Must Win His Heart
Mia Qian followed her grandfather back inside, unable to hold back her frustration any longer. She pouted and complained, "Grandpa, did you see how His Majesty King Alexander just completely ignored us? That Queen Lily of Qin merely woke up, and he abandoned all his ministers just to rush off. He really doesn't care about your dignity at all!"
Quentin Qian gently patted his granddaughter's arm and said, "Mia, did you learn anything from what happened today?"
Mia Qian was still fuming. Whenever she recalled the look of joy on Alexander Hayes's face when he heard that Queen Lily had woken up, jealousy twisted inside her. She snapped, "What could I possibly learn from that!"
Quentin Qian tutted, "Mia, you just don't understand. What happened proves that His Majesty King Alexander is a man of deep feeling. Imagine, if one day you managed to win his favor, he'd do anything for you. Then you'd be the happiest woman in the world, don't you think?"
Mia Qian had been annoyed, but her grandfather's words suddenly enlightened her. She nodded fiercely, "Grandpa, you're absolutely right! Hmph, that Queen Lily is just a lowly farm girl—she's nothing compared to our Qian Family. I refuse to believe His Majesty would prefer her over a well-bred lady like me! One day, I'll steal every ounce of his affection from her and make it mine. I'll have him cherish me as his most precious treasure!"
Quentin Qian, seeing his granddaughter's determination, was deeply gratified. "Good, Mia! You truly are my best granddaughter. I have high hopes for you—don't let me down."
"Don't worry, Grandpa! I'll win His Majesty King Alexander's heart and keep it firmly in my grasp!" Mia Qian looked utterly determined, longing for the kind of love Alexander Hayes showed Queen Lily. She resolved: I must take it for myself!
Queen's Private Chambers.
Alexander Hayes anxiously watched as Dr. Rowan Lin checked Queen Lily's pulse. "Father, how is Lily's health?"
Dr. Rowan Lin turned and let out a relieved breath. "It's good that she's awake. Her body is a little weak, but there's nothing serious. With some medicine and rest, she'll recover just fine."
"That's wonderful. Thank you, Father." Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief at the news.
Margaret Evans stepped forward and took Lily's hand. "Ali, you nearly scared me to death, you little rascal!"
Lily looked at Margaret Evans with deep guilt. "I'm sorry, Mother. I made you worry."
Then she glanced at her mother's pregnant belly and added, "Mother, you're expecting. Please go and rest. I'm already much better, so don't stay here worrying about me. You need to take care of yourself."
Margaret Evans finally relaxed. Heeding Lily's advice, she let Quentin Lin help her out to rest.
Dr. Rowan Lin handed Mrs. Penny the prescription to prepare the medicine, then went to look after his wife.
Only Lily, Alexander Hayes, and their son Charles Hayes remained in the room.
At this moment, little Charles Hayes was obediently lying beside his mother. Alexander Hayes walked over, gazing at Lily with sudden seriousness. He gripped her hand tightly and said, "Ali, how could you be so cruel to me? Were you really willing to leave me behind?"
"I..." Lily was overwhelmed with guilt, her eyes reddening. Her face, already pale and frail, looked even more wan.
Seeing her like this, Alexander Hayes couldn't bear it. He quickly dropped his stern expression, his tone softening with a sigh. "You really leave me helpless, Ali. I wanted to scold you for being so heartless, but seeing you suffer makes me feel even worse. Never mind, never mind. I'm just glad you're awake. But you must promise me—never do this again. Without you, what would Charles and I do?"