Bailey frowned and let out a wistful chuckle. "I had a feeling this would happen," she sighed.
"If it was truly the Fifth Prince's doing, there's no way he would allow Kelsey to remain a threat. She must be eliminated. Her two brothers are the leverage he holds. Once Kelsey is gone, those children won't survive much longer."
Regret gnawed within Bailey. She shouldn't have intervened back then. Despite Kelsey's ingratitude, she was a victim of oppression, forced into a corner with no way out.
Now, due to her momentary act of kindness, their entire family had perished, their lives reduced to mere stepping stones in the struggle for the throne.
"The king must have known all along that Brenna is involved, yet he refrained from pressuring her to confess," she remarked.
Vic frowned in silence while Bailey continued, lost in her thoughts. "If I hadn't devised a plan to escape and cheated death, I would have been abandoned. Who would have thought the king, a man of such intelligence, could be swayed by beauty?"
"In truth, Your Majesty holds you dear, which is why he wasted no time entering the palace," he assured.
"Let's not dwell on it! If it weren't for the poison, I would have perished in that prison cell."
Vic's voice lowered as he shared a revelation. "Your Highness, the concubine owes the king a debt of gratitude. She sustained injuries while trying to save him in the past. They were childhood friends, and their bond runs deep."
Bailey hadn't considered this possibility.
"What is the connection between Brenna and the Fifth Prince, then?" she inquired.
"They haven't seen each other for a while, so their ties should be minimal," he explained.
His words hinted at a deeper history between them.
Intrigued, Bailey couldn't resist asking, "What kind of relationship did they share?"
Vic pondered for a moment before deciding to reveal the truth. After all, this wasn't a well-guarded secret.
"The concubine's life was filled with hardship. Nearly decade ago, during a severe drought in a nearby village, refugees flocked to the kingdom. Among them were the concubine and her mother. Sadly, her mother passed away soon after, leaving her orphaned and subjected to beggary and mistreatment."
"When the king left the palace, it was the moment he rescued her. Sympathetic to her plight, he brought her back to the imperial palace, where she became a maid serving the imperial noble consort."
The more Bailey listened, the more perplexed she became. "I didn't know they shared such experiences. How did she end up with the king?"
"The princes were close in age, and the concubine was only a few years older than them. They used to play together. During a grand palace banquet, the fourth prince had a bad accident, falling from a rockery and getting bitten by a venomous snake. It was the concubine who selflessly sucked out the poison, saving his life."
So he was indebted to her in a way that was immeasurable!
However, their past led to blind indulgence, revealing that the king wasn't entirely discerning.
"It's peculiar. It was the Fifth Prince who introduced Brenna to the palace. She should be most grateful to him. How did she end up marrying the Fourth Prince instead?" Bailey questioned.
Vic saw no strangeness in this.
"The Fourth Prince is the most striking and eloquent among all the princes. His mother is the epitome of beauty and grace. It's normal that the concubine was captivated by his allure and couldn't resist."
Bailey lowered her voice, indulging in gossip. "How long has Brenna been married to the king? With the favor he bestows upon her, why hasn't she conceived a child yet?"
"Rumor has it that he sleeps in his chambers every night. It seems he hasn't spent a night with the concubine," Vic revealed.
"What?" Bailey couldn't believe her ears.
She speculated that it certainly wasn't Rory's intention!
Observing how he yearned to treat Brenna with utmost devotion, she couldn't fathom why they wouldn't be intimate. Could it be that Brenna herself refused?
Vic further explained, "The concubine's health has never been robust, and the king himself isn't in a hurry."
The concubine's health?
Bailey had a vague sense that things weren't as straightforward as they appeared.
In the following days, Brenna unexpectedly visited the Serene Pavilion daily, specifically to pay her respects to the queen consort. However, Bailey had no desire to see her and always found excuses to dismiss her.
Upon learning about the mistreatment of his beloved, Rory arrived to express his anger. But Bailey refused to back down. "I am still recovering from my illness. It's natural for a patient to have a short temper. Your Majesty, you may allow her to come in if unfeared of me bullying her.
"I guarantee that she enters with a cheerful smile and leaves with a heart full of sorrow."
"Why are you so narrow-minded? How can such an attitude befit a queen consort?"
Bailey casually waved her hand. "You could divorce me and promote the concubine to a higher position. As long as the emperor approves, I have no objections."
"Do you think the emperor made you the queen consort merely because of your background, the Noel family?" Rory sneered.
"Oh, what's wrong with having a privileged background? Can Brenna compare to that? It's a matter of destiny and prosperous life that she can only envy."
Just as Rory was about to respond, Chloe entered cautiously and reported, "Your Majesty, a message has arrived from Noel's Manor. The queen consort's birth mother has fallen ill. She requests that the queen consort visit when she has the opportunity."
