The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 211: Regret

Chapter 211: Regret

Dorothy had already prepared herself to fall when someone caught her.

She took a deep breath of relief. After all, she hadn’t forgotten the nanny’s words—this child in her womb was her only ticket to stay alive, so she had to do everything to protect it.

In the past month, the king had visited her courtyard only three times. The first time, he asked her directly if she had tampered with the queen’s medicine. The moment she denied it, he got up and left.

The second time, he actually listened to her.

"Your Majesty, I would never dare do something like that. Please investigate. I believe you’ll find the truth... The queen must hate me because you—"

She was still crying when the king stopped her.

"Do not bring up the queen. Why would she ruin herself just to frame you?" King Edward asked. He could still remember Anastasia’s clear eyes. But seeing Dorothy cry so bitterly, he still moved to comfort her. He spent over an hour with her before returning to the main palace.

Dorothy remained uneasy after that visit, especially as the king didn’t return again until a few days ago. The royal celebration was approaching, and the king seemed to be in good spirits. He appeared to believe her claims that she hadn’t harmed the queen. He even promised again to make her his official mistress after a few years.

"It’s better to wait until the queen gets pregnant and gives birth," the king said. "By then, this situation will be long forgotten."

Hearing that there was still a chance to become the king’s official mistress, Dorothy was quite pleased. She thanked the king and couldn’t help but express her desire to attend the royal celebration.

"No," the king refused immediately.

"Your Majesty, I have to stay in this place all day. I’m getting frustrated. I come from a humble background—I just want to see more of the world and broaden my knowledge," she said pitifully.

The king fell into deep thought. Eventually, after much pleading, he agreed.

"I’ll ask the servants to let you into the banquet. But remember—you must not appear before the queen," he instructed.

Thrilled by the permission, Dorothy thanked him again.

Although the king had not spent the night in her courtyard during any of his three visits, the mere fact that he came brought her relief. Even the servants had grown more respectful—at the very least, they now hid their disdain well.

The nanny by her side reminded her, "Although you have the king’s favor, without the child in your womb, the queen could deal with you however she pleases. My lady, you must be careful."

Dorothy took those words to heart. She still believed Anastasia had set her up, and so she remained wary of the queen.

When she arrived at the banquet hall, she was delighted. She was shown to her seat and felt very proud.

There was no shortage of minor nobles in the royal city, and the king had arranged for her to sit among them. No matter how sharp Anastasia’s eyes were, she wouldn’t be able to spot Dorothy from that distance. These lesser nobles dared not cause trouble in the palace, so the king believed it was safe.

He felt he had done a good job pleasing both women.

But Dorothy’s happiness lasted only until the king entered with the queen. Bitterness surged in her chest. How could a woman as vicious as Anastasia walk side by side with the king, while she had to hide in a corner of the hall?

She blamed Anastasia for everything. If not for her schemes, Dorothy thought, she would already be the king’s official mistress. And even if she couldn’t stand beside him, she would at least be seated in a better position.

Her heart filled with resentment. She wanted to cause trouble for Anastasia but also feared the king’s anger.

When the celebration was divided between the men and women, she followed the other women out of the hall. But she hesitated—what if the queen could still see her? She decided to return to the hall. With Anastasia now gone, at least the king would be able to see her.

As she moved toward the door closest to the main seating area, she unexpectedly bumped into someone.

"Physician Dorothy," General Ernest said, withdrawing his hands. He regretted helping her. If he had known it was Dorothy, he would have let her fall.

A little tumble wouldn’t have killed her—at most, she’d be bedridden for a few days.

"Thank you, General," Dorothy said with a smile. She had once stayed at the military camp in Lowe and knew that many soldiers respected this man. She regretted not being the one to treat him when he was injured—perhaps they would have formed a closer bond.

Ernest just nodded and stepped aside. He didn’t particularly like women like Dorothy. But just as he moved away, his eyes briefly caught her stomach.

Though only for a second, Ernest thought it looked like that of a pregnant woman. He recalled rumors he’d heard in the camp at Lowe. He didn’t turn back to look at her again, but now he was curious.

Her clothes were also far too fine for a physician—especially one from a humble background. Yet, there had been no official announcement of the king taking a mistress.

The more Ernest thought about it, the deeper his frown grew.

As he walked, he suddenly heard someone coughing nearby. He paused and approached the sound.

"Master," the coughing man said, bowing to Ernest.

"What are you doing here?" Ernest asked.

Back when he was plotting against the late king, Ernest had found a few loyal to his late father who still worked within the palace. When they discovered that King George was responsible for his father’s death, they pledged to serve him.

But since the king’s death, Ernest had cut off contact with them.

"I came to report to you," the man replied. "You haven’t reached out since His Majesty died, so I took the liberty of seeking you out today."

Ernest wanted to say that the king was already dead and he didn’t wish to spill more innocent blood. Those words reached the tip of his tongue—but he swallowed them.

"Has the king taken a mistress?" he asked.