A non-phoenix giving birth to a golden phoenix needed the Phoenix Clan's divine power to protect the mother from the blazing fire of the golden phoenix egg.

However, Freya and the Phoenix Queen refused to summon Asgon. They even tried to persuade me.

"Asgon is now in the midst of battle with the demons. You can’t distract him at such a crucial moment! Just put up a screen. Emmett will protect you."

Asgon's mother was a lowly concubine, and Asgon had ascended to his current position thanks to his military merits. If he were to withdraw from the frontlines because of me, his reputation would suffer.

With that, I took their advice and did not send for him. That was how I ended up being surrounded by the Phoenix Queen’s maids and midwife during the birthing process.

During delivery, the Phoenix Queen took over and silently swapped my egg.

There was no way I'd let them have their way again in this life!

After crushing the pendant, I instructed my maid, Somi Wynn, to pack up my belongings. I wanted to return to the palace as soon as possible.

The palace was my territory. There, I could contact the other members of the Phoenix Clan who were loyal to Asgon.

Asgon would return by the next day, and by then, whatever the Phoenix Queen tried to pull, it would be too late.

Freya began to panic when she saw me packing. She tried to stop me. "Riona, why are you in such a rush to leave when you just got here?"

I calmly nudged her hand away and assured her with a quick smile, "I suddenly remembered I have to attend to Asgon's mother today. She's been feeling unwell for the last few days and needs her pulse checked. As her daughter-in-law, I have a duty to look after her so that Asgon doesn’t have to worry about her while he’s on the battlefield."

Freya tried to dissuade me again, "It's only going to be for a day or two. Besides, the Phoenix Queen is here. Are you saying your mother-in-law outranks the Phoenix Queen?"

the Phoenix Queen was only here because she was eyeing my egg!

I sneered to myself and insisted on having Somi attend to me. I ignored Freya and went straight for the carriage.

That was when I heard the Phoenix Queen's exasperated cry from behind me. "Are you really in such a rush to leave because you don't care for an old hag like me?"

I suppressed my anxiety and assured her with a smile, "Your Majesty, please don’t think like that."

Still, I insisted on leaving.

The entire Phoenix Clan was aware that the Phoenix Queen and Asgon did not get along. The only reason the Phoenix King had turned a blind eye to this was because of Asgon’s military achievements.

While Somi helped me board the carriage, Emmett hurried over. He cried out, "Wait, Riona! There are demonic forces along the way. It’s better not to risk it."

I clenched my fists and felt my chest heaving with rage.

I remember there being no such demonic disturbance in my past life. Just to stop me, they had even unleashed demons in the Phoenix Clan’s territory!

How shameless!

"Ah!" Freya shrieked. She covered her mouth and pointed a trembling finger at my abdomen. "Fireblood…"

I followed her gaze and held my breath.

I was going into labor!

It seemed like my emotional state triggered me to go into labor sooner than expected.

The three of them were overjoyed at the sight of this.

the Phoenix Queen's expression immediately softened. She came up to me in person to hold me and suggested taking me back to the manor.

However, I refused.

Now that I had a second chance at life, I was not going to willingly let my child fall into their hands!

I wanted to return to my palace and wait for Asgon to return.

"Your Majesty, I would rather not go into labor in a foreign place, so let me return to my palace! The demons are no match for my guards!"

I endured the pain and gestured for Somi and my guards to protect me.

Freya and Emmett exchanged a glance before winking at the Phoenix Queen.

The Phoenix Queen declared authoritatively, "Do not listen to the princess! She’s about to deliver, and if anything happens to her on the way, not only will I punish you, but you will have to face the king’s fury as well!"

The maids and guards hesitated. After all, they had to worry about the demons as well as the Phoenix Queen’s threat. To make things worse, I was about to deliver soon.

The Phoenix Queen summoned her maid to have me brought to the sycamore house in the villa.

That was when the guards stepped forward to stop them. Even though they were unsure about how to proceed, they were still veterans who were loyal to Asgon and me.

