Luna, too, would love to see how Amy was beaten up, yet she was pulled away tightly by Mary and without choice, she left with her. On their way back, she kept complaining to her.
“Why didn’t you let me stay for a little bit longer? My anger could have been relieved seeing how Amy was beaten up.”
Since their heart-to-heart talk, the gap between them began to narrow. Mary was dead betrayed by her best friend in her previous life, therefore she always took precautions against other people. She was an orphan in her last life and did not have parents, not to mention any sibling. Therefore she felt slightly awkward having the appearance of Luna. But now, she could finally talk to her calmly.
“You wish I don’t want to see how Amy sis was beaten up,” Mary smiled, “We had won father’s heart just now, if we continued to stay there, we’re gone cause ourselves trouble. If father had started the beating, we should stop him or not? If we stop him and he does stop beating her, how should we vent our own anger? And if we don’t stop him, what happened to your pleading for Amy sis’ mercy just now? Wouldn’t it appear fake?”
Luna lowered her head and pondered, what Mary had said did make sense. She then pinched her cheek softly and smiled, “You little genius! You’ve been dumb in the past, now even the god needs to make up for you, but I didn’t expect you to become this clever now!” Yet she went gloomy afterwards, “But what if father listened to the side consort and did not hit Amy after we left?”
“I think Amy sis would not be able to escape from that hit anymore,” Amy’s stubborn face kept lingering in her head and could not be removed, “Plus, if she kept refusing to beg for mercy, the punishment is not going to be light.”
Still worried, Luna said, “I still can’t be at ease without seeing punishment with my own eyes.”
Mary smiled, “It’s easy. I’m feeling a bit tired now with all these fuss we had this whole afternoon. Didn’t father say that he’ll ask the kitchen to make something good for us? We’re heading to your June Hall to enjoy our meal, and we’ll let the maidens to inquire about the punishment. I bet after we finish our meals, the punishment would be over.”
Luna immediately turned joyful from worry, with a clap she smiled, “Good idea! Let’s go. I have some delicious rose dew which I made it myself! And it’s not found outside!”
The two sisters reached June Hall while chatting happily with each other. The sky was almost dark. The kitchen sent the food to the hall as promised, and Odessa had also let the maiden, Emma to bring Mary’s cutleries over.
Luna and Mary did not dare to drink wine anymore therefore they stuck to the rose dew made by Luna. Without any appetite, Mary only had some glutinous rice congee with chicken shreds. She put down her bowl when she heard Chloe babbling excitedly outside the hall, “It’s Chloe and she’s back, there must be result there already.”
Luna was even more excited than Mary. She quickly let Chloe in and asked Jewel to open the money case to give gratuities to all the maidens and servants in June Hall, even including Chloe and Daisy. This was the first time in history.
Luna’s face glowed with joy, holding Jewel and Jade, her two most trusted maidens’ hands embarrassedly, she spoke with a regretful voice to all the maidens in June Hall, “You all had served me for many years and knew my temper. I used to be selfish and grumpy before, but I never scolded you. I was born out of bastardy, and my mother has a low position in the palace. The side consort took care of the huge regent household and she saw me and Concubine Talbert as a thorn in the flesh. She had been rude to us, and would not treat us any better in the future.”
Finishing her words, a few drops of tear was actually seen in her eyes. “If I do not think for myself, who would have thought for me? Please don’t hate me for being stingy; I was earning all those money little by little for myself.”
Her words were bitter. Slightly understanding Luna’s feeling, Mary smiled and held her hands, “Luna sis, please stop your tears. You should be happy for today,” while waving at Chloe to come forward, “Hurry up and tell us what happened in Dewdrop Pavilion so we can cheer Luna sis up.”
Luna wiped away her tears and replied, “Yes, yes. Hurry up and tell us, Chloe. I’ll give you coins if you manage to talk about it interestingly.”
Chloe, who was a foodaholic, replied embarrassingly, “Please allow me to reject the coins, I’ve had enough for my monthly salary. But, as for the fourth mistress’ rose dew…”
Luna and Mary burst into laughter.
After a round of laughter inside the hall, Chloe then began to tell what she had inquired just now.
It turned out that the side consort had knelt down, cried and begged for Amy’s mercy the moment Luna and Mary left Dewdrop Pavilion.
Ralph did not actually want to hit Amy, he was only mad. He hesitated although his horse whip had already been brought out. Amy was still a young lady, no matter how strong her body and bones were, she would not be able to withstand the whipping. As long as Amy begged and apologized for her fault, he would definitely not whip her today.
Contrary to what was expected, Amy was reluctant to apologize by all means, she even straightened her neck and yelled, “You have so many daughters, why should I be the only one to marry that paralyzed waste!”
