After finishing his bath, Carlos headed straight to Ines’s bedroom. Though he had initially thought to see Ines right away when he heard she had returned to the palace, he quickly dismissed the idea.

He worried that his body might still carry the scent of blood after killing someone. So only now, after washing and changing into clean clothes, did he head to the Lily Palace.

As Carlos walked toward the Lily Palace, he stared at the ring on his finger. It was the royal symbol he had taken from Joseph. Wearing this ring was tantamount to silently informing her of Joseph’s death.

As that thought occurred to him, Carlos, who had been quietly staring at the ring, removed it and put it in his pocket. There was no good in letting her know about the death of someone she had once been engaged to, especially in her current condition.

After walking a bit further, Carlos’s brow furrowed as he entered Ines’s bedroom. This was because Ines, who he had expected would come out to greet him, was nowhere to be seen.

Noticing Carlos’s displeasure, Margaret quietly whispered.

“Her Majesty the Queen is quite unwell at the moment.”

Carlos turned his head at Margaret’s words. No matter how ill she had been, Ines would always make an appearance when he came, even if she had to force herself. But for some reason, today she remained firmly in bed, not even showing her hair.

Sensing something was amiss, Carlos strode quickly to the bed. Soon his eyes widened as he saw Ines lying there alone.

“Ines!”

Ines’s body was drenched in cold sweat as she took labored breaths. The startled Carlos hastily placed his hand on her forehead. Thankfully, she had no fever. However…

“Ugh…”

Just from his touch alone, Ines flinched violently and let out a pained groan. Seeing her like this, Carlos’s face contorted as he quickly shouted.

“Call a doctor immediately!”

Margaret, who had been observing the situation, stepped forward.

“A doctor had already visited before Your Majesty arrived.”

“What? Then why is the Queen in this state? Was she given any medicine?”

“Unfortunately, being pregnant, she cannot take any medication. However, the Queen’s symptoms are common among expectant mothers, so there’s no need for great concern.”

But Carlos bit his lip, still unable to feel at ease despite these words. This was because Ines’s complexion was very poor.

Unable to hide his anxiety, he asked again.

“What kind of symptoms could make her suffer like this? She’s in pain from just a touch.”

Margaret, who had by now approached the bed, positioned herself between Ines and Carlos.

“It’s just part of the process of the womb expanding. Please don’t worry too much. However, as you can see, the Queen’s condition isn’t good. So, if I may suggest, it might be better if you visit when Her Majesty is feeling better.”

Her voice was calm, contrasting with Carlos’s agitated tone. Carlos frowned as he watched Margaret.

This was because he saw Margaret pulling the blanket higher up, as if trying to hide something.

Noticing the suspicious circumstance, Carlos pushed Margaret aside. Then he pulled back the blanket that had been covering Ines up to her chin. The wounds that had been hidden by the blanket were now starkly revealed.

“What is this…”

Her ankle appeared broken and was in a splint, and there were bandages wrapped around various parts of her arms and legs. These were not wounds that should be on a queen’s body.

His lips pressed into a thin line as he examined Ines’s body. After being silent, seemingly at a loss for words, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Why is Ines’s body like this?”

His voice was cold enough to freeze the surrounding air. Margaret rolled her eyes as if she hadn’t expected Carlos to react this way.

“Well, that…”

After hesitating for a while, Margaret knelt before Carlos.

“P-please punish me. The truth is, Her Majesty has been suffering from anemia during her pregnancy. Because of this, she has fallen down stairs and collapsed several times, resulting in these injuries. As her lady-in-waiting, I should have taken better care of her… I have committed a grave sin!”

Margaret’s voice was pitiful as she pressed her forehead to the floor. Carlos, who had been glaring at her as if he would kill her, continued.

“Anemia? Why wasn’t I informed earlier about the Queen’s anemia? And if her anemia was severe, she should have stayed in the palace. Didn’t you say she visited Marquis Descartes’s mansion today? What exactly were you doing as the one who should be attending to the Queen?”

“I-I have committed a mortal sin.”

“I don’t want to hear it. Call the doctor immediately. I need to ask what the royal physician has been doing while the Queen’s body has deteriorated to this state.”

Just as his anger was turning toward the doctor, Ines, who had kept her eyes closed until now, grabbed his hand. Startled by the sudden warmth in his hand, Carlos looked down.

