Chester grimly watched as his mother grew increasingly frail day by day. It seemed the queen had once again taken her anger out on his mother.

Unable to stand it any longer, Chester intervened, but it seemed to worsen the queen’s mood, as she visited his mother that night. He couldn’t understand why his mother was blamed for Carl’s lackluster reputation.

The queen had always been like this. Chester sat helplessly beside his weakened mother, knowing that at this rate, she wouldn’t last much longer.

“I’ll call a doctor, not just the usual physician.”

“No need. The queen will have already taken care of everything.”

“Doesn’t the king visit mother?”

“How could he? He can’t, not for my sake or yours.”

Chester felt a tightening in his chest at his mother’s words. How could he stop this madness? Despite doing everything the queen asked, she continued to torment him and his mother.

Even though he hid his capabilities and lived as if he were incapable, she was never satisfied. Perhaps she hated the mere fact that he was alive.

“Aron, what about the thing I asked you to find?”

“I’m sorry, it’s proving difficult to obtain. Few know of Belonia’s existence. It’s not commonly known that Libenia acts as a poison.”

“How does Lady Whitney know all this?”

“Her interest in herbalism since childhood might have naturally led her to this knowledge.”

Chester nodded, aware of her extensive knowledge of herbs.

He gripped his mother’s frail hand tightly, realizing that without her, Aron would be all he had left. If only she wasn’t from the queen’s family, her life wouldn’t be this miserable.

“Take care of yourself. Never upset the queen. The only way to protect yourself is to keep a low profile. My dear son.”

His mother smiled, even in this situation. The king entered the room.

“Peace to Lrowen Kingdom, Your Majesty.”

Chester and Aron greeted the king, who walked straight to Elenia, his gaze tender and worried.

“Don’t get up, Elenia. I was worried about you and called a doctor.”

“Today, I plan to stay here, so go to your room without worry.”

Chester nodded, hesitating to ask his father for Belonia.

He didn’t want to involve Whitney, but he needed help. If she caught the queen’s eye, what would he do?

With no other options, he left, contemplating reaching out to Whitney.

Whitney was astonished by the amount of luggage she had for her journey to the capital. She had arrived at the Rubenius mansion with barely anything, but now her carriage was loaded with belongings.

“Aunt, this is too much for me.”

“Not at all. I’m sorry we couldn’t provide more. The baron has high hopes for you.”

“I won’t let you down. I promise.”
Whitney, dressed in a new gown, bid farewell to her aunt and promised to meet Leo again before boarding the carriage. Sonia informed her of the tasks ahead in the capital. They planned to host weekly tea parties to build connections before entering social circles. It seemed the Orleans Manor was hosting weekly receptions too, making invitees choose sides.

“It’s to gauge where loyalties lie, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. You’re very astute, Lady Whitney.”

Whitney shrugged. She had become adept at reading people’s intentions and attitudes through their gestures and expressions.

“I’ve become good at reading between the lines from observing people.”

“You don’t need to be so cautious, especially not at the Orleans Manor.”

“I’ll remember that, Sonia.”

Leaving the border region, the carriage headed non-stop towards the central capital. They decided to rest for the night in a nearby village. Lady Rubenius had thoughtfully provided a knight escort, ensuring they weren’t troubled by bandits during the journey. The presence of a knight even made sleeping more comfortable.

Waking up early to get a head start, Whitney quickly prepared for the day. Sonia, already up, had brought breakfast. The simple yet delicious meal of soft bread and soup started the day off nicely. Leaving the inn, Whitney noticed a poster on the wall, which she took with her onto the carriage.

“What’s that for?”

“I thought I recognized someone on it, but it’s just someone who looks similar.”

“A wanted person?”

“Yes, but just a lookalike. I don’t know anyone on the run.”

Sonia nodded, and Whitney tucked the poster away, her fingers trembling slightly.

‘Cecilia Weston. She looks so much like mother.’

She needed to investigate further. Once in the capital, she planned to visit an information broker.

“Aunt sent some funds for my use in the capital.”

“She didn’t need to… How can I ever repay her?”

“You’ve already repaid her enough. She’s been more relaxed and happy since you’ve been here.”

Whitney nodded, grateful for her aunt’s support, which would make life in the capital easier, as long as Cecilia didn’t turn up at the manor.

Upon arrival in the central capital, Whitney was delighted with the mansion she would be staying in. The spacious, well-maintained house, complete with attentive servants and a skilled chef, was more than she could have asked for.

“Sonia, have the invitations been sent?”

“Yes, to the families that could be beneficial for you.”

“I wonder if mother knows I’m here.”

“We haven’t informed her, so probably not yet. But she’ll find out soon enough.”

“Prepare in case she decides to visit.”

Sonia nodded. While they hoped Cecilia wouldn’t cause a scene, they needed to be ready for any eventuality.

Whitney planned to visit an information broker today, a crucial step in her plans in the capital.
“I’ll be stepping out for a bit. I need to gather some information.”

“Will you be back before dinner?”

“Yes, I’ll make sure to return on time.”

Whitney boarded the carriage with her escort knight, wearing a hat that concealed her face with a mesh veil. She needed to gather information before her mother and sister potentially arrived at the mansion.

‘I wonder if the prince thinks I’m still at the Rubenius residence.’

She had told him to reach out if he needed help, but she had no way to contact him. After pondering, Whitney decided,

‘I’ll ask the information broker. Find a way to send a message to the prince.’

Upon arriving in the city, Whitney alighted from the carriage and ventured into an alley with her knight. They approached a renowned information broker’s place in the Kingdom of Leowen. The broker, known for precise information despite high costs, was where Whitney headed.

“The escort knight can’t come in.”

“It’s fine. I’ll go in alone.”

Mentioning the name ‘W,’ the curtains were drawn. Whitney was led inside, where a man wearing a mask greeted her.

“Welcome, Miss W.”

“It’s my first time dealing with you in person.”

They had only communicated through letters, never revealing their faces or personal details.

“What brings you here in person this time?”

“I need detailed information about someone…”

“If it’s about your previous request, I regret to inform you we couldn’t gather enough substantial information.”

Whitney nodded understandingly and carefully pulled out a wanted poster.

“Can you find out who this person is? I’m curious about their crime.”

“Is this related to your previous inquiry?”

“Yes, I believe it might be the same individual.”

Whitney hoped her suspicions were correct. It could be an opportunity to expose Cecilia Orleans, or Cecilia Weston’s true nature.

“Also, I need to send a confidential letter. Is that possible?”

“We can send it anywhere you need.”

“I need to send it to Prince Cheston in the palace.”

The broker’s eyes widened at the mention of Prince Cheston.

When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem

This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Synopsis:

“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”

Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.

Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.

While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the  Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…

Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.

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