"Mother is ill?" Bailey immediately rose from her seat. "I am free now and will go to visit her immediately."
With a touch of arrogance, she turned to Rory and said, "Your Majesty, you're right. I became the queen consort solely because of my background in the Noel family. I should solidify my position with my influential supporters."
Rory mocked, "You are utterly unreasonable!"
"Is it unreasonable for children to be at their sick mother's side? Isn't fillal plety prioritized in Cruylia? If the emperor falls ill one day, wouldn't you, as his son, want to be by his side?"
Rory's head throbbed from her words. "You're twisting the facts!"
Bailey sighed helplessly. "I was merely giving an example. Why are you so agitated? Is it because you can't bear to leave the Serene Pavilion? Or do you want to accompany me to Noel's Manor to visit my mother?"
"Bailey, spare yourself the self-flattery! Anything related to you disgusts me," Rory retorted.
"Then leave promptly. I bid farewell to Your Majesty once again."
Bailey showed no attachment to the arrogant king
Once the king had departed, Chloe whispered, "Your Highness, why do you always argue with the king? It only pushes him closer to the concubine."
Bailey replied calmly, "That's even better as I don't have to deal with them, Let's go. Let's visit Noel's Manor together."
In truth, Bailey wasn't welcomed even in the Noel family. Upon entering the manor, nobody bothered to receive her.
Everyone in the Noel family knew that Bailey wasn't favored in the palace, making her even more insignificant in their eyes.
Moreover, Alicia would soon become the queen consort of the Fifth Prince, rendering Bailey even more redundant.
Inside a small room.
Bailey looked at the woman on the bed, devoid of color, and deduced that she suffered from chronic blood deficiency and frequent insomnia.
Although not the current Bailey's biological mother, the original Bailey had developed a strong emotional connection with this woman.
Bailey approached slowly and cautiously, examining her pulse. "Mother, stick out your tongue. Let me take a look."
"My tongue? Are you truly capable of treating illnesses?" The woman on bed had heard about her daughter's involvement in a case that resulted in someone's death, and she was terrified. She had no faith in her daughter's medical abilities.
Initially, she wanted to visit her daughter, but Jayden prohibited her from leaving the house. She had been consumed by worry every day, which led to her falling ill.
Bailey nodded and said, "I learned the medical skills from the royal physician in the palace. The case was deliberately framed to discredit me. Now that my innocence has been proven, no one dares to trouble me anymore"
8/10
Bailey grabbed her mother's wrist and concluded, "Your condition is due to an imbalance in the spleen and stomach, which causes bloating and loss of appetite."
The woman in bed exclaimed in surprise, "That's exactly right. Do you know how to treat it?"
"I'll write a prescription. You can have your maid fetch the medication."
Before the ink on the prescription had even dried, someone burst in hurriedly. Bailey looked up and saw her father, Jayden.
The man glared at her with a grim expression.
Especially when he glanced at the prescription on the table and snatched it, tearing it apart. "You have the audacity! With your mediocre medical skills, you've already caused deaths outside, and now you're trying to harm your mother?"
"Father, what nonsense are you spouting? That person wasn't killed by me. Even the Revelation Temple has cleared my name. Why are you still accusing me?"
"Do you think I don't know your true abilities? Don't think too highly of yourself. It wouldn't matter if you died but don't drag down the family. Otherwise, I'll make sure you suffer!"
Bailey coldly stared at him. "Mother has been sick for several days, and you couldn't even bear to call a physician. When I came to help her, you refused. Do you want to hurry up and kill her so you can please your princess wife?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Jayden was infuriated and raised his hand threateningly. He was about to slap her.
However, before the slap landed on her face, Jayden suddenly felt an intense numbness in his wrist, unable to move!
Jayden was startled. "What did you do to me? I am your father!"
Bailey smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry. I merely stop you from moving. It won't harm you."
Then, she sat down calmly and spoke, "Furthermore, consider this a warning. I hope you treat me with more respect in the future and never lay a hand on me. After all, I am a daughter-in-law of the royal family. No matter how high your status and power may be, you are a subject in the royal family's presence.
"Which subject dares to lay hands on the queen consort? It's an offense against the monarchy!"
Jayden was shocked by her oppressive gaze. He couldn't believe that this person was his foolish daughter whom he had raised for over ten years!
Previously, Bailey would lower her head before him and dare not speak this way.
He didn't even consider Bailey important, let alone easily bow down. Jayden unwillingly shouted. "This is the family where the father's word is the law. Have you not learned the slightest bit of etiquette?"
Bailey looked at the man coldly and laughed mockingly.
"Father, if you truly possess the courage, utter those words in the presence of the emperor! Throughout the world, no territory exists that does not belong to the emperor. Our family, a mere humble abode within the royal kingdom, receives titles and honors solely by the grace of the emperor within the realm of Cruylia. So, please refrain from acting arrogantly!"