Chapter 462

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However, Consort Bianca acted as if she didn’t understand human language and insisted on stepping forward.

“Your Majesty, you have just finished giving birth and need to replenish your body. This bird’s nest is stewed by me. Please try it.”

While speaking, she signaled the palace maid next to her to bring the bird’s nest over.

A trace of fear flashed in the palace maid’s eyes, and she braced herself to step forward.

Suddenly, she staggered, and the bird’s nest in her hand splashed straight towards the baby.

At the same time, Natasha screamed, “My baby!”

Just before the soup spilled on the baby’s face, a figure quickly flashed by.

The person blocked the bird’s nest with their body.

Athena frowned at the scalding pain in her back.

The palace maids in the hall were terrified and hurried forward to help her, “Princess Consort, are you alright?”

“Consort Bianca, how dare you try to harm the little princess!” Natasha said angrily and gave the order, “Drag this palace maid down and beat her to death with sticks! Consort Bianca indulged her palace maid in the assassination of the little princess. Confine her in Core Palace and only give her plain water and unpolished rice every day so she can reflect on her actions!”

Consort Bianca did not expect Natasha to be so tough, and she rushed towards her crying, “Your Majesty, I am being wronged! I didn’t mean to! This has nothing to do with me!”

Natasha looked at the frightened and crying baby in her arms, her face so gloomy that water could drip from it.

She looked angrily at Consort Bianca and said coldly, “Whether you have been wronged or not, I know it very well. If you dare to cry injustice again, I will leave this matter to the King to decide.”

Consort Bianca could only shut up.

If the King knew, he would kill her.

She bit her lip hard, her eyes full of lingering fear.

After thanking the Queen, she left quickly.

After she left, Natasha leaned weakly against the head of the bed, but was still worried about Athena. “Athena, how are you?”

Athena shook her head. “I’m fine, but you shouldn’t get angry after just giving birth. You should be clear about their intentions, which is to make you worry. The more you do, the more you will fall into their trap.”

Natasha looked at her with an apologetic face. “I’m sorry, I’ve implicated you.”

“I’m fine, as long as the child is okay.” Athena thought for a while and said, “I’ll have Jessa guard here. Don’t see anyone these days. If anyone breaks in again, let Jessa beat them out.”

Natasha nodded, her eyes full of gratitude. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me between you and me.” Athena looked at the baby’s tender little face, and her heart melted.

She still had injuries on her back, so she didn’t stay long and went back to the mansion.

After Athena returned to the Xander Manor, Alexandra heard that she had been burned and rushed over.

Athena’s clothes were pulled down to her waist, revealing her burned back.

It was swollen and covered in blisters.

Alexandra was both angry and anxious, “How dare those damned people attack even the little princess!”

She wanted to step forward and apply medicine to Athena, but she was afraid of hurting her, and her eyes were red with anxiety. “Does it hurt?”

Alexandra was almost consumed with guilt. When Xander left, he entrusted Athena and her son to her care, and she had made a guarantee.

Seeing that she was about to cry with worry, Athena quickly comforted her. “Alexandra, I’m fine, it’s just a little skin injury.”

“You must not get scars,” said Alexandra.

“Don’t worry, I won’t. Have you forgotten that I am a doctor?”

Hearing her say that, Alexandra was slightly relieved.

Soon after, news came from the palace.

The King was furious about Consort Bianca.

He had her beaten thirty times and demoted to a low-ranking status.

The concubines in the Core Palace were all trembling with fear at the sight of this, and they no longer dared to find fault with the Queen.

Thus, the Core Palace was peaceful for a few days.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and Athena’s injuries had healed.

One afternoon, Athena was accompanying the two little ones, basking in the sun in the courtyard.

Looking at the babbling children in the wet nurse’s arms, her face was full of gentle smiles.

Suddenly, Trina ran in from outside with a face full of joy, shouting as she ran, “Princess Consort, Prince Xander is back! Prince Xander’s troops have arrived at the city gate!”

Athena’s whole body shook when she heard the name Xander.

She stood up abruptly, ignoring the surprised looks of everyone around her, and dashed towards the door.

“Princess Consort, Princess Consort?” Trina followed behind her, hurrying to catch up.

‘Princess Consort is too impatient. Even if she wants to see the King, she has to ride a horse,' Trina thought.

When Athena ran to the door, a tall figure suddenly emerged from the shadows and hugged her tightly without explanation.

The embrace carried the dusty air of the frontier and a faint smell of blood, yet it made her feel incredibly familiar and at ease.

Athena’s body froze instantly. After she calmed down and looked up to see the man’s face, she was completely stunned.

The man before her had hair as disheveled as withered grass, and his face was covered with a thick beard that obscured most of his handsome features.

His armor was also covered in wind, frost, and battle scars, but his eyes remained incredibly sharp.

“Athena,” Xander’s voice was rough and hoarse, but it carried an irrepressible joy. “I’m back.”

Athena looked at him in surprise, feeling both sorry and astonished.

She slowly reached out to touch his face, her eyes full of shock. “They said your troop had just arrived at the city gate. How did you get back so quickly?”

“I couldn’t wait to see you, so I took a shortcut back to the mansion.” Xander’s eyes were full of cunning as he spoke. “The King is going to personally come out of the city to greet us. It will take a long time to finish the procedures. I couldn’t wait.”

Athena was amused and annoyed after hearing this. “No one else ran back to the mansion, only you ran back. Aren’t you afraid that the King will blame you?”

Xander smiled, not caring. “The King won’t blame me.”

As they were talking, Alexandra also came over.

When she saw Xander’s appearance, her brows furrowed together. “Look at what you’ve become. You’re almost a wild man. Go in and wash up quickly. Aren’t you afraid of offending your wife?”

Xander quickly took two steps back, pulled on his sleeve and sniffed it, a look of disgust on his face. “I’ll go wash up now.”

He rushed into the bathroom and didn’t come out until he had been washing for more than an hour.

When he came out again, he had returned to being the handsome and dashing Prince Regent.

His dark hair was half-wet and draped over his shoulders, with water still dripping from the ends.

He wiped himself slowly and deliberately with a plain white cloth, water droplets rolling down his jawline and into his collar, revealing his solid chest muscles.

The previous stains of blood and sweat were completely washed away, replaced by a faint scent of pine wood.

His eyebrows and eyes relaxed as he looked at Athena, with a glimmer of light in his eyes.

Athena looked at him like this, her face reddened, and she said angrily. “What are you doing? Don’t forget the palace banquet, we can’t be late.”

“I know what I’m doing.” Xander strode forward, picked up Athena in one fell swoop, and walked towards the inner room.

When Trina saw this, she hurried out with the maids and closed the door for the two of them.

When Athena woke up, it was an hour later.

She endured the soreness and got up, waking Xander. “Honey, wake up, we are being late for the palace banquet.”

Xander stretched out his long arm and pulled her back into his arms.

He muttered, “What’s so good about the palace banquet? It’s nothing more than eating and drinking. I’ve already asked the King for leave. Let’s sleep.”