Chapter 404

Arthur sensed something amiss and immediately summoned the imperial physician to check Natasha’s pulse.

Soon enough, the imperial physician arrived with his medical kit.

After a moment, the imperial physician withdrew his hand and hurriedly reported to Arthur, “Your Majesty, Lady Natasha is with child.”

Upon hearing the physician’s words, Arthur was pleasantly surprised, while the Queen’s expression darkened instantly.

She had gone to great lengths to arrange two concubines for Fermin, yet not one of them had conceived.

Natasha looked frail and thin, yet, of all things, her womb proved fertile.

The Queen was so angry that her smile nearly faltered from sheer envy.

Arthur sprang to his feet, eyes alight with excitement. He asked urgently, “Can this be confirmed?”

Everyone knew how much Arthur longed for his sons to have heirs, and most assumed Fermin would be the first to have a child.

Yet to everyone’s surprise, it was Evander who beat him to it.

Evander felt completely dazed, his mind a total blank.

‘Just that one time with Natasha… and it took?’ he thought, bewildered.

He stole a glance at Natasha, only to see that she looked ready to strangle him.

Startled, Evander quickly averted his gaze, but his eyes kept drifting back to her belly.

His mind was filled with images of chubby, cute babies.

Natasha felt like crying, but no tears would come. Her heart seethed with frustration.

But she couldn’t let it show. Forcing a smile, she was screaming inside. ‘I’m going to have a baby… God, I’m going to have a baby!’

Athena couldn’t help but feel genuinely delighted for Natasha. She exchanged a glance with Xander, whose gaze lingered on her with profound tenderness.

Just then, the Queen’s gaze fell upon Athena.

She couldn’t stand the sight of Athena and Xander’s affectionate display. To divert the King’s attention, she feigned concern and asked pointedly, “Athena has been married for quite some time now. Why is there still no sign of a child?”

As she spoke, her eyes flickered meaningfully toward Athena’s belly, the derision in her gaze barely contained.

Arthur had been about to reprimand Fermin, but after hearing the Queen’s words, he turned to Athena.

“Athena is rather delicate. I’m sure good news is around the corner. Why rush her?” Arthur said.

Then, with an imperious wave of his hand, he ordered the imperial physician, “Go and check Athena’s pulse as well.”

Athena and Xander exchanged a worried glance. ‘Damn it,’ they both thought, ‘there’s no hiding the pregnancy now.’

The imperial physician approached Athena, bowed respectfully, and said, “Please extend your wrist, Your Highness.”

Athena reluctantly held out her hand. As the physician placed his fingers on her pulse, his brows immediately knitted together.

His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Athena.

As if doubting his initial assessment, he carefully rechecked her pulse.

The imperial physician was highly skilled and a master of gynecology.

He could tell with near certainty, just by checking the pulse, whether an imperial consort was carrying a prince or princess.

The imperial physician’s unusually hesitant behavior made the Queen feel nervous again.

She deliberately adopted an artificially loud tone and declared, “Speak your mind freely. There are no outsiders present.”

Her words dripped with malice, clearly intended to humiliate Athena.

‘After all, with all those years spent in the military camp, Athena must be barren by now,’ the Queen thought.

“Speak freely. We grant you immunity,” Arthur declared. He was already aware of Athena’s condition, so the thought of her being pregnant had never even crossed his mind.

After all, as the rumor said, Athena was barren and unlikely to conceive.

The imperial physician, feeling the mounting pressure, wiped the sweat from his face before finally turning to Arthur and the Queen. “Your Majesties, Lady Athena, she…”

All eyes in the room were fixed on the physician, waiting with bated breath.

He swallowed hard, then continued, “She is with child. And if my diagnosis is correct, she’s carrying twins, a boy and a girl.”

A stunned silence fell over the room. Even the usually composed Winona shot to her feet in shock. “A boy and a girl? Are you certain you’re not mistaken?”

The Queen also thought, ‘Twins are already rare enough, but Athena is carrying a boy and a girl. What an incredible blessing!’

Her face turned ashen as she struggled to hold back her tears.

‘Everyone else is pregnant, yet my son’s household remains barren. A boy and a girl! How does Athena get all the luck?’ she thought bitterly.

She was green with envy.

Arthur was equally stunned. He glanced at Xander, only to find him utterly shocked and completely dumbfounded.

‘A boy and a girl! How could he be so lucky?’ Arthur thought.

Xander seemed to snap out of his daze and pressed the physician urgently, “Are you sure? A boy and a girl for real?”

“Your Highness,” the imperial physician replied with palpable pride, “I’d stake my head on it. Without a doubt, they are a boy and a girl.” When it came to gynecology, if he claimed second place, no one would dare claim first.

He was the one who determined the gender of every young prince and princess in the palace, just by checking their mothers’ pulses.

‘But boy-girl twins are truly rare,’ the imperial physician thought. ‘What an extraordinary blessing!’

Arthur fell silent, his face burning with embarrassment.

‘How is this possible? Wasn’t Athena supposed to be barren? How could she end up so fertile?’ he wondered in disbelief.

Had he known she could conceive, Arthur would never have agreed to let Xander marry her.

‘Now with the Monson family backing Athena, if she teams up with Xander…. That’s terrifying,’ Arthur thought.

Xander seemed to intuit Arthur’s thoughts. He immediately bowed to Arthur and called out, “Your Majesty, Athena is pregnant. Once she gives birth, I wish to depart at once for my fiefdom to guard the border for you. I earnestly request your permission.”

These words brought immense relief to Arthur.

He thought, ‘With Xander currently holding no military command, his voluntary departure to his remote fiefdom will significantly reduce the threat he poses.’

‘The fiefdom is so far-flung that, even if he wishes to return, it will not be easy.

‘Especially since his fief is Grimshire, right next to tribal lands, where raiders are a constant nuisance. With Xander holding the territory, even the savages will think twice before causing trouble.’

Arthur put on a show of regret and said, “How sudden this is, Xander. You know I never intended to send you to such a remote frontier…”

Had Xander not been intimately familiar with Arthur’s true colors, he might’ve bought that convincing act.

“Athena and my mother also wish to relocate to Grimshire. We’ve made our decision, so I humbly request your permission,” Xander said.

“Please grant us this favor, Your Majesty,” Athena added, her voice clear.

The Queen’s heart settled with relief, thinking, ‘This neatly eliminated the threat of Xander.

‘As for Athena, good riddance. Boy-girl twins? She may be lucky enough to conceive them, but she’ll never live to deliver. Twin births are notoriously dangerous, with sky-high mortality rates. With her frail constitution, that woman’s been halfway to the grave since the moment she got pregnant.’

Convinced Athena was doomed to die, the Queen’s words to Athena carried an uncharacteristic honesty. She cooed, “Oh, I shall dearly miss you, Athena. After you depart for the fiefdom, who will keep me company in my lonely hours?”

Last time Athena entered the palace, the Queen gave her a poisoned bracelet.

‘How sincere could the Queen possibly be?’ Athena thought.

She’d never forgotten the poisoned gift.

So today, when she heard the Queen’s veiled sarcasm again, Athena didn’t hesitate to retort, “Your Majesty, you need not worry. With numerous consorts in the Core Palace, surely many would be honored to keep your company if you so desire.”

As expected, the Queen’s expression darkened as if thunder were about to strike.

She gritted her teeth, forcing out a hypocritical smile. “Athena, you’re still so considerate as ever.”

“Your Majesty, you set the standard for the entire Core Palace,” Athena replied, her tone laced with deceptive humility. “Naturally, I must strive to learn from your example.”