Well, after all, this is a challenge from the Queen's ego. She said she tries to see if Shuli is worthy or not, but obviously, she simply is trying to destroy her one way or another. If she proves to be unworthy, then she'll destroy her directly and that's it, but if she is somehow capable to save him, there wouldn't be any need of paying more attention to her since Jeremy would take his righteous place as the head of the house and she'll get lost anyway; regardless of that, it just hurts. Jeremy and all the other 3 kids love her, she's her mom, they already lost a mom, why they have to go through that twice? If she loses her title as the Duchess, she wouldn't be able to be in the house anymore with them because it probably wouldn't be proper because of how tarnished her reputation would be after the court and even if she were able to stay, without her title, how could she fulfill what a mother can give and should do in a noble world? She'd be less than nothing so how could she be able to protect all of them?
At least in her past life, she was able to do so even without a good reputation, but that's because she still had her title and position.
Now she's looking for the biological mother's sibling, but I imagine that obviously getting to meet him would be complicated since the previous wife is dead and Shulli is alive and almost as young as Jeremy, I mean, just think about it, how uncomfortable. Now, this gold digger is trying to be rude to Shulli, but I doubt anyone gets benefited from Jeremy losing a hand.
Ps. The Crown Prince is sick af, he's delusional and doesn't understand the basics of a human relationship. I get it, it's not exactly his fault, but someone so obsessive with so much power like him, it's dangerous. There's no way he can replace anyone in this life, any parent (it doesn't matter how imperfect their kids might be) will ever stop loving their kids and treat them as the most precious being in life, that's just natural. Unfortunately for Shulli, she triggers many things in his wicked small head, she looks almost like a twin of the previous Empress, she saw him with normal eyes (something that for him was unusual), she took care of kids that weren't blood-related, and yet she loved them to the fullest and without any regret (unlike the current Empress who pays no attention to him), so ofc he thinks "why it can't be me?". Geez, is there any hope for him? Is the Crown Prince destined to walk directly to a path full of ruin, despair, and sick behaviors? I don't want Shuli to be close to him since he's so obsessive, but I'm worried if things stay like that. maybe one day he'll be the worst in the world.