LOGINGavriel could no longer hold himself back. As soon as he finished his duties at the palace, he headed straight to where Althea was.It was already late noon when he arrived. From a distance, he saw her laughing freely while playing cards with Melva and Tristan.He didn’t approach her right away. Instead, he stayed where he was and simply watched her for a moment.Rudy quickly came forward to greet him and began reporting what had happened during the picnic by the shore.“Lord Tristan has started approaching Trudis as well. It seems Her Majesty and Lady Melva are trying to play matchmaker between the two,” Rudy added.Gavriel gave a small nod, his lips curving slightly as he watched the bright smile on his wife’s face.“I want to go to the market with her today,” Gavriel informed Rudy before walking toward Althea.As soon as Melva noticed him, she quickly stood up from where she had been sitting on the ground. Tristan and the twins followed her lead and greeted him politely. Gavriel ga
Days passed, and the long feast continued as scheduled. Life in the palace returned to its usual rhythm.Gavriel had originally intended for Althea to attend court meetings regularly, but with her pregnancy, he limited her presence to once or twice a week, depending on how she felt.After all, they could always discuss important matters in private. Althea often asked about the court sessions, sharing her thoughts and opinions, which Gavriel always took into careful consideration.Today’s session was supposed to be routine. Yet, Gavriel’s expression remained unusually sour.The reason was simple. Kael Moore was present again. He almost forgot about this man…At the front of the hall, Minister Marius Ward stood with the shortlisted candidates for the position of Minister of Justice that had been long vacant. After rounds of screening and elimination, only four remained.“Your Majesty, we will proceed with the next stage of selection through a majority vote from the Royal Council. The fo
Althea couldn’t believe how Gavriel was overreacting. Ever since he found out about her pregnancy, he had become unbearably protective.Yes, he allowed her to spend time with Melva and Tristan, but she was never truly alone. There were always eyes on her… two royal physicians, four maidservants, and even royal guards trailing nearby.And for what?She was only walking along the seashore, planning a simple picnic with Melva, Tristan, and the twins. “Seriously, His Majesty couldn’t even let you have a day to yourself, huh?” Melva teased as she started picking fruits from the basket. “But I understand where he’s coming from. It’s better to be safe than sorry. After all, you are the queen of our kingdom.”“This feels nice,” Tristan said, taking a deep breath of the cool, fresh air. “It reminds me of the days we used to sneak off to the river, having picnics like this… dreaming about being together by the beach, swimming and enjoying ourselves freely.”“It would be nice if we could swim
Most Suitable OneBeatrice couldn’t believe the mess she had made while drunk. She quickly turned her head away and firmly denied it.“No… everything is blurry. All I remember is being with Uncle Arturo and Princess Riela, and then… I think I passed out.”She swallowed, then hurriedly added, “Her Highness said you carried me back to my quarters last night. I haven’t properly thanked you… so, thank you. And I hope I didn’t cause you any trouble.”Beatrice almost wanted to praise herself for not stuttering. It was a relief that she had managed to avoid Uriel’s intense, searching gaze. She refused to turn back, even straightening her posture slightly, worried he might notice how fast her heart was beating if she kept leaning against him.Uriel didn’t answer right away, and the silence made Beatrice uneasy. She could already tell he wasn’t convinced by her excuse, and it only made her more nervous.“Is that so?” he finally said, and she bit her lower lip hard.“Yes, I really don’t remembe
Beatrice did her best to keep her calm and composed as she guided her horse along the road. The three of them rode at a slow pace, mostly because both men seemed determined to match her speed.“You two can go ahead and ride faster,” she suggested with a polite smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a horse and been outside, so I’m enjoying the scenery.”“It’s quite alright,” Lord Evan replied warmly, his smile wide and earnest. “I said I would accompany you, and I happen to have the entire day free.”Uriel didn’t comment at all, making her raised her eyebrow. Quickly, she turned to Lord Evan and smiled back graciously. “That’s very sweet of you.”She continued chatting politely with Lord Evan, responding to his questions and occasionally laughing softly at his comments.But in truth, her attention was elsewhere.Her senses were secretly focused on Uriel.From the corner of her eyes, she kept observing him, waiting—hoping—for some kind of reaction. Yet every time she stole a glanc
“Where are we going?” Riela asked as Beatrice pulled her along the palace corridor and out toward the courtyard.“Well, I want to buy a few things at the market,” Beatrice replied with a wide grin. “And since it’s our free day, we might as well enjoy it.”As they made their way outside, Beatrice suddenly spotted someone familiar ahead.Her face immediately brightened.“Uncle!”Arturo turned at the sound of her voice and walked toward them halfway, a faint smile already forming on his face.“Are you done attending the court meeting?” Beatrice asked cheerfully as she approached him. At the same time, her sharp eyes carefully observed the interaction between her uncle and Riela.She grinned inwardly.Riela’s cheeks had turned slightly pink as she gave Arturo a timid smile, while Arturo greeted her with a respectful bow and a warm expression.‘Ah… these two really look good together,’ Beatrice thought to herself with satisfaction.An idea quickly sparked in her mind.“You should come with
“I guess I’m no longer needed,” Uriel remarked, rubbing his chin in that familiar, thoughtful way he always did. He hadn’t changed at all since the last time Gavriel saw him. “Still… just from her reaction, I could tell she went through something. A trauma. Maybe a nightmare?”He wasn’t wrong. Earl
Althea held her breath as she met Gavriel’s intense gaze. His expression was too dark, dangerously unreadable. The fury in his eyes told her everything. He wasn’t convinced. He didn’t care what she was willing to offer.He was reeling with killing intent.“Kill them-”Without thinking, Althea grabb
Althea smiled softly at the Queen Mother as she raised her hand to accept the cup.“Thank you for the tea, Your Highness,” she said with a gentle hum, her tone calm, almost serene.Melva gasped softly and crawled forward on her knees, reaching out. “My Lad—”But she froze when Althea gave her a qui
Wilma hurled the vase from the nearby table across the room, smashing it against the wall. Glass shattered and rained down the floor as the maidservants scrambled to clean up the mess without a word, too afraid to breathe wrong in her presence.“That woman!” she hissed, pacing like a caged beast. “H







