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Kylie’s head spun at the news, her eyes flashing with sharp light, but she quickly masked her reaction with a feigned smile. “Sylvia, you’re pregnant? Why didn’t anyone inform me of such wonderful news?”
Sylvia’s face was delicate, and there was a hint of radiance now that she was pregnant. She looked up with a smile and said, “I didn’t inform you earlier as the pregnancy was unstable, Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”
Kylie chuckled. “What’s there to forgive? This is joyous news! You’re contributing to the royal line. I should reward you instead.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Sylvia remained seated, simply offering her thanks.
The subtle tension between Kylie and Sylvia was something only women could sense. Still, since this was a joyous occasion, everyone raised their glasses to congratulate Salvador and Sylvia, as well as Victoria, on the prospect of another royal child.
Once the toast was finished, Salvador smiled and said, “Tonight’s family banquet is a relaxed affair. Feel free to enjoy yourselves without restraint.”
Yet, his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He wasn’t pleased that Sylvia had made her pregnancy public without prior notice. It was something he hadn’t even shared with Victoria.
As the queen was in charge of the inner palace, Kylie should have been informed before anyone else. Sylvia’s lack of respect for that duty irked him. While he cared for her, he couldn’t overlook her breach of propriety, especially in front of so many royal relatives. He felt it was disrespectful to Kylie, and the public nature of Sylvia’s announcement only amplified his displeasure.
Kylie’s declaration that she was unaware of Sylvia’s condition didn’t help matters. In the wake of such news, she should have offered some guidance on nutrition and prenatal care instead of highlighting Sylvia’s failure to inform her.
As Salvador’s mood shifted, tension settled over the room, leaving everyone momentarily at a loss for words.
At such gatherings, Helen typically preferred silence, speaking only when provoked by her rivals among the concubines. So, she simply indulged in the food and savored every bite. Among all the guests, she alone feasted with such abandon.
Victoria shot her a glance. Perhaps being a little oblivious had its perks.
After observing Helen for a while, Victoria then turned her gaze to Kylie and Sylvia. Those two had been subtly clashing for some time. Their private skirmishes were one thing, but today was the New Year’s Eve banquet. With so many royal relatives present, their willingness to reveal their little schemes was tantamount to dismissing Victoria’s authority.
However, she chose not to confront them for now. After all, such occasions called for joy and celebration. During the meal, Hayden turned to Yuvan and asked, “How is Ruth’s health? Has there been any improvement?’ “Thank you for your concern, Uncle Hayden. Mom has shown some signs of recovery,” Yuvan replied. Hayden nodded. “That’s good to hear. Your trip back to care for her hasn’t gone to waste. I’m only realizing now that you’re quite the dutiful son.”
Although it sounded like a compliment, there was a strange underlying tone that caught the attention of the others at the table.
Even Sophie shot Hayden a glance.
Hayden said that he now realized Yuvan was a dutiful son, which meant the latter hadn’t always given that impression. At least, that was how it sounded to others.
Yet, among the royal family, this revelation left everyone puzzled. After all, Yuvan had always been dutiful. Each year, he submitted a request to return to the capital to visit his mom. Sometimes, it was approved, while other times, it was denied. It had been that way even back when the late emperor was still alive.
Such dedication-how could it not be moving?
But on a day like today, when spirits were high, not many paid much attention to Hayden’s words. Salvador, however, cast Yuvan a meaningful look.
Yuvan’s expression changed slightly before he smiled as usual and said, “Our ancestors ruled with kindness and devotion. How could I dare not be dutiful to my parents?’
Rafael glanced at Hayden but remained silent, continuing to enjoy his meal with Sophie.
After the palace banquet, the women went off to watch a play. The theater had performances lined up all through the New Year, continuing until the eighth day of the celebrations. It was nice to pass the time watching the plays- at least it made the hours fly by.
Though Sylvia returned to her quarters as she was pregnant, Victoria stayed with them for a while. Sophie was usually busy and rarely had the chance to visit her. Since she was finally in the palace, Victoria took her hand and chatted warmly.
Dakota was sitting nearby and asked, “You’ve been married for a while now. Why haven’t you gotten pregnant yet?
