Chapter 3

Between the phantom demon threat, the Queen's threats, and the onset of labor, my guards were hesitant.

The Queen signaled her servants to haul me toward the parasol tree house in the villa.

My guards blocked the path. They were veterans who had seen true war, and they only answered to me and the Second Prince.

But suddenly, the blood-fire in my belly flared, growing larger and more intense. I screamed in agony.

My guards, terrified by my cries, finally gave in and escorted me into the villa.

The Queen whispered gleefully behind me, "Birth amidst fire―it must be a phoenix. The villa's tree house is the perfect place for it."

My sister's eyes darted around. She used a spell to force her own labor and let out a pained gasp, claiming she was giving birth, too.

"What do we do? The villa only has one tree house!" Fendall acted out his 'distress.'

A mangy bird egg didn't need a parasol tree. This was all just an excuse to steal my child!

The pain was blinding, making it hard to stay calm. I ordered my maids to surround me with screens, forbidding my sister or the Queen from coming near.

I felt a slight sense of relief as my guards stood outside.

I used every ounce of my remaining magic to whisper to the egg: *Hold on! Don't come out until your father is here!*

But before I could catch my breath, the Queen shrieked from behind the screen, "Get those guards out of here! A room full of men? How scandalous! They can guard from outside!"

The guards refused to budge.

My sister wailed that she was terrified of the crowd.

Soon, the sound of fighting erupted outside the screen.

I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood.

"What do you think you're doing to my men?!" I demanded, my voice shaking with fury.

The Queen stepped past the screens, smiling thinly. "Your sister is giving birth in the same room. We can't have all these men hovering around, can we?"

She shifted her tone. "Since your husband isn't here and this is an emergency, Fendall will guard you both."

It happened just like in my past life. She suggested Fendall guard me through the screen. In my agony, I hadn't thought twice, desperate to ensure the safety of the baby.

Before long, they had drugged me.

When I woke up, I was left with a mangy bird egg.

But my labor had been accompanied by fire―the sign of a true phoenix. How could it be a mangy egg?

The Queen had gaslit me, claiming I had suffered hallucinations from the trauma of birthing a 'cursed' child.

The King, in his rage, had thrown me into the dungeon.

I knew that if I let Fendall guard me, I was finished.

"No screens! I won't be near other men! I've already sent for my husband. I will wait for him!"

Silence descended on the room, save for my pained moans.

The Queen scolded me, "How can you be so selfish? In this crisis, you're worried about decorum? If you don't birth this child now, it's a sin!"

Fendall spoke from behind the screen, "Sister-in-law, I can't see you. Just let me guard the room."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hem of the First Prince's robe slipping past the screen, stepping into the room.

I was terrified. I tried to reach for my maid's hand.