In just a few days, rumors about the queen had spread like wildfire throughout the palace, even reaching the royal court.The queen dowager had initially planned to handle the matter quietly, but seeing that this approach wasn't working, she grew anxious."The queen is the king's wife, and the face of the royal family! Regardless of her past, once she enters the palace, she must not carry any stains on her reputation."Laurel bowed respectfully."I will go and remind the other palaces. If anyone dares spread these rumors again, they will be severely punished."The problem with rumors was that they were impossible to completely suppress.Although the queen dowager had intervened, the rumors about the queen's supposed loss of virginity before marriage continued to spread, becoming more vivid with each telling.A few curious concubines gathered together in secret and whispered amongst themselves."Zen Palace hasn't made any move to counter these rumors. Are they afraid?""Could t
George clenched his fists tightly at the news of the queen's lost virginity. So, she really had been lying all this time.He shouldn't have shown mercy on their wedding night.Just as he was about to unleash his anger, one of the maids spoke up."May I dare ask if the queen often dances or rides horses?""Yes! Yes!" Lily quickly responded.The maid seemed to understand. She then reported to George."Your Majesty, this isn't uncommon. Most of the women raised in the palace have a sedentary lifestyle, so their hymen remains intact. However, there are occasional cases like the queen, where if one practices intense dance or equestrian skills, it might cause some damage to their hymen."George coldly asked, "Just answer me, is the queen innocent?"Both of the maids nodded."Your Majesty, though her hymen is damaged, the queen has not had any relations with a man. We are very certain of this."They were seasoned palace women, and as women themselves, they understood the struggles o
When George arrived at Zen Palace he saw many people kneeling in the courtyard.Each of them had their heads lowered, shivering in fear."Your Majesty." Jane stood at the door to greet him, dressed in a plain blue outfit, without any makeup, yet still looking radiant.George only glanced at her coldly before entering the palace.Jane respectfully followed him in. Once inside, she went straight to the point."I have lived up to the king's expectations. I've found the person who spread the rumors!"George looked outside the hall."Are those people the ones responsible for starting this?""These are the ones I 'invited' for questioning," Jane answered. "After a series of inquiries, we confirmed that the rumors were spread by a maid from Cloud Palace."At the mention of Cloud Palace, George's expression changed."In just three days, how can you be sure the testimonies of these people are accurate to determine who the culprit is?" he demanded.Jane didn't defend herself but instea
"A noble cause, for both public and private reasons," George sneered coldly. "Since you've gone this far with your words, you're certain I'll allow you to investigate for the sake of the kingdom's peace, aren't you?"Jane responded respectfully, "Your Majesty, I believe you are a wise ruler, concerned with the welfare of the country and the people. You would never overlook any threat that harms the Nidora kingdom."George's tone turned colder. "There's no need to flatter me. If this matter were truly of great importance, why would I leave it to you? Do you think I have no one capable of handling this?"Jane did not deny it."Yes, Your Majesty, my abilities are limited. But I am directly involved, and no one is more eager than I to uncover the truth. Furthermore, no one will be more cautious than I am in preventing this matter from escalating. "I will lose greatly if it becomes known to everyone that the royal family is chasing after bandits. Your Majesty, you could have others in
"What are you standing there for? Where is the queen?" Maya demanded.She saw Lily frozen in place and gave her a shove.Lily snapped out of it, immediately breaking into a cold sweat."I-I'll go find the queen right away."This was bad.Where on earth would she find the queen?Maya headed for the outer chamber to attend to the king.The king sat in a gold-gilt mahogany chair in the outer chamber. His dark robe was embroidered and impeccably smooth. He looked meticulous, serious, and upright."Where is the queen?" George asked.Maya served coffee and replied, "Your Majesty, the queen will be out shortly. I believe she's still bathing."George frowned.He had left Cloud Palace earlier, planning to head straight back to Tyrian Palace. But on his way, he had passed by Zen Palace and decided to drop by to check on progress with the queen's investigation.Yet here she was, bathing at this hour.After waiting a little longer, there was still no sign of the queen.George's patie
George walked toward Jane with a scrutinizing expression.Jane remained calm, concealing one hand under her wide sleeve."Greetings, Your Majesty.""Did you just come from the restroom?" George's voice was soft and deep.Jane nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."George frowned. "There's the smell of blood."Jane's breathing subtly changed.She had been covered in the blood of those mountain bandits and hadn't washed it off yet, so of course there would be the scent of blood.At this, she feigned weakness, appearing delicate as if she could barely stand, her voice faint and hesitant."My period just arrived."George's eyes narrowed while he studied her. This was the second time the assassin had appeared near Zen Palace. How could this be such a coincidence?Jane lowered her eyes, adopting a respectful demeanor.Suddenly, he seized her wrist.She flinched in surprise, her eyes widening. "Your Majesty..."His fingers pressed against her wrist.He was testing her energy!Jane tense
