are legitimate children that no one is aware of.”

Charlotte gritted her teeth. “You… I will tell my grandma about you slandering the royal family. Just wait.”

In response, Natalie casually gestured with her hand as if inviting her to go ahead. “By all means, be my guest.”

“You will be punished for this!” Charlotte fumed before storming off.

Natalie smirked. Go ahead and tell them. Better yet, tell your grandpa—I’d love to see his agitated expression.

Soon after, the VVIP guests began arriving one by one. All of them were well-known figures from various sectors, including business, literature, and the arts. They were welcomed and led to their seats.

Natalie took note of James Harper among the esteemed guests. The man exuded an aloof and mysterious aura that set him apart from all the others. As she observed him, few questions came to her mind.

I wonder what kind of woman managed to capture his heart. She must have been extraordinary to melt this iceberg and even give birth to someone as remarkable as Justin. Come to think of it, Justin never talks about his mother.

Why would James Harper keep that woman hidden? And why keep his only son hidden as well? What’s the deal with this man? The more I look at him, the more mysterious he seems. I can’t see through him at all.

Just as James Harper was about to sit down, he sensed someone staring at him. He turned his gaze in her direction.

Natalie swallowed hard and quickly averted her eyes. Why does this man make me so nervous?

Now I understand why Justin doesn’t seem close to his father. When someone has a father as intimidating as him, how can a child even feel comfortable around him? I doubt he ever smiled at his only son. Thank God I’m not his daughter—I’d always be on edge around him.