Jane hesitated for only a moment before taking off her cloak.George kept his gaze straight ahead, his fists clenched tightly on his lap.After changing her clothes, Jane truly didn't want to hold back anymore."Your Majesty, I–"George suddenly looked at her, his gaze chilling to the bone."Jane, you'd best think carefully before you speak. The marriage substitution was my greatest concession."If there was anything worse than the substitution, he would not forgive her.Jane's gaze was resolute. "I don't want to keep deceiving you. Hmph!"George yanked her into his arms and silenced her with a fierce kiss. He kissed her harshly, as if he wanted to devour her whole.Jane tried to push him away, but he suddenly flipped her over and pressed her against the carriage wall. Outside, the carriage continued smoothly into the palace without obstruction. When it arrived outside Tyrian Palace, it came to a stop.Karlsen heard a commotion inside the carriage. It sounded as if somethin
A while later, Jane heard movement.George had returned after his bath. He drew aside the bed curtains, gazing down at her with an imposing and cold demeanor.Her gaze shifted to him. He was dressed in sleepwear, his hair untied. His strikingly handsome face carried a murderous aura. He was like a haunting presence that sent chills down one's spine.Facing such a temperamental king, Jane had to remain constantly on guard.George sat down.He turned slightly away from her, his gaze icy and silent. He didn't speak, and Jane remained quiet as well, lest she provoke his anger again.It was eerily silent, like the tense standoff before a battle. Both were testing each other, waiting to see who would break first.Under his piercing gaze, Jane found it difficult to ignore the stifling tension. She preferred directness. If he had questions, he should ask. If he intended to punish her–Suddenly, George leaned in.Her breath hitched, and the blade in her shoe was ready.Fortunately, he
George's emotions were in turmoil. On one hand, he felt a hint of relief that Jocelyn was not truly Commander Morris. On the other, he was furious at being deceived. Jocelyn had lied to him, and so had his queen.Jane lowered her head respectfully, offering no excuses."It was my mistake."Smack!George slammed the confession letter onto the desk."Of course, it was your mistake!" he exclaimed coldly. "You failed to see through her deception, hesitated when you shouldn't have, and gave Jocelyn the opportunity to take advantage of you! You thought you could fix things after the fact, but the damage only grew worse."Why didn't you tell me sooner? If you had, I wouldn't have made Jocelyn the first female commander. I wouldn't have given her the title of General of the City Guards And now, where does that leave me?"As king, the truth was important, but preserving the royal family's dignity and maintaining political stability mattered even more.If he publicly declared that Jocely
"You have risked your life multiple times to protect me. How should I reward you?" George asked.Jane believed him.Her eyes shone with sincerity as she opened her lips and said, "Your Majesty, I ask for nothing else. I only wish for peace within the kingdom and to serve the nation with all my life."In other words, she wanted to regain her freedom and return to the military."That is only natural." George's tone remained indifferent. "But if one is rewarded for good work, one must also be punished for failing their duty." His gaze turned stern and imposing. "I am not satisfied with this petition."With that, he strode over to the desk, picked up a quill, and swiftly wrote with powerful strokes.Moments later, he flung the completed document in front of Jane.It listed all her failures as queen–neglecting palace affairs, disrespecting elders, and failing to bear an heir.Jane glanced over the words, and one thought immediately crossed her mind. 'He's making trouble out of nothi
Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over Jane. She looked up and saw George standing before her, his gaze cold and indifferent."I'll give you one year to sort out these matters." His tone was distant. "For the next year, you will remain in the palace as my queen. First, to make up for your negligence as queen over the past year. "Second, given the extent of Jocelyn's disruption, you concealed the matter and failed to report it, practically aiding and abetting her. Thus, you must bear the consequences until the situation stabilizes."Do you have any objections?"Jane was speechless.Another year in the palace?The disapproval she instinctively showed only fueled the fire inside George, making his expression even sterner. His gaze turned sharp."Moreover, I will pardon the offense of deceiving the king by the Foster and Morris families. "Commander Morris, in regards to your concealed identity and the marriage substitution with Wendy, there's no way Kennedy was the only one aware.
