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However, the gifts from Helen were a different story-those could be anything she wanted. As for the return gift, Helen had specific requests-no gold or silver jewelry, no fine silks, just delicious pastries and dishes.
Helen’s reasoning was clear-she was subtly supporting the Klein family.
She was upfront with Sophie and Violet about her intentions and said, “I’m rewarding them to show them that Ryan has powerful backing. Not everyone in that vast household is kind to him. With me looking out for him, even those who don’t like him will have to keep it to themselves.”
It was a reasonable argument, and Sophie could not disagree. She could only express her gratitude profusely. Helen waved her hand dismissively. “My favor to Ryan has nothing to do with you. No need to thank me.”
Gillian privately praised Helen for her kindness, calling her very benevolent.
Helen, however, shot her a sharp glance. “What do you know? I do love Ryan, but I’m doing this not only for him but also for Sophie. Though no one dared openly cross me in the palace, how many people secretly tripped me up? How many times did I suffer in silence?
“But now, with Sophie as my daughter-in-law, Josephine and Dakota respect me completely. They know the rules. Normally, my sister wouldn’t intervene in small matters, but Sophie is different. If anyone dares to wrong me even a little, Sophie will make sure they pay for it.”
Gilliam kept smiling and agreed. “Yes, of course.”
Once the Klein family had taken Ryan with them, Sophie began preparing to bathe and change her clothes, as she needed to head to the palace.
On this day every year, the formalities were endless and tedious. In the past, the dull rituals never seemed like much when she went with Rafael.
But now, thinking of going alone…
It was yet another day of missing him.
Before the palace banquet, Sophie sat with Victoria, spent time with Grace, sat with Penelope, and then took a walk in the Royal Garden with several grand princesses, including Kiera and Meredith.
Today, Meredith wore a bright red embroidered gown with a white dove pattern. With her powdered face and rouge, she looked even more noble. Holding a fan to cover her face, she smiled and said, “I heard that after the formal complaint about the Quinton family was submitted, Lord Gerald quickly gathered the family and severely punished the fourth branch, saying that all this trouble was caused by them.”
As Victoria’s daughter, Meredith held a respected position among the royal family. The other princesses always followed her lead. When Meredith spoke of the Quinton family, everyone else agreed. Even Henrietta laughed along.
Henrietta was Josephine’s daughter and a granddaughter of the Quinton family. However, she had long since distanced herself from the family. Her husband Vance advised that, given the immense power of the Quinton family, it was best for both princesses and princes to maintain some distance and avoid forming too many alliances with them.
The Quinton family’s influence was so great that it could lead to undesirable consequences, so keeping a proper distance was wise.
People often said that Vance was a “kept man,” managing the estate and shops for Henrietta. However, Henrietta knew her husband was capable and sharp. He just chose not to show it, as he preferred a quiet and stable life.
Today, Sylvia was in the spotlight. Since Kylie was confined to her quarters, Sylvia stayed by Salvador’s side as he oversaw the ceremony for the celebrations today. Afterward, she joined the others to chat and watch the performance.
Grace also brought the second prince with her, while the third prince went off to play for a while before returning to watch the show with her. Although the third prince wasn’t Grace’s biological son, he was very attached to her. At a young age, he only knew how to act cute and make everyone laugh.
In contrast, the second prince, though young, was already displaying a calm and respectful demeanor. He greeted the ladies before quietly sitting by Grace, pouring a drink for her with great care. Everyone praised him for his maturity.
Because Kylie was confined to her quarters, Connor didn’t attend to watch the performance. It was said that he had offended his teacher and was being punished with extra assignments. Salvador had ordered that Connor finish his punishment before the palace banquet. Salvador didn’t have many new concubines in his palace, and the few that were there had a hard time standing out. He was different from Sigmund, who liked to take the daughters of officials as wives and use the harem to secure his rule. As the current king, it was clear Salvador didn’t prefer that approach.
While watching the play, a noblewoman came over to greet the consorts. Sophie had never seen her before, but from a distance, she could tell that this woman was exceptionally beautiful, with skin as smooth and fair as snow.
From Meredith, Sophie learned that the woman’s name was Jeanette Todd. She had only been in the palace for three months and came from a modest background-her dad was a sixth-ranked official. She had entered the palace as a lower-ranking concubine, but after spending a night with Salvador, she was immediately promoted to a higher-ranking concubine.
