Read Novel Full Chapter 858: List-2
Chapter 858: Chapter 858: List-2
A chill ran down Ivy’s spine as she looked at Catherine.
Ivy lowered her voice and asked, “But would you really do that?”
Catherine gazed toward the sky for a moment before answering,
“I have no personal interest in the throne, Ivy, but I would never allow another person to endanger my children. You need to understand that circumstances can force people to make choices they would never have considered under ordinary conditions. What if, one day, the only way to save my children were to take the throne away from you? Do you think I would hesitate then? I might become ruthless enough to seize it from you if that were the only way to protect them.”
Ivy clenched her fists beneath the table and lowered her gaze.
She didn’t want to believe that Catherine would ever turn against her, but she understood the point the older woman was trying to make.
Love, loyalty, and trust could all be tested when someone’s family was in danger, and even a good person might make terrible choices when pushed into a corner.
After a long pause, Ivy finally looked up and said quietly, “Thank you for telling me the truth.”
Catherine didn’t respond. She merely watched Ivy for a moment, allowing the lesson to settle in her mind.
The following day, Ivy found herself craving spicy food more intensely than usual.
After thinking about it for a while, she decided that hot pot would be the perfect choice, and the household staff promptly began preparing the meal.
Soon, the dining table was filled with an assortment of fresh ingredients, sliced meat, vegetables, and bowls of sauces.
The entire family was stunned by the unfamiliar delicacy, especially Eugenia, who stared at the steaming pot with wide eyes. After tasting the food, she could no longer contain her surprise.
“Such a delicious dish actually exists on Earth? How have I never heard of it before?” Eugenia exclaimed.
Once everyone had finished eating, they went outside for a leisurely stroll, enjoying the fresh air and the peaceful atmosphere.
As they walked together, Catherine turned toward Ivy and asked, “What was the next name on the list?”
Ivy thought for a while before answering, “Mabel Hart.”
“Mabel Hart belonged to a later generation of superior beings who had competed to inherit the throne. She actually managed to sit on the throne for exactly one day before she was killed by the very princes and princesses who had once stood beside her.”
Catherine paused briefly.
“The reason behind her death was an accusation that she had murdered the other princes and princesses. In reality, she had never committed such a crime, but her competitors deliberately framed her. The public, unable to see through their lies, eventually believed the accusations and turned against her. The truth only came to light after more than two millennia had passed.”
Ivy fell silent, her heart growing heavy as she absorbed another tragic story.
Catherine chuckled softly, although there was little warmth in her expression.
“Well, this is only the beginning. I hope you’ll still have the same attitude when we reach the twentieth name on this list.”
Ivy frowned and looked at Catherine with a hint of helplessness.
“Miss Catherine, this isn’t about my attitude. I’ve already explained my concerns to my husband, and I’m sure he has discussed them with you as well.”
Catherine regarded her seriously before replying,
“And those concerns are precisely the problem. Ivy, if you want to survive in this world, you need to learn how to be ruthless when the situation demands it. Just follow my instructions for now. If you reach a point where you genuinely believe something is wrong, you can stop. However, once you’ve heard all these stories, I believe you’ll eventually understand why I’m teaching you this way.”
Ivy could only nod, although she still wasn’t entirely convinced.
For the next month, Ivy remained in the mansion most of the time, listening to Catherine’s stories, learning the basics of royal politics, studying various schemes, and even practicing ways to protect herself from potential threats.
Catherine arranged different kinds of training for her almost every day, ensuring that Ivy was prepared to face the unpredictable nature of the royal succession struggle.
Some days, Catherine focused on teaching her how to recognise lies and identify hidden motives.
On other days, she tested Ivy’s ability to make decisions under pressure or exposed her to carefully constructed situations designed to reveal her weaknesses.
One morning, Ivy woke up to discover that she had supposedly been accused of stealing something valuable from the mansion.
Although everyone involved knew that the incident was merely part of her training, they played their roles with such convincing seriousness that Ivy couldn’t help feeling a surge of anxiety as she faced their accusations.
At first, she struggled to understand what was happening, but she soon realized that Catherine was testing how she would react when placed in an unfavorable position.
Before long, Ivy found herself responding to the situation with surprising composure, questioning the evidence and carefully examining the motives of everyone involved.
However, she had to admit one thing: the training was genuinely terrifying and emotionally exhausting.
Silas couldn’t bear to watch his wife being put through so much pressure.
Every time he tried to step in and defend her, Catherine stopped him before he could interfere, insisting that Ivy needed to learn how to handle such situations on her own.
Eventually, Silas reached his limit.
One day, he marched straight into Catherine’s room without even bothering to knock.
“My wife is already pregnant!” he exclaimed. “If you continue putting her through this kind of psychological torture, she might even suffer a miscarriage. How can you expect me to stand by and watch while you put her under so much pressure?”
Catherine looked at him calmly, seemingly unaffected by his outburst.
She placed the document in her hand on the desk before answering in an even tone.
“You’re overthinking the situation. I’m providing Ivy with sufficient nutritional supplements and a special formula to ensure that her babies receive everything they need. I’ve also taken her condition into account while arranging her training. Besides, she has Temporal Storage, so I’m not particularly worried about her access to the resources she needs.”
Silas was momentarily taken aback by her casual mention of Temporal Storage.
He hadn’t expected Catherine to know about Ivy’s trump card, but he quickly recovered and returned to the matter that concerned him most.
“Even so, the pressure is too much. I want you to reduce the intensity of her training.”
Catherine smiled, as though his request had amused her. “Of course, I’ll consider reducing it when I feel the time is right.”
Silas stared at her in disbelief, but before he could argue further, Catherine continued in the same composed tone.
“If you keep pampering Ivy like this, you might as well forget about inheriting the throne.”
Silas clenched his fists.
Catherine suddenly looked at him with renewed interest, as though a new thought had occurred to her.
“Why don’t you try it yourself?” she suggested. “You could compete for the throne instead of simply worrying about Ivy.”
Silas didn’t respond. He merely turned around and walked out of the room, making it clear through his silence that he had absolutely no interest in accepting her proposal.
Meanwhile, Ivy was sitting in her room, concentrating seriously on her own training.
Several documents and notes were spread across the table in front of her.
After finally finishing her plan, Ivy leaned back in her chair and smiled with satisfaction.
Just then, Silas walked into the room carrying a specially prepared nutritional drink for her.
The aroma of the ingredients drifted toward Ivy, and she immediately recognized that he had gone out of his way to obtain something suitable for her condition.
She looked up at him with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
Silas placed the drink in front of her and gently reminded her, “Drink this before you do anything else.”
Ivy nodded and reached for the cup, but the moment the aroma reached her nose, her stomach suddenly lurched. A wave of nausea washed over her so abruptly that she barely had time to react before she hurried toward the bathroom and began vomiting.
Silas followed her immediately, worry flashing across his face as he watched her struggle with the sudden nausea.
By then, nearly four months had passed since Ivy’s pregnancy began, and her baby bump had finally become noticeable.
She had also started to feel as though she had gained a considerable amount of weight.