When His Majesty King Dominic Thornfield was attacked, my husband, Roland Wentworth, Commander of the Royal Guard, was busy placating his first love, Vivian Sinclair, who had stormed off in a fit of anger.

I did not light the signal flare in my hand. Instead, I used my heavily pregnant body as a human shield to protect the King and help him escape.

In my past life, I had lit that flare. Roland abandoned Vivian to rush back and save the King. He was rewarded for his loyal service by being made a Duke Protector.

However, Vivian fell into a trap and died on the spot.

On the surface, Roland said nothing. Yet, on the very day I went into labor, he threw me into the Beast Dungeon. My face twisted in agony as I demanded to know why.

Roland merely glanced at me coldly and said, "His Majesty had plenty of guards around him, so why did it have to be me who came back? You must have done it on purpose, only caring about power and wealth. If you hadn't lit that flare, Vivian wouldn't have died. Whatever suffering Vivian endured, I'll make you pay it back tenfold!"

In the end, I was torn apart and devoured by the beasts. Even the child in my womb was consumed completely.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day the King was attacked.

I shouted, "Protect the King! Now!"

Facing the highly trained assassins in black, I instinctively took a step back. I really was reborn, and at the very moment everything began.

When I realized this, I looked down at the signal flare clutched tightly in my hand. While no one was paying attention to me, I threw the flare into a nearby lake with all my strength.

Then, I used my body as a shield, placing myself between the King and the assassins he was fighting.

As the King looked at me in shock, I endured blow after blow from the assassins. I watched as the confusion in the King's eyes was gradually replaced by gratitude and disbelief.

I knew I made the right bet. My husband, Roland Wentworth, was the Commander of the Royal Guard. Normally, he would never leave the King's side. Yet today, when the King was attacked, he was absent.

That was because he was busy consoling his first love, Vivian Sinclair, who left in anger.

In my previous life, I was afraid he would be punished and had lit the signal flare. However, after he received substantial rewards from saving the King, he believed I was vain and power-hungry, blaming me for Vivian's tragic death.

He threw me into the Beast Dungeon he carefully prepared, letting the beasts devour both our child and me.

Since I was given a chance to be reborn, there was no way I would walk down the same path as before.

I desperately shielded the King. Even as the assassins' blades kept stabbing into my body, I gritted my teeth without making a sound.

The King had many guards. As long as I could hold on until reinforcements arrived, I would definitely survive.

The King understood this, too. Even though he was reluctant, he could only hide behind me.

The assassins also realized I was using myself as a human shield for the King. They exchanged glances and thrust their blades forcefully into my belly.

I was eight months pregnant. I felt my child moving in my belly almost every day, and even in my previous life before dying, I heard the baby's cry.

This stab somehow felt more painful than being torn apart by beasts in my past life.

I wailed uncontrollably, and everything before my eyes turned red as I felt the assassins closing in for the kill.

Then, a sharp pain shot through my lower body. It was different from the gut-wrenching agony of my previous life, and I only felt that something very important to me was about to leave me.

I reached out to grab it, but all I could touch was the King's bloodstained robe.

Before long, chaotic footsteps approached, and I heard the King shouting frantically.

"Where are the royal physicians?! Fetch them! Whose family member is this? Someone, come quickly!"

I opened my mouth but could only cough out mouthful after mouthful of blood. Yet, the King did not mind at all as he leaned close to me.

I used every bit of remaining strength to squeeze out a few words. "I'm the wife of Roland Wentworth, Commander of the Royal Guard."

After saying those words, I could no longer hold on and felt myself slipping into unconsciousness.

However, the physician kept shouting at me. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Lady Wentworth, you mustn't fall asleep. If you sleep now, you will never wake up. Think of your husband, your child! They are waiting for you!"

The King chimed in from the side. "That's right, you have served me greatly. Once you recover, I'll grant you the title of Duchess Protector, with all the wealth and glory that comes with it. As for your child, if it's a girl, she'll be a princess consort; if a boy, he'll become a high official. Hold on! I have already sent for Roland!"

Hearing the King say this, I forced a weak, bitter smile.

I was not a fool. When I shielded the King from the assassins, I already knew that the child in my belly could not be saved.

As for Roland, he would certainly not come.

Just then, the person the King sent to find Roland rushed back. He dropped to his knees with a thud, not daring to look at the King.

The King frowned, absolutely furious. "Where is Roland?!"

The Royal Attendant, Finch Thatcher, trembled. "Lord Wentworth refuses to come, and he said, he said not to use these tricks to gain sympathy."

I already knew that Roland's harsh words were definitely more than just that. However, Finch was being mindful of the King's dignity by not repeating them. Of course, in Roland's heart, I was not even half as important as Vivian.

