Under the matriarch's orders, several handmaids prepared a warm, scented bath for Luwen. When they attempted to serve her in person, she refused and glared at them, forcing them to leave her room.
After all, she knew that this lavish treatment was only the beginning of her disastrous fate.
Flower petals drifted along the water. As she removed her clothes and soaked her battered body into the wooden tub, a relieved sigh escaped her lips.
She hated following the matriarch's instructions, but welcomed the heat from the water. It soothed the aches in her muscles and washed the grime and blood away.
The reason they gave her this bath was because the matriarch abhorred unclean looks, however, the latter failed to notice her own reflection. If she looked into the mirror long enough, she would see the world's most repulsive creature—her. She was someone who bore a blackened heart and a mind of a savage animal. The true monster.
Luwen scrubbed her skin harder, repeating the motion several times until they were red and raw. She dreaded her meeting with the matriarch later, who had wicked plans in store for her.
Her daughter was dead. Instead of grieving, she wanted Luwen to be her substitute?
What a ridiculous parent.
Luwen could only imagine the princess's pain caused by her heartless mother when she was alive, which eventually led to her death.
And now, Luwen was to impersonate the princess. The matriarch was infamous among people, and so was her kin. Their names spread wide and far.
If Luwen pretended to be the princess, she would be an obvious imposter.
She wasn't anything like the well-groomed princess of the Xia clan. Blisters covered her hands and feet, while purple bruises dotted her body. Her face, unlike the princess's soft features, was sharp around the edges. She wasn't soft-spoken and eloquent in her speech, but straightforward and brusque. Her body was built to fight, not enchant a man.
She could scare him away.
However, she could not confront the matriarch, who was highly skilled in dark magic. If she escaped now, it would be futile. The matriarch's guards would skewer her with their spears, or the Dai clan waiting at the borders would kill her.
She washed herself thoroughly, but the dirt turned the water rust, momentarily resembling red, just like the bloodstains on her uniform. The cries of the dead rang in her ears over and over again.
Luwen shivered. Closing her eyes, she hugged herself. No one was here to comfort her that everything would be alright.
She was alone.
***
The matriarch was waiting for her in the ancestral hall. The scent of sandalwood permeated through the air. It was relatively quiet, except for the crackling sound of incense paper burning in a metal tray right by the memorial tablets—an offering for the dead. There was a new tablet placed in the middle, and the name engraved on it only confirmed Luwen's suspicion.
It was the deceased princess–Xia Junyi.
As soon as the matriarch's eyes set upon Luwen, they brightened immediately and her lips slowly curved into a smile.
"Luwen," she said happily. "Come closer and let me see your wounds, especially your hand."
Luwen almost cringed at the gentleness in her tone, but she quickly smoothed her expression. If the matriarch portrayed her affection to her at this timing, the sense of impending doom felt even greater.
"Matriarch." She stepped forward obediently. Bowing. However, she held her bandaged hand against her chest tightly—the same one that got trampled on earlier.
"I'm fine," she lied, trying not to sound accusing. The matriarch was responsible for her injuries. "The wounds do not hurt."
"That's a relief to hear," the matriarch sighed. "Our clan cannot survive without you, Luwen. You're our only hope now."
Luwen's mouth went dry. "Me?"
"Yes, you." Her smile widened slyly. "We've just received a reply from the Dai clan—they've accepted our marriage truce and will retreat once we hand over the bride to them."
Luwen felt sick suddenly, and she wanted to throw up. She was at risk of being handed over to the enemies, and it would be even more dangerous than it was on the battlefield.
But she knew not to anger the matriarch. For years, she had seen her become agitated, violent and play evil tricks behind people's backs when she didn't get her way.
And now Luwen's fate lay in her hands.
"Matriarch, I can't be the one to carry out this important mission," she said. "I might risk getting your plan exposed quickly. Perhaps someone else is more suitable for this role."
The matriarch shook her head while maintaining her cunning smile. "No, there is no other suitable candidate except you. I've seen you grow up, Luwen. You're quick-witted. While many wear their thoughts and fear on their faces, it has always been a challenge to read your expression," she admitted. "Therefore, you're perfect for taking my daughter's place. The enemies can never read your expressions."
Luwen was stunned. "But I—"
"Be good, child." The matriarch leaned forward in her seat and shared her scheming plan. "You shall get married to their new heir and seduce him. Once he lets his guard down, kill him."
