At the doctor’s words, Ines blinked slowly.

“Pregnant…?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Congratulations. This is Tezever’s blessing.”

Blessing, pregnancy, congratulations.

These were all words that didn’t seem to suit her. That’s why Ines couldn’t quite grasp it.

Pregnant? Ines’s thoughts turned slowly.

“…When you examined me a few days ago, you didn’t say anything about this?”

She had been examined by the doctor just four days ago. There had been no mention of it then, so how could she suddenly be pregnant?

To her question, the doctor explained what had happened.

“Yes, actually, when I took your pulse last time, I faintly felt the pregnancy pulse, but since you were so weak at the time, I didn’t dare mention it.”

It was a matter of caution, as mistakenly announcing the queen’s pregnancy could cost a doctor his head.

“I apologize. I should have at least warned you to be careful with your body…”

He bowed deeply, appearing remorseful. The thought of something happening to the baby seemed to terrify him.

“…I understand for now. I think I need some time alone to think…”

“Yes. Of course. If you feel even slightly unwell, please call for me at any time. Then…”

As the door closed, Ines quietly looked down at her belly. She still felt dazed.

Her stomach was so flat that it was hard to believe she was carrying a child. It was amazing to think that Carlos’s and her child was in there.

‘I’m pregnant?’

Could it really be true that she was carrying a child?

Her heart began to pound.

Then suddenly, her recent dream flashed through her mind.

The dream where warm light was absorbed into her body.

‘Could that have been…’

Could it have been a prophetic dream?

That dream that had been so pleasant, sweet, and peaceful. It was a happiness she thought would never exist in her life.

Ines gently stroked her belly.

“…Did you come to visit me in my dream?”

Perhaps the child had greeted her first in her dream. She had heard that in the East, women often had such prophetic dreams before giving birth.

She kept stroking her belly repeatedly, still seeming unable to believe this situation.

Somehow, she felt like she might burst into tears.

* * *

At the same time.

Carlos, perched on his desk, snapped his fingers while recalling what had happened at the chapel.

The sight of people attacking Ines in their frenzy. It was truly shocking.

He looked down at his hand, head bowed.

Though he had changed clothes and washed, he felt like he could still smell the rotten tomatoes.

At first, he thought the red on Ines’s body was blood.

He truly felt his heart drop.

‘That woman committed adultery!’

The woman’s screaming voice echoed in his mind. That was what Ines would hear when Joseph’s letter was revealed to the world.

Lost in thought, Carlos clenched his fist. Then he asked Herman, who was standing nearby.

“Are you certain that those at the chapel didn’t know Ines was the queen?”

“Yes. They all seemed to think she was the daughter of a noble or wealthy merchant. She deliberately used a common carriage and dressed modestly to conceal her identity. She even wore a veil to cover her face in case of any situation. Thanks to that, it seems no one knew she was the queen.”

“Still, be extra careful. It’ll be troublesome if word gets out.”

“Yes, understood.”

Just as Carlos was giving orders to Herman, a knight’s voice announced that he had brought the priest. His expression instantly hardened.

“Send him in.”

Michael, practically dragged in by the knights, knelt before him. Michael addressed Carlos with an angry voice.

“You cannot do this to me! I am a man of God who serves the Cretian faith. Even if you are the king, how dare you treat me like this!”

Though he was the king of a nation, it was considered sacrilegious for a follower of the Cretian faith to treat a priest this way. However, Carlos spoke in a cold voice, as if he could no longer show Michael the respect due to a priest.

“The maid tells me you came to the Lily Palace on your own.”

“T-that’s because Her Majesty the Queen asked to see me the other day…”

“She was quite surprised when you showed up without any prior appointment.”

Not stopping there, Carlos threw a bag at him. It was the bag Michael had been carrying when he tried to leave the palace earlier.

“You extorted this well from the queen.”

Inside was also the necklace he had prepared as a gift for Ines.

“T-that was given to me as an offering with the meaning of atonement.”

“As an offering?”

“Yes…!”

“Not because you threatened to reveal the letter if she didn’t give you offerings?”

