After leaving Void Palace, Jane went straight to the Department of Discipline.The chamber there was dark, damp, and frequently infested with rats. The air was thick with the stench of decay and blood.Although Clara and the other royal servants had been detained, they had not been interrogated.When brought to the chamber, Clara showed no sign of unease, as though confident no one would dare harm her.However, that confidence wavered the moment she saw the queen."Greetings, Your Majesty!"Clara curtsied with the composure befitting her position as the chief maid of Cloud Palace, maintaining a balance of respect without subservience.The chamber was empty except for the two of them.Jane stood in the shadows, her expression unreadable. She tossed a replica of Timothy's journal to Clara."Take a look."Clara was puzzled, but carefully opened it. As she read, her expression shifted rapidly.'When did Timothy write all this? What was he planning? And how did this end up in the
In the royal study, George was discussing the peace negotiation between two nations with his ministers."Your Majesty, Romenia demands a compensation of one million ounces of gold. This is outright extortion! We cannot agree to this!""Christoff, if we don't agree to their terms, then according to them, Stanley must carry thorns and personally head to Romenia's capital to apologize.""That's unacceptable! Stanley is Nidora's war hero. How could we allow him to endure such humiliation? Moreover, he's still gravely injured!"At the mention of Stanley, Richard's expression turned solemn. He stepped forward, bowing respectfully, and spoke with conviction."Your Majesty, I believe it is better to part with a million ounces of gold than to sacrifice Stanley. Romenia's intentions are clear. If Stanley sets foot in their territory, his chances of survival are slim."This sentiment garnered agreement from other ministers."Wealth is merely material. A million ounces of gold can eventuall
The guard stormed into the archive, only to find it empty. The shelves and scrolls stood undisturbed, while an open side window let in a breeze that rustled the hanging scrolls, causing their wooden shafts to knock against the wall with soft, repetitive thuds. Jane had already escaped unnoticed.At Zen Palace, Jane removed her disguise, her expression somber and pensive. She had a strong suspicion about how the Thiberium poison in George's body was being suppressed.-At Void Palace, although Helena was not allowed to leave, she could still wander within the courtyard. While walking along a corridor, she overheard two maids whispering around the corner."Do you think the lesser concubine has truly fallen out of favor?""Absolutely. Void Palace is practically a forbidden palace. Ever since the king demoted her and left her here, he hasn't visited even once.""And with her face ruined, it's only natural she'd lose favor."Helena's maid turned pale, and she immediately stepped fo
Though the saying goes, 'a lion without its mane is just another cat,' Helena, once the most favored concubine in the harem, still managed to gain the king's affection for a few days despite her disfigurement. This alone showed her remarkable skills.Lily, ever loyal, obeyed Jane's orders and made her move. However, Maya hesitated. Maya feared that if Helena regained favor in the future, her life would be at risk. She had anticipated trouble when Jane brought her along, but she had not expected such a difficult task.Rooted in place, she didn't move.With Lily alone unable to restrain Helena, the latter shoved her away."Wendy! If you dare to harm a single hair on my head, the king will never forgive you! In this palace, no one but the king dares to strip me of my dignity! Who do you think you are…"Jane's eyes grew cold as she turned to Maya."Do it!"Intimidated by Jane's gaze, Maya, despite her reluctance, clenched her jaw and stepped forward. "Lady Helena, forgive me for t
When George arrived, Helena immediately shifted her demeanor, forcing out a few tears and adopting a pitiful, aggrieved expression."Your Majesty…"As soon as George entered, Helena threw herself into his arms with her clothes disheveled, sobbing so hard her shoulders shook."Your Majesty, Queen Jane had my clothes torn to humiliate me! Thankfully, I fought with all my might to retain a shred of dignity. If you hadn't come when you did, I wouldn't have been able to hold on…"Her words carried a double meaning. What she could barely protect wasn't just her dignity—it was the scar over her heart, the secret of George's Thiberium poisoning.George wrapped an arm around her shoulder, patting gently to comfort her, while his gaze shifted coldly toward Jane."Get back to Zen Palace. Without my permission, you're not to step into Void Palace again."Jane offered no defense, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty."Helena, still nestled in George's arms, lifted her head to cast a triu
News of the king going to Void Palace to defend Helena spread throughout the harem in less than a day.Dina was deeply anxious."George still can't let go of Helena!"Laurel shared her concerns."I heard it was because Queen Wendy went to Void Palace to make trouble for Lady Helena, so the king went there. He publicly scolded the queen and forbade her from going to Void Palace again. Your Majesty, Lady Helena is cunning. I'm afraid it won't be long before she regains favor.""Why did Wendy have to provoke Helena?" Dina lamented angrily. "Isn't this just giving Helena an opportunity?"The other concubines, who had initially planned to seize this chance to criticize Helena, quietly backed off after observing the king's stance.Like Laurel, many also speculated that it was only a matter of time before Helena regained favor. It was best not to make her an enemy.At Virtue Palace, Dolly, Celine's maid, couldn't understand it."Your Highness, Lady Helena is truly lucky. Just when it