Yet I was Roland's legally wedded wife, while Vivian was merely a mistress. For the sake of chasing after his lover, he actually disregarded the King's safety and led the Royal Guard to appease Vivian.

Even that signal flare was something I had to kneel before him and beg for before he left. In my previous life, when I lit the signal flare, he called me vain and power-hungry. In this life, when the King sent someone to summon him, he still ignored it.

If he loved Vivian so much, why did he marry me in the first place?

Rage surged in my heart, and I spat out another mouthful of blood.

The physician steadied himself and looked at the King anxiously. "Your Majesty, Lady Wentworth is too agitated. If she doesn't have family by her side at this moment, I'm afraid she truly won't make it!"

The King glanced at me and ultimately suppressed his anger. He yanked the pendant from his waist and threw it to Finch.

He shouted, "Tell him this is my command. If he still refuses to come, I will have him executed!"

The King was truly enraged. He had many guards around him, yet not a single one was present when he was attacked today. I risked my life to save him, yet he could not even summon my own husband.

For him, the supreme ruler, this was an absolute humiliation.

In my condition, I could not be moved. We were waiting for the life-saving medicine to be prepared.

This time, Finch did not come back alone.

I struggled to open my eyes and saw a face all too familiar from my previous life, Vivian's maid, Ivy Porter.

Actually, Ivy was initially my maid. However, she poisoned my meals when I became pregnant. By the time it was discovered, I was already on the brink of death.

I refused to let Ivy go and was about to have her punished to her death when Roland walked in with Vivian on his arm.

Vivian sobbed beside him, clutching Ivy's hand as she looked at me pitifully. "Mirella Ashford, how can you be so cruel? You didn't die, did you? Why must you take a maid's life? You're simply too ruthless! Roland, why don't you give her to me? Although I'm just nobody, I can at least spare a maid's life."

Roland turned to Vivian and sighed helplessly. "You're always so kind-hearted. Mirella, Vivian is right... You didn't die, so why make such a fuss? Just give Ivy to Vivian, and don't be so dramatic about things anymore."

I stared at Roland in disbelief. I was carrying his child and was nearly poisoned to death, yet he thought that since I was still alive, I should not hold a grudge.

It was utterly ridiculous.

But back then, I still loved Roland and believed that Vivian clouded his judgment. I thought that as his legitimate wife, I should be understanding and forgiving.

That was until one time when I saw Roland talking with Vivian.

His eyes were full of indulgence as he said, "Next time you poison someone, be more discreet about it. If you get caught again, I won't help you."

Vivian clung to Roland's arm and whined playfully. "I know, I know. Thank you so much this time, darling."

Ivy stood beside them, smiling.

The three of them looked so happy together, while I felt like I had fallen into an ice abyss.

So, from the very beginning, Roland knew everything and even deliberately turned a blind eye. I was the only one kept in the dark.

My heart swelled with overwhelming hatred, and seeing Ivy again now made me tremble with emotion.

In Ivy's eyes, my reaction looked like a sign of guilt. She was somewhat restrained at first, but now she has become brazen again.

She said, "Lady Wentworth, Lord Wentworth said he's accompanying Lady Sinclair right now. As for you, as long as you're still breathing, that's good enough. If you bother him again, he'll divorce you. Not only that, he'll make the child in your belly call Lady Sinclair 'mother'!"

She continued, "Lady Wentworth, Lord Wentworth also said he doesn't even like you. He only married you because your family had power and influence to help him advance his career. Now that he's already Commander of the Royal Guard, keeping you around is just an act of charity. If you keep making trouble, you'll be dead before you know it!"

After Ivy finished speaking, the King's expression turned completely grim. He smashed the teacup in his hand onto the ground.

When the attendants heard the commotion, they all dropped to their knees.

However, Ivy remained oblivious. She swaggered up to me and mocked, "Lady Wentworth, I advise you to save yourself the trouble. Your little sympathy-seeking act won't work on Lord Wentworth at all. As for this random man? If you think you can make Lord Wentworth jealous, you're dead wrong."

She continued, "If I tell Lord Wentworth the truth... That you disregarded the baby in your belly just to have an affair with this random man... Don't you think Lord Wentworth would tear you to pieces?"

Ivy looked triumphant.

Just because the King's robe was soiled and he was now wearing ordinary linen clothes, she mistook the King for some random man I found.

The King's expression was absolutely terrifying. He laughed coldly and ordered the guards who rushed over to restrain Ivy immediately.

Ivy panicked. She finally realized what was happening. However, just as she opened her mouth to speak, a servant covered her mouth and dragged her out.

"Have her dismembered, and throw the pieces in front of Roland. I want to see what's so great about this Roland that Lady Ashford must endure such humiliation!"

I noted the King's choice of address and blinked slowly. The King now completely separated me from Roland.

My gamble did not go in vain.