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Earlier that day, a message had arrived from the court, announcing that the king would visit the harem tonight. She had waited for hours, but had heard no news that he had sent for any concubines. In her heart, she felt a surge of joy.
If no summons had come, it meant he would be visiting her chambers.
“Lydia, go and see if His Majesty has arrived yet,” she urged once again, her third time asking that evening.
Lydia was standing to the side. She smiled and said, “Your Majesty, please be patient. If His Majesty was coming, he would surely send word beforehand so you can prepare to receive him.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Kylie sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair from her temple. “It’s been so long since His Majesty visited my palace that I nearly forgot how it goes.”
Her smile was soft and alluring.
“We are husband and wife, after all. What couple do not have their quarrels? But in the end, a man cannot resist his wife’s charms. Now that Connor has grown, His Majesty is naturally more inclined to indulge him.”
“Once His Majesty arrives, Your Majesty must be patient and avoid bringing up the matter of Prince Connor,” Lydia cautioned.
Kylie nodded. “I know. Tonight is not the time to discuss it. But Connor must return soon. The royal chancellor has praised him so highly. It’s unnecessary for him to remain in Serenity Palace. He can continue his studies here just as well. If he stays there much longer, I fear he will forget all about me.” Lydia hesitated, then said carefully, “Your Majesty, Prince Connor has become much more obedient now. Perhaps it would be better to let him stay in Serenity Palace. If His Majesty lifts your house arrest, you will be free to visit him whenever you wish. He is dutiful, and he will never forget you.”
Kylie shook her head, sadness passing over her eyes. “He is dutiful, yes, but he is young. And he is easily swayed by others.”
Lydia’s face shifted. “You must be cautious in your words, Your Majesty. The queen dowager would never do such a thing. She only wishes what’s best for Prince Connor.”
Kylie looked at her and sighed lightly. “You don’t understand. Though the Quinton family is under pressure, they have been in power for many years. Their influence stretches far, and they have many supporters. The queen dowager is most wary of my family interfering in politics.
“Once Connor is crowned heir, she will make sure he distances himself from the Quinton family to prevent them from growing too strong. She sees me as a part of that-an ally to the Quinton family, and she will turn Connor against me. Don’t forget, Lydia. The queen dowager has never spared even her own kin Have you ever seen her take any interest in the politics of the court?”
Lydia thought Kylie was overthinking and didn’t agree with her view. “Your Majesty, the queen dowager and His Majesty share a deep bond. As a mother, she will understand your desire to see your son succeed. She’s not the kind of person who would cruelly separate you from your child. On the contrary, having people spread rumors the queen can’t even raise her own son might anger both the king and the queen dowager. It’s not worth the risk.”
His
Kylie looked at her, her expression cold. “When did you become so timid and weak? You fear this and that-how can anything be accomplished like that? Those words were meant to reach both Majesty and the queen dowager. His Majesty despises rumors. Tsilence the gossip, he will naturally return Prince Connor to me. And tonight, when he didn’t send for any concubines, it proves I wasn’t wrong. He is coming to Everspring
Palace.”
No sooner had Kylie spoken than a servant entered. “Your Majesty, His Majesty has set out for Lady Sylvia’s palace.”
Kylie sprang to her feet, her face draining of color. “What? He’s gone to Lady Sylvia’s Palace? Are you certain?”
The servant replied quickly, “Yes, Your Majesty, I saw it with my own eyes.”
Kylie shook her head, feeling a surge of panic in her chest. “Why would he go to Lady Sylvia’s palace? He didn’t even announce anything. Could it be… He’s gone to see Prince Cecil? Yes, that must be it! Prince Cecil is young, and His Majesty would want to check on him. Afterward, he will surely come to Everspring Palace.”
But as the hours dragged on and Kylie waited into the night, still Salvador did not come. She sent someone to inquire, only to hear that Salvador had stayed the night at Sylvia’s palace.
Kylie had hoped Salvador would visit tonight so she could soften his stance, have her confinement lifted, and regain control over the harem. But now, her confinement remained, and she was still a queen under restriction.
Among the harem, Kylie was most wary of Sylvia and Grace. Sylvia was caring for Cecil, while Grace was caring for Caden, the second prince.
Cecil was not Sylvia’s biological son and was still very young, so Kylie need not worry too much. But Sylvia had once been arrogant, with an impressive family background and a sharp aptitude for power games.
