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    Next came the evening banquet. Yuvan arrived with Molly and Fiona. After greeting Victoria and Kylie, he exchanged pleasantries with the other nobles.


    From Harvey''s side, only Heather came. She mentioned that Harvey had caught a chill in December and hadn''t fully recovered yet. Victoria expressed her concern and ordered some precious herbs to be sent for his recovery.


    At thevish banquet, Rafael sat beside Carissa. He picked out the dishes she loved, while willingly epting the ones she disliked and pushed aside.


    Seeing this, Kylie suddenly smiled and said, "The prince and his princess consort are truly affectionate.


    Kendrick and Adide looked up, thinking she was referring to them, but soon realized Kylie was speaking about Rafael and Carissa. They exchanged nces.


    Salvador cast a cursory nce their way but said nothing. However, when he raised his ss, he shot a cold look at Kylie.


    Carissa sensed a hint of jealousy in the queen and remarked, "With such a deep bond between His and Her Majesties, it''s only natural for us to follow suit."


    Kylie smiled faintly and remained silent. The burden she carried was hers alone to bear. The affection between Salvador and her was merely for show, while he truly favored Sylvia.


    If Salvador had treated her even half as well as he did Sylvia, Kylie wouldn''t have felt the need to pressure her son so much. The issue of session was supposed to be straightforward, but with Salvador''s favoritism toward Sylvia, there was always the risk of him fathering another son.


    If that happened, how could Kylia not strategize for her child?


    Lost in her tumultuous thoughts, she suddenly noticed a pce maid approaching with a cup of medicine for Sylvia.


    The maid softly said, "Your Grace, it''s time to drink your prenatal tonic."


    Kylie''s head spun at the news, her eyes shing with sharp light, but she quickly masked her reaction with a feigned smile. "Sylvia, you''re pregnant? Why didn''t anyone inform me of such wonderful news?"


    Sylvia''s face was delicate, and there was a hint of radiance now that she was pregnant. She looked up with a smile and said, "I didn''t inform you earlier as the pregnancy was unstable, Your Majesty. Please forgive me."


    Kylie chuckled. "What''s there to forgive? This is joyous news! You''re contributing to the royal line. I should reward you instead."


    "Thank you, Your Majesty." Sylvia remained seated, simply offering her thanks.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    The subtle tension between Kylie and Sylvia was something only women could sense. Still, since this was a joyous asion, everyone raised their sses to congratte Salvador and Sylvia, as well as Victoria, on the prospect of another royal child.


    Once the toast was finished, Salvador smiled and said, "Tonight''s family banquet is a rxed affair. Feel free to enjoy yourselves without restraint."


    Yet, his smile didn''t reach his eyes. He wasn''t pleased that Sylvia had made her pregnancy public without prior notice. It was something he hadn''t even shared with Victoria.


    As the queen was in charge of the inner pce, Kylie should have been informed before anyone else. Sylvia''sck of respect for that duty irked him. While he cared for her, he couldn''t overlook her breach of propriety, especially in front of so many royal rtives. He felt it was disrespectful to Kylie, and the public nature of Sylvia''s announcement only amplified his displeasure.


    Kylie''s deration that she was unaware of Sylvia''s condition didn''t help matters. In the wake of such news, she


    should have offered some guidance on nutrition and prenatal care instead of highlighting Sylvia''s failure to inform her.


    As Salvador''s mood shifted, tension settled over the room, leaving everyone momentarily at a loss for words.


    At such gatherings, Helen typically preferred silence, speaking only when provoked by her rivals among the concubines. So, she simply indulged in the food and savored every bite. Among all the guests, she alone feasted with such abandon.


    Victoria shot her a nce. Perhaps being a little oblivious had its perks.


    After observing Helen for a while, Victoria then turned her gaze to Kylie and Sylvia. Those two had been subtly shing for some time. Their private skirmishes were one thing, but today was the New Year''s Eve banquet. With so many royal rtives present, their willingness to reveal their little schemes was tantamount to dismissing Victoria''s authority.


    However, she chose not to confront them for now. After all, such asions called for joy and celebration. During the meal, Hayden turned to Yuvan and asked, "How is Ruth''s health? Has there been any improvement?'' "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Hayden. Mom has shown some signs of recovery," Yuvan replied. Hayden nodded. "That''s good to hear. Your trip back to care for her hasn''t gone to waste. I''m only realizing now that you''re quite the dutiful son."


    Although it sounded like apliment, there was a strange underlying tone that caught the attention of the others at the table.