"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
Contraceptive medicine was not something that could be taken openly, especially by members of the harem.Jane instructed Lily to sneak some medicine while bestowing rewards upon the physicians.Lily handled the matter swiftly, successfully obtaining the medicine and secretly brewing it in the kitchen. However, Maya caught sight of this.Lately, Maya had been in high spirits. With Wendy pregnant, her position as chief maid was no longer the same as before. Now, she was on guard against anyone trying to harm the queen's child, keeping a close watch on everyone in Zen Palace.She had never expected to catch someone in the act.Lily was acting suspiciously, brewing medicine that had not been prescribed by any physician. Something was off. She first had someone divert Lily away, then quickly lifted the lid to inspect the contents. With her seasoned experience, she immediately identified the presence of musk, a powerful substance.This was outrageous.If the queen suffered a miscarr
George sat upright, his robe loosely draped over him. It exposed his toned waist and abdomen that were still marked by the scratches she had left the night before.He gripped Jane's chin, turning her face toward him. His gaze, once predatory, had softened into something almost tender, an emotion Jane had never seen before."Last night–"Jane's gaze remained calm. "I was drunk. If I offended you, please forgive me. This won't happen again."His brows furrowed, and whatever warmth had been in his expression vanished instantly."You promised last night that you would conceive an heir as soon as possible. Is once truly enough?"Jane frowned. How could she have agreed to such an absurd thing?"The words of a drunkard cannot be taken seriously," she said.Upon hearing this, a chill settled in George's eyes."So, because you were drunk, it didn't count? Wendy, you were the one who initiated it last night. You held onto me and begged me to take you! Did none of that count either?"Hi
In the abandoned temple, one man after another came and went.At first, Jocelyn cried and screamed, but eventually, she fell silent. She lay on the pile of straw, her eyes wide open, staring at the door. Like a soulless clay doll, her entire body had gone numb.She never could have imagined that Jane would do this to her. It hurt so much. Jane had promised to protect her for a lifetime. Jane was a liar.-Meanwhile, at Zen Palace, outside the inner chamber's cedarwood door, Lily had intended to bring in some coffee, but she suddenly heard strange noises. The moment she realized what was happening, she froze.Her jaw dropped in shock, and her heart pounded with fear and anxiety.Just then, Steven appeared out of nowhere and yanked her away.Lily's face went deathly pale.She wanted to rush into the inner chamber and stop it from happening, but she couldn't. She was useless. She couldn't protect Jane.-In the banquet hall, after the king left, the concubines quickly lost int
All was harmonious in the palace hall during the New Year's Eve Banquet.For the time being, the concubines set aside their usual rivalries, laughing and chatting as they made wishes for the coming year. It was a lively occasion. Only the queen's seat remained vacant the entire time.George glanced at that empty seat multiple times.Dina noticed and asked, "The queen isn't feeling well. Should we summon a physician to check on her?"Rachel rose to her feet. "Lady Dina, I stepped out earlier to check on Her Majesty. She was exhausted and had already fallen asleep."Rachel had always been kind and meticulous. It wasn't surprising that she had thought of visiting the queen. No one suspected anything.Dina smiled kindly."Pregnant women do tend to be drowsy. George, you should take good care of her."George's gaze turned ice-cold. He lifted a cup of wine and drained it in one go.Everyone assumed he had ignored Dina's words. But as soon as he set his cup down, he stood up."Grand
"If Commander Morris dies, the north will fall into chaos. Do you know how many tribes are hungrily eyeing Nidora?""Do you really think you're Stanley?" Jane asked in a deep voice.Jocelyn gripped the blade of Jane's sword with her bare hands, preventing it from piercing deeper. Blood trickled from her palm. She spat out a mouthful of blood and sneered, unafraid."Yes, I impersonated Stanley. But you, Jane, married into the palace by pretending to be the queen! Besides, I'm an orphan with no father, no mother, and no siblings. But you? You have the Foster family behind you, and you care about the Morris family."Between the two of us, whose crime is greater? Who will drag down more people?"Blood continued to flow from Jocelyn's wounds. She gazed at Jane pitifully, then grinned menacingly."Think carefully, Jane. If you kill me, plenty of people will die along with me. I have people waiting outside. The moment I die, your secret–how you replaced the real queen–will spread everyw
Jocelyn's gaze at Jane was filled with vengeance."I have no regrets about doing this," she said coldly. "Haven't you taken enough from me since we were young? When I fainted from hunger at the Morris family's estate, with my obedient and well-mannered nature, I could have surely stayed there and been adopted as their daughter. "But no, Jane, you had to interfere! You made them take me in as a disciple instead! In the end, you became their adoptive daughter! That title–the Morris family's eldest daughter–was rightfully mine, and you stole it! "We were both abandoned by our birth parents, and we both ended up in the Morris family, but you just had to be above me!"Jane was stunned. Had Jocelyn hated her since then? Disappointment chilled her to the bone.Jocelyn actually thought that if Jane hadn't interfered, she would have been able to stay with the Morris family. She had no idea. Without Jane's interference, she wouldn't even have had the chance to become their disciple.For
Jane stepped out from behind the bed curtains. She had been waiting for this moment. With a swift motion, she raised her sword, the cold blade pressing against the intruder's throat.The mysterious figure stiffened in shock. They clearly hadn't expected an ambush.The room was shrouded in darkness, with no lamps lit. Jane held a fire starter in one hand. With a single breath, she ignited the flame, then tossed it aside, precisely lighting an oil lamp on the wall.Light flickered through the chamber.The intruder made a move to fight back, but Jane pressed the blade closer, a thin line of blood appearing on their neck. Her voice was icy."You can't beat me, Jocelyn."Underneath the mask, Jocelyn pursed her lips tightly together.Jane had hoped–countless times–that she would be wrong. But now, looking into those familiar eyes, her heart turned cold.Jocelyn was skilled in disguise, but she had never mastered altering the appearance of her eyes. Jane recognized them instantly.He
Jane retrieved a letter.Rachel's gaze followed it closely."See for yourself," Jane said coldly.Rachel stepped forward cautiously and opened the letter. Inside were indeed pieces of evidence incriminating her father.Her mind was in turmoil, but she forced herself to stay calm. She carefully put the letter back where it was and returned to her seat. Her thoughts were all over the place.This letter could have been forged. But she had already made one mistake, one that had cost her brother his life. She couldn't just stand by and let something happen to her father.Rachel was about to speak when she suddenly saw the queen place the letter over the oil lamp. As the flame caught the corner of the paper, it quickly spread, reducing the letter to ashes.Rachel was stunned. Without thinking, she shot to her feet."Your Majesty!"She couldn't understand what the queen was trying to do.Jane watched the letter burn to nothing, then cast a calm glance at her. "I won't hide it from y
Jocelyn sat in her room, the candlelight casting shadows across her face, making her look all the more sinister. The fact that Jane and George were truly in love had surprised her. She had never imagined Jane would become pregnant.Rachel was so useless.Jocelyn had handed such an important piece of leverage to her, intending for her to use it against Jane. Yet there had been no progress at all. Could she still be doubting the authenticity of the matter?What Jocelyn didn't know was that Rachel had already informed Teressa about it. However, because the queen was with child, the entire matter had been ignored.-At Fragrant Palace, Rachel sat in gloom, her heart heavy with frustration. The confidence she had before entering the palace had been utterly shattered, leaving her in a state of defeat.Aurelia stood beside her, not daring to utter a word.Rachel truly couldn't understand this. George had been devoted to Rosalie for so long. How could he now favor the queen instead?