"My lady," Luwen reasoned once again. She knew she was pushing her luck by opposing, but she hated the idea of becoming an enemy's bride. Once she stepped onto their ground, there would be no leaving.
"I'm nothing like the princess," she insisted. "Unlike me, she was petite, beautiful, and elegant. All I only know is to fight. I don't know how to seduce a man."
The matriarch's eyes frosted over in anger, clearly running out of patience. "It's best if you drop your weapon and act like an aristocratic woman by following my orders. That's how you can keep yourself alive."
"And don't you forget," she said, "I saved your life when you were a child. Without me, you wouldn't be standing here alive today."
There it was—the appearance of her villainous soul.
It was true she saved Luwen's life, but her feigned kindness could never hide away her foxy demeanor.
Luwen was tongue-tied. She lowered her head in reluctance while the matriarch stood up and reached for a pot from the table. She began scooping whatever she had been brewing for a while now.
Turning around, she offered Luwen a bowl. In it, bluish-silver liquid swirled. "Here, drink this."
"What is that?"
Her red lips curved into a smirk. "Did you not say earlier about being unable to impersonate my daughter? There is a way for you to act perfectly as her. We shall place your soul in her body. Once you've fulfilled your mission, your soul shall return to your actual body."
Soul transfer?
Luwen began to feel fear weaving through her veins and chilling her blood. "What happens if I fail the mission?"
The matriarch's smile widened. "Then your soul shall never return to your body. You will die in my daughter's body."
She immediately took a step back, gripping her sword hanging by her side. Her heart tightened with fear and caution. "No."
This was absolutely immoral and terrifying magic. It defied the laws of nature. What if something went wrong during the process?
And who knew if Luwen's soul would really return to her body after she accomplished her mission?
"No? What a shame." The matriarch sighed in disappointment. "In this case, you leave me without a choice. I shall bring in another candidate."
She called out to the guards outside, and they brought in another girl. A quick glance at her face had Luwen immediately sprang forward.
She recognised her childhood and best friend, Qiqian–an orphan, just like her.
Qiqian looked at her in shock. Her body quivered in terror. "H-help me, Luwen–"
"Let her go!" Luwen shouted at the guards, drawing out her sword halfway, but they held their own weapons against her friend's neck.
The matriarch smiled haughtily, knowing she held Luwen's weakness.
To her, it was all a game.
"Should I really release her?" she asked. "As one of the handmaids in charge of taking care of my daughter's needs, she didn't carry out her duty well and ought to be punished. This seems like a fitting punishment, isn't it? If she kills the new heir of the Dai clan and her soul returns, I will grant her freedom."
Luwen cursed inwardly. After their parents had died early, the girls grew up together and bonded like sisters. Qiqian was demure and easily frightened. She wasn't a fighter, so how could she seduce and kill the enemy?
Luwen met her friend's gaze, who was silently crying and shivering. She mouthed words and shook her head slightly, as if reading Luwen's mind.
No. Don't do it.
Leave me be.
But Luwen didn't want Qiqian to die. She was her only family left. The only person who treated her genuinely and sincerely.
Besides, Luwen knew how to fight. She had a higher chance of succeeding in this mission.
She swallowed hard. "I'll do it," she volunteered. "Leave her alone."
A triumphant laughter erupted. The matriarch grinned and clapped, looking extremely satisfied with her decision. "What a touching gesture, Luwen, to sacrifice yourself for your friend! This is why I said you're different from the rest."
She walked up to her, running a finger down Luwen's cheek. "You should have escaped from me during the war. It was the perfect chance," she said coldly, her eyes trailing towards Qiqian, who had broken down into tears. "I guess that was why you didn't."
"But fear not, Luwen," she said. "Your actual body shall be in a 'sleeping' state. Do me proud and I will grant you both freedom after you've awakened. I'll promise you that."
"But if you refuse me," she warned, "I won't show mercy to your friend."
Luwen's eyes narrowed. It was too good to be true. Even if she succeeded, she knew the matriarch would never keep to her promise to grant them freedom.
But right now, there were no other options except death.
Accepting the concoction bowl, Luwen threw her head back and drank everything, leaving not a drop behind. She held the matriarch's gaze fiercely the entire time, never looking away once.
I'll be back to take your life.
A/N: How much do you guys hate the matriarch now? 😤
It's amazing to see the overwhelming support from you guy and definitely helps in boosting my confidence! Thank you so much! 🥹🫶🏻