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Kylie’s gaze grew colder, her voice laced with sharpness as she said, “Young now, yes, but he’ll grow. Soon, it’ll be winter, and then he’ll four. Lady Sylvia is truly pained
Instead of bearing her own son, she raises an adopted one as if he were her own, lavishing all her attention on him and paving his way. She doesn’t fear the consequences of raising an ungrateful child.”
Kylie couldn’t understand Sylvia’s reasoning. At such a young age, why not compete for the king’s favor and bear a son of her own? No matter how clever Cecil might be, he wasn’t biologically hers. en
If Sylvia were pregnant, Kylie wouldn’t have cared whether it was a boy or a girl. After all, with Salvadoron medication, there was no guarantee the child would be intelligent. Besides, an infant could never compete with older children.
“If things continue like this, I can’t allow Prince Cecil to remain,” Kylie murmured ominously.
Lydia froze for a moment, her hand still hovering over the broken shards she had been picking up. When she finally looked up, the queen’s darkened gaze met hers.
“At least for now, Sylvia’s life cannot be too peaceful. If the harem doesn’t stir, how will I have a chance?” Kylie said, her voice low but resolute.
Lydia hastily gathered the pieces, her hesitation clear as she protested, “Your Majesty, with Prince Connor performing well, there’s no need for any further action.”
“He is performing well, but is still somewhat ordinary,” the queen replied, her face clouded with lingering anxiety.
Now, Connor was smart and capable, but had no connection to Kylie. Worse still, he resented her, his own mother. She had to make him understand that all her efforts had been for him alone.
“The entire court is full of talented men. Even if Prince Connor doesn’t understand politics and scheming, he will surely become a wise ruler one day,” said Lydia, trying to ease the queen.
Kylie’s brow furrowed in frustration. “What do you know? Is our position secure now?”
Seeing her anger, Lydia decided to hold back her comforting words, not wanting to provoke her further.
Jeanette’s pregnancy had been stable at first, with Dorian assuring her there were no major concerns. But for some unknown reason, after the beginning of winter, things started to falter. She had even experienced spotting twice.
Dorian did everything he could to stabilize the pregnancy and managed to keep it steady, but Jeanette was ordered to stay in bed and not get up.
The sudden change in her condition had drawn the full attention of the royal physicians. After checking her diet and everything the palace provided, nothing unusual was found. The best guess was that the king’s prolonged use of medication was affecting the stability of the pregnancy.
Salvador was deeply anxious about the baby. Ever since Jeanette was confined to her bed, he had visited her almost every other day, sometimes staying to share a meal. Because of this, he hadn’t been able to visit Sylvia or call Cecil to the royal study.
As Grace was in charge of the harem, she also made time to visit Jeanette, often bringing Caden along. These visits led to several shared meals with the king.
When Jeanette was previously a lower-ranked concubine, she had tried to find support in the palace. She had secretly tried to please both Sylvia and Grace, shifting her alliances depending on who seemed more favorable.
However, Sylvia had always been proud, as well as somewhat angry that Jeanette had once received Salvador’s favor, so she didn’t treat her very well. On the other hand, Grace had been different. Known for her kindness and fairness, she had always been willing to look after those with lower ranks, so Jeanette found herself drawn to her.
Now, however, Jeanette felt conflicted.
When Salvador came to visit her, Grace frequently came by with Caden. She clearly had an agenda. Jeanette couldn’t help but think that perhaps Sylvia’s aloofness wasn’t so bad after all. Sylvia, with her pride, would never stoop to such tactics.
As Jeanette didn’t have support in the palace, she could only keep her complaints in her heart. After all, Grace held control of the harem, so it would be unwise to offend her.
But after it happened several times, Jeanette couldn’t help herself. When Grace wasn’t around, she would act a bit spoiled, gently telling Salvador that she wanted to be alone with him. She truly believed the king held affection for her. After all, she had been his favored concubine ever since she entered the palace. Even when he was unwell, he still found time to visit her.
How else would there be a child in her womb?
But when she coquettishly complained to the king, hoping for his sympathy, he gave no response, as though he hadn’t even heard her.
Feeling a bit disappointed, she added, “Lady Grace is very kind to me. But now that I’m pregnant, I’m afraid I won’t be able to properly receive her if she visits too often. The thought fills my heart with unease.”
This time, Salvador finally gave a slight nod.
Jeanette’s heart surged with joy at his response, but before she could fully bask in her triumph, he said, “Your health is the priority. Let Grace visit more often to care for you and I will come to see you when I have the time.”
As the words struck her with a sudden chill, she quickly corrected herself, saying, “No, it’s not that I’m afraid of being a burden. It’s just that I worry. A As I’m confined to bed rest, I might not be able to observe proper manners. I truly look forward to both Your Majesty and Lady Grace coming to visit me.”
Salvador gave her a cold glance. “Sometimes, you should think before you speak.
It’s not good if people misunderstand your words.”
Jeanette’s face drained of color. Though the king’s tone hadn’t been harsh, she felt as though she had made a mistake. She took the medicine to keep her pregnancy stable from her maid, Calista, and nervously drank it.
Once Salvador left, she immediately turned to Calista, asking, “Do you think His Majesty was upset just now?”
Calista lowered her head and replied, “There is no need to worry, Lady Jeanette. His Majesty was merely offering a reminder. His expression showed no signs of displeasure.”
Jeanette recalled Salvador’s expression. Indeed, there had been no visible sign of anger, so she felt somewhat reassured.
She hesitated before asking, “Mr. Walker was outside just now… Do you think he will speak to Lady Grace about this?”
Salvador had told her to be careful with her words to avoid misunderstandings, but the only person who could misunderstand was Grace. However, the only ones in the room had been Salvador and Calista, and neither would speak of it
So, the only way Grace would find out was if Derek overheard and passed it on to her.
“It’s unlikely Mr. Walker heard anything. Don’t trouble your mind, Lady Jeanette.
You should lay down and rest,” said Calista, helping her settle back down.
Jeanette didn’t notice the subtle smirk tugging at the corner of Calista’s lips.
The maid had been by her side since her time as a mid-ranked concubine. Smart and composed, Calista often offered Jeanette advice.
When Kylie had tried to win Jeanette over, Calista had warned that the queen’s repeated house arrests were a sign Salvador no longer favored her. She had suggested Jeanette steer clear of Kylie, who held no authority over the harem, and instead align herself with Grace and Sylvia.
Calista had been right. Grace had treated Jeanette well, providing her with everything she needed, making it so no one dared to look down on her anymore.
But things had changed.
Grace, once a true ally, was now using Jeanette’s pregnancy to get closer to Salvador. Jeanette couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about it.
“Do you not like Lady Grace’s visits?” Calista asked as she adjusted the pillows to lift Jeanette’s head and back.
Long days in bed had begun to wear on her; her back ached from lying down too much.
Trusting Calista as she did, Jeanette didn’t hesitate to speak her mind, explaining, “When my pregnancy was more stable, Lady Grace didn’t visit so frequently. Now, it’s clear she’s not coming to see me out of genuine concern. It’s all because the king is here. He visits because he cares for me, but Lady Grace and Prince Caden keep interrupting us, so we hardly have a chance to talk.”
Calista offered a comforting smile. “You don’t need to worry about such things. Just focus on taking care of yourself.”
Jeanette sighed deeply. “I lie in bed all day and night, and can only sit up when His Majesty comes. This child is certainly causing me some discomfort. I hope it’s a prince—then at least all this suffering will be worth it.”