"My lady, your dinner is ready," the nanny said with a smile. She was beginning to feel anxious. At first, when she heard it was the king who had made the arrangements, she believed her chance to shine had finally come. She did not expect things to change so quickly.
The king’s silence and failure to send any message after so long made her uneasy. Still, no matter how uncomfortable she felt, she fulfilled her duties properly. She comforted Dorothy, suggesting that the king might simply be busy and unable to attend to her for the time being.
Dorothy turned. She was indeed hungry. The king had not responded to her message, and her anxiety grew.
She wondered if he might be dining with the queen. The more she thought along those lines, the more uneasy she became.
But Dorothy’s assumption was wrong. The king had only just ascended the throne, and there were many matters to address; especially considering the sudden death of the late king and the ongoing issue with bandits. He simply hadn’t had time to hear the message Dorothy’s maid had delivered.
It was only at dinnertime that he learned of the situation.
"Go back and tell your lady I will see her later tonight," King Edward said.
He didn’t see anything wrong with his mother’s decision. Indeed, Dorothy could not remain in the residence meant for the future crown prince. Moving her to a new courtyard was reasonable. Now that things had reached this point, he would accept her as a mistress; so long as it was confirmed that she had no connection to the issue regarding the queen’s medicine.
"How is the investigation going?" King Edward asked Walter. He had tasked him with uncovering the truth.
"Your Majesty, it is as Physician Nathan said. The extra medicine only started appearing after Physician Dorothy began preparing the queen’s prescriptions. Since Nathan had been assigned to the late king’s care, he was unable to continue treating the queen, so he wrote down a prescription for her," Walter reported.
King Edward frowned. He wanted to believe the queen was merely acting out because of jealousy over Dorothy’s pregnancy but the situation didn’t support that conclusion. Moreover, the queen was not a goddess. The issue with the medicine had arisen even before the pregnancy was known. Unless she had begun plotting against Dorothy well in advance, it didn’t make sense.
He recalled the queen’s tearful words. His mother had wanted Dorothy out of the palace, but it was Anastasia who had asked for her.
If Anastasia were truly so scheming, she could have dealt with Dorothy while he was away.
The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became.
In the end, he decided to have dinner with the queen first, to check on her condition before meeting Dorothy. He would still give Dorothy a chance to defend herself.
When the king arrived at the dining hall, he saw that his mother was also present.
"Your Majesty," Anastasia rose to greet him. He noticed that she still looked tired. The usual warm smile she wore when welcoming him was absent.
He nodded. "Sit down quickly. How is your health?" he asked with concern.
Mary, observing this, felt slightly relieved. She had been worried her son had become blinded by his mistress. Updates are released by novelFirｅ.net
"Mother," King Edward acknowledged her presence.
"Son," Mary replied with a smile. "I heard you will soon become a father?" she asked, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.
King Edward looked slightly embarrassed as he took his seat.
"Mother, this is good news," he replied with a forced smile.
"Oh? And what do you plan to do?" Mary asked, her tone sharp. "You understand the state of the kingdom. This is no time to be distracted by such matters. And with a scheming woman like her, she’s unfit to be your mistress."
She made no attempt to spare king’s feelings. Since she had promised to support her, she would do so openly.
Anastasia, seated beside them, was slightly surprised. The queen hadn’t conducted any investigation yet still believed her. Her heart warmed at the gesture. It was the first time since her mother’s death that someone had trusted her and stood up for her.
"Mother, she’s carrying my child. And there’s no evidence she harmed the queen," King Edward said, though without much conviction.
When Anastasia heard those words, her heart turned cold. While Grater had been making inquiries, she learned that the king had sent Walter to investigate. Even with the findings, he still claimed there was "no evidence"? Did that mean he would never believe her unless she was dead?
Mary noticed Anastasia lower her head at the king’s words.
"What are you trying to say?" she asked sharply. The queen was furious. She believed Anastasia was wholly devoted to the king, yet he dared to speak as if she might be lying. His reign had only just begun and was still unstable. Anastasia, though lacking real power, might become distant and cold toward him if she were hurt —and that could make her a tool for greedy nobles.
Mary couldn’t help but recall the seer’s prophecy: Anastasia would either bring about the family’s downfall or their fortune.
The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to slap some sense into her son. She couldn’t forget General Robert, a highly ambitious man. Duke Thompson might seem unassuming, but with the right temptation, he could easily turn against the royal family. She had grown up in a noble household and understood how powerful self-interest could be. A rebel only needed an excuse.
Seeing his mother’s anger, King Edward finally remembered that Anastasia was present. He knew his mother disliked Dorothy and had spoken in her defense because, in his heart, he still hoped it was all a misunderstanding. In doing so, he had forgotten Anastasia’s feelings.
"I still want to give Dorothy the opportunity to defend herself," King Edward corrected himself.
Upon hearing this, Mary turned to Miss Margaret.
"Send for that woman. I want to hear her defend herself," she ordered.