?Chapter 488:


    My heart raced with delight, and I shyly asked, “Your Highness, what do you wish to see me about?”


    As I spoke, I made a point to entuate my swollen belly, hoping he would take notice of the child within me and show more concern.


    Yet, yton seemed oblivious to my hint. He stated inly, “Molly, I need to sense the presence of the child.”


    What?


    My body went rigid, the smile on my face freezing in ce.


    Why was yton making such a request all of a sudden? A wave of dread washed over me. Had he uncovered something?


    yton’s POV:


    The moment I mentioned sensing the child’s presence, Molly’s eyes darted around, as if she had been caught red-handed.


    I narrowed my gaze, a tide of suspicion rising within me. Molly’s subtle reaction only deepened my conviction that something was off.


    “Molly,” I asked in a low voice, my tone firm, “is it out of line for me to do so?”


    Molly came back down to earth, lifting her head with a forced, rigid smile. “No… of course not, Your Highness. I’m just… just so over the moon. You never used to notice me at all.”


    I sneered inwardly.


    If it weren’t for Makenna, I would have dly put this woman out of my mind forever.


    shback:


    After discovering that Molly might be linked to that enigmatic magical potion, I immediately dispatched someone to dig deeper.


    ???????? ?????????????? ???? ??????????????????.??????


    It wasn’t until Makenna had settled down that my brothers and I left her room.


    Once outside, Dominic, wearing a stern expression, asked me, “yton, among the three of us, you’re the only one who has had any real interaction with Molly. Have you noticed anything peculiar during this time?”


    For some reason, I sensed a hint of mockery in Dominic’s words, but I knew it wasn’t the moment to linger on it.


    I thought carefully but found nothing strange.


    “I’ve been holed up at Makenna’s ce the entire time, hardly crossing paths with Molly,” I replied, shaking my head.


    Upon hearing my answer, both Dominic and Bryan looked like they’d just bitten into a sour lemon.


    After a beat, Bryan suggested, his voice deep and serious, “Why not try getting a bit closer to that woman? Use this chance to see if the child is yours, and keep an eye out for that strange fragrance.”


    I was extremely reluctant to get involved with Molly, but for Makenna’s sake—and to determine if the child in Molly’s womb was truly my offspring—I begrudgingly…


    I returned home alone and learned from the servants that Molly had gone to see my father.


    This had to be rted to Hayley.


    Without missing a beat, I headed to my father’s chamber, nning my approach to test Molly without being detected.


    End of shback


    I didn’t want to waste a moment chatting with Molly; I was hell-bent on sensing the child and determining if it truly belonged to me.


    .


    .


    .