Bailey stood up, intending to inquire. However, a slap struck her face, so forceful that her lips drew blood.
"Your Highness!" Vic exclaimed, and Rory angrily shouted at him, "Kneel!"
Vic dared not be insolent and obediently knelt.
"Meow." A cat's cry echoed in the room, startling Vic. How could the king have found Grant?
"Vic, you've truly disappointed me. How dare you conspire with this woman against me? Don't you know how important Grant is to the concubine? How dare you secretly hide the cat in the house!"
"Your Majesty, how did you find out?" Vic asked unwillingly.
Danny reminded him softly, "The guards in the queen consort's courtyard saw that you had cat fur on your head."
Vic looked at Bailey in bewilderment, uncertain about what to do.
Their exchanged glances further fueled Rory's anger. He raised his boot and kicked Bailey forcefully.
Bailey staggered and fell to the ground, her fingers trapped beneath his foot, trembling but unable to free themselves.
"Ah!" Bailey let out a soft cry, frowning as she looked at him. "Indeed, it was my insistence that made Vic do it. It has nothing to do with him. It should be me alone if you want to hold someone accountable."
"Your Highness, this cannot solely be your responsibility. It was..."
"Don't speak!" she interrupted him.
Rory applied more pressure with his foot, causing Bailey's trembling fingers to quiver even more, unable to break free.
"Why did you hide the cat?"
"What else could it be for?" Bailey sneered. "Since Brenna offended me that day, she only offered an apology. That's too lenient of her."
"You venomous woman, how could I have married such a heartless and ruthless person?"
Bailey showed no signs of weakness. "That's unfortunate, Your Majesty, You have already married me, and I don't think the emperor will agree to a divorce. Besides, the emperor warned you to treat me well. It's time to show him how his beloved son behaves!"
"You!" Rory wanted to make another move, but Grant suddenly broke free from his embrace and leaped onto Bailey's lap as if going mad.
Grant gently nudged her chin with its head as if comforting her.
Rory's gaze flickered, and he felt a tinge of sourness.
How could this be? Grant rarely displayed such intimacy, even with Brenna. Yet, it showed great affection towards this woman.
Bailey lowered her head, using her other hand to stroke Grant's ears. "Good boy, don't worry, I'm fine."
Grant turned around and yelled at Rory, revealing its sharp teeth as if threatening him.
As Rory saw the cat, he gradually calmed down for unknown reasons.
He adjusted his breathing and moved his foot away from Bailey's hand. Grant then extended its tongue to lick her finger.
A sense of disappointment welled up within her. Humans were indeed inferior to animals, just as she thought.
"Your Majesty, you've misunderstood. It wasn't the queen consort who secretly instructed her subordinates to take the cat away."
Seeing Bailey's distressed appearance, Vic felt pain and decided to lie to his master for the first time.
"Grant ran out on its own. It only arrived at the royal mansion today. I initially intended to bring it back, but as soon as Grant heard about returning to the palace, it strongly resisted, refusing to budge. Since I couldn't catch it, I came here to seek advice."
Rory fell silent. He was not entirely convinced. "If that's true, why did you come to see the queen consort first instead of me?"
"I heard you were in a meeting, Your Majesty, and I didn't dare disturb you."
"Vic, look at me!"
Vic tried to calm himself down. "A well-intentioned lie is not considered a lie, and there's no need to feel guilty when you haven't done anything wrong, Vic," he repeatedly thought to himself.
Trying to comfort Rory, Danny added, "Your Majesty, this cat is very clever, Outsiders can't possibly take it away. Besides, Vic wouldn't assist the queen consort out of revenge against the concubine, I believe in his character"
Vic gratefully glanced at Danny. He didn't have to help him, but he did,
Persuaded by Danny's words, Rory turned to look at Bailey, not bothering to ask why she intentionally claimed responsibility.
Lately, she had become rebellious, constantly opposing him. Her previous words were likely just a show of defiance.
Under Rory's gaze, Bailey slowly stood up, supporting herself with her arm.
With Grant present, Rory should have calmed down. Bailey had been observing his expressions. She knew that Vic's words had worked on him.
