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“I know. Thank you for your concern, Mother,” Sophie replied, settling into the carriage. She turned back to glance at the lamps hanging at the palace gates.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t feel the festive joy that hung in the air.
This year’s New Year’s Eve banquet was quieter than usual.
Although Kylie was allowed to be out of confinement for the day, she hardly spoke a word, her face marked by a heavy sense of worry. Even when the princes and princesses came to greet her, she responded only with a faint, distant smile.
Salvador’s health wasn’t good, and he had to get up early to conduct the New Year rituals at Skyward Sanctum. With all the busy work inside and out, it was exhausting for him.
Having caught a chill, Victoria had left early, with Helen accompanying her as she departed.
As Victoria was leaving, Kylie quickly gave orders. “Take Connor back to Serenity Palace to stay with Mother.”
Salvador furrowed his brow. “Why should he go? Mom is ill, and you want him to stay with her?”
With a solemn expression, Kylie replied, “Mother has always treated him with great affection. Now that she is sick, how could he not be by her side to tend to her illness?”
She sighed softly, her tone tinged with melancholy. “It should be me caring for her, but I’ve failed in that regard. Let him take my place and show his devotion to her.”
Salvador cast a cold glance at her, recognizing her maneuver to have her confinement lifted. He decided to go along with it.
“What you say makes sense. Go, take Connor to Serenity Palace. Have him stay by Mom’s side day and night until her health is restored.”
Kylie stiffened slightly but said nothing. She could only watch as Derek led a reluctant Connor away. She cast a resentful glance at Salvador, tears welling up in her eyes. However, she fought them back with all her might.
Sophie pretended not to see or hear anything, focusing instead on eating her now-cold meal.
Salvador had not taken action against Kylie for what had happened to Janelle. Derek had mentioned that Salvador was furious, but because of his plans to possibly name Connor the Crown Prince, it would have been difficult to punish Kylie at this time. Doing so would only make it harder for Connor to stand on his own.
Still, the tension between the king and queen was clear for all to see. However, no one dared to openly express their thoughts. Everyone did their best to keep their feelings hidden.
Tonight, the other concubines in the palace were unusually quiet. The atmosphere in the harem was heavy, as if everyone was silently speculating about Salvador’s mysterious illness.
Though the hall was full of people, Sophie felt unusually alone without Rafael by her side. This year’s celebration seemed oddly empty.
The women all left first. After Kylie and the other concubines had excused themselves, Sophie got up as well. She intended to go to Serenity Palace to keep Victoria company.
But before she could take a step, Lydia approached her with a respectful nod.
“Her Majesty has requested your presence, Your Grace,” Lydia said politely.
Sophie instinctively prepared to refuse, but Salvador spoke up before she could. “Since the queen has requested it, you should go, Lady Sophie.”
He finished speaking, then called Derek over and gave him a few instructions.
Derek bowed and stepped aside, then approached Sophie and quietly said, “His Majesty said that if something displeases you, speak plainly There’s no need to hold back for anyone’s sake. It’s the New Year, and your peace of mind is the most important. If you have something to say, say it.”
Sophie nodded slightly. “I understand. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
When Kylie had just risen to leave, Sophie had noticed Salvador speaking to her. She assumed that he had asked Kylie to summon her to Everspring Palace to resolve the previous conflict between them.
Now, Salvador specifically having Derek say those words to her, it seemed as though he was offering her his support and giving her a chance to assert herself.
However, Sophie knew it wasn’t as simple as that.
The other concubines had been waiting outside, clearly intending to approach her as well. Salvador had probably noticed this, which was why he had instructed Kylie to preve summon Sophie, likely to her from interacting with the other concubines.
This signaled that, for now at least, Salvador’s intentions were solely focused on establishing Connor as the crown prince. He had no other plans in motion.
Sure enough after Sophie followed
Lydia out, the waiting concubines dispersed in disappointment. As they passed through the arched gate adorned with hanging flowers,
Sophie spotted Caden hiding behind the corner of the gate.
In his hand was a sugar figurine shaped like a guardian animal, which he had been about to bite into. When he looked up and saw Sophie and Lydia approaching, he instinctively hid the treat behind his back. However, realizing that he had already been caught and there was no use hiding it, Caden stepped forward with a composed air. “Greetings, Aunt Sophie.”
Sophie gently tousled his hair, smiling. “What are you doing here alone?”
Caden stuck out his tongue playfully, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Mom won’t let me have sweets. She says they’ll ruin my teeth.”
Sophie chuckled. “So you’re hiding here to sneak a treat?”
Caden quickly shook his head, denying the accusation. After a brief moment of hesitation, he held out the sugar figurine to Sophie with an air of generosity and obedience.
“Here. You can have it, Aunt Sophie.”
The boy’s eyes were bright and clear, and they gleamed with a hint of reluctance despite his outward show of magnanimity.
Sophie felt some of the weight in her chest lift as she smiled. “Well, if I take it, you mustn’t regret it later.”
“Mom says you’re a hero and as strong as any man, Aunt Sophie. I wouldn’t mind giving it to you at all,” Caden replied.
Sophie’s smile faded as her gaze flickered toward the hem of a skirt visible beneath the flowering tree. “I won’t take it, but thank you.”
She gently brushed her hand against Caden’s cheek. “You’re a good boy.”
Lydia was standing nearby, and she said, “We should go, Your Grace.”
Inside Everspring Palace, the underfloor heating kept the room warm. Sophie had already been sitting for some time after removing her cloak. She had been waiting quietly after arriving, having been informed by the servants that Kylie had gone to change her clothes.
–
At that moment, Kylie was in her private chambers, eating royal jelly soup. When Lydia kept insisting that she hurry to see Sophie, the queen looked slightly impatient.
“What harm is there in letting her wait a bit longer?” she quipped.
“Your Majesty, you’ve always said we should avoid offending her. Now that she’s come here, why not explain things clearly? We can resolve the misunderstandings and everything will be fine,” Lydia replied. Kylie paused for a moment, her expression hardening.
“I used to think that too. But you heard what His Majesty just said he told me that whether Sophie hits me or scolds me, I’m to bear it. He doesn’t treat me like the queen. He only wants the person close to his heart to vent her anger,” she said bitterly, pushing her bowl of royal jelly soup aside.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Has he lost his mind? Or does he truly have feelings for Sophie?”