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
Jane collapsed onto the jade bed beside George. He rolled over and positioned himself above her. His strong hand pressed firmly on her shoulder as he leaned down, his gaze dangerous, like a predator watching its prey, ready to consume her.Jane's pupils suddenly contracted, and she decisively drove the final needle into him.She immediately raised both hands, pushing against his chest, trying to avoid touching the silver needles.His lips nearly brushed her cheek, almost grazing her face and earlobe. His breath, hot like a summer heatwave, sprayed against her neck."I forgot the Calming Chant..." he murmured."Repeat after me," Jane replied, her gaze cold.They struggled to chant a few lines, and gradually, it started to take effect.George's gaze softened, the intense heat fading somewhat.Soon, he realized what he had been doing. He immediately sat up, crossed his legs, and focused his mind.After that, he regained control.Thirty minutes later, Jane removed the needles.G
Just as George touched her mask, a silver needle pressed against his chest.Jane's eyes were cold."Curiosity killed the cat," she said.George pursed his lips. Then, he withdrew his hand.Jane withdrew the silver needle she held, away from his chest.The two of them remained at a stalemate.The mechanism opened, revealing Karlsen. He was relieved to see that the king was alive and well.But it was still best to capture the female assassin. Taking advantage of her current weakness, he would take her life. Karlsen immediately drew his sword.But then he heard the king's command."Let her go."-The sky grew dark.At Zen Palace, Lily had been uneasy the past couple of days. She only relaxed slightly when she saw the queen return.But she soon realized the queen seemed severely injured."Your Majesty, you…"Jane dragged her weakened body, one hand gripping the table edge, the other clutching her clothes."Stay outside and guard the entrance."It was as if her throat had b
In the grand hall, ministers from both countries were engaged in a heated argument.Walter spoke with certainty."King George, Stanley killed innocent citizens of Romenia. The compensation is meant to appease them, make Stanley admit his fault, and reassure both Romenia's people and our army. This is a necessary step for the peace talks between our two nations. "If Nidora offers nothing in return, even if the ministers agree to sign the peace treaty, I fear that Romenia's hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the common people, and the countless souls of the dead will not agree!"A Nidora minister immediately retorted, "In war, casualties are inevitable! Moreover, our soldiers have never slaughtered your defenseless civilians. What 'souls of the dead' are you talking about? Who is there to soothe?"Walter squinted his eyes and stroked his beard, his voice growing sharp."So, are you saying that your country is not interested in peace talks?"'Fine!' he thought. 'If that's the case
Jane never told George that Darren had died for her. The Thiberium poisoning had been meant for her. Darren had taken it in her place.She also never told George that Darren had already given her the Miracle Needles manual. At the time, she had been too busy waging war and had only learned half of it. So when he was poisoned, even though she hastily studied the rest, she still couldn't save him in time.Because of this, she could never forgive herself.That night, many struggled to sleep.George and the royal guards practiced combat through the night. The guards were miserable.Rachel lay awake until dawn, unable to calm her excitement about leaving the palace with the king the next day.The next morning, by the break of dawn, Rachel was already dressed and had prepared the offerings.The guards assigned to escort her had the carriage ready. When a concubine left the palace, she had to use the side gate.Rachel, however, didn't get into the carriage right away. Instead, she ask
In the evening, at Tyrian Palace, George was about to settle down for the night when he noticed that Jane was still reading.He walked over. "Is that book really so fascinating?"Jane didn't even look up."I've sent people to investigate the purchase records of floral brocade in recent years. While waiting, I thought I'd search for clues about that nine-tailed serpent motif."George snatched the book from her hands, forcing her to raise her head and look at him. "It could just be an ordinary design.""Perhaps." Jane reached for the book, but he spoke again."There's a military physician in the Northern Battalion with the last name Durand. Was he the one who taught you Miracle Needles?"Jane's gaze subtly shifted.Growing impatient, George pressed further. "I want the truth. Was it him?"Jane's expression was cold and detached. "Yes."A storm brewed within George.The Durand family never passed down the Miracle Needles technique to outsiders—only their own bloodline. That mea
There were screams from within the palace."You scoundrel! Who's sick? Who are you calling delirious? I'm perfectly fine! Ahh! What are you doing!"Since Mary was struggling so violently, Dina had no choice but to order her to be restrained. A moment later, Mary was tied to the bed, thrashing wildly as she shouted toward the door where Dina stood."Mother! Save me!"Dina couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. "Mary, I'm only helping you."Mary was utterly baffled. She had just been quietly embroidering a fragrant pouch, yet her mother suddenly thought she was ill."The queen. Get the queen!" Mary barked at Irene.Wilhelmina, who stood right beside Dina, felt a chill run down her spine.Why call for the queen? Could Mary really have lost her mind?–At Zen Palace, Jane was flipping through ancient texts, searching for any records of the nine-tailed serpent motif.Suddenly, Maya rushed into the inner chamber. She seemed out of breath."Your Majesty! Something terrible ha
"I only heard that Commander Morris was quite close to a military physician, and there were even rumors of an intimate relationship." At this point, Richard hesitated before adding, "But I believe those were baseless rumors. It was most likely just camaraderie between comrades."George's expression turned unusually serious."What is the physician's name, and where is he now?""I only recall that his surname was Durand."'Durand?'George immediately thought of the Miracle Needles. That physician was likely a descendant of the Durand family.Richard had no idea why the king was asking about this, so he returned to the main topic."Your Majesty, since Jocelyn is not the true Commander Morris, why have you not made this public?"George's gaze turned dark."I have my own plans."Right now, all he could think about was that military physician with the surname Durand.–Outside the royal study, Karlsen saw Richard step out and greeted him respectfully.Karlsen's face was expressi
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