Jane suddenly realized that the contract had a major flaw, but she couldn't let George have the final say. She immediately spoke up."Your Majesty, the contract doesn't mention–""What does it not mention?" George cut her off, feigning ignorance.Jane refused to let him play dumb on such an important matter. Her expression turned serious as she took a step back and bowed respectfully."Your Majesty, to me, you will always be the sovereign. Since the contract states the reason for my continued stay in the palace and has already been signed, please forgive me for being unable to regard you as my true husband."Her words were measured, leaving no room for misunderstanding.George gazed at her deeply. A few moments later, his expression turned indifferent."I also find it difficult to see you as my wife, Commander Morris. This is nothing more than a charade to deceive outsiders. Surely, you know how to play along?"Jane stood still for a moment before nodding slightly. "Yes, I unde
When George entered and saw Mary there as well, his brows furrowed slightly. It seemed that his sister doubted Jane's identity as queen and had come to test her."Your Majesty, are you finished at court already?" Mary asked with an ambiguous tone.George naturally walked over to Jane's side and countered with a question of his own. "What are you doing here?"He had not forgotten how she had threatened him with her life last night for Jocelyn's sake. It was utterly ridiculous.Even in George's presence, Mary's gaze remained on Jane."I had some words I wished to speak to Her Majesty in private. I hadn't finished when you arrived," Mary replied.George's eyes turned cold, carrying a hint of indifference."Oh? Should I step out and let you continue?" His words were harsh, laced with barely concealed hostility.Mary didn't understand why he was so wary of her. But time was on her side. She had plenty of time to uncover the truth behind Commander Morris.Mary gave Jane a slight bow
In the afternoon, at Serene Palace, Mary had originally planned to go to Zen Palace, but she heard that the king had taken the queen out of the palace. She had no idea what for."If the queen returns, inform me immediately," Mary ordered her maid, Irene.Irene respectfully acknowledged the command, but she couldn't help feeling suspicious. Could Commander Morris' execution be related to the queen?Why else was Mary so anxious to find the queen, to the point that she didn't even have time to mourn for her?What Irene didn't know was that Mary only hated that Jocelyn had died too late, and that she had learned the truth too late."Wait a moment." A thought suddenly struck Mary. "Go to the storeroom and bring me that bracelet.""The bracelet? Your Highness, do you mean the mechanical bracelet you had crafted for Commander Morris, but which was accidentally broken on the way back to the country?"Mary's gaze turned hazy. "Yes, that one."Her palms began to sweat.–Outside the pa
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
Lancelot had been particularly idle these past few days.Earlier that day, while eating at a tavern, he had overheard people at the next table plotting to kill the king. Without hesitation, he had scurried over excitedly.Upon learning that a heroic figure like Commander Morris had been killed, he was instantly filled with righteous indignation. Mostly, though, it was because he had heard from Fred and the others that Commander Morris had been Henry's close friend.In that case, he had to do his part.Lancelot prided himself on being loyal and devoted, extending his affections to those his friends cared for.Little did he know that, in that moment in Jane's eyes, he was being utterly foolish.Had his life been too smooth sailing? Was he eager to know what it felt like to have his head hanging by a thread?Seeing Lancelot charging toward her, Jane didn't wait for George to offer her an opening to attack. With one hand pressing down on his shoulder, she delivered a flying kick.T
Karlsen sat there, stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing.The queen was straddling the king's waist, gripping both of his wrists and pinning him against the carriage wall, all the while biting his neck.The posture made it seem like the king was being forced.Karlsen's instinctive reaction was to protect the king. But the moment the queen turned her head, the murderous intent in her eyes made him freeze.For some reason, in that brief instant, his body acted faster than his brain. It made a choice–a choice that ensured his survival.Whoosh!Karlsen decisively dropped the carriage curtain. 'The king must be enjoying this.' He thought, reassuring himself. 'Yes, definitely.'It wasn't just Karlsen. George himself hadn't expected to be overpowered by a woman, especially in such a position.He stared coldly at the woman in front of him. Her hair was a mess, and her lips were red and slightly swollen. There was even a distinct bite mark on her neck from him.Of course, he
George stared straight at Jane before solemnly speaking again."Why don't you ask me whether I have ever favored Helena?"It wasn't as if she didn't know that a woman born without a vaginal opening couldn't consummate a marriage with a man."Your Majesty, this matter has little to do with me," Jane replied honestly. Seeing the sudden chill on his face, she added, "Even a woman with such a condition can still receive favor. So I never doubted anything." Such as, perhaps, whether he was incapable.In an instant, George looked daggers at her."You've been playing the role of Commander Morris for so long that you seem to have learned quite a bit about the affairs between men and women."Jane lowered her gaze indifferently. "Your Majesty, that's high praise."George was speechless. Did she really think he was complimenting her?After a strange silence, George spoke directly."Helena has never shared my bed. The favor I bestowed upon her was because, during those four years, it was
Jane had come with George. She stood outside the door, listening to Helena's shrill screams. She couldn't bear it anymore.Helena was the kind of person who would never repent.At first, she had thought that making Helena suffer the same torment would settle their debts. But now, it seemed that letting Helena go would only plant an even greater disaster. She knew well enough to never underestimate a person's hatred.At that moment, upon hearing that the queen was also present, Helena's emotions surged. She howled furiously."Get out! I only want to see His Majesty! Wretched woman! I'll make His Majesty kill you! If he won't help me, I'll do it myself! I'll never let you–Ahh!"Helena looked down in disbelief at the sword piercing her chest. It happened too fast. She hadn't even seen it coming before she was struck.Forget Helena, even expert fighters like George and Karlsen had failed to stop Jane in time.She had moved as if she had teleported. Karlsen, who was closest to the