Ralph was so angry that his veins floated upon his forehead, “How is Kace not good enough for you? Although he cannot walk with his legs, he is the most gifted scholar in the capital! And look at you, vulgar and capricious, even makes me scared of being disgraced having you as the one marrying him!”
“Then don’t let me marry him!” Amy pointed at Grace who was hiding in Madam Barbosa’s chest and cried, “People always said that Grace sis is modest and gentle, so why not let her marry that paralyzed waste?”
Grace who was initially shivering in Madam Barbosa’s chest out of fear stuck her head out, afraid that Ralph would change his mind and let her marry Kace Gladstone, yelled, “Please stop! Amy sis. Marriage is not a joke and how could Amy sis mess it up like this? The name on the marriage letter was clearly of Amy sis’, if it is changed for mine now, how could people not make fun of us, the regent household? Do you want father to lose his face?”
Amy sneered, “And you said you are a good sister of mine and wanted to help me out, but that’s just it!”
Ralph who was in rage, said, “What your sister had mentioned was not wrong! The marriage letter had been exchanged, so how could there be any amendment towards it? You better stay still and not have any bad ideas. After a few days, I shall make a request to the emperor, asking a discipline granny to come and fix your bad attitude!”
Amy did not learn from her mistakes and continued to shout, “What about Luna sis? She’s obedient and loving, and would not object no matter what father had said! Her mother is low in status so having her marry that paralyzed waste is a match made in heaven! And if not, what about Mary sis? She’s the daughter of the formal queen and her identity matches with the son of the Minister family! Plus, she was an idiot in the past, and father did not like her, isn’t it good to have her marry him?”
“Enough! Shut your mouth!” Seeing Amy had gone more and more absurd in her speech, his anger burnt even more, “Looks like you won’t change your attitude without some serious beating!”
Upon finishing his sentence, he grabbed Amy’s hair and pulled her down from her bed. He raised his horse whip and landed it hard on Amy’s body.
Amy tried to dodge while covering her face with her arms, but she was held tight by Ralph. His large hand was like an iron claw and she could not escape from it.
The side consort whose heart ached with pity for Amy rushed to protect Amy, yet Ralph did not stop his whip and she whined upon receiving a whip from him.
Grace and Madam Barbosa quickly held the side consort up. Grace even said ruthlessly, “Mother, don’t you ever try to protect Amy again. Father has gone mad and would not care for anyone else when he’s punishing her. It’s possible that father would be angrier seeing mother protecting her, and punish her more severely. Mother, it’s better that you take care of your own body first. Come, I’ll send mother back to Prosperity Hall.”
The side consort, with a bleak heart, asked, “But what about your sister?”
Grace had always held a grief towards Amy’s trouble-causing behavior and had already given up on her. But to calm the side consort down, she said patiently, “After I send mother back, I’ll stay with sister over here. Father had used to value me, he should be able to listen to my words.”
Without choice, and also because of the great pain on her body, the side consort left with Grace.
On the other hand, Ralph only stopped his whipping when Amy was in a dead faint. He then ordered asking no one to seek for doctor for Amy. Poor Amy, fainting on the ground alone, yet no one dared to hold her up.
Luna and Mary felt a great sense of satisfaction after listening to Chloe. They had teas for some time and as Mary was about to leave seeing the time was getting late, Granny Gordy came.
Granny Gordy was there to deliver the gifts. The servant behind her was carrying a tray with four cases. Upon opening the cases, there were identical ring jades inside each case. Combining the four ring jades together would form a complete circle.
Luna picked up a jade and asked surprisingly, “Did father give these solely for Mary sis and I, or for all of us four sisters?”
Granny Gordy, as if a person who lost her emotions, replied with an expressionless face, “Every mistress has one of them. His Majesty said it is to ask the four mistresses to value their sisterhood.”
Luna, still afraid of Granny Gordy, forced a smile and picked up a jade, gesticulating on Mary’s neck, “It looks beautiful on Mary sis’ neck.”
Mary took over the jade and examined closely, noticing that it was a high standard jade with brilliant quality, she then also smiled, “I have a third-class maiden called Bella who makes excellent string bags. Tell me what color of the bag would you want for the jade and I shall ask her to make and give it to Luna sis during our class tomorrow morning.”
After some serious thinking, Luna replied, “I would like to have an aqua blue one for this aquamarine jade, how’s that?”
Mary also pondered with her head tilted, she then clapped and smiled, “The combination is great. As for me, I do want to see mine being sewed by turquoise threads.”
Both sisters discussed regarding the cooler combination, completely forgetting Granny Gordy’s existence.