The atmosphere inside the room was creepy and Mary could not squeeze out a tear. She hid behind Luna and wept with her in case the side consort found her suspicious.
Luna was crying so sorrowfully until her handkerchief was soaked with tears.
The side consort frowned in anxiety, peering Luna and Mary. If this continued, the time she had promised with Gautama Damma would soon be over.
“Alright, alright, please don’t cry anymore, my good children. My heart almost broke listening to your cries,” the side consort tucked out a handkerchief and wiped Luna’s tears gently. She wanted to wipe Mary’s tears too but Mary dodged her and wiped her tears with her sleeve, afraid that she had done something to the handkerchief.
The side consort was obviously unhappy and her expression was seen by Luna’s teary eyes. Luna quickly dragged Mary to her side and wiped Mary’s tears with her own handkerchief while weeping, “Look at you who is already a grown-up but still wipe your tears with your sleeve. Didn’t your maidens prepare any handkerchief for you?”
She paused and then continued crying bitterly, “It’s not your fault though, you were idiotic in the past and was not taught nor loved. Now that you’ve recovered yet there’s still no one there to cultivate you. How pity…” Luna hugged Mary and bawled into tears.
Mary buried her head in Luna’s shoulder, she pretended she was crying, yet she was actually smiling. Luna was quick-witted, letting out just a few words tinged with plenty of sarcasms.
The side consort could not endure anymore, her pretentious kindness faded into thin air and her face went cold, “Luna, what did you mean? Are you saying that I didn’t cultivate your fifth sister properly?”
The situation went into a stalemate.
Luna choked for a while and then knelt down before the side consort with a frightened look with Mary, she bowed, “Mother, please forgive me, I didn’t mean that, I’m just lamenting Mary sis’ unfortunate life,” she continued cautiously, “Mother is going to bring us sisters to burn the incense afterwards, yet I’m afraid that Mary sis and my clothes are not solemn enough.”
The side consort snorted and nodded, “You can go change your clothes,” she threw a look to Madam Barbosa who was guarding the door.
Madam Barbosa quickly smiled and held Luna and Mary up while saying, “I’ll send the two mistresses back.”
Luna held Mary up with her lips clamped shut; she walked briskly along the way until Madam Barbosa who was plumped could not keep up with them and was left behind. She puffed tiredly and trotted all the way.
Mary let Luna dragged her all the way to their room, upon reaching, Luna ordered Jewel and Jade while keeping a straight face, “Guard the entrance and don’t let anyone come near!” She then ordered Azuki and Angelica, “Go pack your mistress’ important belongings up now! Quick!”
“Luna Sis, what are you doing?”
Luna opened the window behind her, seeing there was no one outside, she pulled Mary to the window and whispered, pointing at the backyard, “After the maidens have packed up everything, change your clothes to Azuki’s, and then escape to the backyard through this window and keep walking until the end, I heard Munashii Temple has a back door.”
After some thoughts, Luna then smiled, “I also wish you luck to find Gautama Carana’s meditating place. Keep in mind to give the priest who guards the door some money when you find the back door, and then descend the hill and find father immediately. Pretend that you want to visit your relatives and don’t expose your true identity when you ask for regent palace’s whereabouts. If the people ask, tell them you’re looking for a certain “Madam Fore” who is your aunt that works as a nanny at the regent palace.”
“Don’t worry, this “Madam Fore” was actually my nanny, after I’ve grown up and noticed she’s not used to the discipline, I’ve used some tricks to shove her to the hamlet. When you reach the palace and we’ve returned by then, find Wilbur Talbert who is a guard of the main entrance and also a distant nephew of my mother. Ask him to meet me and I’ll take things out with father.”
“In case we don’t return, ask Wilbur to pass on the message directly to father. Father has trust in you and he will believe your words. Tell him what happened here and that the side consort wanted to harm us, and father would not let her go easily.”
Mary listened to her words silently without interrupting her, after she had finished, she then asked, “Luna sis, how did you know that the side consort want to harm us two?” The side consort’s behavior might be aberrant today, yet she did not actually show it clearly, so how did Luna know? The lesson Mary got from her previous life had reminded her not to trust anyone that easily.
Luna let out a soft sigh, “Do you still remember our eldest sister?”
Mary was staggered, “Eldest sister?” She had known the birth order of every mistress when she was transported here, and she thought the reason why the eldest sister not being mentioned was either because she was married or had died at a young age. Why did Luna mention this eldest sister all of a sudden?
Luna sighed, “Never mind, I’ve forgotten that you were ill in the past and couldn’t remember your own name, not to mention the eldest sister. The biological mother of our eldest sister was actually a maiden serving grandma and she served father since child. After giving birth to eldest sister she then served mother…”
Luna paused and grinned, “The formal one, not the superior side consort.” Mary then knew Luna was talking about her biological mother.
