Still, hardship was inevitable.
Travis broke Miles‘ leg, then secretly sent him to Arcane Sanctum. The story he was to tell the outside world was that he had drunkenly fallen and fractured his leg. This would allow him to rest at home without drawing any attention.
Once the matter was settled, Travis returned to ask Carlss Why don’t we send him back to gather intelligence for us? We could intimidate him and tell him the king has ordered him to spy. He wouldn’t dare disobey.”
Carissa shook her head. “He won’t be able to uncover anything and will be more likely to slip up.”
Travis recalled the pathetic state Miles had been in earlier. Indeed, he was of little use. Sending him to investigate would quickly attract suspicion from Cameron. It was safer to let him stay home and nurse his leg. That way, they could be sure of a clean outcome.
Even if colleagues came to visit him, Miles wouldn’t dare say anything reckless. Someone as selfish as him would surely want to take all the credit for providing information Sharing the recognition with others would only create trouble for himself, wouldn’t it?
That man wouldn’t risk a thing.
Having worked for many years in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Miles had never found a true friend. A man who abandoned the brother who supported his education, discarded his first wife, and mistreated the daughter of his mentor someone so utterly self–centered–could never have genuine friendships.
In his eyes, it was all about personal gain.
Carissa returned and discussed with Jacob and Kyle whether they should report to Salvador. After all, the confession had been obtained under dubious circumstances noveldrama
In the end, the three agreed that regardless of whether the king would believe it, the report had to be made. The crime of illegally detaining a government official could not be left unchecked, though they knew Salvador would not mete out punishment at such a delicate moment,
This time, Carissa brought Kyle, whom the king had always held in high regard, with her to the palace. When she had been sent to the Southern Frontier, it was a forged letter from Kyle that Salvador had seen through.
However, when they arrived at the palace, they were told they couldn’t see the king, Derek came out to deliver the message that Salvador was coughing up blood and had nearly collapsed. Robert was still attending to him.
Carissa quickly inquired, “Is it his health that’s failing, or has he been poisoned?”
The question itself was laced with suspicion. Under normal circumstances or in the presence of anyone else, she wouldn’t have dared to ask. But the situation was different now, and it was Derek standing before her, which gave her the courage to voice her concern.
Derek sighed, his face full of worry. “Mr. Lester has ruled out poisoning. A recent bout of stress has affected His Majesty. He’s been restless, unable to sleep or eat properly
“On top of that, the sudden shifts between hot and cold weather caused him to catch a feverish cold. He’s been coughing for days, and taking medicine hasn’t helped much Today, his coughing worsened and wouldn’t stop. It escalated to the point where he coughed up blood and nearly choked on it.”
Carissa felt a slight relief upon hearing it wasn’t a poisoning. If it had been poison, it would have meant someone had infiltrated the palace, making matters far more complicated.
Coughing up blood could either be a serious issue or a mere complication. Carissa didn’t leave right away, instead waiting outside for the royal physician to emerge and provide more information. There were also several other officials outside, waiting to report urgent matters.
An hour later, Robert finally came out. He explained that Salvador had fallen asleep after being given needle treatment and medication. He added that any urgent matters would have to be postponed and could be reported to the king another day.
Since men were not allowed into the inner palace freely, Carissa asked Kyle to leave first and made her way to Serenity Palace to visit Ryan and Helen.
The news of Salvador coughing up blood was kept from Victoria, but she had already heard about it. Since the king had instructed that it be kept quiet, the queen dowager refrained from visiting him. However, she sent someone to inquire with Robert about the details.
When Carissa finally came to see her after waiting for an hour, Victoria immediately asked about the situation. She relayed what Derek and Robert had told her, assuring the queen dowager that Salvador was under divine protection and would recover.
But Victoria wasn’t comforted by such talk of divine protection. She sighed heavily and said, “He’s burdened with too much worry, always taking everything upon himself. On top of that, he doesn’t delegate tasks wisely. How could he not fall ill from all this stress and overwork?”
Helen quickly stepped forward, gently patting her sister’s back to comfort her. “Don’t worry so much. Stress can sometimes make you feel like you’re about to cough up blood. I feel that way too, at times.”
Victoria shot her a look. That kind of comfort was worse than none at all.
Carissa was able to see Ryan and Evan today. With Salvador El, Trevor had allowed Connor and the others to return, to the palace so the prince could show his devotion by caring for his dad.
After comforting Victoria, Carissa took Ryan by the hand and suggested a walk.
“Have you been mistreated while in the palace?” she asked
Ryan shook his head. “Don’t worry, Aunt Carissa. The queen dowager is very kind to me. I’m not mistreated at all. The food here is better than at the academy.”
Carissa chuckled. “So, you’re thinking about food again? What about your studies? Have you been learning diligently from Mr. Young?
Looking around cautiously, Ryan lowered his voice as he replied, “I’ve been learning, but I always say I only know a little. I don’t want to outshine Prince Connor. When I don’t do well, he gloats and teases me a bit, but he doesn’t make things too hard for me.”
Carissa patted his head. This child was just too considerate for his age.
Having other matters to attend to, Carissa gave him some advice before sending him back to Serenity Palace. Then, she excused herself and left the palace.