{Third Person}

Outside the banquet hall, elegant carriages lined the palace grounds, waiting to carry nobles and members of the royal family back home.

Among them was the carriage belonging to the Second Prince.

The moment the carriage doors closed behind them, and the vehicle began rolling through the palace gates, an uncomfortable silence settled between Julia and Zarek. Or rather, it settled over Julia.

She sat beside the window, staring out at the passing scenery without truly seeing any of it. Her thoughts remained trapped inside the banquet hall they had just left behind.

More specifically, they remained fixed on Alexander.

Seeing him again had stirred emotions she had spent years trying to bury. No matter how much time passed, the guilt never truly disappeared. It lingered quietly beneath the surface of her life, waiting for moments like this to resurface.

Every time she saw him, she was reminded of the role she had played in his suffering, and every reminder reopened wounds she would rather leave untouched.

Unfortunately, Zarek knew her far too well.

"You were staring at him again."

Julia immediately stiffened. She kept her gaze fixed outside the carriage window and pretended she had not heard him.

Across from her, Zarek smiled knowingly. "You really should stop doing that."

The comment finally forced her to look at him. "Doing what?" she asked coldly.

The amusement in his eyes only deepened. "Pretending."

Julia’s expression hardened instantly. "I am not pretending."

"No?" Zarek leaned back comfortably against the cushioned seat. "You looked rather troubled throughout lunch."

"I was listening to the conversation."

"Of course you were." The sarcasm in his voice was impossible to miss.

For several moments, neither of them spoke as the carriage continued moving through the palace. Then Zarek released a quiet sigh and shook his head.

"It truly is unfortunate."

Julia immediately knew where this conversation was heading, so she said, "Don’t."

Unfortunately, Zarek ignored the warning. "Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he had simply minded his own business."

Colour slowly drained from Julia’s face. "Enough."

"He would have remained healthy."

"Zarek."

"He would still have all of his black hair."

Julia clenched her hands tightly in her lap.

"And perhaps he would not be counting down the years of his life."

"Enough!" The sharpness of her voice filled the carriage.

Silence immediately followed as Zarek simply watched her.

Julia’s chest rose and fell unevenly as anger, guilt, and pain collided inside her. She hated this conversation because she hated how much truth it contained.

Years ago, she had convinced herself she had no choice. She had been young, frightened, and manipulated by people far more powerful than herself. Yet none of those excuses erased what happened.

Alexander had trusted her completely, and she had allowed herself to become a pawn in a scheme designed to destroy him.

The worst part was that she could never change it.

Zarek seemed to sense exactly what she was thinking. "You still feel guilty," he said slowly.

Julia turned her face away. She refused to answer because there was nothing she could say. But the silence itself was answer enough.

Zarek’s smile widened slightly. "Relax. He is still alive."

For some reason, those words only made her feel worse.

Fortunately, before he could continue tormenting her, the carriage finally slowed to a stop outside the Second Prince’s residence.

Without waiting for assistance, Julia pushed open the door.

"Julia."

She ignored him and stepped down from the carriage.

"Julia."

Even on the second call, she still did not look back.

Moments later, she walked briskly toward the residence. Her pace was quicker than usual, almost angry, almost desperate. Servants and guards moved aside immediately as she passed.

Behind her, Zarek remained seated inside the carriage, watching her retreating figure. A satisfied smile slowly spread across his face.

Some wounds never truly healed. And he knew exactly how to reopen them whenever he wished.

---

Elsewhere within the palace, Queen Lysandra’s mood had not improved. If anything, it had worsened.

She sat in her private receiving room with a cup of tea resting untouched before her.

Several maids-in-waiting stood nearby.

The atmosphere was noticeably colder than it had been during the banquet.

Right on time, a servant entered and bowed. "Your Majesty, she has arrived."

Lysandra set down her cup. "Send her in."

A moment later, the King’s favoured concubine entered the room. Unlike the banquet hall, there was no audience. Only the Queen.

And that alone was enough to make the woman uneasy.

She bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty."

Lysandra regarded her calmly. "Sit."

The concubine obeyed immediately. For several moments, neither woman spoke, then Lysandra smiled. But unfortunately, the smile carried no warmth whatsoever.

"You embarrassed yourself today."

The concubine blinked. Clearly, she had not expected such a direct opening. "Your Majesty—"

"You interrupted a formal royal banquet." The Queen’s voice remained composed. "You inserted yourself into a discussion that did not concern you."

The concubine straightened slightly. "I merely wished to inquire about my child’s health."

Lysandra’s expression did not change. "And the palace physicians no longer exist?"

The concubine immediately fell silent, giving the Queen the opportunity to continue.

"The mages were invited by His Majesty." Her voice remained smooth. "Not by you."

The concubine attempted a polite smile. "I only thought—"

"That was the problem."

The interruption came immediately, forcing the concubine to freeze while Lysandra leaned back gracefully.

"You thought?" The words sounded harmless, but they were not.

"You forgot yourself."

A faint flush appeared on the younger woman’s face.

For the first time, she began realizing this conversation would not proceed the way she wanted. Even so, she attempted to defend herself.

"I meant no disrespect."

"No." Lysandra smiled again. "But disrespect occurred nonetheless."

The room grew quiet. Every argument the concubine considered raising seemed to collapse before it reached her lips.

The Queen dismantled each one effortlessly without raising her voice, losing her composure or giving her room to manoeuvre.

Eventually, the concubine lowered her head in defeat.

Satisfied, Lysandra finally reached the true purpose of the meeting. "After the birthday banquet, you will no longer attend formal palace functions."

The woman’s head snapped upward. "What?"

Lysandra’s expression remained serene. "You are heavily pregnant." The explanation sounded perfectly reasonable. "Your priority should be the child."

The concubine immediately understood that this was an order, not a suggestion.

Lysandra continued. "You will remain absent from formal banquets and court functions until after the birth and your confinement period have concluded."

The younger woman was painfully unhappy, yet she could not openly object to the Queen in her own palace.

After several seconds, she lowered her head once more. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Lysandra nodded in satisfaction, and only then did she wave a dismissive hand. "You may leave."

The concubine rose and bowed before quietly withdrawing from the room.

Once outside, her expression darkened considerably. She was reminded of an uncomfortable truth, even though she was favoured by the Alpha King.

Queen Lysandra often presented herself as gracious, patient, and magnanimous before others. But beneath that polished exterior remained a woman who possessed very real authority.

And when she chose to use it, there was very little anyone could do in response.

At the same time, in the receiving room, Lysandra picked up her tea again. Her mood had improved considerably.

At least one irritation had been dealt with today.