At Carlos’s words, Michael strongly waved his hands in denial.

“Absolutely not! How dare you suggest I would blackmail Her Majesty the Queen!”

“The priest who was with you earlier already confessed everything. You tried to extort money from the queen using the letter as leverage, and when that didn’t work, you threatened her to perform prayers of atonement.”

Learning that the priest had betrayed him, Michael bit his lip. Watching the priest, Carlos murmured in a chilling voice.

“I will demand a trial from the temple for the crime of threatening the queen.”

“P-please, anything but that…!”

If that happened, he would never be able to aim for the position of High Priest again.

Michael tried to plead with Carlos to prevent the trial at all costs.

But at that moment, Jeff entered the room and whispered something in Carlos’s ear. Carlos’s face hardened as he heard Jeff’s words.

Then, exhaling deeply, he twisted the corner of his mouth.

“Just now, another crime has been added to your charges.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Attempted murder of a royal family member.”

Suddenly hearing about attempted murder, Michael shouted at these terrible words.

“Attempted murder?! I never…!”

“The queen is pregnant.”

“What…?”

“So it’s attempted murder of a royal family member.”

Michael’s face filled with horror.

“Because of you, my child almost died.”

His red eyes were chilling, as if they could strangle the priest. This was an incomparably more serious crime than threatening the queen. It was a matter that could cost him not just his position, but his life.

Feeling the danger, Michael shouted.

“T-that child might not be Your Majesty’s!”

“What?”

“She spent the night with the former king until the day before the wedding. It hasn’t been that long since the rebellion. If during that time, Her Majesty had been concealing her pregnancy…”

“Shut up.”

However, Carlos firmly cut off his words.

Then, rising to his feet, Carlos ordered.

“I’ve changed my mind. Rather than a temple trial, I shall personally judge you for violating Tezever’s laws.”

“W-what do you mean…”

“Even the Pope won’t be able to say much when he learns you’re an attempted murderer of the royal family. If it comes to it, we can easily resolve this by sending an offering to the temple with our respects.”

At Carlos’s words, the priest’s face turned pale.

“W-wait a moment! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

However, Carlos left the room as if he didn’t want to hear any more excuses.

Afterward, Carlos headed straight to the Lily Palace. His face showed confusion throughout the journey to see Ines.

‘T-that child might not be Your Majesty’s!’

Annoyingly, those words kept echoing in his mind.

What was more infuriating was that he couldn’t completely deny it.

‘The timing is not good.’

Not much time had passed since the rebellion. Meanwhile, Joseph’s letter claiming he had shared a bed with Ines until the day before the wedding could raise unnecessary suspicions among the subjects.

Could the child in the queen’s womb actually be the former king’s?

Such suspicions, that is. Hadn’t even the priest tried to unsettle him with such words?

Quietly grinding his teeth, he ordered Herman who was beside him.

“From today, double the guard force at the Lily Palace. Make sure news of Ines’s pregnancy doesn’t spread.”

“Yes.”

“Check all food entering the queen’s palace for anything suspicious. Change all tableware to silver. Or assign a maid to taste the food before the queen eats.”

“Understood.”

Carlos’s face was dark as he gave these orders. Once Ines’s pregnancy became known, there was no telling what the nobles who were eyeing the queen’s position might do.

Weren’t they the kind of people who would even drug the king’s wine to have their daughters carry the king’s seed? Because they couldn’t know what dangers might be lurking, they had to block all potentially threatening elements in advance.

“However…”

Herman trailed off as if he had something to say.

“What is it?”

“But might the priest’s words have some merit? The possibility that Her Majesty might be carrying Joseph’s child rather than Your Majesty’s.”

“…”

“Think about it – for some time after the rebellion, she couldn’t even eat properly. I heard she was frequently vomiting too. Moreover, I’ve heard that in the case of already thin women, their bellies sometimes show late. If Her Majesty is such a case…”

With those words, Carlos’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

“Herman.”

Under the glare directed at him, Herman finally bowed his head.

“I apologize, Your Majesty…”