A second chance with my billionaire husband

Chapter 1338 - 258: Death Flower on the Other Side of the Yellow Springs (Second Update)

The Queen did not like noise, she needed absolute silence, so the entire palace was devoid of any sound, so quiet that the drop of a pin could be heard.

However, whenever night deepened, the palace seemed to echo with desperate, despairing screams, like the wails of a vengeful ghost, chilling to the bone. Some said it was the revenge of a ghost, others claimed it was the Queen’s caged pet, rumors shrouding this palace and its master with a mysterious and sinister aura.

The elevator opened slowly, and out stepped a voluptuous blonde beauty with enchanting waves of hair and mesmerizing eyes, a brief glint of sharpness flashing in them, yet what people always noticed was her seductive and captivating exterior.

The servant saw her and immediately stepped back respectfully, lowering her head in deference.

This was General Gianna, the Queen’s confidante, only she and General Gal could freely enter and exit the fifth floor.

Gal walked over, and Gianna smiled, sauntering towards him with sensual allure that any man would find irresistible.

"Something like this happened, and you still have the nerve to face the Queen? She’s very angry, how can a leader like you keep the Queen’s position stable? Or are you... just like Fred? Wanting to overthrow the Queen?" Her eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing past.

Gal snorted coldly, "You can say whatever you want, words are your own. There’s an old saying in Country Hua, the innocent will clear themselves. The Queen will believe in my innocence, unlike some, who leap up and down to sow discord, simply ridiculous. Who is loyal and who is treacherous, I believe the Queen will have her decision."

With that, he didn’t spare Gianna another glance and walked briskly towards the elevator.

The servant lowered her head even more, praying that these celestial battles wouldn’t involve them, the insignificant servants...

Gianna watched Gal’s back coldly, her lips curling, "Who is loyal, who is treacherous? Let time tell."

Just as she was about to leave, something occurred to her, and her gaze fell on a certain room on the second floor. She frowned slightly and asked, "Still not awake?"

The questioned servant looked overwhelmed with shock and quickly shook her head to recover.

Servants working in the palace had their tongues cut out, rendering them unable to speak.

Gianna squinted and took the stairs to the second floor, standing before the room, peeking inside.

Soft white curtains fluttered gently, dream-like in their beauty, and on the large bed lay a young boy.

The boy’s eyes were closed, appearing to sleep, with a face peaceful and pure. His skin was as pale as if translucent, features exquisitely beautiful, a boy of natural endowment. One wondered how stunning it might be if he opened his eyes.

Gianna took one look, her brow furrowed; regarding the boy’s identity, although the Queen had never spoken, she had suspicions.

Numerous doctors had been consulted, yet none could diagnose the cause. The boy remained in a comatose state for two years, never awakening.

Gianna sighed regretfully, about to leave when she saw the elevator open on the first floor, with Gal stepping out, his face grim.

Gianna coldly laughed, pursuing him quickly, and called out in the plaza before the grand hall, "The Queen chased you out, didn’t she."

Gal was too lazy to engage with her and was about to leave, when Gianna taunted, "At this time each year, the Queen’s mood sours—I warned you."

"And so?" Gal turned to the side, his profile cold and stern.

Gianna approached, her steps sensuous, "So you’re running headfirst into trouble, if you die, where will I find such a worthy opponent again? So, I don’t particularly hope for your death at the Queen’s hands."

Gal sneered dismissively, "Who gave you such confidence?"

Gianna sighed, "Fred is merely a fuse. Your subordinate created such a mess, as the direct leader you bear unshirkable responsibility. The Queen is naturally suspicious, you are naturally at the top of her list, but we counterbalance each other. Though the Queen suspects you, until she finds an alternative, she won’t easily act against you."

Gal cast her a glance, and both saw a kinship in each other’s eyes.

How much better off was she than Gal? Both were just pawns to the Queen; if one day the Queen found a superior replacement for her, her fate wouldn’t be much better than Vlad’s. Her sole means of self-preservation lay in her loyalty.

She understood better than anyone how ruthless, how powerful that person truly was, how many mysterious forces she controlled. Even her so-called confidante knew not, and each layer of understanding brought with it another layer of fear.

These truths were not lost on Gal; he was simply too weary to ponder them. "If the Queen overheard this, you know what awaits?"

Gianna smirked, "I know you won’t."

"Won’t?" Gal sneered, "You truly underestimate me." With that, he departed in large strides.

"Oh, that idiot Hans gave you a great gift, can’t you wait?" she teased, with a tone almost sour.

All these years, though their rivalry was apparent, both knew it was a necessary strategy. Should they grow too close, suspicions from the Queen would arise, a union of two military powers directly threatening her authority.

Gal chuckled coldly, "You’d best recognize your own identity." With that, he swiftly departed.

Gianna watched as Gal disappeared into the distance, looking up at the sky. Here, the stars and moon were incredibly bright, as if within reach of a single hand...

This time each year, the Queen’s mood would deteriorate, because on the distant other side of the sea, in that ancient land, it was a festival of family reunion, while on this isolated island, within that cold palace, there was one who was alone, roaming reflexively...

She was a queen, but first, a woman.

Night moved quietly, the grand hall’s silence inducing a chill, the elevator on the fifth floor slowly welcomed a figure. A robe trailed behind, drawing a long arc into the plush flower-patterned carpet, exuding a certain aloof majesty in the solitude.

The elevator slowly paused on the second floor, the person entered a room and stood in front of the bed, looking at the boy lying there.

Moonlight traced the eye’s edge, lifting a trace of chill.

Pale, slender fingers gently caressed the boy’s sleeping face, as cold and clammy as a serpent creeping up. Even in unconsciousness, the boy seemed to sense it, his brows knitting slightly.

"Heh..." A scornful laugh suddenly echoed, shivering the chamber with desolation.

With a flick of the sleeve, she departed.

The elevator descended slowly to the underground level.

This was a dark, eerie underground prison, cold, damp, terrifying...

She walked by without glancing sideways, her back seemingly graced by the blooms of sinister Mandrake flowers, opening and closing florid, decadent petals at her feet, those were the blossoms of death on the other side of the Yellow Springs...

Darkness receded step by step behind her, leaving only those serene, distant eyes eternal in silence.

"I’ve come to see you, dear ones. How have you been faring lately?"

...