Chapter 10

Richard seemed to have just left Serene Palace. As their paths crossed, he nodded politely to her.

"Greetings, Wendy."

The familiar mode of address that he used indicated his closeness to the king.

Lily looked at Richard, lost in thought. The prince was so handsome. He looked well-groomed, elegant, and polite. His temperament was much better than the tyrant king who killed people for no reason.

If only her mistress was married to-

Lily immediately stopped herself from continuing such a ridiculous thought. There were strict rules in the palace, unlike in the barracks, where women could casually flirt with men.

Jane was about to leave when Richard suddenly asked, "Were you frightened when you supervised the beheading yesterday?"

Jane’s eyes narrowed.

"Not really," she answered shortly.

"I happened to see when you tamed that horse. You're really good. In fact, the king likes women who know horsemanship. In this regard, you might be able to earn his affection."

Richard’s tone was gentle, as if they had been friends for years.

Jane’s impression of him was good, but looking at him in his white attire reminded her of distant memories that involved a mix of love and pain.

"Thanks."

However, she didn’t need his good opinion. She hadn’t learned to ride just to please men.

-

In Serene Palace, Dina was giving Jane a lesson.

"As the queen, you must manage the women in the harem, from all the concubines to the maids. On top of that, it is your duty to counsel. For example, the king only favors Helena. As the queen, you should advise him to favor the other concubines to balance the forces of all parties. Don't underestimate the harem. Concubines can influence politics-"

Jane appeared to be listening carefully, but her heart was not in the right place.

It had been two days since she entered the palace. She had not forgotten about getting revenge.

She decided that she would explore Cloud Palace that night.

-

At the same time, the palace embroidery workshop was delivering new clothes made of glistening satin to Cloud Palace.

"Your Highness, the king really favors you a lot. These shiny brocades were all imported from Bunderland. His Majesty gave them all to you. If you wear this tonight, he won't be able to take his eyes off you!"

Helena had a beautiful smile. However, as she examined the fabrics, it suddenly faded, her eyes fixed on a lily-of-the-valley embroidered on the satin. Her expression transformed into fury.

"What’s this?"

"Your Highness, please calm down-"

"Give them eighty lashes and expel them from the palace," Helena uttered nonchalantly. She didn't even look at the new clothes before throwing them away.

Even her maid felt this was too cruel. Eighty lashes were enough to kill a person.

Thirteen embroidery girls died in the workshop. The palace was in a state of panic. Everyone feared making Helena upset.

In the evening, George went to Cloud Palace. There were sounds of delicate complaining.

Helena pouted.

"Your Majesty, the embroidery was too ugly. How could I put it on? Do you think I did wrong too?"

George's expression remained nonchalant. "They're already dead anyway."

Suddenly, he looked up at the beams in the room. With a wave of his hand, he flung a concealed dagger from his sleeve and up through the roof.

The blade shot through the tiles, and a dark silhouette could be seen moving across the roof.

Only then did the royal guards realize an assassin had infiltrated Cloud Palace. They unsheathed their swords and prepared to kill the intruder. They climbed onto the roof in an attempt to surround the assassin, but were shocked to find the masked intruder disappear, as if into a puff of smoke.

The royal guards had never seen such a bizarre incident. They looked at each other in confusion.

In reality, this was merely a matter of speed. Even Jane's master had complimented her for how swiftly she could move.

She had managed to sneak into Cloud Palace, avoiding the royal guards and hidden traps. However, she had failed to sneak past the tyrant king.

It seemed he was powerful enough to detect her presence.

Jane had underestimated her enemies.

She was about to leave Cloud Palace's compound when a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

The man had long, black hair that was left untied. His cloak was not fully buttoned, exposing his throat and Adam’s apple. There was a vicious energy that flowed through his entire body.

He did not carry any weapons. With only his palm outstretched, he started charging at her.

As they began to fight, Jane realized this man was strong. They were evenly matched. Underneath the dark cloak was a dexterous figure that managed to dodge all her attacks. She flipped into the air and landed behind him, firing a miniature crossbow bolt from her sleeve as she did.

-

George frowned. This assassin was very strong. He was faster, but not without flaws.

After sidestepping the bolt, he landed an attack on the back of the assassin's waist.

Jane stumbled forward before coming to a halt and spinning around, her hair fanning out gracefully as she did.

George’s eyes narrowed as a realization struck him—it was a woman.

Jane frowned. She had an old injury on her lower back. She hadn’t expected her opponent to discover it and attack the exact spot.

Who was he? Was he the tyrant king’s secret guard or someone else?

The royal guards converged from all sides. Unable to continue fighting, Jane released another smoke bomb and fled as fast as she could.

However, George had excellent eyesight and was able to observe where the fast-moving silhouette was headed.

-

As soon as Jane returned to the Zen Palace, Lily immediately helped her change her clothes. She then hid the dark cloak Jane had worn.

"Your Majesty, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Jane frowned intensely.

The attack had caused her old injury to flare up. Lily prepared a bath, and Jane got in to bathe in the hot water.

As Lily stepped out of the bedchamber, she bumped into someone.

A man stepped out of the shadows. He was handsome. The lion on his robe symbolized supreme power. His hair was restrained, and he wore a gold and amethyst crown. Every step he took gave off a majestic aura.

It had to be the king.

Upon seeing his face for the first time, Lily was stunned. She hadn’t expected him to be this handsome. He looked like an incubus from a book that was adept in the art of seduction.

However, he also looked terrifying. He was just like Satan.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

George ignored Lily and walked directly into the bedchamber.

The assassin had disappeared after entering the Zen Palace.

There was a partition door in the inner chamber, and he pushed it open.

However, he saw someone sitting in the warm bath.

He subconsciously backed away. This was when Lily came over and carefully explained.

“H-Her Majesty is bathing."

Jane was in the bathtub when George burst through the door.

She turned her back to him. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being unable to rise and perform a curtsy."

George's gaze was piercing. He looked around to make sure there was no place for the intruder to hide. He then turned around to leave.

Lily was about to sigh in relief when George suddenly stopped walking.

His facial expression turned gloomy. He turned around and glared at the bathroom.

Why was she bathing so late?

He immediately started walking back to the bathroom. When Lily saw this, her heart pounded.

What was he going to do?

Jane could hear the approaching footsteps from the bathtub. Sweat appeared on her forehead, and her eyes narrowed.

Suddenly, she could hear his cold, stern voice close behind her as he gave an order.

"Stand up."

Jane clasped her hands together, wondering if he suspected her.

"Did you not hear me?" he bellowed before moving closer with an imposing presence.

However, right then, Jane was completely naked.

If she stood up as she was told, not only would he see her naked, but the wound at the back of her waist would definitely be exposed.

Seeing how she wasn't moving, George's gaze was becoming colder by the second.

He knew something was fishy.

Suddenly, he grabbed Jane by her shoulder and forcefully lifted her from the water.

Whoosh!