Chapter 1718


    “Are you keeping something from me?”


    Yasmine’s hand, which had been scrolling through documents, stilled. She leaned back in her chair


    with the pen still in her hand, calmly observing the events unfolding in the room.


    At the sound of her voice, Ava froze, her facial expression turning into a mask of shock Queen Julia


    didn’t look too pleased either. “Why are you back?” she asked.


    Barbara had tiny beads of sweat on her face. She released her grip on the doorframe and slowly


    walked into the room. “I wasn’t feeling well, and Chloe kindly suggested I rest. She’s gone to the


    orchard to pick fruits for grandma.”


    Queen Julia watched as Barbara struggled to form the words, her lips pressed into a thin line.


    “Grandma, mother, what were you talking about?” Barbara didn’t dwell on her illness, instead


    looking at the two women with a bewildered expression


    Ava wiped a tear from her eye, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes as if she had made a major


    decision. “Whatever, you’re going to find out sooner orter. You should know about your father and


    Brisa. Brisa is pregnant with the royal bloodline now, and we have to bring her back “e2


    Barbara’s face darkened, “Father ”


    Ava turned her face away. “Yes. You’re going to have a little brother”


    ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    The room fell silent again.


    Barbara remained silent for a while, her young face filled with sorrow. Finally, she managed a forced


    smile and said softly: This this is good news. Congrattions to grandma, the royal family finally


    has a sessor.”


    Her words sounded forced, but if she had acted as if she didn’t care at all, it would have seemed too


    fake. Now, the situation was truly heartbreaking. The ‘real reactions of the mother and daughter


    made Queen Julia feel a bit guilty. After all, it was her nephew who had caused this scandal.


    The atmosphere in the room was strange.


    Queen Julia looked up at Yasmine and saw her leaning back in her office chair, silently observing


    them with a faint smile. Her heart skipped a beat, but she managed to say, “Yasmine, you’re really


    lucky. Just as you’ve returned, you’re about to be an


    aunt.”


    Ava and Barbara slowly turned to look at her. Yasmine’s face was serene, a small smile ying on


    her lips. Her calm eyes met their gazes, and her smile widened


    Queen Julia’s words made her arch her eyebrows slightly, her lips curving into a light smile. At my


    age, bing an aunt again is nothing out of the ordinary, is it?”


    Ava paused. She wanted to point out that Barbara also counted as Yasmine’s niece, but how could


    she say it? More importantly, Yasmine’s words clearly indicated that she did not acknowledge


    Barbara. She could hear the irony in Yasmine’s words.


    “Do you feel wronged by this situation?” Yasmine had both her hands casually resting on the


    armrests of the chair, one hand holding a pen, and the other holding the pen cap, idly clicking it on


    and off. Her gaze fell on Ava, making Ava hold her breath


    “In the Y Country, it’s never been monogamous, has it? Ordinary families have several sister wives


    who share the household chores and live in harmony. Howe we, the royal family, don’t even


    have the right to bring a woman home?”


    Queen Julia’s face flushed with embarrassment at her words. If she had toment on this matter,


    it was initially due to her indulgence


    Ava bit her lip, “That’s true, but I don’t want that.”


    “You don’t want that? You’ve been living in the Y Country for over thirty years as a princess, but now


    you are expecting people to adapt to your lifestyle? What, does the royal family owe you something


    from a past life, that now you can do whatever you want?” Ava was embarrassed by Yasmine’s


    words “Could you share a husband with another woman?”


    “I couldn’t, so I won’t marry a man from the Y Country”


    Ava was taken aback. William was the one person she could never mention without feeling


    heartbroken. Hearing Yasmine mention it made her feel a bit angry too. She scoffed, “You talk big,


    but if you met a man you loved, would you give him up that easily?!”


    The room fell silent for a moment.


    Just when everyone thought Yasmine had been left speechless by Ava’s retort, she said slowly, “I


    would.”


    “Since he’s not the one for me, and he brings me nothing but pain, I won’t want such a man. It’s not


    like I can’t live without him.” She paused for a second, her eyebrows furrowed, and then she


    changed the subject. “You should have weed the new wife into the family ages ago. You’ve


    lived here for so long, and now youe here feeling wronged and trying to show your


    magnanimity. Isn’t it ridiculous? So does that mean that we need your approval to wee our own


    blood back, and we should be grateful to you, right? Have you ever thought that if it wasn’t for you,


    I’d be the aunt of several children by now?”


    Yasmine snapped the pen and cap in her hand together with a click and nced at Queen Julia.


    “It’s not easy being an aunt. It’s indeed a cause for celebration.”


    These words not only left Ava speechless, but also stripped Queen Julia of her dignity. She wasn’t


    like Chloe, who always showed her grandmother extra tolerance and understanding for various


    reasons. But as her own daughter, if Yasmine didn’t point out her mistakes, then no one else in this


    world would dare to do so.


    Everyone had feelings. Ava’spany over the years was undeniable, but so was her subtle


    maniption of Queen Julia’s emotions. She had to make her mother see things more clearly.


    Queen Julia was ashamed by Yasmine’s words, but she also realized how much she had done over


    the years out of her fondness


    for Ava.


    The country needed a thriving poption, and the Y Country had never had a monogamy policy


    since ancient times. But she had repeatedly put that aside because of Ava, and now she even felt


    relieved because of Ava’s “understanding“. Habits were such a terrible thing.


    Just when Ava had managed to regain a bit of Queen Julia’s affection, all it took was a few words


    from Yasmine to shatter it. Ava gritted her teeth in anger as it seemed she was in an even worse


    position now.


    Yet Barbara watched Yasmine with a wary eye, her expression growing more cautious. Something


    didn’t sit right with her.


    Was Yasmine really so cunning, or was she simply indifferent? Why did she not seem surprised


    about Brisa’s pregnancy? In fact, she seemed devoid of any emotion towards it.