George had stripped half of his clothes, only to be told to wait by the woman before him.Why wait?"Find a place where no one will disturb us," Jane continued. "I'll need two full days to completely neutralize the poison in one session."George's eyes darkened. "You once said that forcing the poison out in one session would harm the patient."He suspected she might try to kill him.Jane remained calm. "I've found a solution. If you don't trust me, have someone keep watch."George fixed his gaze on hers.Her eyes were like a still pool, deep and emotionless, yet devoid of cunning or deceit. There was even a trace of righteousness.Most importantly, she had been poisoned with Dream Flower. If he were to die, she wouldn't get the antidote and would perish as well.Moreover, George wanted to rid himself of the poison as soon as possible. Each episode brought unspeakable torment.He wasn't a gambler, but he had the temperament of one.After much deliberation, George agreed.The
Jane had often found herself in extreme environments, so the natural urges weren't a problem for her. She drank less water, and simply endured until it passed.But she hadn't expected that the pampered king could also hold up.When the sand in the hourglass reached halfway, the man sitting cross-legged on the jade bed suddenly opened his eyes, his sharp gaze meeting Jane's."What are you staring at me for?"She had been looking at him, and he had sensed it."Don't you have any needs?" Jane asked without hesitation.Needs?She could've asked even more boldly.George didn't answer. His face instantly froze, as if ice covering it. His deep gaze filled with hostility.Jane didn't think her question was strange; in fact, it was already quite tactful.His reaction, however, was odd. Eating, drinking, and the natural urges were normal human needs. Perhaps, as a king, he didn't view himself as an ordinary person.She glanced at him briefly, her gaze cool."It's not good to hold it
The box contained the onyxite horse.Jane was puzzled. Why would George send her this?Steven placed the box holding the onyxite down, recalling how perplexed he had been when the king ordered him to deliver the stone to the forbidden palace. Though rewards from the king were always considered acts of favor, gifting a mere stone seemed rather baffling.At first, he had thought it was because Wendy was skilled in riding and fond of horses, so the king had given her this horse-shaped stone.Then the king had remarked in a deep voice, "The queen's temperament is just like this stone, stubborn and unyielding."Of course, Steven dared not relay a single word of that to Wendy. Instead, he simply smiled and said, "Queen Wendy, King George is thinking of you."Even without knowing the reason behind it, Jane accepted the onyxite. After all, it was a token of Conan's regard for his master.-At the Chief Gatekeeper's residence, Jocelyn locked herself in her room, her expression dark and
"Conan, it's been a few days since we last met. How have you been?" Jocelyn asked first with concern.Conan didn't want to resent her, but recalling the hurtful words she had spoken that day, it was difficult to face her with the same admiration he once had."Thank you for your concern, Commander," he replied courteously. "I'm doing well."He had wanted to tell her his mother was dead. That she had perished in agony from hunger and illness.But before he could, she asked, "How did you come to know Henry?"Conan casually made up a lie. "It's just a matter of chance."Jocelyn felt relieved. It seemed he still didn't know Jane's true identity. And Jane, most likely, wouldn't tell him to keep him from being entangled in the matter.She made a pained expression and got to the point."Conan, the reason I refused to take you as my apprentice that day was that I couldn't bear to see you sent to the battlefield to die. Your father and I were good friends. I still can't get over his deat
When asked who his master was, Conan looked at Jocelyn. Jocelyn was also looking at him, smiling. But he just stared at her without saying a word.Was the boy afraid she would refuse? To encourage him, Jocelyn took the initiative."Go ahead and say it, young man," she said. "You've made such a great contribution. No matter who it is, they would be willing to take you as their disciple."For the onyxite mine, she could reluctantly accept him as her disciple. She could always find an opportunity to get rid of him later.Conan nodded at her, as if he had caught her hint.Then, he opened his mouth and said, "My master is Henry, also known as Shadow Phantom."The moment those words fell, the hall went dead silent.Jocelyn stood frozen, feeling as if the blood in her veins had turned to ice.'Henry? Jane?'That had to be a lie.Hadn't Jane been in the forbidden palace all this time? When did she take Conan as her disciple? This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Conan should have be
