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Dorian’s report, delivered in a trembling voice. The disent
Salvador felt remained hidden behind his composed demeanor. Instead, he reassured Jeanette, telling her to rest and take care of herself.
Jeanette wept, nearly collapsing from the weight of her sorrow.
Her pale face was damp with sweat, and through her pained sobs, she cried, “Someone must have harmed my child. Your Majesty, please investigate!”
Victoria came personally to offer her condolences.
An investigation would be carried out, of course, but the royal physicians had already warned that Salvador’s constant use of medicine, especially during the time Jeanette conceived, had made the child more vulnerable than usual. Given that, it was already a miracle the pregnancy had lasted this long.
After a thorough investigation, no signs of foul play were found. In the end, the matter was considered closed.
When Salvador returned to his palace, his mask of composure finally slipped and disappointment etched itself across his face.
The lack of evidence didn’t mean there was no problem. In the harem, the methods used were often subtle, invisible even.
Sebastian had warned him that Jeanette might not be able to carry to term. Even if it did, the child could be born with deficiencies, or worse, could be a fool.
Salvador had once considered giving Jeanette a dose of medicine to terminate the pregnancy. But deep down, he hesitated as this might be his last child. He wasn’t ready to give up hope just yet and had been willing to take a risk.
This time, he was certain that someone had interfered. Recently, he had been frequenting Jeanette’s palace more often, and there were those in the harem who resented that.
Grace, for all her attention to Jeanette, had been met with ingratitude. Jeanette had become arrogant in her favor, even harboring resentment toward Grace. Salvador had hinted at it to her that day, but unfortunately, she hadn’t picked up on it.
Grace had control over the harem, and many of the concubines had been placed there by her and Sylvia. If Grace wanted to harm Jeanette’s child, it would have been easy.
However, Grace wouldn’t have been the one to take action. If she had intended to harm Jeanette, she wouldn’t have protected her so fiercely previously. In recent days, when Grace brought Caden to visit, it was as much to scheme for Caden’s sake as to protect Jeanette’s pregnancy.
Jeanette’s words would have reached Grace’s ears, and so she had stopped visiting her. With Grace openly distancing herself from Jeanette, it would have been much easier for someone with ill intentions to make a move.
Salvador’s disappointment wasn’t because Jeanette had lost the baby. It was the inevitable power struggle for the throne that had, in the end, come to pass, just as he had feared.
He could almost guess who was behind it either Kylie or Sylvia, though he suspected there was a higher possibility of the latter being the culprit.
He was now faced with two options: either conduct a thorough investigation and punish the culprit severely, or cover everything up and hide the fact that the fight for the throne had already begun.
However, if he chose to investigate, it would inevitably drag their families— Malcolm’s or even Patrick’s-into the scandal. They were men the king had carefully chosen and relied upon.
Thus, Salvador had no choice but to lean toward covering things up.
It was cruel and cold to confront one’s own heart, but the person who acted had done what Salvador had long hesitated to do. Whenever he had free time, he would go and spend time with Jeanette, subconsciously making his choice. He was trying to ease his guilt by doing this.
When he learned that the child was lost, an emptiness had consumed him. Now, as he reflected on the situation, his heart was full of conflicting emotions, anger being one of them.
Watching him with concern, Derek said, “Your Majesty, please be at peace. Your health is of utmost importance.”
“Do you think Sylvia did this?” Salvador asked, his eyes as cold as ice.
Derek quickly knelt. “Your Majesty, I don’t know. I wouldn’t dare to speak rashly.”
Salvador’s eyes remained dark and unyielding. “Rise. We both know the truth, but don’t have much time left. There are certain people who cannot be toughed. A single move could shake everything to its core.
Derek understood everything clearly in his mind. He also knew why Salvador didn’t want to make a big fuss about it. There were the reasons the king gave, and other reasons too.
Perhaps it wasn’t worth creating a storm for the sake of the child. Perhaps it was simply a matter of fate.
After all, Salvador had asked Sebastian several times how likely it was that the child would be born a fool.
As such a large incident had happened in the palace, news of it quickly reached everyone.
Soon, everyone came to visit
Jeanette, including Kylie, who had not concerned herself with the matter until now. Of course, Sylvia was also among the visitors. All of them displayed their sympathy, offering kind words of comfort, assuring Jeanette that she was still young and would have children in the future.
Grace arrived fashionably late, bringing a number of supplements with her. She sat by Jeanette’s bed, gently wiping away her tears and urging her to take care of her health.
Surrounded by all the visitors, Jeanette felt both fearful and cold at the same time.
She knew, deep down, that one of them was responsible for her loss. She just didn’t know who it was. However the only one she had truly wronged was Grace. The complaints she had voiced to Salvador that day had likely reached Derek’s ears and been passed on to Grace.
Jeanette knew too well the darkness in the hearts of these chamberlains. When there was gain to be had, they swarmed like flies to rot, capable of the most despicable deeds.
Sophie learned about Jeanette’s miscarriage from Rafael.
When Adelaide came by to invite her to visit the palace, she agreed. At first, the two women had little to do with each other. But ever since Kendrick and Sophie went to Orivenia together, Adelaide had become quite friendly, saying that sisters- in-law should spend more time together.
As Kylie’s cousin, Adelaide was a member of the Quinton family. She hadn’t visited the queen since she was placed under house arrest, which made Sophie wonder if Adelaide’s idea of “spending time together” meant the opposite-stay close if there were no troubles, but avoid each other if there was any.
It was much like when Salvador had once been wary of the Hell Monarch’s household. Adelaide had kept her distance from Sophie then, fearing any trouble they faced might befall her too.
In truth, Kendrick hadn’t done much of note. He had only received brief praise from Salvador. But even that one compliment was enough to make Kendrick proud for two years.
As they entered the palace together, Adelaide didn’t say much, just a few casual remarks. Sophie thought her sister-in-law was actually a clever woman who sometimes played the fool, always seeking peace and safety. In such moments, she wouldn’t speak much, doing her best not to give anyone anything to use against her.
Upon meeting Jeanette, Adelaide offered words of comfort, telling her that she and the child had a deep connection. After all, it was this child that had helped her rise in rank. Since their paths had crossed, it was only a matter of time before she would bear another child and continue their bond.
“You must take good care of yourself now,” Adelaide said firmly. “Don’t let yourself fall into despair. His Majesty is busy with state affairs, and if you keep crying all the time, it will only trouble him. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
Her words left little room for Sophie to interject.
Of course, Adelaide also made sure to add, “Lady Sophie, don’t you agree?”
At moments like these, Sophie could only nod in agreement.
After Adelaide’s comforting speech, Jeanette seemed much calmer and grew closer to her. However, Jeanette’s attitude toward Sophie turned colder. Aware of the strange period Salvador had gone through, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy in Sophie’s presence.
Moreover, the king had a cold and distant attitude. If Sophie hadn’t acted in a way that led him to misunderstand her, he would never have done something like that. Ultimately, it was this remarried woman’s own fault for being restless in her own marriage.
Young, reckless, and unable to hide her intentions, Jeanette cast a sharp glance at Sophie and said, “Lady Adelaide is right. His Majesty cares for me, so it’s only a matter of time before I bear a child again.”
Sophie, somewhat slow to pick up on things, assumed Jeanette was simply comforting herself.