"Commander Foster, I bring dire news! Your sister was raped and committed suicide. Your mother wants you to swiftly return and take your sister’s place in the royal wedding!"At the border of Nidora, several horses' hooves thundered across freshly melted snow. Water splashed in all directions.Jane Foster's horse was in the lead. She wore a tight-fitting, plain dark battle robe. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail that left loose ends which danced in the wind along with the hem of her dress. She looked aggressive and intimidating.Although Jane and her sister Wendy were twins, she had been raised away from her family due to a superstition that twins brought bad luck.Wendy was kind, gentle, and had never held a grudge against anyone.Jane couldn’t figure out who would hurt someone as pure and kind as Wendy. She wanted to skin that person alive.The royal guard soon realized he couldn’t keep pace with the speed she was setting."Commander Foster, two of our horses have alre
Inside the house, Jane narrowed her eyes.Regardless of the examination's outcome, the Foster family would lose. Helena Larson must have definite evidence that the Foster family’ daughter was no longer a virgin, and was now using it to cause trouble.If Jane, her sister's substitute, was found to be a virgin, it might help stop Helena's plot. However, it would definitely arouse her suspicion. Once it was discovered that Jane was a substitute and not Wendy, she would be convicted for deceiving the king. That would bring disaster to the Foster family!Jane looked ahead. She calmly applied makeup to her face using the hand that was used to holding a spear.Her master had taught her the art of war and the ways of government.Her master's wife had taught her a woman's role in the family, including necessary household skills. Although she had learned it all, she had never thought these skills would come in handy.She had aspirations and didn’t want to be trapped in a house as an obed
Serene Palace was where Dina Augustus, the queen dowager, lived.After hearing about the incident at Foster Mansion, Dina seemed somewhat joyful. She turned to look at her maid, Laurel."I met Wendy last year during my birthday celebration. She seemed too docile in nature. I felt then that it would be hard for her to become the queen. I've changed my mind about her. I'm impressed."Laurel had served the queen dowager for a very long time. She knew all about the struggles of living in the palace. She poured her mistress a cup of coffee."But based on the king's favoritism towards Lady Helena, the queen won't stand a chance against that woman from the Cloud Palace, no matter how smart or brave she is," Laurel said. "We can't be sure Lady Helena won't make her suffer tonight."It was clear that she didn’t think the new queen would be capable.The smile on Dina's face faded."You're right. I still remember the day Wilhelmina entered the palace. George was all set to go and pamper he
Since the tyrant king was coming, Jane had to ask Lily to redo her hair so she could put the crown and veil back on. However, Lily's hands were shaking. Jane guessed she was afraid of the tyrant king.With her hands shaking, it was inevitable that Lily would make a mistake.After losing her third strand of hair, Jane couldn’t bear it anymore."Stop. I'll do it myself," Jane said coldly.She was a master of disguise. It was necessary for her to be proficient in tying her hair into various styles. In a matter of seconds, she managed to restore her hair to its original state. Lily was shocked to witness this."Your Majesty, you're so skillful!"However, by the time they were ready to welcome the king, they received news from a royal servant."Your Majesty, Lady Helena had a headache. The king has gone to Cloud Palace."Lily opened her mouth. She was angry but dared not speak.Helena must have pretended to have a headache. There was no way it could have been a coincidence. She mus
Back in Jane's room, the older maid, Maya, who had previously been unfriendly and stern, immediately ordered a bath for Jane. She pushed Lily out of the way while smiling at Jane."Your Majesty, the king has never favored another concubine other than Lady Helena all these years. You're the first one!"Lily stood nearby. She was rather critical of this old maid. Maya hadn’t been behaving so attentively earlier. It was an obvious case of worshiping the powerful and crushing the weak.The status of women in the palace depended on the king's favor. Even someone as high-ranking as the queen would be neglected without his favor.Maya said a lot, but Jane wasn’t paying attention to her."All of you may leave. Lily will be sufficient," she instructed coldly.-After the chamber had cleared, Lily began to speak, worried."Your Majesty, it's a good thing that the king is willing to come. But aren’t you starting a difficult situation with Lady Helena? Your mother told us to keep a low pro
Lily heard the commotion and immediately ran into the bedroom."Your Majesty, what happened-?" “Get lost.”Lily halted at the words. They came from the bed, and it was a man's voice.She knew something was wrong and cried for help. A chamberlain rushed in and quickly stopped her, angrily reprimanding her."You blind fool! That's the king!"Lily was dumbfounded. The king? The tyrant king who murdered people? Why had he suddenly come so late at night?On the bed, George pressed on Jane's shoulder with one hand while grabbing her dagger-wielding hand by the wrist with the other. He towered over her like a lion that was about to slaughter its prey.Jane could try to set herself free, but she stopped moving after discovering who he was. She could not see his face clearly in the dark. However, she could feel he was a deadly threat."My queen, do you care to explain?"His harsh tone was intimidating. An ordinary girl would have begun stuttering helplessly a long time ago. Jane rema
