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Kylie was once again in confinement.

This time, the order came directly from Victoria.

Victoria not only placed Kylie under house arrest but also dismissed more than half of her attendants, leaving only a few trusted aides to serve her. To ensure strict supervision, Victoria handpicked a few reliable individuals to keep watch over Everspring Palace.

It was while Kylie was tending Salvador that she overheard Desmond mention the king's illness-the Black Veil.

At first, Kylie didn't understand what that was. But after being confined, she asked Lydia. When Lydia explained how deadly the lung disease was, Kylie broke down in tears.

She wept for Salvador's illness.

And she wept because, at a time when Salvador should be naming his heir, Victoria had placed her under house arrest.

To make matters worse, Kylie had foolishly offended Carissa.

Because of Nathan, Salvador placed great importance on Ryan. If Kylie hadn't alienated Carissa, she could have convinced Carissa to send Ryan to the palace to accompany Connor. That way, Salvador would have paid Connor more attention.

"Lydia, what can I do? What should I do?" Kylie alternated between crying and wracking her brain, pacing anxiously around the room.

Seeing how distraught she was, Lydia reassured her, "The queen dowager must have known about His Majesty's illness for some time. That's why she took Prince Connor in to personally oversee his education. That means both the queen dowager and His Majesty favor Prince Connor as the Crown Prince. There's nothing you need to do except pray for His Majesty's well-being.

"But even if I pray for His Majesty, they need to know about it! Go make arrangements-make sure word of my prayers reaches the queen dowager!"

Lydia took her hand firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. "No one needs to know. You are the queen, and His Majesty is your husband. If you pray for him, let only the heavens and the gods bear witness."

But Kylie couldn't calm down. She felt that whatever she did now, Victoria and Salvador had to know about it.

More than that, she feared Salvador might still hold her accountable for trying to arrange a marriage between the Hell Monarch and the young lady of the Earl of Southstead's family.

Before, she had hoped the situation would spiral into a scandal-ideally, that the Earl of Southstead's family would demand an explanation from Carissa.

But now, Kylie prayed fervently that the Earl of Southstead's family would swallow the grievance and not take the matter to the Hell Monarch's household.

She tried to reassure herself that the Earl of Southstead's family wouldn't dare cause a fuss.

How could the Earl of Southstead's family afford to offend the Hell Monarch's household? No one in their family held a court position. And Janelle was already 20 years old, well past the usual marriage age, with a ruined reputation.

Surely, a few whispers wouldn't matter to them.noveldrama

What happened in court was a truly shocking event, and Carissa learned about it when Kevin came to visit.

Kevin only gave a brief account of the situation before hurrying back to the palace to stand watch. Everyone was stunned. No one had expected such a storm to arise from that night's events.

Kyle said grimly, "Irvin admonished

the king in court and he collapsed, coughing up blood. Now that the six department heads know of the

king's illness, it won't be long before the of the court learns as well.

rest

The matter of naming the crown

prince can't be delayed any longer."

This turn of events had come without warning. If Salvador's illness had remained a secret, no one would

have objected to Connor being named Crown Prince.

But now that word had spread, everything would change.

Jacob's expression was solemn. "By

principle, the eldest son should be

named Crown Prince. But that doesn't mean there won't be complications. This concerns the foundation of the kingdom-qur household must stay out of it at all costs."

Carissa didn't know what to say. How had things come to this?

The court would be thrown into chaos, and the harem would too. That much was inevitable.

Carissa was caught in the middle, so she couldn't blame anyone.

The only innocent one was Janelle. She had done nothing, yet disaster had fallen on her head.

Carissa knew of Janelle and even admired her. That woman had single-handedly supported all of the Earl of Southstead's family.

As for her so-called terrible reputation, it was simply unavoidable. In business, if one had only a good

name, one would be trampled and cheated at every turn. For a woman, it was even worse.

"Vivi, are people still talking about Lady Janelle?"

Violet had been silent ever since Kevin left. She had seen life and death more times than she could count. On the battlefield, cutting men down was no different from chopping vegetables. Human life was as insignificant as ants.

But this was the king-the man who held absolute power over life and death. Whoever he wanted dead would die.

And yet, now he was dying.

Which meant there was something above even him—a force that could decide his fate. To that higher power, even a king was nothing more than an ant.

Violet was so lost in thought that she was startled when Carissa's voice pulled her back.

"There are plenty still mocking her," Violet said. "But you, on the other hand, they've started to defend. They say if a man can be jealous, why can't a woman? Some have even begun to rally behind you, insisting that women should be allowed to be jealous too. You're becoming a symbol again."