Sophie didn’t feel the need to comment on the matter. The affairs of the harem were not her concerns, so she turned her attention back to the performance.
Jeanette was stunning, but in a gentle, non-threatening way. Her beauty was entirely different from that of Sylvia, whose allure was bold and fiery something that ignited a man’s desire to conquer. On the other hand, Jeanette’s beauty was gentle and demure, the sort that invoked a man’s protective instincts. Salvador was clearly quite fond of her.
Because of her humble and obedient demeanor, the other concubines had no ill feelings toward her. They likely understood Salvador’s nature-he never grew too attached to one woman. As time passed, even the women who had once enjoyed his favor often found themselves drifting into the background.
Jeanette’s promotion to a higher-ranking concubine was therefore seen by most as a way for Salvador to show his affection-nothing more.
Of course, the lower-ranking concubines didn’t share the same view. Behind closed doors, they were fiercely competitive with Jeanette, fighting for Salvador’s favor. Meanwhile, the higher-ranking concubines watched with detached amusement, enjoying the drama as they fought it out.
Though Jeanette appeared delicate and weak, she was far from foolish. With her family’s lack of influence, she had wisely decided to seek out a powerful ally. And now, her sights were set on Sophie, hoping to form a bond that would serve as her shield in the palace.
She sat next to Sophie, offering a bashful smile. “I’ve heard for a while that you’re as brave as a man, and today I see it’s true, Your Grace.”
She really didn’t seem good at conversation. After just one sentence, her face turned red.
Sophie smiled politely and nodded. “You flatter me, Lady Jeanette.”
Brave as a man? Was Jeanette talking about her appearance? It must have been about her looks. What else could it be, with only her appearance visible?
Sophie found it odd, but since she didn’t want to interact too much with the palace concubines, she decided to acknowledge the comment and leave it at that.
Little did Sophie know, Jeanette would keep talking to her throughout the performance. Sometimes, she even giggled and playfully nudged Sophie, as if they were very close and familiar with each other.
Their interaction caught the attention of the other concubines nearby. A few of them even leaned in, casting curious glances several times.
Though people would call it interacting, in reality, Sophie only occasionally agreed or nodded, giving a smile to be polite.
However, others didn’t see it that way. After the performance, both Meredith and Kiera pulled Sophie aside with puzzled expressions. “You and Jeanette know each other?”
Sophie shook her head. “We’ve never met before today.”
“Then why does it seem like you two are so familiar with each other?” Kiera’s confusion deepened.
Meredith noticed something was off and frowned. “Stay away from her in the future. Her intentions aren’t sincere.”
Sophie had already gathered that much. But at the time, everyone was watching the performance. Leaving abruptly would have been rude and disruptive to Salvador’s and Victoria’s enjoyment. Still, Sophie didn’t think Jeanette was foolish-though she certainly wasn’t all that clever either.
As the performance had ended, Sophie felt a sense of relief. However, when she caught the cold glances from Sylvia, Penelope, and the other concubines, she knew the mood had shifted. They hadn’t said anything, but their eyes spoke volumes-sharp, calculating, and no longer friendly.
Though Sophie rarely involved herself in the intrigues of the harem, she had spent enough time observing the women to understand their temperaments. They could tolerate a new favorite, but if someone reached too far-if they became too ambitious-that was something they couldn’t ignore.
Also, Jeanette acted without fully understanding things. Kylie hated Sophie the most. By trying to get close to her, Jeanette had effectively become a thorn in Kylie’s side.
As the banquet began, Sophie saw Gerald.
She had spent the entire time walking in the Royal Garden, not wanting to see him, though she knew it was inevitable.
Rafael wasn’t in the capital, while she was the Hell Monarch’s princess consort and the commander of the Mystic Army. Her position meant that she was seated directly across from him, and there was no way to avoid the encounter.
Gerald was Sigmund’s tutor, and Trevor had also once taught Sigmund. Later, he became Salvador’s teacher. Both of them had been invited to the palace banquet, which was only natural given their esteemed positions.
The long banquet table was soon filled with dishes. Salvador raised his cup in a toast, thanking the heavens and his teachers. Sophie noticed that Gerald had a serious expression and the air of a scholar, but what kept coming to her mind was the scene of him at the gentlemen’s retreat.
That image alone made her stomach turn.