The Queen sat quietly in the garden. It had been a while since she had truly been alone. The air was colder than usual, but that didn't stop her from freezing. She raised a cup of hot tea to her lips and drank it all in one gulp, even though her tongue burned.

"I never thought this would happen." The queen glanced at the nearby plant where a rare flower had recently been planted. It had once blossomed so brightly that everyone admired it. But now, the flower had withered and its petals had turned brown.

"I should have protected you better." The queen put down her teacup and sighed softly. When she first entered the palace, no one protected her. Everyone did their best, hoping she would wither and die. But look at her situation now.

"But, isn't this too unfair?"

She sat there with nothing to do, and finally stood up. The queen walked to the flower and stretched out her hand to pick off the withered petal.

"But you're already living a much better life than me." She plucked the petals and crushed them with her hands.

The Queen suppressed a sigh and gazed down at the exotic flowers around her. While beautiful, the flowers around her could never compare to the brilliance of her enemies. "The palace is not a place where flowers like us can bloom without worry."

She touched the stem. “Foreign lands, foreign waters…”

The Queen plucked the flower from its stem. She glanced down at the flower, her eyes filled with regret. "You'd be better off blooming somewhere else."

Mrs. Gablening stormed through the corridors, cursing and complaining under her breath. "These damned women! They all hurried off, doing nothing more than making excuses about being busy today. In reality, most of the maids had nothing to do."

"It's useless, they are all useless!" She gritted her teeth and whispered to herself sternly.

Mrs. Ge Beining thought Xu Jiaqi must be much smarter. "How could she have won the favor of the prince before if she was so stupid? Was it just luck?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. "I always trust the wrong people."

Mrs. Ge Bening sighed helplessly, closed her eyes tightly, and tried to calm herself down.

"That's not like you," she scolded herself.

Lady Gebening looked up. She was a maid, the Queen's favorite, and one of the most beautiful women in the land. Yet, she refused to bow her head for such a trivial matter. If this happened, how could she wear the crown? How could she ever ascend the throne?

Most of the time, the odds were on her side. "This must be a test from God," she thought.

"If everything went according to my wishes, it would be too boring... That's why I was tested by that unqualified Crown Princess."

Mrs. Ge Bening crossed her arms. She had seen the Crown Princess's abilities before, so what? "Not only am I good at archery, I'm also proficient in embroidery and other women's skills."

Mrs. Gerberning constantly comforted herself with these words, reminding her of who she really was—a woman destined to succeed.

Otherwise, how could she be born in such a privileged environment and have such a beautiful face? A woman like her can have whatever she wants.

"Now, stop feeling sorry for yourself," she told herself sternly. "It's time to face the Queen..."

She took a step forward, her previous resolve crumbling. Without hesitation, she shattered her confidence. In the distance, a man caught her eye. And not just any man, but the man who could destroy her reputation with just a few words.

"Why do we meet him now?" Mrs. Ge Bening cried out somewhat disappointedly.

Mrs. Ge Bening quickly looked around, trying to find a place to hide. She was in no mood to entertain such a cunning pervert.

He was old and had many grandchildren, but this did not prevent his frivolous eyes from greedily capturing everything about women. Women were clearly wearing clothes, but in his eyes, they seemed naked.

"I have such bad luck today," she grumbled, realizing there was nowhere to escape. It was an open corridor, and the only way out was to turn around the corner.

Mrs. Ge Bening did not delay any longer. She hurriedly lifted up her heavy skirt and turned around, but it was too late. He had already seen her beautiful figure, which was pleasing to the eye even from a distance.

His voice, stern yet gentle, echoed from one end of the corridor to the other.

"Oh, isn't this Mrs. Ge!" He greeted her loudly, making her stop.

"I'm so lucky today!" he added, walking quickly towards the beautiful, mature girl, whose face and figure were sweeter than any fruit he had ever tasted. Unfortunately, he couldn't bite her.

But considering the number of favors he's bestowed, it's only a matter of time.

"Where are you going, Miss Ge, on such a nice evening?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

Mrs. Ge Bening turned slowly, suppressing her surprise, her eyes widening slightly. The moment she saw him, she felt a wave of disgust, a hint of disgust almost curling around her lips. Just being near him was more painful than witnessing what had happened to Xu Jiaqi.

Even now, he was still undressing her with his gooey eyes. His attention drifted to her ample breasts, neatly wrapped in the high-end clothes. How could such a cute little thing not have suitors?

His breathing became heavy, and a familiar feeling surged in his groin. But she diverted his attention, moving her beautiful lips, as if to say something.

"I am on my way to see the Queen," she answered him in a confident and bold voice.

Mrs. Ge Bening shuddered with nausea. She felt sorry for the women under his command. He hadn't hesitated to stare at her like she was fresh meat, even in public. She suddenly felt disgusted by the clothes she was wearing. Now that he actually approved of it, Mrs. Ge Bening wanted to burn her Hanfu.

"Yes, yes, Her Majesty must be very anxious to see you, as any one would be." He laughed heartily, as if his own words amused him.

"Please, I'll get angry if you say that." Mrs. Ge Bening didn't even want to breathe next to him. The air was polluted by him.

"Ha! Miss Ge, you must receive compliments like this every day. Don't be so shy, we are good friends, aren't we?"

Mrs. Gablening would rather jump off a cliff than be friends with him. Especially when he looked at her with such a meaningful look. My God, this man was only a few years older than her father, even if he were still alive.

"Of course." Mrs. Ge Bening mused.

"Ah, Mrs. Ge, you don't even call me by my title," he chuckled. "Are we too familiar with each other to call each other by my title?"

Mrs. Ge Bening dug her fingers into her palm and almost slapped him. This delusional guy!

"I'm sorry..." she said softly, forcing a smile. "Something went wrong just now. I was upset and couldn't be with you... Your Majesty..."

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