“I’m fine… The doctor did nothing wrong. It’s just…”

Ines trailed off as she briefly stared at Margaret. Then she began speaking again.

“…It all happened because I was careless.”

“…”

Carlos, who had been looking back and forth between Ines who was dismissing it as nothing and Margaret who remained kneeling, ordered the maid.

“You, wait outside.”

“What? But…”

Margaret flinched at the sudden dismissal. However, she had no choice but to close her mouth under the man’s murderous gaze.

“Th-then please call for me if you need anything. Your Majesty, and…”

Margaret shifted her gaze to Ines and murmured.

“Your Majesty the Queen.”

As Margaret, who had been staring at Ines with an indecipherable look for a while, stepped outside, Carlos immediately asked Ines.

“There’s no one else in this room but me. So tell me honestly. What’s the real reason you’re injured like this?”

“…”

After a long silence at his question, Ines answered. Her eyes somehow looked uneasy.

“Margaret already told you. These are injuries from falling because of anemia.”

“…Injuries from falling.”

Ha. Carlos let out a hollow laugh as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Do you think that makes sense?”

“…Why wouldn’t it? They’re just injuries from my carelessness.”

Carlos’s brow furrowed deeper when the answer remained the same even after asking again.

“How careless would you have to be for your body to end up like a rag like this?”

His voice sounded as if he was rebuking Ines. She responded with an even more exhausted look than before.

“…If you’re worried about the child, don’t be. The baby is fine.”

“What?”

“What you’re worried about is the baby, isn’t it? The doctor said fortunately the baby is healthy. So you don’t need to worry.”

At her words, Carlos’s gaze shifted downward. Her belly had become quite prominent during his absence. Perhaps now everyone knew about Ines’s pregnancy.

Carlos clenched his fist. He was worried about Ines, but she thought he was only concerned about the child.

His voice rose, angry that she thought of him as a selfish person who only cared about the baby.

“Do you know what you look like right now? If not, look in a mirror now. You’re practically a walking corpse.”

Ines, who had been silently listening to Carlos’s words, bit her lip. Her eyes held a look of injustice. She whispered in a voice so small only Carlos could hear.

“Then you should have granted my request.”

“What?”

“When I said I wanted to go with you, you should have taken me along.”

“What do you…”

To his questioning, Ines turned her back and answered.

“…I don’t feel well. I want to rest. You must be tired too, so go and rest.”

It was an uncharacteristically cold voice from Ines. There was a firmness that suggested she wouldn’t continue any further conversation.

Faced with this unprecedented response, Carlos could only move his lips a few times before having to leave.

* * *

Carlos’s expression was dark as he returned from Ines’s room, feeling as if he had been driven out.

Sitting in his office, tapping his fingers on the desk, he recalled his conversation with the doctor from earlier.

‘There is nothing wrong with Her Majesty’s health. The baby is growing well too. The pain she’s experiencing now is a natural result of the womb expanding.’

According to the doctor, the Queen would often return with injuries on her body when she went out. However, he added that it wasn’t serious as the emergency treatment was excellent and the wounds healed quickly.

“Were they really just injuries from falling?”

If that was true, she must have fallen more than once or twice. The various wounds seemed to be healing at different rates. While one or two falls might be possible, could such repeated injuries make sense?

Moreover.

‘When I said I wanted to go with you, you should have taken me along.’

Ines’s words stuck in his mind like a protruding stone on the ground.

“Something’s not right…”

Both Ines’s condition and somehow even the air flowing through the palace felt strange. Deciding he needed to investigate the situation in detail, Carlos sought out Herman.

Soon after Herman entered the office, Carlos immediately ordered.

“Find out what Ines has been doing while I was away from the palace, what she did when meeting with the Marchioness Descartes. Focus on Ines’s activities and check if there was anything unusual.”

Herman’s body flinched at Carlos’s order. Then, as if knowing something, Herman trailed off.

“Well, that…”

After hesitating for a moment, Herman finally spoke.

“I just heard this myself, but there’s a big rumor circulating in social circles about Her Majesty the Queen.”

“A rumor?”

There had been many rumors surrounding Ines. But why was he being so hesitant now? Carlos’s response was indifferent, not thinking much of it.

At least until he heard Herman’s next words.

“Actually, there’s a rumor going around that Her Majesty the Queen has been enjoying secret meetings with the young Marquis Descartes.”