That night, George arrived at Cloud Palace.Helena had a radiant smile on her face, her beauty accentuated by a charming demeanor. The scar on her face was carefully covered with makeup, leaving no trace of imperfection. This gave her an extra boost of confidence."Your Majesty, you have so much to do with the state affairs; you must rest more," she said softly. "If you tire yourself, I'll be heartbroken."George took the food she offered and looked at her."This is not something you need to do, just sit and accompany me for dinner," he said.His words were filled with concern—rarely seen from such a cold, distant king. Helena's heart was filled with joy."I am more than willing to serve you, Your Majesty," she replied.After the welcoming banquet, this was the first time the king returned to Cloud Palace.After dinner, George said, "I will stay here tonight."Helena's joy was evident, and she immediately instructed Clara to prepare the bedding.For the next two days, the kin
In the afternoon, strong winds howled as dark clouds gathered above Cloud Palace, creating a suffocating atmosphere.Helena suffered from a severe headache, yet no medicine could alleviate the pain. She lay in bed, groaning incessantly.Fortunately, the headache subsided after a while. However, an inexplicable tightness in her chest left her feeling miserable.She had no interest in watching the performance of the troupe, though the palace attendants thoroughly enjoyed it. When the mistress was favored, the servants lived in comfort as well.At Zen Palace, Maya once again started to complain."People at Cloud Palace are watching a troupe perform, while we're here pulling weeds and doing menial labor. Who would believe we're servants of Queen Jane if they heard this?"Not just Zen Palace, but all the palaces—from the concubines to the servants—envied Cloud Palace.Wilhelmina, who was visiting Celine for a chat, joked, "Lady Celine, fate truly treats us differently. I can accept m
Helena never expected that the king had been investigating her all along. Hadn't he been showering her with affection in recent days? Even today, he had arranged for a circus troupe to perform in the palace."Your Majesty, I..." Helena tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.All she could see was George's cold expression. He had already uncovered all the evidence. Continuing to deny it would only dissatisfy and disappoint him even more.Moreover, everything had happened so suddenly. Falling from the heights of favor into the depths of despair, Helena had no time to think of how to respond.Jane bowed to George."Your Majesty, Helena's collusion with the envoys is supported by irrefutable evidence. However, as she is your favored concubine, spreading news of this matter may unsettle the military's morale. Therefore, I propose finding a pretext to send her to the forbidden palace."Until the truth behind Wendy's case was fully revealed, Jane wouldn't let Helena die so e
Clara stood outside the royal study, initially thinking that since her mistress would accompany the king tonight, she might receive a reward herself. Unexpectedly, the king suddenly decreed that her mistress was to be demoted to a lesser concubine and relocated from Cloud Palace, the symbol of ultimate favor.'How could this happen…?'Clara hurriedly kneeled, still in shock. The chamberlain, Steven, stepped out and continued announcing the decree loudly."By the king's command, Lady Helena is to be relocated to Void Palace! All palace staff from Cloud Palace are to be reassigned elsewhere and are forbidden to follow."'Void Palace?'That was practically no different from the forbidden palace!Hearing the decree, Clara's mind went blank.Her mistress was punished, and even they, her servants, were scattered. It was clear the king intended to sever all of her mistress's support.Panic, confusion, and fear intertwined in Clara's heart.The night sky erupted with thunder and light
Cloud Palace was in a state of panic.Several maids gathered in a corner, their faces filled with worry as they whispered to one another."Is it true that Lady Helena isn't coming back?""Seems so! Just now, only Clara came back. They say Lady Helena was sent directly to Void Palace. She wasn't allowed to bring anything at all!"Meanwhile, in Void Palace.After Helena was sent there, she was still attended to by palace servants, but none of them were the ones she was used to—Clara wasn't even there.It was understandable that others couldn't follow her to Void Palace, but Clara was her personal maid, practically an extension of herself.Helena's heart sank.The king was truly furious. He had removed everyone around her, leaving her entirely alone in this desolate place with no one she could count on…Realizing how harsh this punishment was, Helena shook her head and ran to the door, shouting, "I must see the king! Your Majesty! I know I was wrong—"Her voice soon became hoars
Lily carried the decree to Cloud Palace, where Clara and the other royal servants greeted her with reluctant courtesy.Most of them believed that Helena, loved by the king, would soon be pardoned and restored to her former glory, even if she had been temporarily punished and sent to Void Palace. Jane's actions seemed overly harsh to them, as if she were burning bridges unnecessarily.Unbothered by their thoughts, Lily maintained the authority befitting her position as the queen's chief maid and announced, "By decree of Queen Jane, due to the recent spate of thefts in the palace, with Cloud Palace being the most severely affected, all royal servants here are to be transferred to the Department of Discipline. You are not to bring any personal belongings. Rewards will be given to anyone who provides information."The Department of Discipline?That was where palace offenders were interrogated!What crime had they committed to deserve this?To the servants, it felt like Jane was targe
