Kace had turned blue in the face; he stared at Jared without blinking an eye. “What does your Highness mean?”
Jared was vicious in terms of speech; he was salty against other people’s happiness and enjoyed rubbing salt on their wound very much. Seeing Kace unhappy, he grinned, “Come on, Kace, why the long face? I’m just praising your dainty fiancé’s good looks and her honey tongue for actually disclosing her name to us, which saves us the trouble to inquire about that.”
Amy looked pathetic with her unkempt hair and tear-streaked face yet was lacked of solemnity. Her lascivious eyes were fixed greedily on James who was the most handsome among them and no wonder she was teased by Jared when she looked exactly like a playgirl.
Kace clenched his fists until veins were seen floating up the back of his hands.
Seeing Mary’s life force slowly drained away yet the side consort was still introducing her two beloved daughters to the princes, Luna sank into despair and could not help but cry out loud, “Mary sis! My poor Mary sis! You’ve been like this yet these cruel people do not even care about your life and they’re chatting and matchmaking instead. They’re not saviors, but a bunch of people without conscience!”
Her words were highly offensive as she was also scolding the princes whom one of them would be the future emperor.
The side consort pulled a long face instantly and chastised, “Luna, what are you talking about?”
Luna was vigorous in her rebuke, since Mary could no longer survive and who knew how the side consort would torture her and her mother when they returned to the palace, therefore she decided to go all out and release her grievances accumulated from all these years and she did not care who she would offend.
“Did I say anything wrong? My fifth sister is dying and is now lying on the floor lingering on while you people are behaving smarmy, wanting to inquire other mistress’s name and judging the mistress’s looks. Are these what a prince should do? And you!”
Luna pointed at the side consort and her hatred made her teeth trembled. “Mary sis and I have called you mother for all these years. Ask yourself whether you truly deserve this call or not!”
The side consort was quivering in rage and she yelled at the servants outside, “Get the fourth mistress out now!”, while giving the princes a smile, “This girl has gone mad.”
Luna still wanted to scold, yet Mary stretched out her hand weakly and a feeble smile appeared on her cadaverous face. “Luna sis, don’t bother anymore. I know I have a bad fate. Now that I’m getting murdered by Amy sis, mother must not bear to see Amy sis suffer and want me to die sooner. If so Amy sis’s reputation would not be harmed. Sigh, since I’m dying, I’ll help Amy sis and mother this time.”
Her voice was neither loud nor small, yet it was already enough for everyone to hear her clearly.
The side consort winced and whirled to look at the princes, and the princes’ expression all changed as expected.
Henry, the crown prince stepped forward and spoke with a rather impolite voice, “The fourth mistress was right, let’s not argue how this happens but hurry up and treat the fifth mistress instead.” He then pointed at James and said, “My ninth brother has a poor body and he brings a doctor with him all the time. Let’s now get the doctor to come over.”
James had already sent his servants to call for his doctor, Doughall Thompson. Since Doughall still needed some time to get here therefore Kace volunteered to examine Mary’s wound.
Yet Luna covered Mary’s body tightly and cried, “My fifth sister is a lily-white mistress, unless the doctor comes, no one’s allowed to touch her even a single hair.” Tears ran down her cheeks and she forbade anyone to touch Mary. She cried until she was short of breath.
Luna had a sweet-looking face and her smile resembled the warm sunshine in spring which cheered people up. Her cries on the other hand made people’s heart ached which were like drizzles dropping on spring flowers.
Sebastian then turned his gaze towards Luna and wondered why he did not notice this girl had such beautiful looks when he saw her during Lord Regent’s birthday banquet. How great it would be if he could marry her as his concubine.
Meanwhile, Amy sighed regretfully upon knowing the ninth prince’s illness from Henry. What should she do if his illness aggravates and he becomes a paralyzed waste like Kace after they were married? What’s the use of having only good looks?
Thinking about this, she glimpsed at Kace in distaste. Her eyes then shifted greedily across the princes’ face and halted at the fifth prince, Ivo.
Ivo looked masculine. He was neither childish like the seventh prince, Jesse nor always keeping a straight face like the eighth prince, Leonard. He had a bit of bookish charm possessed by the second prince, Iago and was valiant like the third prince, Hector. He did not always look melancholic like the crown prince, Henry nor behave in a noisy and boisterous manner like the sixth prince, Jared. Moreover, he was not a rogue like the fourth prince, Sebastian. Although he was not as dazzling as the ninth prince, James, but he was still extremely charming.
