On the bank of the river

Chapter 42 : Lynn

Inside Lily palace, it was unusually quite. Many servants were doing their works very quitely , so that their works can't distress Empress dowager.

It's been one week , since her grandson died. She felt like with the death of her grandson, soul of her daughter Rubi completely gone. Rubi is now nothing but a soulless doll . Never uttering a single word or cry , just quitely sat on the same place , glancing towards nothing. Susan felt deep heartache for her young daughter's misery .

At a very young age , she had lost her husband who leaves behind an unborn child on her stomach . Now that her child also left this world, Rubi might feel remorse for her destiny. Susan disliked her grandson ,but never tried to harm her grandson intentionally because of her daughter's weak condition . She feared if something happened to her grandson, only her daughter will suffer most , not others ! Because of her daughter, she endured everything , even endured the existence of her fatherless grandson. Yes , she is heartless. She had no affection towards her own grandson. This imperial family made her like that .

At first , she wasn't this cruel . Losing her lover in the hand of an unknown woman , then the ignorance from her loved one who end up ignoring her all hard effort , which is none other than her own husband Hui Cong ,whom made her this heartless now.

She might be the founder of a powerful sect , but she isn't cold . After all she was once a girl who believes in fairytale and love stories. She was talented , wanted to help those people who ignored by their family . So , she established the great black sect , only to be made themself powerful . Thinking about her past , Susan sighed . She was once most kind hearted girl who help everyone heartly . But now she did everything for her own sake of development. She only needs to think about her family , not others. This made her turned more cold and heartless , forgetting the fact that kind hearted girl whom she was once !

Actually Susan did feel bad for her one and only grandson. After all he was somehow related with her by blood . She will always remember his smile and his word " Ganma " ! Susan smiled softly , thinking about it . It was written on his destiny. She can't help him . Anyways her scheme did work . Intentionally she wanted to create a huge misunderstanding between Edna and her son Lee. Only misunderstanding might broke apart  their relationship. She can't removed Li Edna from her Lee's side suddenly . But she will slowly create disgust towards the mind of her son for Edna . This is only way she could think peacefully . Otherwise if Lynn returned back , she could only end up becoming the imperial Consort of her son , not the Empress as she wished !

Lynn deserved to be the Empress. She is the perfect candidate in her eyes . Susan didn't want bring a single shadow of Edna in this imperial palace, when Song Lynn will entered as her daughter-in-law . Actually with her recent work , everything turned more easy .

Intentionally she wants to killed Edna secretly or damaged her reputation . Meanwhile, unintentionally she doesn't like her grandson Gon . But now , it seems with one stone , both of the bird had been killed completely. Susan tried to slowly planning some schemes for Edna , not killing her entirely but deposing her from her Empress position from time to time if Lee insist on saving Edna . Susan wants to make her suffer , weak and pathetic. So that people will disliked her as the Empress. But for her luck, her planning worked slowly but steadily. After meeting her husbands so called poor lover , Susan entirely hates people's from lower background. Specially girls like Li Edna !

Thum , suddenly one of the maid broke something. Her peaceful dream suddenly broke . Feeling irritation , Susan gave her a cold hard glare . Sensing that hard gaze ,that poor maid knelt in the floor in terror . Susan ignored her completely as she sipped her fragrance tea . Today , it tasted bitter , not like other days ! Susan thought slowly while she was getting irritated from hearing bawling from that poor young maid. Finally she choosed to ignore that lowly palace maid with a wave of her hand .

Soon , royal guards dragged the maid forcefully , her piercing cries echoed all over the silent Lily palace. Having some soft sighs of pleasure after drinking her favourite tea , Susan rested .

Meanwhile , light steps of Susan's personal maid is getting nearer. Sensing the familiarity of that step , Susan frowned. It seems like her maid was in hurry . Feeling irritation, again Susan choosed to ignore it.

" Your majesty, General Song sent a letter by the hand of his guard ." Luna stated slowly without any fear infront of her.

" Oh ! What is it ?" Susan suddenly became interested , but end up replying quite lazily .

Luna gulped down suddenly. Actually it was a news that her master was highly anticipated for a long time . But it seems like a little bit of threatening matter . Luna don't know what will going to happened after she finished reading the entire letter infront of Her Highness . She ended up balling her fists tightly as she knelt ,feeling anxiousness deep to core .

" Luna ? Read . I'm waiting ." Susan remarked lazily again .

With a deep breath, Luna read the letter carefully . Unknowingly a smile broke into Susan's face , hearing Lynn's name.

" What ? Lynn returned back already !" Susan shouted happily . "Go , invite her tomorrow. " Susan dismissed Luna after ending of the letter.

Silence immersed inside the Lily palace again . As swift gust of wind started blowing , some of hair stans of Susan starting to dance in the rhythm. The entire scenery looked heavily beautiful, a middle aged woman wearing grey coloured heavy robe with white pearl buttons ! Just the wicked smile on the face of that cold woman ruined the perfect scenery.

Susan scoffed. She hated it when someone ordered her and remind her own things . Recalling the last line from the letter , "you have to keep your promise" made her mood turned gloomy .

Actually Susan and General Song's family not only related ,but also good friends from her early days . Lynn's mother aka General Song's wife Nari is her own long distance maternal cousin . So , naturally they do have strong bond as family .They had helped her in everything as a family when she married to her husband - Hui Cong ! General Song had even brought that rarest poison as per her request for applying on Consort Fa in the past . Even when her family went bankrupt during her teenage days, her maternal cousin Nari helped her family in various ways .

Susan is in their debt for their all helping hand . So , naturally she had promised them to make their precious daughter Lynn into her perfect choice of daughter-in-law, the Mother of the Empire - the Empress . No one knows this but from the starting, when she cleared all paths for her son to ruled over this Empire , Song family always stays beside her without uttering a word . Susan heartly accepted Song Lynn as her future daughter-in-law , because she is the most famous number one talented lady of the whole Empire . She is smart , kind, beautiful, cold and good scholar, she is perfect in everything. Lynn deserved to rule this harem of imperial palace , to be the main wife of her son Lee .

Looking at the cold tea on her hand , Susan gently put it down beside her . The sky turned shadowy orange as sun starting to sat . Birds returned back to their home , while her palace turned darker little by little . From her teen years , Susan prefer darkness over light . Darkness gives her strength, a kind of happiness inside her villainous mind. She slowly layed down on her chair by looking at the orange sky . A sudden smirk bloomed into her face as she thought about her whole life .

Her life was always happy being brought up by her loving grandparents . As she was marked as talented among every young miss of this Empire , everyone respected her . She was once sweet loving girl of Su clan ! But one day , something big happened that changes her all loving self .

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A/N : What happened in Susan's life that make her this villainous and heartless ?