The garden at Tranquil Palace wasn't small, but it couldn't be compared to the royal garden.

If one took their time strolling along, admiring the flowers, or stood still to enjoy the view for a while, one could easily spend a good portion of the afternoon.

But Carissa was accustomed to walking briskly. Flowers didn't require her lingering attention-she could glance at them and move on, seeing little difference between one bloom and the next.

She had seen fields upon fields of flowers, all of which had left a lasting impression on her. These

meticulously tended peonies in their pots, though, hardly stirred any great interest.

By the time they finished their walk, some of the other ladies hadn't even finished their coffee. Just as Jeanette began to speak of Skye Embroidery, they found themselves back at the main hall of Tranquil Palace.

Jeanette forced a smile. "Shall we go inside and congratulate Lady Sylvia?"

Carissa shook her head. "I have matters to attend to, so I'll have to excuse myself."

"Your Grace." Jeanette's voice was hurried, and she quickly called after her.

Carissa turned. "Is there something you need, Lady Jeanette?"

Jeanette quickly masked her urgency with a smile. "No, nothing at all. I only wanted to thank you, on behalf of all women, Your Grace. Your kindness and generosity, your concern for the suffering of the people, are truly humbling to those of us here in the palace."noveldrama

Carissa was left somewhat puzzled. What did she mean by "concern for the suffering of the people"? She certainly wasn't as noble as Jeanette seemed to imply.

Furthermore, while Jeanette may have felt humbled, what was with the "us" she referred to? Was she speaking of the other concubines in the palace?

Was this a genuine gesture of gratitude, or an attempt to stir resentment? To praise Carissa and, at the same time, subtly undermine the other concubines was that an act of foolishness, or something more calculated?

Gladys' expression grew tense as she quickly glanced around. Sure enough, she noticed several pairs of eyes trained on them, each gaze filled with varying degrees of curiosity and judgment.

"Your Grace, I was just about to return home as well. Shall we leave together?" Gladys said quickly, trying to divert the attention away from the uncomfortable situation.

Carissa nodded. "Very well. I'll bid farewell to Lady Sylvia."

The two women entered the room together and left together, deliberately avoiding another glance at Jeanette as they made their exit.

On the way out of the palace, Gladys remarked, "Lady Jeanette was once quite favored by His Majesty. He showered her with affection for a time. But lately, he has been too preoccupied with state matters to visit the harem.

"She probably thinks she has fallen out of favor, hence her odd behavior today. Don't take it to heart, Your Grace. I'm sure the other ladies understand as well and won't be swayed by her words."

Carissa gave a small nod. "I didn't take it to heart. I just don't understand her intentions."

She had no animosity toward Jeanette. Yet today, the woman kept approaching her first to admire the flowers, then with compliments. Then just before Carissa left, Jeanette made that sarcastic remark. It was very confusing.

The other concubines would likely find Jeanette's words strange, perhaps even a bit unsettling. However, it was unlikely to cause any significant discord. What would truly spark a conflict between Kylie and Sylvia was that Sylvia had paid attention to Skye Embroidery and Gracewood Women's Academy, while Kylie had stayed out of it and even criticized it.

However, Carissa didn't know much about the palace's complicated matters. She just analyzed it on the surface. After leaving the palace, she forgot about it and considered it a small incident that didn't need to be remembered.

-

After all, palace affairs had nothing to do with her.

At Everspring Palace, Kylie learned of Jeanette's words and let out a cold laugh. "So, the little minx dares

to deceive me?"

Lydia frowned. "It seems she's throwing her lot in with Lady Sylvia. In that case, why would she have agreed with your request? She's just a two-faced, treacherous little thing."

The comment Jeanette made today

seemed like praise for Carissa. But in reality, it was a way to elevate Sylvia, making her move to a new palace even more celebrated.

Sylvia's rising prestige in the palace would soon overshadow Kylie and Grace.

Kylie was furious and said, "These despicable people see that I'm under house arrest, and now they all flock to Lady Sylvia's palace like they think I'm beneath them. Well, I'll see how long Lady Sylvia's good fortune lasts."

After venting, she sighed deeply. "In the end, it all comes down to Connor returning to my side. Only then will these people start treating me with the respect I deserve."