She extended her thumb and wiped away the bloodstains from her lips.
At this moment, Bailey concealed all her sharpness and appeared remarkably calm.
Her indifferent gaze and expression were unsettling to Rory, as her calmness felt like a silent accusation. piercing through him even more deeply.
A twinge of regret tugged at Rory's heart, yet in the presence of Balley, he couldn't find the words to admit defeat.
He struggled to speak, and his voice barely audible, "I..."
"Meghan." Bailey raised her voice and called for the maid outside. Meghan, frightened by the commotion, hurriedly entered upon hearing her name.
Meghan burst into tears upon seeing Bailey's face. "Your Highness, what happened to your face?"
Bailey touched her face and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "It's nothing. I'm used to it."
Did she say she was used to it?
Rory suddenly felt a pang of pain in his chest, a discomfort he had never experienced.
"I am tired. Please send the guests off," Bailey said without looking at him, giving Meghan a brief instruction before returning to her chamber.
Vic's temper flared up as well. He stood up, slightly sulking. "I'll go and apply some ointment for the queen consort."
Seeing Rory standing still, Danny couldn't help but remind him, "Your Majesty, perhaps you should return the cat to the concubine's residence."
When Grant heard the words "concubine's residence," it resisted and raised its tail in protest.
Rory looked at it, slightly surprised, and sighed softiy. "You go and return it to the concubine. I have other matters to attend to."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Bailey saw Vic approaching and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you were quick on your feet today."
"Your Highness, please don't blame His Majesty. Although I am also angry at him for laying hands on you, I can assure you that it wasn't intentional. His mental state has been deteriorating these past few days, and even though the curse's effects aren't obvious, it greatly affects his emotions."
"I understand." Bailey peeled an egg and rubbed her face. She pointed to her head and said, "I won't bother with people here who have issues."
Vic wiped his sweat away. "Alright, Your Highness. I'm glad you're not upset."
But how could she not be angry? Bailey spoke expressionlessly, "I'm not holding a grudge because he's not in his right mind. He's just a patient. I would have hit him back if he had hit me under normal circumstances."
Vic looked at her face and sighed, thinking that the imprint of the slap might take days to fade away.
Bailey had planned not to go out recently, but unexpectedly, a messenger came from the palace in the evening, saying that there was an important matter in the palace, and requested all the kings to bring their queen consorts.
Only the queen consort was allowed to go. The concubines had no qualification to attend.
Rory got on the carriage and noticed that Bailey had used cosmetics to conceal the marks on her face, making them almost invisible.
He felt uneasy but maintained his composure and said, "Behave once we enter the palace. Don't cause me any trouble. There must be an important matter that the emperor summoned us to this late."
"Did they mention what the matter is?"
"No."
Bailey parted the carriage curtain and gazed at the starry sky outside. Then she unexpectedly said, "How is the empress dowager's health lately?"
Rory disliked her random speculations and said, somewhat displeased, "Don't make baseless remarks. I have never heard of the empress dowager's health being compromised."
She cast a faint glance at him, and the two fell silent.
It wasn't until they entered the palace gates that a young eunuch guiding them whispered, "King Rory, the empress dowager's health has been deteriorating this past month. She often has a restless sleep and occasionally sees strange things. This time, she doesn't even acknowledge anyone."
Having heard that, Rory looked at Bailey in astonishment. How did she guess it?
Even he hadn't known about the situation beforehand, so how could Bailey know?
Rory gazed up at the starry sky, unable to comprehend.
Emperor Zachary was famous for being a filial son. When the empress dowager failed to recognize tim, he thought of bringing her grandchildren over, hoping their presence might trigger her memory.
The Purple Heaven Palace, where the empress dowage resided, was filled with people. Apart from the ailing former heir to the throne, all the other royal family members were present.
A group of seven imperial physicians stood nearby. The emperor had called upon nearly half of the royal physicians for a discussion.
Observing their demeanor, Bailey doubted if they had reached any conclusion. There was even an elderly physician who whispered, "Could it be the work of an evil spirit? Shouldn't we invite a priest to have a look?"