Bound to the CEO

In the golden hour of the day, within the grand halls of Sunray Palace, Emperor Lincoln, still clad in his court attire, strode in with a hardened expression.

The palace maids and eunuchs scrambled to their knees in a flurry.

Sharon, with a slight bend of her knee, performed the ritual bow with precision.

"Your Majesty, I wish you peace and health..." she said.

"Spare us the pleasantries. With the Empress around, its hard to find peace," Lincoln replied with a sneer, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What does Your Majesty mean?" Sharon straightened, her face an unchanging mask, which only seemed to irk Lincoln more.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Princess Lillian nearly miscarried. Are you aware?"

"I am now that Your Majesty has informed me," Sharon responded, knowing full well that she had just learned of Lillians pregnancy and that Lincoln would not believe her ignorance.

He was not here to accuse her, the head of the harem, of dereliction of duty, but to condemn her as the perpetrator.

"A sachet was found in her pillow, filled with herbs known to induce blood flow," Lincoln held up an exquisite pouch, "Princess Lillians pregnancy was kept a secret, and I fear there are still forces of the Xuan family within the palace."

"Your Majesty is speculating without evidence," Sharon lifted her chin slightly and asked, "Would you like to search my chambers?"

Lincoln knew that her words did not mean she would willingly submit to a search.

"I dont think the Empress keeps evidence waiting to be found," he retorted.

The Empresss personal lady-in-waiting kowtowed and spoke solemnly, "Please, Your Majesty, if Her Majesty wished to harm the imperial offspring, why would she care for the Crown Prince so diligently?"

This made Lincoln give a mocking smile, scoffing, "For the sake of her reputation, the Empress is not above playacting."

The Crown Prince had contracted smallpox, and while the Empress Dowager and the other concubines avoided him, it was the Empress who nursed him tirelessly, yet her efforts were dismissed by the Emperor!

The lady-in-waiting wanted to say more, but Sharon silenced her with a look.

Her indifferent demeanor only served to irritate Lincoln further, and he snorted coldly, "The affairs of the harem are complicated, and the Empress may have her oversights. Its time to clean house within the palace."

Sharons usually disinterested eyes momentarily froze.

She had failed to protect her family; if she couldnt even protect her own maids, she would be utterly incompetent.

"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and need not go to such lengths. I will find the one who placed the sachet," she said.

Everspring Palace.

Princess Lillian was resting within, excused from receiving the Emperor due to her pregnancy.

In the courtyard, the palace staff knelt on the ground, trembling with fear.

For at the Empresss feet was a massive and fierce wolfhound, eyeing them menacingly.

The hound sniffed the sachet and immediately sprinted towards a second-tier maid, gripping her skirt between its teeth and dragging her out.

The maid wailed in terror, crying her innocence.

"Is it that simple?" Lincoln frowned, unimpressed.

This womans dog would naturally side with her and follow her commands.

Sharon called the wolfhound back and patted its head.

"Your Majesty also touched the sachet, yet the hound showed no reaction," she said.

"Because I told it to find the person who had touched the sachet before today."

"The hounds sense of smell is most acute; even if one washes their hands, they cannot escape its nose."

Lincoln frowned and waved his hand, ordering, "Take her to the dungeons."

There, no one can keep their mouth shut.

As he finished speaking, the maid suddenly turned fierce, her mouth bleeding as she collapsed, having bitten her tongue to end her own life.

"With no evidence and no witness, the true culprit will be hard to find for now. I leave Princess Lillians Dragons Seed in Your Majestys capable hands, and I hope you wont blame me every time something goes wrong," Sharon said, beginning to curtsy and take her leave, but Lincoln grabbed her arm.

He leaned down, a hint of malice and insolence in his voice as he whispered in her ear, "Empress, I suddenly feel that instead of troubling myself to prevent you from harming the Dragons Seed, it would be better to have you carry the Dragons Seed yourself."