That was when I felt the fireblood in my body coming to a boil and seemed to erupt. It hurt so much that I cried out in pain.

Horrified by my cry of anguish, my maids and guards hurried me into the villa.

The Phoenix Queen remarked cheerily, "She’s surrounded by fire, so it must be a phoenix! There is a sycamore tree house in the villa. Take her there for her to deliver the egg!"

That was when something flashed in Freya's eyes. She cast a spell over herself so she would also deliver prematurely and then let out a sharp yelp. She clenched her teeth and announced that she was going into labor as well.

"What should we do? There is only one sycamore house in the villa!" Emmett played along as well.

There was no need for a sycamore tree if she was only laying a bastard egg! I knew they only wanted to use the chaos to switch the eggs!

Sweat poured down my face from the pain I was going through at this point, and I was losing my cool. All I could do was instruct my maids to surround me with a screen so Freya could not approach. I also forbade any member of the Phoenix Queen's court from entering.

After instructing the guards to guard the formation, I managed to relax a little.

I did my best to cast spells to stall the birth.

'Hold on, baby. Wait for your father to get here first!'

Before I could even take another breath, I heard the Phoenix Queen’s scream through the divider, "Why would you have the guards in there? It’s ridiculous! Get out! You guys can stand guard outside the house!"

The guards refused to budge.

Nevertheless, Freya claimed she was afraid of having so many people inside the house.

Soon, I heard the sound of scuffling coming through the screen.

I bit my lip so tightly that a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of my mouth. I cried out furiously, "What are you doing to my guards?!"

The Phoenix Queen responded from across the screen. I could see her coy smirk in my mind’s eye when she spoke, "Freya is also delivering in this room. We can’t have all these brutes in here."

Then, she suddenly noted, "Since Asgon isn’t here and the situation is so dire, I will have Emmett cast a protection spell over the screen for you and Freya."

This was a reenactment of what happened in my previous life. Just when I was about to pass out from the pain, the Phoenix Queen announced that Emmett would cast a protective spell for me. I had agreed without thinking about it because I wanted to protect my child.

Shortly after that, they cast a spell on me and knocked me out.

When I woke up, I realized I had laid a pheasant egg.

As I was delivering, I recalled being surrounded by a ring of fire, which was the sign of a phoenix's birth! It could not possibly be a pheasant egg!

The Phoenix Queen brushed me off and told me I was hallucinating. She claimed I was in denial over the ominous egg and was losing my mind.

Enraged, the Phoenix King had me thrown into a dungeon.

When I recalled the events of my past life, I realized that I would have been lamb for slaughter if I had let Emmett cast that spell!

"No! I don’t want him casting a spell for me, even if it’s through the screen! I don't want any other men in here. I have already summoned Asgon to come, and I’m going to wait for him!"

The room descended into silence for a moment. All that was left were my agonizing moans.

The Phoenix Queen immediately snapped, "Why are you so stubborn? How could you care about something like that at a time like this? If something happens to the child, the blood will be on your hands!"

Emmett chimed in, "I can’t see you anyway. Let me cast a protection spell on you!"

I could spot the hem of his clothes from the corner of my eye. He was about to step through the screen.

Frightened, I tried to clutch at Somi's hand.

The fire had spread all around and barricaded everyone from me. The Phoenix Queen told them off and shooed them away.

By this point, Somi could tell something was off and refused to leave.

"You damn brat, get out of here!" the Phoenix Queen ordered her men to take them away by force and beat them up.

Emmett stepped across the screen with someone who held a box in his hands. It was clear that Freya had laid the pheasant egg, and they were waiting to swap it with mine!

As the two of them drew closer to me, I felt frozen with despair despite the surging flames billowing all around me.

Was I destined to fall victim to them again in this life?

"Stop!"

When Emmett and the stranger drew closer, I heard a tremendous and powerful voice echoing across the room.

Everyone froze in an instant. Before they could react, Asgon threw the door open and entered.

My husband was here!