Ingrid stood tall, looking straight at Princess Elizabeth. "I guess it has come to this," she thought.
After a few moments of tense silence, Ingrid took a deep breath, preparing to speak. However, before she could utter a word, a sudden fit of coughing overcame her.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Ingrid doubled over, her hands rushing to cover her mouth as each cough racked her frame. The sound echoed in the hallway, capturing the attention of Elizabeth and the ladies in attendance.
Christine, standing beside Ingrid, quickly reached out to support her. "Princess, what's wrong?" she inquired with genuine concern.
Elizabeth and the other ladies instinctively took a step back.
"Hey, if you're pretending, you might get into trouble," Elizabeth cautioned, her tone skeptical as she covered her own mouth.
"Cough! Cough!"
