Security was tight in the palace. Gloria waited an entire day before finally gaining entrance to see the queen.Jane listened calmly to Gloria while the latter recounted Caleb's troubles, her expression remaining impassive."Destruction precedes renewal," Jane said simply.Though she had been investigating Caleb's predicament, she was well aware of one truth. As the eldest son of the Foster family, Caleb could not remain mired in despair indefinitely.Gloria, however, saw Jane's response as indifference. "He's your brother! If his future is truly ruined, what will become of the Foster family? Just because you lack childhood bonds with him doesn't mean—"Jane's sharp gaze cut her mother off mid-sentence."Where he fell, there he must climb back up. Why is he at the mercy of others? Because he settled for the position of assistant captain and lost his ambition. His downfall is his own doing. When Wendy was in danger, did he, as her elder brother, protect her? What future, what resp
Inside Zen Palace, George sat with a somber face, his brows and eyes carrying a cold sharpness as he questioned Jane."If I hadn't come across this today, I wouldn't have known you've been secretly taking such medicine."Jane remained calm, her expression unwavering as she replied without hesitation, "This medicine was sent by my mother. She is unaware of the situation regarding the consummation. I was about to have Lily dispose of it."Her denial was so swift and seamless that it betrayed no hint of falsehood.George scrutinized her, his gaze icy and piercing."You'd better not be harboring any ulterior motives."Then, his tone turned businesslike as he issued an order."The Romenian envoys will arrive soon. A welcome banquet will be held in their honor. In the past, Helena managed such events, but she is gravely injured now. I am entrusting this to you. Remember, this concerns the relations between two nations—there must not be any mistakes!"Jane furrowed her brows lightly.
At Foster Mansion, Gloria was heartbroken upon seeing her son return in a disheveled state."Caleb, what happened to you?"Caleb ignored his mother's concern and walked straight to the inner courtyard. His gaze was empty, haunted by the memories of that night—blood-soaked corpses littering the ground, rain washing away the crimson stains, soaking the farmland.It was because of his incompetence that he let everyone down."Caleb!" His younger brother, Mike, blocked his way, eyeing him from head to toe with a smug grin. "Really, Caleb? You're so awful at your job that you can't even keep your uniform?"Caleb didn't respond.Mike pulled out an appointment letter, waving it proudly with a triumphant grin. "See this? I've been appointed as a foreign affairs officer! That's one rank higher than your assistant captain position!""Congratulations," Caleb replied flatly, walking away.Mike cursed in Caleb's direction, "Pathetic!"Once hailed as the top candidate in the military exam,
The first episode of poisoning occurred after ten days. Yet, there was still no news from Luke.Jane silently channeled her inner energy to suppress the poison's effects, though it could only ease the symptoms temporarily, not fully restrain them. It seemed she had no choice but to seek the antidote from George.As night fell, Jane disguised herself and ventured alone to Faith Palace to retrieve the antidote. This time, she exercised even greater caution.To her relief, Faith Palace was devoid of ambushes. Only Karlsen, a royal guard, was present inside."The king said the poison alone is enough to control you, so there's no need to capture you anymore. You don't have to be so on edge," Karlsen remarked.Jane remained skeptical. That tyrant king had already broken his promises several times.She took the antidote and swiftly left the palace. Karlsen made no move to pursue her, opting instead to return to Tyrian Palace to report back.George was seated at his desk, a nine-section
Helena wore the red that only the first wife could, a clear sign of her ambition.She was already beautiful, and with makeup enhancing her features, she garnered all attention, easily overshadowing the other concubines.However, when the queen appeared, all eyes that had been on her turned elsewhere.Helena's pupils suddenly dilated as she followed the crowd's gaze…Jane, dressed in a yellow court gown and adorned with a crown, looked radiant and noble, exuding grace and grandeur.If Helena was the beauty that could overthrow a city, the queen was a woman beyond comparison.The former was like a flower in a pond, stunning the world with her beauty, arousing a sense of possessiveness and wild thoughts.The latter was like the moon in the sky, one that made people hesitant to even approach, knowing they were unworthy, and daring not harbor any improper thoughts, only to reverently worship her. This was a beauty that commanded submission.Dina sat in her seat, watching the queen,
"Your Majesty!" the Romenian envoys said almost in unison.Jane remained calm and gracefully redirected the topic."These rumors you've mentioned—I've never believed them."The envoys exchanged awkward glances, feeling both stifled and helpless. Jane had spoken so politely that they couldn't respond with hostility. Rather, they were more worried that she might bring up even more 'rumors.'Walter clenched his jaw and said hurriedly, "Exactly, just baseless rumors! I don't have any unpleasant body odor!"As for what could be said about the ministers, Walter tactfully avoided the topic.After this verbal sparring, none of the envoys dared to bring up the queen's capture by bandits again.The Nidorean ministers, however, were a different matter. They were eager to hear what Jane would say next—they hadn't had their fill yet!Helena bit her lip in frustration.Was Walter just going to let this go? Were they intimidated by a few rumors?In truth, every word Jane had said was true.