Hearing that someone was offering onyxite, George looked at Jocelyn.Jocelyn instinctively responded, "Your Majesty, the people at the Armory Bureau all say that onyxite has long been mined out. It's impossible."George had no patience to listen further and directly summoned the young man into the hall.A trace of gloom flickered in Jocelyn's eyes. She would see for herself whether this onyxite was real or not.Moments later, the young man was led inside.The moment she saw him, Jocelyn's expression changed abruptly in shock. Why was it Conan?Conan was also surprised to see Jocelyn here. However, Henry's instructions took priority. He respectfully bowed before the king."Your Majesty, I, Conan Carter, have come to present to you this onyxite."George summoned the people from the Armory Bureau to the palace, instructing them to examine whether the onyxite in the young man's possession was genuine.After thorough verification, the conclusion was unanimous."Your Majesty, this
Onyxite was an impossible find, yet now it was before Jane's very eyes."This is onyxite. How did you get it?" she asked immediately.Conan looked intrigued. "Master, do you know about onyxite too?" Three years ago, when I first met Commander Morris, I heard her discussing onyxite with my father. She seemed quite fond of it. She even took notes on it in her books."I have a good memory, so I remembered it."My hometown, Lime Valley, is surrounded by mountains. In my free time, I searched everywhere. A year ago, I finally found onyxite. That's why I chose it as my offering to Commander Morris for when I became her apprentice. But that was before she rejected me."Three years ago, Jane had already wanted to develop a new type of rifle. At the time, she had determined that the key was in insulation. The best material for insulation was none other than the black iron refined from onyxite.Who would have thought a child would overhear and, by pure chance, actually find it for her?Ja
Conan's lips were cracked, and his voice was unusually hoarse. Jane met his gaze and saw the murderous look in his eyes."I was paying respects to my ancestors and happened to pass by," she explained.Due to prolonged hunger, Conan's hands trembled as he picked up the offerings and returned them to her."Take them away! My mother doesn't need these!"Jane ignored his resistance. She carried a sword at her waist. With a swift motion, she drew it from its sheath. With a few rapid slashes, a nearby tree was carved into a wooden slab the size of a gravestone.Conan watched the scene unfold. His expression was completely blank.Jane placed the wooden slab on the ground and asked him, "What was your mother's surname?"Conan suddenly reacted, looking at her in surprise.Jane's tone was calm and even, without a trace of condescension or pity. "With a gravestone, she won't become a wandering ghost."Conan let out a cold scoff. "I don't believe in that."Jane spoke as if joking, "Even
Conan reacted quickly. He barely dodged Jocelyn's first strike.Jocelyn didn't stop there and launched a series of attacks at him.Conan had been on a long and hard journey, exhausted and starving. In this moment, he barely had any strength left. Yet, even in this state, he managed to evade Jocelyn and even found opportunities to counterattack.Jocelyn's expression darkened. This kid was even stronger than she had expected.She feinted an attack at his lower body, and just as he moved to counter, she suddenly shifted behind him and delivered a sharp kick to the back of his knee.Conan's knee buckled, and he dropped to the ground on it.Jocelyn immediately locked her arm around his throat from behind. His head was forced back, mouth wide open, gasping for air.Jocelyn didn't let go. She tightened her grip more and more. Conan's face turned a bluish-purple.Sensing something was wrong, Keira immediately shouted in alarm. "Commander Morris!"Only then did Jocelyn release him, tho
"There are three in total. I haven't really seen the other two," the vegetable vendor gasped, blood trickling from his lips.'Haven't really seen' meant he had seen them.Jane pressed on. "Describe them.""One has a mole on his face. The other likes to gamble and is a habitual thief. He's skinny and has a square face. Please, have mercy! I've told you everything I know!"Jane lifted his chin with the tip of her dagger. "Why do you all follow Jocelyn's orders?"The vendor was pale from blood loss. His voice was weak."We're all wanted men. Outlaws. If we don't obey her, she'll hand us over to the authorities. But if we do, she gives us gold. She also poisoned us. She gives us the antidote on schedule. Otherwise, we die. "Now that I've betrayed her, there's no way I'll survive. I beg you. Make it quick."Jane's gaze was cold. "Fine."With a swift motion, she slit his throat.For a wanted criminal of his stature, death was probably mercy enough.She sheathed her dagger and ste
Wallace was badly injured. When he woke up and saw Jane, he immediately knew he was safe. His upper body was covered in bandages, and his face was pale."Com-"He noticed someone else in the room and quickly corrected himself. "Master."Jane, still wearing the same silver mask, turned to look at him.The doctor was giving her instructions on how to care for the injury. She listened, memorized them, then paid the fee and personally escorted the doctor out.Moments later, when she returned, she saw Wallace trying to sit up."Don't move!" she ordered immediately. Did he not realize how badly he was hurt?Wallace obediently laid back down. He grimaced with a wry smile."Master, I'm tough. It's nothing."He was lying. He still remembered the pain of those knives stabbing into him. It hurt like hell!"Master, that vegetable vendor–""He's been caught," Jane interrupted.Wallace was about to speak again when a young man suddenly barged into the room."Vice Leader! That vegetable