Sophie Qiu seemed utterly unconcerned by the hatred burning in his eyes. She walked to his side, took a bowl of medicine from the palace maid behind her, and offered it to him. "Your Majesty, you coughed up blood earlier. You must take care of yourself. I asked the imperial physician to prepare this remedy. Please drink it while it's still warm."
Prince Ethan let out a cold snort, his face dark and unyielding as he ignored her attentive gesture.
Sophie Qiu smiled softly. "Rest assured, Your Majesty. I truly have no intention of becoming Empress, so I have no reason to poison you!" In truth, it wasn't that she lacked ambition, but the path was too difficult. Working with Crown Prince Adrian might be possible, but he only helped her to deal with Prince Ethan. Her position could only ever be that of Empress Consort.
Seeing Prince Ethan still unmoved, Sophie Qiu smiled and said, "If Your Majesty wishes to turn things around, you must first take care of your health. As long as there is life, there is hope—isn't that so?"
Hearing her words, a flicker of determination returned to Prince Ethan's eyes. He could not give up—he did not believe that after a lifetime of wisdom, he would lose to a woman! As if to declare his resolve, he reached out, took the bowl from Sophie Qiu's hands, and drank it all in one gulp.
He knew very well that Sophie Qiu needed him to remain in this position, so he was not afraid of her poisoning him and let his guard down. Yet, moments after drinking, he felt his inner strength begin to fade away. How could he not realize what Sophie Qiu had done?
Eyes blazing red, Prince Ethan glared at Sophie Qiu, gritting his teeth. "Sophie Qiu!" He had thought he had nothing left for her to take, but she still wanted to strip him of his power. This woman was truly ruthless!
Unmoved by his murderous gaze, Sophie Qiu maintained her flawless smile. "Your Majesty, this was Ghostmaster's decision. I have no say in the matter! Still, even without your inner strength, if you choose your allies wisely, there is hope yet."
Her words made Prince Ethan's anger surge, as if it could swallow her whole. Choose his allies wisely? If he had done so, he would not be in this predicament. At this moment, her advice felt especially bitter.
Sophie Qiu's perfect smile did not waver. She turned to the palace maid behind her and instructed, "Help His Majesty to Phoenix Palace for some rest." Phoenix Palace was, after all, her own residence.
Turning with a radiant smile, Sophie Qiu addressed Prince Ethan, "Your Majesty, today is our special day. Surely you wouldn't want to neglect me, would you?"
The palace maid accompanying her was actually a member of the Divine Maiden Sect, skilled in martial arts. Now that Prince Ethan had lost his inner power, he was at her mercy. The fury in his eyes threatened to burn Sophie Qiu to ashes, yet he was utterly powerless.
After Prince Ethan and Sophie Qiu departed, the bedchamber returned to silence. Mingxuan Gong sighed inwardly. He understood Ethan's temperament well—being forced to sit on the throne as a puppet was pure torment for him.
So Ghostmaster is actually Crown Prince Adrian! All this time, he never noticed a single clue.
In the end, it was Crown Prince Adrian who won. Perhaps fate truly cannot be changed; maybe this was always destined, and no amount of struggle could alter it.
But why wouldn't Crown Prince Adrian take the throne for himself, instead of tormenting Prince Ethan? Wasn't the demon fetus supposed to threaten the kingdom? Why does he lack the ambition to become emperor?
In Phoenix Hall, Prince Ethan glared hatefully at Sophie Qiu. "Don't even think about climbing into my bed!" Once, he wouldn't have minded spending a night with such a beauty, but now, seeing Sophie Qiu was a reminder of his defeat. His hatred for her had reached its peak—there was no longer any desire left.
Sophie Qiu slowly slipped off her robes, revealing her flawless, alluring figure. She smiled, "Why resist, Your Majesty? If I bear you a royal heir, you could entrust the kingdom to him one day. Wouldn't that give you peace of mind? After all, he would be your own flesh and blood."
Prince Ethan sneered, "The one to bear a royal heir will never be you!"
Sophie Qiu's patience was wearing thin. Now that Prince Ethan was under her control, she had already shown him enough courtesy. Since he refused to appreciate it, she no longer bothered to feign politeness. With a cold snort, she said, "Prince Ethan, do you want me to use force, or would you rather see the throne passed to another man's son?"