Chapter 8

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 expression on her face. "Be at ease, Wendy. Sit."

The conversation covered several topics before it came to George. Then, Dina took the opportunity to give Jane some advice.

"George is always busy with state matters and will inevitably neglect other things. I hope you won't mind."

"Certainly," Jane replied calmly.

After they had talked for a while, Dina noticed Jane always had a blank expression. It seemed smiling didn’t come naturally to her. Dina recalled she had been quite pleasant to be around at her previous birthday banquet.

It was true that Jane rarely smiled. When she was a child, her master's wife had always teased her, but Jane only found it boring.

Later on, in the barracks, she became a general. To establish her authority and also to prevent others from getting too close and discovering her female identity, she habitually kept a stern look on her face. Otherwise, her subordinates would not strictly obey her.

"What's troubling you, Wendy?" Dina asked directly.

Jane looked up at her. "Nothing." She did not elaborate.

Dina pursed her lips. Jane showed such a lack of interest. It explained why George disliked her. Even Dina found her boring.

After all, the other concubines were always smiling and saying interesting things whenever they met. They were unlike Jane, who only answered questions and said nothing else.

"The flowers in the royal garden have bloomed. Let's go for a walk."

"Very well."

Dina thought Jane might have had more to say once they were outside. However, things remained the same. Nothing could be done to break the ice.

They walked and soon passed through the royal garden to arrive at the royal stables next door.

Dina had given up. She wanted to excuse herself to return to Serene Palace. Out of nowhere there was a clattering of hooves, and a horse galloped towards them.

The royal guards formed a blockade in front of the queen dowager but were immediately knocked over. Dina had been born into nobility, and had no experience in such matters.

The horse wheeled and charged again, heading directly for her. Petrified, Dina froze. Her face was pale, and her eyes wide.

"Protect Her Majesty! Quickly!" Laurel shouted.

The horse was almost on top of Dina when a figure leaped into the fray.

Amidst the chaos, Dina could feel a strong hand grasp her by the waist and pull her aside. The horse thundered past, missing them.

After steadying herself, Dina looked up only to realize that the person who saved her was the new queen. Jane looked like a weak woman, but she actually had a lot of strength. In fact, it was more reassuring to be held by her than by a man.

Dina was a little confused. Just as she was about to pull Jane away, she watched as Jane hopped onto the horse's back.

Jane's horse-riding techniques are unrivaled in the northern camp. Even the fiercest horses would obey her. With both hands on the reins and her legs clamped around the horse's belly, Jane was able to maintain her balance as the horse bucked and charged about.

Everyone feared for her life when they saw her being carried away by the crazy horse.

"Oh my God! The queen is in danger!"

"Save the queen!" Dina cried, visibly frightened.

However, in the blink of an eye, Jane steered the horse around, and came riding back. In fact, the horse seemed very tame and was no longer on a rampage.

Jane brought the horse to a halt before dismounting from one side.

Lily quickly stepped forward. "Your Majesty! Are you hurt?"

Jane shook her head and turned to look at Dina. "Your Majesty, don't be afraid. It has already calmed down."

Dina looked at Jane, admiration and fondness in her eyes. "Who taught you how to ride like this, Wendy? I've never seen anything like it."

Jane was unfazed by the compliment. "When I was a child, I secretly learned how to ride from my uncle without my father's knowledge. I only know a few tricks. I'm glad I was able to save you with what I've learned."

This was when the stablemaster ran over. He was shocked to see that Jane had tamed the fiery horse.

"Your Majesty, this fiery horse came from the western region. It was the only one in its batch that went berserk. None of the slaves could stop it even if they worked together-"

Jane handed the rope to the stablemaster.

"This mare is pregnant, so she will be irritable,” she explained. “Besides, the trip from the western region to Nidora isn't an easy one. That’s probably the root cause. Don't punish her after you bring it back. Give her more grass and a separate stable. She'll settle down in less than three days."

The stablemaster was amazed that the queen knew so much.

Jane patted the horse and murmured in a soft voice. "You're a good horse. It's a shame."

This horse was supposed to roam freely across the grasslands, but instead, it was stuck in the cramped royal stable.

Not far away, a man in a white outfit stood on a viewing platform, observing the queen with an expression of admiration. "Your Majesty, the queen is unusually talented."

From behind him, George's deep, authoritative voice sounded. "It's nothing but a minor trick. You're too easily impressed. That horse gave my mother a fright. Behead it.”

He paused. “On second thought, make the queen supervise the beheading."