Jane grabbed Lily tightly, her gaze sharp."Do not make this public.""But, Your Majesty... This must be poison! Someone's poisoned you!" Lily was trembling with fear, nearly losing her composure. Shouldn't they summon the physician immediately?Jane calmly wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with a handkerchief, her expression steady."I'm not going to die. I know what I'm doing."The poison in her system was none other than the Dream Flower given to her by George. If the physician were called, it would risk exposing everything.This poison flared up every ten days. The early onset this time was likely due to an insufficient dose of the antidote she had taken.Jane's gaze turned deep as she looked out the window.Would Luke have finished making the antidote by now?At the royal stable, George was practicing archery with Richard when Steven approached."Your Majesty, a messenger from Void Palace reports that Lady Helena is refusing food and attempting to harm hersel
Although Jane had only been here once before, she immediately recognized the place—it was the underground chamber of Clarion Palace, where she had confronted George for the second time.The jade bed was still there. At that time, George had been sitting on it, expelling poison from his body. Even the marks from their fight on the stone walls were still visible.There was no mistake—this was indeed Clarion Palace.Jane frowned deeply. How could Cloud Palace and Clarion Palace be connected?Though curious, her priority was still to find Timothy's journal. With this in mind, she left the chamber immediately and retraced her steps.Timothy had hidden the journal well. Without any clues, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.However, Jane wasn't one to give up. No matter how slim the hope, she would persist. After four nights of searching, she finally found the journal in a corner of the small kitchen, hidden under a loose brick near the firewood pile.The journal detai
"Your Majesty." Julie stepped out from behind the tree. Her expression was gloomy."Did something happen?" Jane asked calmly.Julie hesitated before nodding. Jane signalled for her to follow, and Julie accompanied her to Zen Palace. Once inside the inner chamber, Julie knelt before her, visibly agitated."Your Majesty, please help me!"Jane sat there, utterly composed."You want to share the king's bed?" Her voice was cool.Julie bit her lip and nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes as she poured her heart out."I don't know how to compete for favor. Lady Rachel entered the harem later than I did, yet she has already been with the king. I can't accept this."Your Majesty, Lady Wilhelmina spoke out of turn tonight, but she wasn't exaggerating. Now that you are pregnant and unable to attend to the king, someone will surely take advantage of the situation."Rather than letting it be someone else, why not let me serve the king in your stead? I'm on your side."Her words sounded s
While Rachel attended to George, Jane made no move. At Zen Palace, it drove Maya into a frenzy.If Rachel were to conceive a royal heir, then Wendy's favor would no longer be unrivaled. Moreover, Rachel bore an uncanny resemblance to Rosalie. Now that George had finally accepted her, he would surely shower her with affection.Yet the queen still had the mind to go to Serene Palace to celebrate Wilhelmina's birthday?-At Serene Palace, Dina, Jane, and the other concubines gathered to celebrate Wilhelmina's birthday, but the atmosphere was anything but lively.Most of them were preoccupied with thoughts of Fragrant Palace.The wine tasted bland.Dina herself had once been a concubine and knew well what they were thinking.She spoke thoughtfully, "Since you've all entered the harem, you are like sisters. Only by wishing each other well can the palace remain harmonious, allowing His Majesty to focus more on state affairs."Though Lady Rachel is absent, she was thoughtful enough t
At Nimble Palace, Wilhelmina was in the middle of getting dressed when she suddenly slammed down the hairpin in her hand. It startled Mia, who immediately dropped to her knees."Your Highness, please calm down!"Wilhelmina gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her expression was filled with complex emotions.Today was her twentieth birthday.Years of worry and sorrow had stripped away the youthful radiance from her face. Now, she had to rely on makeup to restore a semblance of vitality and suppleness.Who would believe it? Though she held the rank of consort, she had never once spent the night with the king. It was one thing for the queen to rise above her, but now, even Rachel–who had been in the palace for less than a year–had surpassed her. And on her birthday, no less.Unwilling to accept it, Wilhelmina asked again, "Did the king really summon Lady Rachel tonight?"The maid remained kneeling while nodding repeatedly."Y-Yes, Your Highness."She knew her mistress was dis
