Love In The Palace

Seasons

This is chapter 16.

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Author's POV:

"Greetings, Your Highness Empress." The charcoal-black hair is styled up and high, though simple but decorated with enough amount of hairpins. It is only some silver hairpins stuck on the hairdo while a medium-sized pale pink peony rests on her head, crowned by a ring of small pearls. Her makeup is faint, not daring to rid the Empress off her spotlight. Back in her own house, she used to be the most arrogant and most beautiful. However, now, she has changed from that proud missy to a lowly concubine cowering in fear inside the palace, who might just rot in the corner one day without anyone knowing. Without even letting her to rise, Empress speaks, while her servants are fanning her with big peacock-tail fans.

"You are Leanne family's daughter."

"Ye-yes."

"How do you miss your sister?"

"Sister?" Confusion fills the colours of her expression as she has never had an older sister before, for she is the oldest, followed by her brother. The mention of sister has her racking her brain, for as long as she can remember, none of her father's mistresses can produce him a child as whenever they are pregnant, her mother would just force them to drink abortion soup at the threat of physical torture.

"Jade Leanne." A smile is seen across Empress' face, a cunning one.

"Oh, ye-yes! Sister! Sister Jade! How is she?" She asks with a trembling tone, her soul seems to be increasingly-filled with fear.

"She is just a palace servant. How would I know?" The Empress chooses words to purposefully instil more fear in Lily. Her plans seem to he working perfectly. Even her presence is enough to pressurise the little missy from the Leanne family, and her words add on even more stress to her.

"Ce-certainly! How would Your Highness know about her! She is just a palace servant." All she can do now is to agree with whatever the Empress says, to put it simply, lick the Empress' feet. Deep down, she curses Jade for existing in the same world as her.

"Are you done?" Empress asks.

"Huh? Do-done?" Empress' question which seems to make almost no sense take Lily aback. She does not understand what Her Highness is referring to, but not answering her is definitely sinful.

"Are you done acting?"

"I-"

"You country bumpkins really have no brain. How did your father even become a government official?! Do you think that you and your family can forever hide the fact that Jade is actually a slave?!" As soon as she hears the Empress raising her voice at her, Lily immediately drops her body, frantically bowing, her head hits the ground hard and repeatedly.

"Please forgive us, Your Highness! Please forgive us!"

"Forgive? Your family have sent a taboo into the palace! Do you know that this is worthy of death punishment?!" Lily could only cry. Certainly the decision was not made by her, but she is the one who must carry the burden.

"I know that I have wronged, Your Highness! Please, I beg of your forgiveness!" She has just entered the palace, and has not yet fought for the Emperor's love, and yet she has already got into trouble with the Empress. If she were to obtain the Emperor's favour in the future, she believes that the Empress will make her vanish from the surface of the earth.

"I can let this matter slip." In her field of vision, a hand is stretched out to her, to help her to stand up. As she looks up, her eyes hesitantly meet the Empress'. At the moment, she has never thought of anything except her survival, and her family's. She reaches for that hand, and she stands up, her legs secretly wobbly behind her long dress that drags on the grounds. Empress lets go of Lily's hand, and walks past her, to reach for her pet a blue-coloured bird. Her fingers toy with its tail feathers.