In the past year, Sylvia had softened somewhat, co-managing the affairs of the harem with Grace. She had learned how to win hearts and minds, and her support for Skye Embroidery and Gracewood Women’s Academy had earned her some reputation among the common folk.
In contrast, Grace was far more restrained. She co-managed the harem with Sylvia and would occasionally seek Kylie’s opinion, genuinely treating her with respect due to her being the queen.
But Caden, a sharp and well-mannered boy, was Salvador’s and Victoria’s favorite.
If the position of Crown Prince were to be decided now, it would naturally fall to Connor. But once the princes grew older, someone might propose making the wisest son the heir, and Connor would have a formidable rival.
At the moment, both Sylvia and Grace had joint authority over the harem, and naturally, their sons were given more prominence.
Kylie had insisted on bringing Connor back to raise him, not only because of what she had mentioned earlier but also for a far more crucial reason: the Quinton family could not be her ally, but rather a burden. If anything were to go wrong, her position as queen could easily be stripped away.
But if Connor were with her, Salvador would have no choice but to tread carefully.
She couldn’t say this, and she didn’t dare to think too much about it. But every time the thought crossed her mind, it sent a chill down her spine.
She spent a restless night, turning in bed, unable to sleep. The following morning, she heard the news that Salvador had granted Sylvia residence in Tranquil Palace.
Before Victoria was crowned queen, she had also lived in Tranquil Palace.
Tranquil Palace was warm in winter and cool in summer. A pond had been dug in front of the gates, filled with water lilies. In the summer, the entire palace would be filled with their fragrance.
The palace also had many varieties of peonies-the queen of flowers. Originally, only Victoria and Kylie’s palace had them. While they could be found in the royal gardens, those didn’t belong to anyone in particular.
The peonies in Tranquil Palace had always been there, carefully tended by gardeners and originally meant for viewing pleasure. Now that the palace had been granted to Sylvia as her residence, Kylie couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease.
But she was still under house arrest and unable to leave. Without authority over the harem, she couldn’t even meet with Salvador.
What could she do?
In a hurry, she ordered Lydia to send someone to investigate why Salvador had decided to have Sylvia move to Tranquil Palace.
Lydia personally went out, and it took her one or two hours to gather information before she returned. Kylie had been anxiously waiting and quickly asked, “What’s the news? Tell me quickly.”
Lydia straightened her dress and said, “You needn’t worry too much, Your Majesty. I’ve asked about it. It in seems that when His Majesty visited last night, he learned that Prince Cecil has been taking medicine. It turns out that since the beginning of autumn, Prince Cecil has been suffering from a cough, and it has dragged on without fully healing.
“The royal physician says Prince Cecil is weak and that the cold weather caused his symptoms. Feeling sympathy for Prince Cecil, His Majesty decided to have Lady Sylvia and Prince Cecil move to Tranquil Palace.”
Kylie sat down, her expression grave. “Since when has His Majesty shown such concern for the princes? It’s just a cough. How sick can Prince Cecil be? Making such a big deal out of it and moving him to the Tranquil Palace-there’s something about this that doesn’t seem right.”
Sensing her deep concern, Lydia tried to reassure her. “Perhaps His Majesty feels pity for Prince Cecil, who has lost his birth mother. It’s not strange if he wants to show more affection and care. Besides, despite his busy court duties, His Majesty has always shown concern for his sons and daughters. Even for Prince Connor’s studies, His Majesty has sent inquiries countless times.”
Kylie’s brow furrowed with a dark cloud of worry. “But that’s different. Connor is his eldest son. He should be the one receiving more attention.”
Moreover, for Cecil to be moved just because of a cough-it seemed like much ado about nothing. Kylie suspected that Salvador was simply using this as an excuse to elevate Sylvia in some way.
Also, Sylvia’s family had frequent dealings with Sophie, and Salvador had once harbored certain feelings for Sophie…
Suddenly, something clicked in her mind, and she hastily asked, “Lydia, hasn’t Lady Jeanette had some connection with Sophie?”
Lydia shook her head. “I don’t think so. They’ve only met once, at a palace banquet, and exchanged a few words while watching a performance.”
Kylie shook her head. “Sophie is proud and doesn’t easily interact with the concubines. Plus, being a military general, she has a man’s temperament-she’s drawn to thet weak and helpless. Isn’t that why she started Skye Embroidery? I’ve noticed that Lady Jeanette seems delicate and soft-she may be useful to me.”