The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 188: play games

Chapter 188: play games

Dorothy paused. She wondered who would come looking for her so late at night. But the palace was a safe place, and besides, she was still living in the Crown Prince’s quarters. No one would dare make trouble. Since the queen had tolerated her for so long, Dorothy didn’t think she would make a move at this point.

Especially because of the scene earlier. The Queen would have no choice but to continue to tolerate her for some time.

So she hurried and opened the door.

Standing outside was none other than the king.

"Your Majesty," she said, surprised. She hadn’t expected the king to visit her after the situation that had unfolded at the palace earlier.

"May I come in?" he asked, seeing that she stood in the doorway without letting him through. He felt embarrassed to have sneaked out of the main palace as king, but he knew he had to look at the bigger picture.

He couldn’t give the greedy nobles any reason to question his ability to rule or risk inciting rebellion.

Dorothy quickly moved aside and let the king in. Although she wasn’t happy about how things had turned out earlier, the king was finally visiting her chamber after so long. She would be a fool to throw a tantrum.

"How have you been?" the king asked gently.

"Your Majesty, I’ve been well. I just missed you so much. I thought Your Majesty had forgotten all about me," Dorothy said, lowering her head. She wanted him to know how deeply she missed him.

"Look at what you’re saying. How could I forget you? I’ve just been very busy with no time to spare," Edward explained.

Dorothy felt reassured by his words. She wanted to complain about how he hadn’t trusted her earlier at the palace, but she feared he might grow irritated. Moreover she did not believe he was too busy after all he found the time to eat with the queen daily.

"I understand, Your Majesty. I just wish I were already your official mistress so I could openly take care of you," Dorothy said. She thought this would be a good moment to remind him of his promise.

Edward, hearing this, understood she was becoming anxious.

"I remember my promise, and you will definitely become my mistress. I will protect you well, but the time isn’t right yet. There are many greedy men with their eyes on the throne. Someone was responsible for my father’s death, and that person has yet to be found. I cannot give them any excuse to start a rebellion. So you’ll have to endure a little longer," King Edward explained. He hoped this would ease her worries.

Dorothy frowned. She didn’t understand much about royal politics. After all, she was just a village girl with some knowledge of medicine. After arriving at the palace, she had been studying under the royal physicians. Later, when the prince promised to make her his official mistress after they spent a night together, she had started learning etiquette, not wanting to fall behind.

The tea gathering hosted by Anastasia had also made her determined to improve her poetry and musical skills. So when the king spoke of the delicate matters of court, she couldn’t fully comprehend.

She simply believed he wanted to follow tradition—waiting either for Anastasia to become pregnant or for a year of marriage to pass before taking a mistress. Though she felt this way, she still smiled.

"I’ll wait for Your Majesty," Dorothy said.

King Edward was about to praise her when he noticed her lower her head sadly.

"I’m just afraid that now Your Majesty is so busy, and I can’t see you openly, you might forget me—or the queen might find an excuse to send me away," Dorothy said.

King Edward frowned. Anastasia didn’t seem like the type to play tricks. Otherwise, with today’s incident, she could have used it to request Dorothy’s removal. Yet she had only asked for the prescription and had listened to him.

"What do you mean by ’deal with you’? Has the queen ever hurt you?" he asked, still doubtful.

"No," Dorothy shook her head. "I’m just afraid she might grow angry with me. Like today—it was clearly her maid who didn’t hold the bowl properly, yet she blamed me. What if one day she finds an excuse to send me away—or worse, to kill me?" she said. In truth, she just wanted the king to promise he’d protect her from the queen.

"What nonsense are you saying? It was your word against her personal maid’s. Of course, she’d trust her own servant. You were in the wrong today. The queen let you off only because I was there. Don’t try to play such tricks again," King Edward said. He felt she was treating him like a fool. If Anastasia had really wanted to punish Dorothy, she wouldn’t have let him decide the matter. She would’ve taken action herself, making it difficult for him to intervene.

His late father had praised Lady Maureen for being a virtuous woman who put her husband first. Likewise, although the queen must have heard the rumors from the northern camp, she hadn’t once acted against Dorothy. She was even more tolerant than his own mother had been with his father’s mistress.

"Your Majesty..." Dorothy was stunned. She hadn’t expected the king to mistrust her. She began to cry.

Seeing her cry, the king swallowed the rest of his words. "I’m only saying this for your own good. Don’t play games with the queen. Don’t get yourself into trouble. Even as king, I may not always be able to protect you." He gently wiped her tears.

Dorothy felt bitter, but she realized the king trusted the queen. If she insisted further, she might only push him away. So she swallowed her grievance.

"I will listen to Your Majesty," she said with a faint smile.

King Edward was relieved to see her so obedient.

"Have you eaten?" he asked. Since the incident had happened around dinner, he assumed she hadn’t.

"No," Dorothy replied, shaking her head.

The king immediately ordered food to be sent over. Seeing how much he cared, Dorothy temporarily forgot her displeasure and began to eat. That night, the king stayed with her.

The next morning, he got up early to leave, but Dorothy woke up with a high fever, feeling nauseous and vomiting.

The king panicked. For a moment, he forgot all about keeping a low profile and sent for the royal physician.