Female Novel
Chapter 18 The Greek Gift (Part Two)
Charles only laughed and said, "Sue, you know for a fact that no imperial concubine would have aneasy life without the backing of a powerful clan. She is a clever girl and will never do the things good tonone but worse to herself."
Sue nodded and agreed, but deep inside, her mind was already fueling with so much rage. If Harperbecame an imperial concubine, she knew that she would do everything in her power to humiliate her. IfSue wanted Charles and Mavis to give up their plan, then there was only one thing left to do—destroyher precious face!
The clothes made by the Brocade Chamber were immediately sent to Sue for her examination. Themoment they had arrived, Sue kept the clothes and asked Ruby, her wet nurse, to deliver the clothes toHarper.
"Nanny Ruby, I didn't expect that you came to my place in person!" Harper said brightly.
"My Lady, Lady Sue was worried that these maids wouldn't be too careful with the task and would ruinyour new clothes. That's why I'm here. My Lady, please try them on. If they don't fit to your tastes, Icould ask the tailors to make adjustments," Ruby said calmly, patting them. She was quite aware thatthe fabric was contaminated by some special poison, one that could leave Harper's face disfigured aslong as she wore them.
"No, thank you. The Brocade Chamber already measured for me, so I'm sure they'll fit perfectly. Pleasesend my appreciation to Mother." Harper waved it off dismissively, eyeing the clothes that Ruby washolding.
Ruby felt bad that she didn't coax Harper into wearing them. To make Harper like them and wear them,Sue had spent a lot of money on them. The clothes were created to fit the latest style and made fromthe finest material the Brocade Chamber could ever acquire.
"I'll leave them here for you then." Ruby nodded and placed the clothes on the table. Once she left, thesmile on Harper's face turned cold.
"My Lady, the clothes are exquisite. I didn't expect Lady Sue to be so generous." Anabel swooned atthe beautiful threaded designs and the diamonds attached to their collars. When she reached out totouch them, Harper quickly swatted her hand away. "They're from Sue. Don't touch them yet."
Though Anabel was left confused, Nina quickly closed the door, understanding her meaning. "My Lady,do you think there's something wrong with the clothes she sent?"
"You've been in our mansion for so many years. Have you ever seen her being kind?" Harper sneered."There's something sneaky about this."
She picked up one of the clothes and felt it carefully. She didn't find anything special with the fabric.She lifted it up higher to smell. There was a very faint scent on the cloth, reminding her of incense, butit wasn't. She just couldn't put her finger on the smell!
"The smell of these clothes is a little strange." Harper eyed them. "I think I've smelled it somewherebefore."
"Let me smell." Nina took a sniff. "It smells like the face powder you've been using."
"My face powder..." Harper's eyes widened in realization. Suddenly, she pushed Nina immediately towash her hands. "Stay away from the clothes! That's not the smell of my face powder."
"What's wrong, My Lady?" asked Nina, confused.
"She is smart. She must be willing to pay so much to set me up," Harper muttered, shaking her head.She took another sniff at the scent to find it emanating from the collar. When Harper rubbed the fabricaround its corners, she could feel something creamy. Sue hid the poisonous powder right in the collar.
"My Lady!" Nina shouted, alarmed. However, Harper didn't seem fazed as she scrapped the powderfrom the fabric.
"My Lady, what kind of powder is this?"
"The Fallen Red Flower." Harper raised her eyebrows and smiled. "It's a poison that can disfigure aperson's face. Once held close contact to the face, the victim would develop swelling red bumps acrosstheir skin, like fallen red flowers. They'll be so unrecognizable the people would treat them asmonsters."
"Oh my God!" Nina covered her mouth with her hands and asked, "My Lady, why did Lady Sue...?"
"In order to stop me from being selected by the Imperial Palace, I assume," Harper answeredindifferently. "You can leave now, and tell no one about this."
"Yes, My Lady."
After Ruby had sent the clothes to Harper, Sue had been waiting for the moment she'd see Harperwear those poisoned clothes. The moment she did, bright blisters would pop out of her face and she'dbe ruined forever!
To be selected by the emperor, one must have a beautiful face and an equally proportioned figure. Witha scarred face, Harper wouldn't even be allowed to enter the Imperial Palace. She'd be useless! That'dmean she could do anything she wanted with her.
But after a few days of waiting, to Sue's disappointment, Harper still hadn't put on the clothing. At firstthought, fear crippled inside of her. Maybe she'd known already, but Sue shrugged the thought away.The fragrance of the drug was similar to the face powder Harper used, and she wouldn't even notice. Infact, Harper would've even appreciated the smell.
"Nanny Ruby, have the clothes been sent there?" Even then, Sue couldn't help but feel worried. Harperhad always been a thorn she tried to remove countless of times. She even got away when the emperorwas about to kill her. The woman was impossible to kill!
"My Lady, I was the one who personally gave the clothes to Lady Harper. She loved them so much andeven praised the exquisite workmanship of the Brocade Chamber," Ruby said affirmatively. "I think shewanted to find an opportunity to wear them to show off in public."
"Find an opportunity..." Sue narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then I will give her a chance to show it off!"
"My Lady, you mean you'll make Lady Harper put on those clothes voluntarily?" Ruby's eyes weretwinkling with excitement while Sue tapped her long slender fingers on the table beside her, smirking.As long as Harper wore the clothes, she'd be disfigured for life with no place in the Chu Clan mansion.Then, Sue could find an excuse to send her to the ancestral temple and kill her. After all, no one wouldcare over a disfigured and scarred woman. She couldn't wait. novelbin