Sophie hated dealing with such questions. The decision of whether to have children and when to do so was something for her and Rafael to decide together.
Before she could respond, Victoria interjected, ‘She’s only just become the commander of the Mystic Army. Why should she rush into pregnancy? A man should prioritize his career, and a woman should be the same.”
Sophie had always found Victoria’s views refreshing.
The older woman encouraged women to be self-reliant. When Freya joined the military and achieved success in subduing bandits, Victoria was overjoyed. She held Freya in high regard and even said she was a role model for women everywhere.
Just like now, Sophie was taken aback by Victoria’s statement that women should prioritize their careers. If anyone else had said it, she might have thought they were against Rafael having children. But since it came from Victoria, Sophie believed she truly meant it.
Helen was engrossed in the play, but chimed in, ‘Exactly! Why worry about having kids? You’re the one making a fuss. I haven’t even pressured her.”
Dakota made a half-hearted comment, but both Victoria and Helen shot her down, leaving her feeling bored and choosing to remain silent.
Meanwhile, Heather, who had been quiet until now, leaned over several people to ask Sophie, “Sophie, I heard you’ve opened an embroidery workshop for abandoned women.”
“Yes, I have,” Sophie replied nonchalantly.
“You named the place Skye Embroidery. Is it named after the late lady from the Jaffe family? I recall that was her middle name.” Heather leaned in a little closer. “But she’s dead. Isn’t it bad luck to use the name of a deceased person?”
Sophie shot her a glance. “It’s bad luck to divorce, and now it’s bad luck when someone’s dead. In your opinion, everything is bad luck, right? Perhaps you’re just unlucky yourself, so you see everything as a bad omen.”
Victoria frowned at Heather. “Why are you bringing up the Jaffe family on New Year’s Eve? Are you trying to bring bad luck upon yourself? If you don’t have anything nice to talk about, just keep quiet and enjoy the show.”
Dakota felt a sense of balance retum-Victoria was close to scolding Heather outright.
Dakota set aside her previous irritation and asked, “Is Prince Harvey feeling any better? Why haven’t you called for the royal physician? Someone could go over and check on him.”
“No, that’s fine.” Heather quickly waved her hand. “He… he’s feeling much better now.”
Penelope, who was sitting beside her, flinched at Heather’s frantic gesture, puzzled by such a big reaction. It was just a matter of having a physician check in. Was there something embarrassing about it?
Sophie glanced at Heather but then shifted her focus back to the stage.
Was Harvey really too sick to attend tonight?
Earlier, they had speculated he might not have dared to show up. From their observations, however, Harvey seemed to have a far deeper scheming nature than Yuvan.
After leaving the palace, Sophie spoke to Rafael about the matter while they were in the carriage.
Rafael recalled a report from Jacob, who had people monitoring both Edgeview Estate and Hartstone Estate. Ever since the rebellion case, Hartstone Estate had been eerily quiet and Harvey seldom ventured out. He had only left his estate two or three times, each time for a drink with someone. After a couple of outings, he had stopped altogether.
‘There’s a possibility that Harvey isn’t ill at all but has actually left the capital,” Rafael said, furrowing his brow.” Even though our people have been keeping a close watch on Hartstone Estate, there’s bound to be a lapse after so long. If Harvey has changed his appearance or disguised himself, he might go unnoticed.”
“Where would he go at this time?” Sophie asked.
‘Let’s get back to the estate first,” Rafael replied, running the current situation through his mind and forming a hypothesis.
Tonight, Hell Monarch Estate was lively, with the staff from Northwatch Estate joining them for the New Year’s Eve dinner. However, the Klein family hadn’t sent Ryan back. They were aware that there was a banquet at the palace, and since Ryan would have needed to stay behind at Hell Monarch Estate anyway, it was better for him to celebrate with the Klein family.
After they returned to Hell Monarch Estate, the atmosphere was vibrant, with everyone coming to collect their New Year’s gifts. Sophie was generous, leaving everyone delighted with their rewards.
Later, Rafael, Jacob, and Kyle retreated to the study. Sophie didn’t follow them, as they would be fine without her.