In truth, since the envoys had chosen the Foster brothers, they had no choice but to comply.Even George, as king, could not refuse on their behalf.George had heard of the two Foster brothers before.The younger brother was nothing more than a hedonistic son with rich parents.As for Caleb, he had been a promising youth, full of charisma. However, he quickly faded into mediocrity. After all, top candidates in the military exam appeared every year. No matter how skilled one was in martial arts, without any notable achievements, he would be cast aside like a worn shoe.This time, in the face-off against Ursa, George didn't expect them to win.On the contrary, it wouldn't hurt to let Romenia claim victory in the first two matches. As long as someone stepped in later to defeat Ursa and secure the final victory, Nidora could maintain the graciousness of a host without losing face."Take them away to prepare," he instructed the royal servants."As you command!"Mike's legs gave out
Caleb had been injured by Cameron and the others the day before, rendering his right arm temporarily useless. If he entered the match in this condition, Ursa would undoubtedly gain the upper hand. Jane's expression turned cold and serious.Meanwhile, in the arena, Mike was still being mercilessly beaten by Ursa. The outcome was clear to everyone.The officials from Nidora felt thoroughly humiliated.Mike, the second son of the Foster family, hailed from a prestigious background. How could he be so badly defeated, unable to land even a single effective strike?It was disgraceful!Robin kept his head low, desperately trying to minimize his presence. Seeing Ursa's overwhelming power, he felt utterly ashamed on behalf of the Foster family. Their reputation was in tatters today! He wished he could dig a hole and disappear into it.With a loud thud, Mike was thrown off the stage, unconscious.His mask remained intact, still covering his face. The royal servants quickly carried him a
At Grace Palace, Rachel sat in front of the mirror. Her gaze was slightly empty. Aurelia couldn't bear to see her like this."Your Highness, it's getting late."The king not coming didn't mean she should refuse to sleep.Rachel murmured softly, "Yes, it's late."Was the queen accompanying the king at this hour?She used to console herself with the thought that perhaps the queen, like her, was nothing more than a facade to deceive others and had never truly shared the king's bed.But if that were true, why would the king summon her to Tyrian Palace? Even Rosalie had rarely set foot there in the past. This proved that the king truly favored the queen.Then what was she?She had exhausted every means at her disposal, yet she couldn't make the king spare her even a glance.Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.-The next day, during the court session, ministers were still debating over Jocelyn's death."Your Majesty, Commander Morris held great prestige among the people.
Jane proposed making the truth public to prevent the people from continuing to misunderstand. However, George's gaze was extremely cold."There's no need."Now, it was her turn to be confused. Between two difficult choices, one should choose the lesser evil. As a king, did he not understand this?George was very serious."If we expose that Jocelyn is an impostor, the Morris family won't escape punishment. Neither will the tens of thousands of Northern Battalion soldiers."Even if those soldiers were unaware of the truth, people could always find an excuse to accuse them. If that happened and someone with ulterior motives took advantage of the situation, the entire Northern Battalion would be thrown into chaos.By keeping this secret, he could still protect the Morris family and those soldiers.If the truth was revealed, he would have to handle the matter impartially. Otherwise, his authority would be compromised.Jane said nothing.In her heart, she naturally leaned toward her
George saw a light in her eyes that he had never seen before.The surroundings were silent. It was as if, as long as she looked at him like this, he could agree to anything.But he was not so easily swayed.After only a brief moment of distraction, he quickly regained his usual cold and imposing demeanor and spoke in a steady tone."In the second year of my reign, the allied forces of four nations attacked Nidora. I led the army into battle. After the war ended, I returned to the capital, passing through a misty forest on the way. There was an ambush in that forest."While fighting off the assassins, one masked individual released a creature that resembled a salamander. I was bitten by it and poisoned. Only later did I learn that it was Thiberium poisoning."Jane was well aware that Thiberium poisoning involved raising salamanders and feeding them a specially prepared poison daily. Over time, the creatures would absorb the toxins and become what was known as Thiberium, naturally