It was destined to be a disaster tonight. Jane had expected it.To be honest, it was probably a blessing that she could do it herself instead of losing her virginity to the tyrant king. At least she didn’t have to endure being pinned down.Jane tore off a piece of cloth from her skirt and used it as padding under her body. Then she lifted the hem of her skirt with one hand while holding the dagger upside down with the other.Although she had decided to do it, she still instinctively resisted it. She consoled herself by thinking of it as an injury. She had suffered enough injuries growing up, had she not?With that, she tensed, about to exert all her force-A strong hand gripped her wrist.Jane frowned. George snatched the dagger from her. When he spoke, his tone was even colder than before."Such a stupid woman."Clang!He threw the dagger away from the bed."I don't care if you're a virgin or not. Since you've decided to go all out to be the queen, don't do anything foolish
Jane hardly looked like a neglected wife. She was dressed richly in a glamorous gown and looked as regal as a lioness.Her cold gaze made her seem distant and unapproachable, but she exuded nobility. She didn’t have the sickly pale skin that most women in the Royal City strived for either. Instead, she had a healthy, rosy complexion.Her exquisite beauty resembled that of a goddess.The royal servants were used to seeing concubines who looked like Rosalie. Their eyes lit up when they saw how beautiful Jane was. She certainly lived up to her reputation as one of the famous beauties in the Royal City. Ordinary women could hardly compare.Ever since Jane became an adult, she had been living in disguise. Beauty was a liability for her, especially in the barracks. Her master's wife always said her good looks were wasted on her.Lily followed proudly behind Jane.As Jane arrived before the queen dowager, she curtseyed."Greetings, Your Majesty."Dina remained seated. She had a kind e
When George arrived at Zen Palace, Wendy was taking her medicine. She wore plain clothes, which made her appearance even more ethereal, like a bright moon. The medicine smelled bitter. It probably tasted even more so.Jane stood up and performed a curtsy with a calm expression. "Greetings, Your Majesty.""I told you, your injury is not healed, there's no need for you to curtsy.""Very well."After George sat down, he intended to ask about the petition but noticed her complexion was very pale. Had she become so haggard after only a few days without him seeing her? What were the servants in Zen Palace doing? Why were they failing to properly care for their mistress?"Has the physician come to check your pulse?" he casually asked.Jane sat across from him, her face full of worry. "He has come. There's nothing serious."Lily spoke at the right moment. "Your Majesty, the queen misses her parents and has trouble eating and sleeping."Jane didn't deny this, lowering her gaze, appear
Inside the royal study, George's commanding presence inspired awe and submission.Rachel maintained her curtsy, her head slightly lowered, eyes fixed on the floor. The hall was silent, so much so that she could hear her own heartbeat.The king finally spoke in a deep voice."Your brother embezzled military funds, seized credit for others' achievements, and, to eliminate witnesses, resorted to private punishment. He even sent people to pursue them all the way to the Royal City. Have you heard of this?"Rachel bit her lip lightly."I was raised in a temple from a young age. The brother I remember was upright and kind. I had no knowledge that he–""The Autumn Feast. The gifts."The abrupt interruption unsettled her.George casually flipped open a book, his tone seemingly indifferent as he read and asked, "Did it have nothing to do with you?"Rachel had not expected the king to question her about this, given that the Autumn Feast had passed more than two weeks ago.She immediatel
Jane had a detached look in her eyes.Even without a physician's report, George could see that she was faking her illness. That meant she couldn't keep up the act any longer. She couldn't use this as an opportunity to fake her death and leave the palace.Now, she had to come up with another plan.First things first, she needed to contact Wallace and get her hands on the drug to stage her death. But with the palace under strict lockdown, that was proving to be a serious obstacle.However, despite not a single physician daring to speak up, George could tell that the queen's fever was mostly feigned. But with state affairs piling up, he had no time to dwell on the matter. At most, she was just trying to gain his attention.Since she had taken an arrow for him, he would let it slide. However, he wouldn't indulge her. After that day, George didn't visit Zen Palace again.Josephine and Julie, on the other hand, came often."Your Majesty, are you really feeling better?" Josephine asked