Jane knew better than anyone that the new rifle might look feasible, but in reality, it was far from simple. What Jocelyn had treated as a treasure and used to claim credit was nothing more than Jane's discarded draft.At that moment, in the Armory Bureau, everyone was gathered around the weapon design, their eyes filled with admiration and excitement."Jocelyn is truly a remarkable woman! To think she could design such an ingenious design!""It's been a long time since we've had something this impressive in the Armory Bureau! Inform the craftsmen–drop everything else and focus on building this new rifle!""I can't wait to see the finished product!"The more they studied the design, the more they admired Jocelyn. A woman of such extraordinary talent was rare. They were fortunate that she was born and raised in Nidora.The new rifle, also known as the fire lance, came in various sizes. Some were just over a foot long, while others stretched up to seven feet.Its design resembled
Jocelyn watched as George left Zen Palace and immediately followed suit.As the Chief Gatekeeper, she was not permitted to enter the palace without a summons. And despite her high rank, her status as a woman meant she was barred from attending court sessions or participating in political discussions.In short, she rarely had the opportunity to see George.She had intended to speak her mind, but when she caught sight of the king's bloodshot eyes and the murderous aura surrounding him, a chill ran down her spine. The king had always given her the impression of being strict and reserved, but never before had he looked this terrifying."What is it?" George's presence was intimidating, and his cold aura drained away the last traces of warmth in the air.Jocelyn quickly composed herself, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a set of weapon designs to present to you!"The cold wind howled, stinging her face.As king, George swiftly pulled himself out of his personal emotions. He to
George held the fragrant pouch between his fingers. He sensed something was amiss.He fixed his gaze on Wendy, not allowing her any sudden movements. Then, in a deep voice, he ordered, "Summon the physician!"Before long, the physician responsible for overseeing the queen's pregnancy, Rudolf, arrived. He was well aware that Wendy was not actually pregnant.The moment he brought the fragrant pouch to his nose, he reached a conclusion."Your Majesty, this is zerumbet ginger. It has properties that promote blood circulation and reduce bruising."So far, that seemed ordinary enough.But then, his expression shifted as he continued, "However, much like musk, if a pregnant woman is exposed to it for long periods, it can affect the fetus, potentially leading to miscarriage or even a stillbirth! "In fact, even ordinary women should avoid wearing such a fragrant pouch."Inside Jane's sleeve, her fingers curled into a fist. It was discovered after all.George's gaze darkened as if all
Upon hearing that Jocelyn had fainted, George's expression changed slightly. His sharp brows furrowed as he suppressed his anger."A fine thing you've done!" he reprimanded.He immediately ordered for Jocelyn to be carried to the side chamber and summoned a physician to attend to her. At the same time, he issued a strict order to everyone in Zen Palace that the day's events were not to be spread.Not long after, Jocelyn regained consciousness in the warmth of the side chamber.A royal servant was attending to her."Commander Morris, are you feeling better?" the servant asked with concern.Jocelyn didn't actually faint. She had just run out of patience. Now, lying in bed, she feigned weakness."Help me up. I haven't finished kneeling for a full hour yet."Thud.Her legs, seemingly frozen stiff, failed to support her. As soon as she tried to stand, she collapsed back onto her knees.The royal servant hurried to help her up."Commander Morris, please don't worry. His Majesty ha
Jocelyn knelt in the bone-chilling wind for thirty minutes. When she saw the king arrive, she immediately turned her head and cast him a helpless look. To her surprise, he didn't spare her a single glance and walked straight into the palace.Jocelyn stared blankly at his departing figure. Her frostbitten fists clenched unconsciously.She knew Jane didn't love George. But what about him? It seemed he liked Jane quite a lot.Still, no matter how much he favored a woman, surely he wouldn't tolerate her meddling in state affairs, nor would he allow her to humiliate a commander who had rendered great service to the kingdom.Upon entering the palace, George dismissed everyone else.Maya gave Wendy one last look, her expression full of exasperation, as if saying, 'See? This is what happens when you don't listen to me.'Jane stood up and curtsied. She seemed neither apologetic nor flustered."Greetings, Your Majesty," she said politely. "Why did you order Jocelyn to kneel?" George's v
As she heard Jane's order to kneel, Jocelyn hesitated instinctively. But she remained standing.Jane's gaze was cold."When I tell you to kneel, you do not remain standing. As a subject, do you not even understand such basic etiquette?"Jocelyn felt as if something were stuck in her throat. No matter how eloquent she was, she could not defy royal authority.Before this, Jane had always cared for her. She had never made her kneel, or even keep her standing for too long. The stark contrast was hard for her to accept. She remained in place, unmoving.At Jane's command, royal guards entered the chamber.Seeing this, Jocelyn was reminded of the military camp. Jane had been the same there–whenever she called out, soldiers immediately stepped forward to receive orders.This was power.As a commander, Jane had authority. As queen, it had only grown."Jocelyn has spoken disrespectfully to me," Jane said sternly. "Take her outside and make her kneel for an hour."The guards obeyed with