How To End This Marriage-Chapter 89: Deception and Prejudice

The old lady tried to calm the concubine, reminding her of the delicate condition she was in. Her concern was genuine, but the concubine’s anxiety seemed to get the best of her.

"Madam, you shouldn’t run anywhere in this state. It could harm your baby. What if something happened to the heir of this empire? What would become of us?" the old lady said, her wrinkled face etched with worry. But the concubine’s reaction was far from expected. She grabbed the old lady by her hair, forcefully bringing her face close to hers.

"How dare you curse the heir of the empire? Are you on that woman’s side too? Do you want my child to die so that she can inherit whatever is meant for my child?" she seethed with anger.

"I... I was only trying to ensure your safety, madam. I’m worried for the heir. The ruler is away from the empire, so if something happened, we wouldn’t be able to show or do anything about it," the old lady tried to explain.

"Yes, I need to be careful. But before that, I have to put the princess in her rightful place. She’s trying to take over my son’s position. She thinks she’s the ruler, she believes she’s the heir, and she’s acting all-powerful. I wish I could just go there and confront that lying delusional woman," the concubine shouted, her rage palpable. The old lady, now cautious, began closing doors and windows and glanced around the room to ensure there were no eavesdroppers. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Madam, please be discreet. If anyone overhears this, they’ll blame you for the princess’s condition, even though you had no involvement. They might think you want to harm the princess," the old lady wisely cautioned.

The concubine acknowledged the wisdom in her words. She was well aware of the potential repercussions of her actions, and she needed to proceed with care.

"Yes, I must exercise caution," she agreed.

As the old lady departed, a curtain shifted, and a maid entered the room, her head bowed in respect. Her right hand was bleeding, and she struggled to stem the flow.

"I seek your forgiveness, my lord. I failed to complete the task I was assigned," the maid confessed, her voice trembling with anxiety.

The concubine’s eyes narrowed as she inquired, "Did she recognize you?"

"No, she didn’t," the maid replied. "She was already injured when we found her. She wasn’t in the palace; we discovered her wandering in the forest, as if someone was chasing her. She was injured but still able to defend herself. I attacked her with a wooden pointer when she was distracted," she explained.

"Why didn’t you kill her?" the concubine’s voice turned cold, her eyes narrowing further.

"My lord, by then, the sun had risen, and woodcutters were approaching to fell the trees. This is why I had to escape with my people without eliminating her," the maid justified, trembling with fear.

"That’s acceptable. Do not show your face to me for a while. Disappear from the empire until your wound heals," the concubine ordered, her expression stoic. The maid departed through the same curtain she had entered, leaving the concubine alone with her thoughts.

***

The attendants couldn’t hide their concerns as they gathered around the bed, whispering among themselves.

"Is the princess still resting? Has she moved a finger? Has she woken up?" one attendant asked, a quiver of anxiety in her voice.

"No, she is still lying on the bed without moving an inch. I have no idea how long this will continue, but the heir’s life is at risk right now," another attendant replied, her eyes fixed on the unconscious princess.

"Has anyone informed the ruler about the situation? What about the ruler’s subordinate who instructed us to notify him? Has he said anything? Is there any news from the ruler?" another attendant inquired, her voice tinged with urgency.

"No, he hasn’t appeared since then. I’m getting scared of the outcome. There are so many conspiracies at play. Concubine Feng Mei is sitting on the edge, eagerly awaiting the princess’s demise. And now, there’s talk of this pregnancy. How could it have happened unless she slept with someone other than the ruler?" the attendants discussed, their hushed voices betraying their fears.

"Shhhh, are you trying to get yourself executed? What if someone hears you? Do you realize the consequences?" one of the attendants warned, covering her companion’s mouth with a concerned glance.

"Ah, I apologize. It slipped out unintentionally," the contrite attendant said, her eyes filled with trepidation.

"Do you have any news about the ruler’s wife, the mother of the princess? I heard she went with the ruler, but if she did, upon hearing about the princess’s condition, she should have hurried back. But she hasn’t," one of the attendants mentioned, her brows furrowing in puzzlement.