Mary was feeling guilty. Jocelyn had managed to escape from prison thanks to the Falcon Command Token she had secretly delivered to her. She had known the truth would come to light sooner or later, but she hadn't expected it to be this soon.Even more surprising was that after questioning her for a while, George suddenly stopped. Instead, he changed the subject and solemnly warned her."Mary, I can choose not to punish you for this matter, but from now on, stay away from Zen Palace."Mary's fists clenched involuntarily. She met George's gaze, refusing to back down, and smiled."Your Majesty, you've been on the throne for seven years now, yet you still have no heirs. That's quite unusual, isn't it? I heard from Grandmother that you've decided not to favor the harem unless the queen bears an heir?"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but over the years, you've shown favor to Lady Rosalie and Lady Helena, and even spent nights with Rachel. Yet none of them have conceived. So why do
Mary stared blankly at the person before her.The queen was actually Commander Morris who had saved her all those years ago.Good heavens! What had she been doing all this time?She had actually believed Jocelyn and gone against the queen at every turn. She had even exposed the queen's marriage substitution.For the sake of Jocelyn, an impostor, she had nearly caused the death of her true savior.At this moment, Mary was filled with regret and remorse.Jane lowered her gaze to the bracelet on her wrist and sensed something was off.Their eyes met suddenly. Mary's gaze was emotional, her voice trembling. "You–"She had countless things to say, but she didn't know where to start."Commander, I personally measured your wrist for this bracelet. Now, do you still wish to deny it?" Mary gazed at her intently.Jane's brows furrowed slightly. "Princess–"Mary interrupted her. "I was a fool. I conspired with Jocelyn and went against you at every turn. It's only natural that you bla
Lancelot had been particularly idle these past few days.Earlier that day, while eating at a tavern, he had overheard people at the next table plotting to kill the king. Without hesitation, he had scurried over excitedly.Upon learning that a heroic figure like Commander Morris had been killed, he was instantly filled with righteous indignation. Mostly, though, it was because he had heard from Fred and the others that Commander Morris had been Henry's close friend.In that case, he had to do his part.Lancelot prided himself on being loyal and devoted, extending his affections to those his friends cared for.Little did he know that, in that moment in Jane's eyes, he was being utterly foolish.Had his life been too smooth sailing? Was he eager to know what it felt like to have his head hanging by a thread?Seeing Lancelot charging toward her, Jane didn't wait for George to offer her an opening to attack. With one hand pressing down on his shoulder, she delivered a flying kick.T
Karlsen sat there, stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing.The queen was straddling the king's waist, gripping both of his wrists and pinning him against the carriage wall, all the while biting his neck.The posture made it seem like the king was being forced.Karlsen's instinctive reaction was to protect the king. But the moment the queen turned her head, the murderous intent in her eyes made him freeze.For some reason, in that brief instant, his body acted faster than his brain. It made a choice–a choice that ensured his survival.Whoosh!Karlsen decisively dropped the carriage curtain. 'The king must be enjoying this.' He thought, reassuring himself. 'Yes, definitely.'It wasn't just Karlsen. George himself hadn't expected to be overpowered by a woman, especially in such a position.He stared coldly at the woman in front of him. Her hair was a mess, and her lips were red and slightly swollen. There was even a distinct bite mark on her neck from him.Of course, he
George stared straight at Jane before solemnly speaking again."Why don't you ask me whether I have ever favored Helena?"It wasn't as if she didn't know that a woman born without a vaginal opening couldn't consummate a marriage with a man."Your Majesty, this matter has little to do with me," Jane replied honestly. Seeing the sudden chill on his face, she added, "Even a woman with such a condition can still receive favor. So I never doubted anything." Such as, perhaps, whether he was incapable.In an instant, George looked daggers at her."You've been playing the role of Commander Morris for so long that you seem to have learned quite a bit about the affairs between men and women."Jane lowered her gaze indifferently. "Your Majesty, that's high praise."George was speechless. Did she really think he was complimenting her?After a strange silence, George spoke directly."Helena has never shared my bed. The favor I bestowed upon her was because, during those four years, it was
Jane had come with George. She stood outside the door, listening to Helena's shrill screams. She couldn't bear it anymore.Helena was the kind of person who would never repent.At first, she had thought that making Helena suffer the same torment would settle their debts. But now, it seemed that letting Helena go would only plant an even greater disaster. She knew well enough to never underestimate a person's hatred.At that moment, upon hearing that the queen was also present, Helena's emotions surged. She howled furiously."Get out! I only want to see His Majesty! Wretched woman! I'll make His Majesty kill you! If he won't help me, I'll do it myself! I'll never let you–Ahh!"Helena looked down in disbelief at the sword piercing her chest. It happened too fast. She hadn't even seen it coming before she was struck.Forget Helena, even expert fighters like George and Karlsen had failed to stop Jane in time.She had moved as if she had teleported. Karlsen, who was closest to the