Mary was told by Daisy that Concubine Talbert liked to cause fusses yet she was exceptionally respectful towards her biological mother. She took on the responsibility to raise Mary for several years when her biological mother passed away and that was the reason why Mary could let down her grudge towards both Luna and Concubine Talbert easily.
Seeing Mary did not show any confusion regarding what she said, Luna continued, “When mother passed away, the eldest sister’s biological mother, Concubine Reine fell into a severe illness and her health dwindled away. During that period of time, an old voodoo granny often came to the palace and went to the concubines’ place. My mother had also prayed an amulet for you.”
“Not knowing how, the voodoo caused a trouble and someone found out that she had taught the women some witchcraft at the backyard. The old voodoo panicked and left a ledger which a check from the palace was registered. Father went into rage and he sent people to arrest the side consort, Concubine Reine and my mother.”
“We were still kids back then, Grace and Amy sis knew about this yet they were not scared when the side consort was brought away. The eldest sis on the other hand held my and your hand and deliver food to the side consort and the two mothers secretly at the ancestral hall. I would never forget the look of the side consort back then.”
Luna gazed at Mary with deep eyes and said, “The side consort told us she only consulted the voodoo for father’s health, she also said you were a jinx and was afraid that you were possessed which is the reason why you’re being lunatic. Since then, my mother sent you away, she was timid and was scared that you were really possessed.”
“Concubine Reine cried and defended for you, she said that the side consort had defiled you. The side consort’s look resembled the one just now, she gave a kind smile and said that when this is over, she’ll take you to Munashii Temple and have a look by Gautama Damma to see whether you’re possessed or not.”
“The ancestral hall was dark and cold, Concubine Reine’s body could not withstand it and she had a bad fever the next night. In the third morning, father found charms in Concubine Reine’s room. Nobody could decipher what was written on it. Father was flooded over by anger and he beat Concubine Reine to dead. Eldest sis became lunatic since then, when she saw the brutality with her own eyes, and she had become even more lunatic than you.”
“Father was filled with remorse. He knew eldest sis used to be gentle and mature. She was a reputable mistress from a renowned family in the city and the emperor even intended to let her marry the second prince. Father sought for highly skilled doctors all over the country to treat eldest sis but to no avail.”
“Eldest sis often leveled accusations against the side consort in regards to Concubine Reine’s death whenever she saw her, wanting to fight and kill her. The side consort felt awkward and not knowing how she inquired it, she said that Gautama Damma at Munashii Temple was good at treating madness. She then said eldest sis had become lunatic because she was possessed and wanting to bring her to Munashii Temple.”
“Father was busy for the state affairs during that time. Having no other choice, he conceded and let the side consort bring eldest sis to Munashii Temple. Yet eldest sis never returned since then.”
Both of them fell into silence. After a while, Mary then asked softly, “It was the side consort who did it?”
Luna shook her head and replied, “Nobody knows. To sum up, the side consort went weeping when she returned, she said that Gautama Damma had gauged she was being possessed and could not be cured, and he asked her to take eldest sis back. Yet eldest sis suddenly went crazy on the way and hopped out of the horse carriage. Nobody managed to find her but she was finally found at the back of the mountain.”
Luna started to choke, “I didn’t see her body. It was my nanny, Madam Fore who helped me to check it out. She told me that eldest sis’s body had been torn to pieces by the wolves, only the clothes and jewellery are discernible…”
Mary’s eyes were set ablaze with anger. How cruel and evil was the side consort! She did not even want to let a young maiden off and now had intended to apply the same trick on her now?
When Azuki and Angelica had packed up all the things, Madam Barbosa yelled from outside, “Have the two mistresses not finished changing clothes yet? We’re gonna miss the time!”
Luna held back her tears and scolded with a stern voice, “What are you anxious about? How dare you an old crap keep blabbering here? Once we’re back to the palace, let’s see if father would peel your old skin or not when I tell him about this!”
Madam Barbosa gave a few grim smiles and silenced with her head lowered. It’s still an unknown whether a pampered mistress like you are able to return to the palace or not.
Luna then quickly held Mary’s hands and said, “Why are you still standing here? Hurry up and get dressed!”
Mary held Luna’s hands in return. She closed the window and asked calmly, “Luna sis, if I’ve left, what would happen to you?”
Seeing Mary close the window, she patted Mary’s hand anxiously, “Why are you still asking this at this very moment? Quit messing around!” She wanted to remove her hand and open the window.
Yet Mary clamped her hand tightly, her strength was so great that Luna could not get it off.
“Luna sis, tell me. What will happen to you after I leave?”