ra's

ten seconds, her intelligent, calculating eyes try

the servant only a cursory glance before speaking to her personal ma

sbelief, clearly expecting more f

wer and appearances above all else. Between a servant and a Duchess who sec

n away, the cavernous drawing room fe

ragon's-breath flower tea, and blew gently on the surface. "Now," she said slo

th perfect composure, without a single

up with a soft clink and sighed. "Aurora, I know you have been

significance on my abdomen. "You have been in this family for a year, yet y

elentless pressure

tly resurfaced. I remembered the endless, humiliating parade of physicians. I remembered forcing down bowl after bowl of vile, scalding f

he cruelest

finally learned the truth: the daily "health tonics" Gideon had so lovingly insisted I

ed I could never bear his child, all while standing by

of grief threatened to pull me under. The ghost of the old Aurora writhed in agony, devastated by the realization of how thoro

y palms until the sharp p

o

ast. The old Aurora was dead, and the woman standing here would not be their victim

and arranged my features into a flawles

am also very worried. But..." I let my voice trail off,

eacup pausing halfway

ned wife. "It is just that... a child requires the strength of both h

owed. "What are you

t. "But the pressures of his duties must be taking a severe toll on his... vitality. His visits to my ch

sessed with the powerful, flawless image of the Carlisle men, t

developed a new, highly potent warming potion, specifically designed to restore male vigor and cure inadequacies in the bed

ions was tantamount to announcing to the entire kingdom that the heir to the Carli

violently that her teacup rattled against its s

right. "Mother, I only wish to

as not the meek, desperate girl she could easily manipulate. She wanted to lash out, but I held a terrifying trum

my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Perhaps t

ion of Gideon's personal wing-where he was likely still comforting his

y aware of her son's blatant affair, but had chosen to turn a blind eye. Now, I had su

nor waved a dismissive hand. "You may

y movements fluid and grac

st wing into the sunlit corridor, I came face to face wi