Chapter 19

These cold-blooded people.

As always, taking painkillers didn’t do much. I fell asleep for a bit with a groan. When I woke up, time had flown by. I knew the banquet started at 6 pm, but it was already past 5 pm. If someone had come to tell me to get ready for the banquet, I would have gotten up earlier.

If the maid had lied to me, she might have made an excuse to Ellenia that I was sick and was in no condition to attend the banquet.

It was true that I wasn’t feeling well, so she didn’t lie to her master. Or maybe she just told me the truth.

Either way, I couldn’t stay still. I had to check first. Fortunately, after a little sleep, the pain was more bearable than before.

“Did you call me, madam?”

I pulled the rope just in case, but for some reason, Lucille appeared immediately. She came so fast that I wondered if she had been watching me.

“Can you help me? It’s already late, and I have to change my clothes quickly.”

“But madam, I heard…” Lucille said trailing off, staring at me. Somehow, she looked troubled.

I didn’t know whether Izek really intended to keep me in the room, or whether that maid had told everyone under her, or if all the servants were working together. What was certain was that even if that maid lied, only a few people had been on my side in the first place. So I couldn’t stay still any longer.

I had to coax my husband somehow. Now that he’d shown me a bit of emotion, I had to grab this last straw.

I will just check first. Only check…

“I know. Just help me get dressed.”

“Madam, I’m…”

“I just want to feel better. I’ve been in the room for a couple of days already. I beg of you, please?”

Lucille looked grumpy, but as soon as I put out my diamond hairpin, she agreed to help me change into a new dress and sneak me to the garden.

The garden was like a misty forest with dozens of plants lined up. Warm green-colored sacred fires were lighting up the dark sky. The place where the banquet was held was hidden among the lilac bushes, with no one wandering around since everyone in the western side was focusing on security. I tucked the embroidery and letter in my sleeves.