"Don’t you know the mother of the princess doesn’t really care about her? She only cares about maintaining her status as the legal wife, which she is living now. She doesn’t care whether the princess lives or dies. Do you remember the incident from the princess’s childhood when she acted like a demon for a while?" the attendant recounted.

"Which incident?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"The princess could barely walk, but she still happily crawled over to see her mother. However, her mother was having a tea party with her friends, and when the princess interrupted, she angrily pushed her away, causing hot tea to spill on the baby’s skin, almost peeling the skin off. It was a brutal scene, but the princess didn’t cry, even though any child her age would have cried their eyes out. Can you imagine a mother treating her child that way?" the attendant described a mix of disbelief and sadness in her tone.

"That’s so brutal!" she said in a hushed tone, shaking her head at the cruelty described.

As they continued their whispered conversation, the ruler’s subordinate interrupted them with urgent news.

"The ruler has returned!" he exclaimed, drawing their immediate attention. Startled, they hurried outside to welcome the ruler, leaving the princess alone in her chamber.

"Where is my daughter? What happened to her?" the ruler panicked, his voice filled with anxiety.

"My lord, you are worrying for nothing. She is strong; she can handle anything," the legal wife reassured him, her expression composed.

"No, this time the princess’s life is at stake. The doctor needs to speak with you, which is why I had to urgently bring you back here. I was about to send a letter, but I thought it would be too late, so I sent a messenger to get you back," the subordinate explained, his voice filled with concern as well.

In the tense atmosphere of the palace, the Ruler, with a worried expression, started to step toward the princess’s chamber. He was anxious to see his daughter, his heart heavy with concern. But as he moved forward, the chamber door slowly opened, and Sylvia, the princess, walked out, her movements deliberate and filled with a sense of defiance.

"Finally, you’ve found the time to see your daughter, father," Sylvia said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, her eyes reflecting her inner turmoil.

"Pri-" the Ruler began to say her name, but Sylvia swiftly interrupted.

"What? I know I’m the princess, but I didn’t know I was sent to be assassinated in the name of a mission," she continued, her lips curling in a crooked smile.

"Sylvia, is this how you talk to the Ruler? You’ve disregarded all of your teachings!" the mother, the queen, scolded, her expression a mix of disapproval.

"You don’t get to speak, queen," Sylvia retorted, her tone firm and uncompromising.

"This is a conversation between me and the ruler," she added sternly, her gaze unwavering.

"Sylvia!!!" the queen raised her voice, her frustration.

"Keep your voice down. This is the least etiquette you can follow," Sylvia replied calmly, her composure a stark contrast to the tension in the air.

The onlookers, including palace staff and attendants, observed the scene in hushed anticipation, their loyalty seemingly divided between the princess and the Ruler.

"Sylvia, was it not you who told me you were ready for this mission? You were willing to do whatever it took for the empire," the Ruler attempted to justify his actions.

Sylvia’s eyes bore into her father’s, her expression unyielding. "Ruler, weren’t you aware of the mission we were assigned by the other empire? I know our empire is considerably smaller than theirs, and we are essentially assassins. But does that justify sacrificing the princess’s life to accomplish the mission? Or did you purposely send me to be killed and then escape to have a fun, energetic vacation?" Her words were like daggers, cutting through the silence.

"Syl-" she once again interrupted them, her impatience clear.

"I want an answer!!!!! Was I sent to be a chosen sacrificial goat to be executed for someone else? I don’t even know what he did to have me executed. Why? Is this all planned?" Sylvia shouted, her voice filled with anger and frustration, making all eyes turn toward the emperor with suspicion.

"Ruler, is this true?" one of the courtiers questioned, looking at the Ruler with a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"You sent the princess to be executed?" another demanded, their voices growing louder with each passing second.

"How could you do this, ruler? She is our heir, the soon-to-be queen," another person in the crowd exclaimed, their loyalty and concern for the princess evident.

The pressure was mounting, and the Ruler found himself in an increasingly uncomfortable position, surrounded by those who were beginning to question his actions.

"A woman could never sit on the throne," the shocking statement came from the Ruler, his voice revealing his deep-seated prejudice. The gasps from the onlookers filled the air as the room was plunged into a tense silence, each person trying to process the gravity of what had just been revealed.