[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha":3,"chapter-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-276":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Marked By The Mad King Alpha",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1732157,2214,"Chapter 276 Hearts Without Heirs","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-276",276,"\u003Cp>Phoebe’s POV\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood that Perry would cherish me regardless of anything else. He remained by my side even after discovering I couldn’t provide him with an heir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shutting my eyes, I pulled my mate closer against me. I refused to release him. His devotion ran so deep it threatened to destroy him, and that was exactly what I feared most. I couldn’t bear watching him sacrifice himself for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We hadn’t discussed this yet, and Perry never brought it up, but I was certain he’d discovered the truth about my inability to conceive, including the miscarriage I’d suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcela must have informed him...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I was too terrified to address it. I was a coward, plain and simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Phoebe?\" I felt Perry tense beside me as he gently lifted my head to see tears streaming down my face. \"What’s wrong? What happened? Why the tears? Did I mess up somehow?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it something I said?\" Perry couldn’t identify his error, but he offered an apology regardless. \"Listen, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, alright?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t even understand what you’re apologizing for,\" I replied, brushing away my tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know, but anything that brings you pain is wrong.\" Perry pressed a tender kiss to my forehead, offering the solace I craved. \"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head. \"Please, stop apologizing. You’ve done nothing wrong. I...\" The words lodged in my throat, refusing to emerge. \"I...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s alright, love.\" Perry drew me closer, intertwining our legs. \"It’s alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I continued shaking my head. Nothing would be right until I voiced my feelings. \"I lost a baby,\" I finally managed to say. \"And because of that... no.\" I shook my head again as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. \"Even before that happened... I can’t carry your child. I can’t provide you with an heir, Perry. I’ll never be what you need.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry kissed my forehead, and just as I suspected, he already knew—his face showed no surprise at my revelation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know. I’ve known, love.\" Perry absorbed my anguish along with his own, yet he also felt relief that we were finally addressing this issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive divide had existed between us, even during our most intimate moments, because we’d kept this buried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We desperately needed to tear off the bandage to confront it properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shh...\" Perry silenced me with a kiss. \"I won’t hear that. I refuse to let you apologize for something beyond your control. For something that isn’t your fault.\" A shadow of guilt crossed his face, and I knew he was blaming himself. I could almost hear the ’if onlys’ running through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only... if only he hadn’t been so foolish... if only he’d trusted me sooner... I might have carried the pregnancy to term, and our child would be walking and talking by now. If only...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I watched as he forced himself not to spiral down that path of self-blame in front of me, knowing I wouldn’t tolerate it and it would only increase my guilt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t blame yourself, Phoebe. Don’t. I won’t listen to that, and you shouldn’t feel that way.\" Perry held me tighter, pressing me closer. \"I love you, and we’ll face whatever comes together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But...\" I was sobbing openly now. \"But what about the heir? What will you do about that? You can’t rule without an heir—the kingdom needs one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perry kissed my forehead once more. \"We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about that. We’ll find a solution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head. \"This isn’t something you can just solve by thinking about it. There’s no solution to find. I can’t be repaired.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s nothing about you that needs repairing. You’re perfect as you are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m damaged,\" I said miserably. \"I’m a failure.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, you’re not. Please, Phoebe. Don’t...\" Perry pressed his forehead against mine. I felt my turmoil pass through our bond to him, my rage and sadness becoming his. His grip tightened, his expression pained, as if he felt everything I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The divide was healing, but it left us with even more pain to process. The wounds had reopened and were bleeding once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry, love. I’m so sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither of us wanted to blame the other; we each tried shouldering the guilt, but the weight was crushing... our hearts felt unbearably heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You need to find someone else, Perry. Find another woman...\" I couldn’t finish before Perry silenced me with a kiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. Don’t you dare say that. Don’t you ever dare speak those words. I won’t allow it. Don’t you dare, do you understand?\" Perry spoke against my lips, fury evident in his voice at hearing what I’d tried to suggest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perry...\" I pushed him back slightly and cupped his face. \"You will...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. I don’t want to hear any of that. I want you—only you. The only child I desire is one from you, and if that’s impossible, then I want no children at all. Let the kingdom fall with me, or let it rise under a new generation with a different king. I’ll abdicate if that’s what you think I should do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",854,"2026-06-06T16:11:22.572Z",1,"novelbin.me","7cc12bd84645b4d90abf7a4735134e0e4036ade8b0f064e70699541fdb450b4b","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-277","marked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-chapter-275",302,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarked-by-the-mad-king-alpha-cover.jpg"]