At Zen Palace, not only the queen dowager and the king were present, but Helena was also there.Helena quietly twisted her handkerchief, feeling a cold chill in her heart. That vile woman, Wendy, actually dared to expose the kidnapping incident. She was determined to see what kind of trick this woman was playing.Jane ordered for the bandits to be brought in. Since there were many of them, only the leader was brought in for questioning.Jane stood up and began to speak. "The bandits who kidnapped me that day have all been caught by my father. They were elusive, and it took several months to track them down."I am fortunate that the king promised to give me a chance to prove my innocence and find the true culprit! After interrogation, the bandits confessed that the one who ordered them to kidnap me was Lady Helena's aide, Timothy!"She deliberately paused on the last sentence, her tone laden with significance.In an instant, George's gaze, sharp as a blade, turned toward her. Had
Jane did not immediately summon the witness but first questioned the bandit."You insist you've seen Timothy. Do you remember the exact date?""I remember! It was October 10th."Helena sneered coldly, "So sure of yourself? Your memory is remarkable. If I didn't know better, I might think you were…"She meaningfully glanced at the queen, implying that the bandit had been bribed by her.The bandit quickly defended himself."Every year on October 10th, it's the day we pay respects to the mountain. My brothers and I were eating and drinking, and then Timothy came…"Timothy, as if seizing the opportunity, hastily shouted, "That's false! I was in the palace the whole time, how could I have gone to the mountain!"This was exactly the response Jane had been waiting for."Timothy, how can you be so certain that on October 10th, you were in the palace?"Timothy's eyes flickered with a quick thought."Not only October 10th, but I have always been serving Lady Helena in the palace. The
'The great Vivian Rudock?'Before the masked man could even process his shock, his head was already rolling on the ground.Hearing the commotion, Conan quickly got up.Vivian.He had heard that name somewhere before.Not knowing whether the other party was friend or foe, Conan's first instinct was to flee. Suddenly, a chilling breeze swept past him. The next moment, an icy hand clamped around his throat.A woman's sultry yet ruthless voice sounded by his ear. "So, you're Henry's new apprentice?"Did she know his master? Conan remained cautious and didn't answer.The woman chuckled."Quite the tough one, huh? No worries. I've got plenty of time."Her long, talon-like fingers clutched the top of his head. With a sudden force, he felt as though the tendons in his skull were being yanked out. An excruciating pain shot through him.He clenched his jaw, refusing to utter a single cry for mercy.After fifteen minutes, the woman seemed to have grown tired of her game and finally le
Reunions and separations were part of life.Learning that this was the last time Henry would guide him, Conan felt deeply saddened. But he also knew that sooner or later, he would have to join the army.Henry had taught him a great deal, especially in the art of war, which had benefited him immensely.At their parting, Henry gifted him a spear. Upon receiving the gift, Conan's eyes lit up."Master, how did you know I love spears?"He immediately tried it out and found it an excellent weight and length. The spear sliced through the air and struck the ground with immense force. It felt as if it had become an extension of his body. It was like an extension of his arm.He had never wielded a weapon so perfectly suited to him.Gradually, Conan's eyes filled with excitement. After performing a set of spear techniques, he knelt down at once."Thank you, Master! This is the best gift I have ever received!"He vowed to use this spear to achieve great feats and bring honor to Henry's na
"I had no idea the forbidden palace could be this lively."George looked at Wendy and Julie, who were embracing each other. His expression was cold and unreadable.Julie was so frightened that she stopped crying. She immediately stood up and, in a fluster, curtsied."Y-Your Majesty!"Jane also rose and curtsied respectfully."Your Majesty."George walked directly to a chair and sat down. His gaze landed on Julie."So? Did you come to the forbidden palace to keep the queen company?"Julie's eyes were red and swollen. She instinctively nodded, but then quickly shook her head.George's eyes turned dark."Well? Was that what you wanted to do?" he demanded.Julie was so terrified that she dropped to her knees with a thud. "Your Majesty, please have mercy. Please allow Queen Wendy to leave the forbidden palace!"George scoffed and looked at Wendy. "You plead so earnestly, but the queen may not even wish to leave."Julie blurted out, "How could that be?"Who in their right mind
Jane needed a token of royal pardon to ensure that if the truth ever came to light in the future, the king would not hold Kennedy accountable. She also knew that to obtain this token of royal pardon, she had to achieve great merit."You don't have to give it to me now," she said. "If you ever encounter a problem you can't resolve, come find me at Safe Haven Pawnshop. Just ask for Henry."With that, she placed a silver coin on the table, picked up the longsword leaning against the chair, and left without a word.Right outside the door, Karlsen happened to meet Henry's gaze as he departed.He had been curious about what the famous Shadow Phantom of the martial world looked like. But the person wore a mask. There was nothing to see.Shortly after, the king emerged as well.Karlsen stepped forward and awaited instructions.George looked ahead and spoke calmly."Free the women who were forced into performing here and send them home.""Yes!" Karlsen placed his hand over his chest an
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