READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 14: You are carrying his child
Luciana found herself grappling with the weight of Dora's words. It caused her to remember the suffocating rules her mother imposed on her life, each one echoing in her mind like a relentless drumbeat. The more she thought of it, the more she became aware of her mother's overbearing nature that ignited a rebellious spark in Luciana, driving her to slip away from the confines of the palace in search of freedom and adventure.
Beyond the palace walls, she was able to be her real self; she could inhale the clean air without anything obstructing her nose. As her thoughts raced on, she recalled the day her mother had told her to always wear a veil when going outside, five years ago.
It was during the 70th birthday celebration of the Grand Empress Dowager of Serenevale, her grandmother. She had just turned 12 at that time, and all the princes and princesses had come to present their gifts to the Grand Empress Dowager, and she had decided to perform the flower dance as her gift to her grandmother.
She took lessons six months in advance, practiced hard with the ladies from the entertainment bureau at the palace, and came up with an extraordinary performance. The flower dance mimics the opening and closing of flowers. The dancers mimicked the blossoming of flowers in various stages, the rhythm in which farmers commit to daily work. They danced in a circle or linear formation, creating motions with their hands.
Due to her gift of making flowers bloom, she put it to use, and when the performance was coming to an end, she made the flowers bloom with her touch and won the hearts of many.
Just as the room buzzed with applause and heartfelt praise from her grandmother, father, and everyone in attendance, an unexpected interruption shattered the joyous atmosphere.
Her imperial aunt, who had a long-standing disagreement with her mother, cut through the celebratory air with a pointed remark that caused uneasiness among the crowd, instantly dampening the excitement.
"I can't help but notice the princess seems to have been carved from a different tree altogether. Sister-in-law, if I may ask, between you and my imperial brother, who does the princess take after?" Her aunt had asked.
"Are you insinuating something? What exactly do you want to say?" Her mother had asked back with an enraged look on her face.
Even though the situation had been diffused by the Grand Empress Dowager, the birthday banquet went ahead smoothly. Her mother had asked the maids to make matching veils for all her dresses.
Since that day, she had never been seen around the palace grounds without her veil. When she complained, the queen had said it was for her safety and protection.
"Luciana, Luciana, what are you thinking about? Are you going to believe Dora's nonsense?" She whispered to herself and stood up to go to her drawing room.
She was supposed to have an inner court meeting with the remaining concubines and have a chat over tea and snacks. Since she was the one with the highest position, it was her duty to control, teach, and listen to the complaints of the women in the Prince's harem.
In her previous life, due to her stubbornness, she was most times under house arrest by Prince Nicholas, and that made her relinquish control of the inner court meetings to Lady Evelyn. Later, when she regained control, Evelyn's influence on the remaining Ladies was so strong that they easily undermined her authority. It was time to regain control.
~~~
Lady Evelyn's courtyard,
The harsh sound of objects tumbling to the floor echoed through Lady Evelyn's chambers. The maids exchanged terrified glances, their hearts racing as they hovered at a safe distance. Each of them held their breath, afraid that any sudden movement might provoke their mistress, causing her to slap them in her fit of anger.
"Where's Rhoda?" The maids whispered amongst themselves, asking no one in particular. They all shook their heads fiercely one after the other. They had no idea where Rhoda, the only woman who could tame their young Miss, was. Only they knew the ugly side of their young miss. In front of others, Lady Evelyn was an angel, but indoors, she was a monster. It's just that people tend to believe her dumb, innocent, frail, and sweet act.
"Calm down, my lady; you must control your temper; you are with child. It's not good for the baby if you are too agitated," Rhoda, who had just appeared, tenderly said, and Lady Evelyn calmed down somewhat.
"What have I done to him? Why does he hate me? I'm pregnant, but he still never comes to see me," Lady Evelyn asked angrily and added,
"What special qualities does she possess that I don't? He spent two nights with her in a row, and he even had breakfast with her before leaving. But he never wants to eat with me. Does he despise me that much?"
She had been in love with the prince ever since she saw him. She had been 14 years then, and she had realized the meaning of love. She had tried everything to end up together with him.
That was why she strived to create a good reputation for herself and never showed her ugly side to outsiders; everyone loved her and thought she was kind and caring. She gave to the poor, respected the elderly, and did many "angelic" acts. But why was fate so cruel, stealing what belonged to her and giving it to someone who did not put in as much effort as her?
"I know, my lady; please calm down. Why don't you lie down and get some rest? I'll tell the prince you're not feeling well; he will come and see you," Rhoda advised and gently aided Evelyn towards her bed, avoiding the pieces of glass and broken vases on the floor.
"Are you sure he will come?" Lady Evelyn asked in a hopeful voice.
"You are carrying his child; he won't be so indifferent all the time," Rhoda said gently.
"Then hurry; you must go and see him immediately," Evelyn said with urgency in her voice.
"Okay, my lady, I'll take my leave," Rhoda said. Turning to one of the maids, she instructed.
"Get rid of the glass shards and leave no trace."
The maids nodded and immediately got to work erasing all traces of their young miss' misdeeds.
~~~
"Concubine Sheila greets her Highness, the Princess Consort," Concubine Sheila said and bowed respectfully and kept her posture in the same position, waiting for the Princess Consort to excuse her before she sat down.
"You are excused, concubine Sheila. Have a seat," Luciana said and motioned with her hands to the beautiful couch. Luciana remembered her as one of the gentlest women in the palace in her previous life. She had won the favor of Prince Nicholas and had gotten pregnant after a few visits; there were rumors of her being pregnant.
But Luciana remembered concubine Sheila was later found dead, and there had been a lot of blood that suggested she had miscarried due to consuming something poisonous.
"Did Her Highness sleep well?" she asked politely and straightened her posture.
"I slept well," Luciana responded absentmindedly as she remembered the end of the innocent woman in front of her. There was no doubt about it; she was sure it was the handiwork of Lady Evelyn. 'Should she change the hands of fate and save her from her bitter end, or would it be wise to let nature take its course?' Luciana thought as another voice broke her line of thought.
"Greetings to Her Highness," Concubine Yvonne said in a haughty tone, her posture suggesting she didn't want to bow in the first place.
Luciana's lips curved into a subtle smile seeing Lady Evelyn's lackey from her past life. This girl had been brainwashed by Evelyn so much that she became her little minion and made her life impossible.
This time she was going to teach her a lesson.
"Have a seat," Luciana said carelessly, her earlier gentle demeanor with concubine Sheila nowhere in sight.
'Let the games begin!' Luciana smirked inwardly.