"Every physician in the Royal Medical Bureau?" Dina was stunned for a moment.It was rare for the entire Royal Medical Bureau to be summoned for a diagnosis. Normally, when someone in the palace fell ill, at most, two physicians would take turns attending to them.Was the queen's injury that severe?Laurel bowed and stood respectfully. "Lady Dina, I suspect that His Majesty believes Her Majesty is feigning her illness."Dina raised an eyebrow. "If that's the case, it's possible." However, this was an excessive display. If the queen were truly faking her illness and got exposed, what would become of her dignity?-At Fragrant Palace, Aurelia sounded almost gleeful when she spoke."Lady Rachel, with the Royal Medical Bureau conducting a joint diagnosis, we'll soon find out whether Her Majesty is pretending or not."Rachel had been worried about her brother's case, a constant shadow of concern on her face. It was only after hearing Aurelia's words that a faint smile appeared.I
George stood there, his expression darkening, cold as the harshest winter frost. Despicably, he blamed everything on the queen.Suddenly, Jane's strong internal energy sensed his presence. Their eyes met, and she saw the disgust in his gaze.Lily followed Jane's line of sight. Seeing that it was the king, she hurriedly grabbed the robe from the bed and draped it over Jane's shoulders. She completely ignored the fact that it was only natural for a king to look at his own woman.Fortunately, the wound had just been bandaged."Greetings, Your Majesty." Lily stepped out of the bed curtains and performed a curtsy first.Jane dressed herself without greeting him. Inevitably, the movement pulled at the wound on her back, but she could endure it.George asked coldly, "The queen's fever still hasn't subsided?"Lily lowered her head. "Y-Yes."She was somewhat nervous. She had no idea when George had come. Thankfully, she and Jane hadn't said anything confidential just now. Otherwise, t
"Yes."If it were any ordinary person in danger, she would still step in to help.Then, Jane added, "Within my ability."Marissa had often reminded her that this life of hers belonged to her first and foremost.George cared only about that single word, 'Yes'.He couldn't quite describe what he was feeling at that moment. Helena had also risked her life for him, given her heart's blood for him, and even sacrificed years off her lifespan. By comparison, the queen had merely cured him of Thiberium poisoning and taken an arrow for him–nothing close to Helena's four years of devotion.Yet, it was the queen's actions that stirred something in his heart.Perhaps it was because Helena gave, but also demanded something in return. Whereas the queen never had…However, the gentleness in George's eyes was once again replaced by cold indifference.Who could say for certain that the queen was truly without wants? What if it was simply a strategy of retreating in order to advance?He had
Teressa arrived at Zen Palace with an air of authority. The chief maid, Maya, hurriedly led her into the inner chamber.Inside, Teressa saw George next to the table, his gaze fixed on the bed where a maid was feeding Jane her medicine. He was so focused on the queen that he didn't even notice his grandmother's arrival.Her presence wasn't acknowledged until Steven saw her. "Greetings, Lady Teressa!"Only then did George snap out of his thoughts and rise to welcome her."Grandmother." His voice was hoarse, as if he had developed a fever and hurt his throat.Teressa felt a pang of sympathy for her grandson."George, you were up all night dealing with the assassins and barely rested. The queen has plenty of people attending to her. You should go back and get some rest."George's expression remained indifferent, as though it didn't trouble him much. "I only stopped by to take a look. I was just about to leave."Teressa nodded before turning her gaze to the woman on the bed."What
Dina was usually kind and gentle. If not for being pushed to the limit by Wilhelmina, she would never have raised her hand.She gazed at Wilhelmina, her palm still tingling, and felt uneasy."Wilhelmina! I told you to watch your words and actions. Now look at you. You have truly disappointed me!" she scolded. "A few words from Lady Rachel were enough to make you lose your senses? Do you really think she has your best interests at heart?""She knows you are not like Rosalie, that you will never be favored by the king, and that you are easy to manipulate. That is why she wants to support you in rising to power. "But once she bears a royal son, you will be left guarding an empty title, only to be cast aside in the end! Do you understand?"Dina's words jolted Wilhelmina back to her senses. She covered the side of her face where she had been slapped and forcibly steadied her emotions."Aunt Dina, you are right. I was wrong."Upon leaving Serene Palace, Wilhelmina felt troubled.Bac
Lily wasn't sure whether she should announce that Jane had woken.Fortunately, at that moment, a voice came from behind the curtain. "Your Majesty, I just woke up."After hearing her speak, George lifted the curtain with one hand. His slender fingers grasped the fabric, leaving noticeable creases.Their eyes met. He gazed at the frail woman before him, his fists clenching slightly."Rest well."Beyond that cold, distant expression of concern, he said nothing more.Jane broke the tense atmosphere, supporting herself as she sat up.George frowned, stepped forward, and reached out to steady her by the waist. Unknowingly, he pressed against an old wound.Jane drew in a sharp breath and froze.George noticed her reaction. "What's wrong?"He rarely displayed such patience with her."It's nothing." Jane shook her head gently, though inwardly, she was rolling her eyes. Enduring the pain, she mustered her strength to sit up.George had no idea about the injury on her abdomen. When h