Her heart plunged and a sense of love stirred within her.
Ivo had already noticed her greedy eyes; he sneered secretly in his heart and shot her a fierce glare.
Yet Amy had gone more enchanted with him.
The crowd’s attention was all diverted towards Luna and Mary who was in Luna’s arms and in a coma and no one noticed Amy who was blushing at the side. As the situation was out of control, Doughall finally arrived puffing hard.
Luna was crying hard and had gone irrational, she refused anyone to touch Mary and accused that they wanted to destroy Mary’s reputation.
Without choice, Henry promised, “You don’t have to be scared, fourth lady. As the crown prince, and with all my brothers here, I promise you that no one will harm the fifth mistress’s reputation.”
Yet Luna had cried until her body trembled and she did not hear clearly what Henry had said. In a hurry, Kace whispered, “Fourth lady, sorry for the offense,” and gave a light pat on Luna’s head from behind with a fan which made Luna fainted instantly.
“My lady!” Jade and Jewel quickly pounced while Kace said blandly, “Don’t worry, your mistress has only fainted.”
Without Luna’s restriction, Doughall could finally treat Mary’s wounds. Naturally, it was inappropriate to continue letting Mary lie on the ground of the main hall, yet it was not suitable to move her either based on her current situation.
Gautama Damma then said with a flattering smile, “There are beds in the side hall. I used to rest there during the afternoon break and the beds are all clean and neat.”
Just as he finished his words, James had already put his arms around Mary’s waist and carried her up. A flurry of gasps was heard and Jared even spoke with an uncanny smile, “I never expect that ninth brother could show tenderness towards women.”
Yet what was more surprising was Mary’s face showing up when she was nicely in James’s chest. The princes were all startled. Isn’t she the dazzling beauty they met at the cloister last night? They had not realized she was actually the fifth mistress of Debeur family!
Sebastian was the one most shocked. He once thought it was Ralph associating with Salvador to spread the rumor that the fifth mistress had recovered from her illness, yet he did not expect that the fifth mistress had looked so much different from her ugly appearance before until he saw her now.
Sebastian secretly regretted, if he knew she would recover back then, he would have married her so he would get a beautiful wife now.
Nean quickly led the way to the side hall in front of James and Doughall. Luna who had fainted was also carried there by her servants and she lied on a bed beside Mary.
Doughall was a highly-skilled doctor, he let out a breath after examining Mary’s wound and said to James, “Don’t worry, your Highness. Luckily the one who tossed the hairpin did not have a huge strength so the wound on the fifth mistress’s shoulder is not deep. The fifth mistress is only weak due to excessive blood loss, she would be fine after her wound is wrapped and she’s rested well after a few days.”
Angelica was anxious until her eyes went red. “Would there be scar left on our lady’s body?”
Doughall smiled and answered complacently, “Don’t worry, miss. I’ll prescribe a medicine to the fifth mistress. There won’t be scar left if you apply the medicine on the fifth mistress’s shoulder every day.”
Angelica and Azuki then heaved a sigh of relief and they started to thank James.
Yet James did not utter a word, he gazed at Mary levelly as if she was the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen in this world.
Azuki and Angelica not dare to speak a word too, they glimpsed at each other feeling surprised and went to take care of their mistress. They only prayed that the ninth prince had a good but not capricious mood and would not torture their mistress.
After Doughall had finished prescribed the medicine, James called upon his bodyguard and whispered something on his ear. The bodyguard then started off.
“Josh, wait.” James stopped him abruptly and pointed at Angelica to him. “Bring this maiden to the regent household when you’re getting medicine from the city.” He then spoke to Angelica coldly with a superior look, “I think you’ve known what to say in front of Lord Regent?”
Angelica was exalted as the one having the advantage in front of his Majesty now would be the winner. She quickly dragged Azuki over and kowtowed to James. “Thank you for your Highness’s great kindness!”
James waved his hand airily and both Angelica and Azuki could only see his purple robe when they raised their head. “Take good care of your mistress.”
As he was stepping out of the side hall, there was a commotion inside the main hall. He wrinkled his brow and stared at the farce before him. Jared approached him upon seeing him emerging out. “Ninth brother, you’ve missed a good show when you went to take care of that little beauty just now.”
James had always detested his smooth-talking but not kind-hearted sixth brother, yet he still kept his patience and grinned, “Oh? And what is that? Why don’t sixth brother tell me about it?”