“Luna sis,” Mary let out a weak smile, “how are we supposed to get the lion cub if we do not enter the lion’s den? Although father would still be outraged if the side consort is slightly injured and I’m completely fine, yet nothing would happen to Amy if the side consort pleaded for her. Now that I’m injured and Amy has gone mad once again, especially in front of so many princes, she would not get off that easily.”
“Wait. How did you know Amy has gone mad?”
Luna was sensitive to notice the flaw in her words. Amy went mad after she and Mary fainted and she only knew about that from Jewel and Jade after she woke up. So how did Mary know the moment she woke up? There must be something fishy going on!
Mary let out a soft sigh as she was careless. She threw Jewel, Jade and Azuki a look.
Luna spoke sternly. “You three leave here and guard the entrance. Don’t let anyone approach this room without my permission!”
After the three maidens had left the room, Mary grasped Luna’s hand and whispered. “Luna sis, I’m afraid that it’s all thanks to big sister.”
Luna was baffled. “What has this to do with big sister?”
Mary looked desolate and replied. “I was scurrying in the backyard after getting out from the back window and I accidentally entered a small yard. Luna sis, you have no idea who have I met.”
Luna stared at Mary full of curiosity and did not urge her to continue. Her enthusiastic look indicated that she was eager to hear the rest of the story.
To not keep her hanging, Mary continued. “It was the virtuous and brilliant Gautama Carana. After recognizing my identity, he called upon Gautama Damma and Nean. Gautama Damma immediately wanted to kneel before me and said that he felt guilty for what had happened to big sister. He knew something was suspicious but he could not reveal it as there was no evidence.
“Coincidentally, the side consort sought him a few days ago. Gautama Damma felt uneasy when he saw the side consort being evil enough to want to take my life and blame it on Luna sis. He doesn’t want me and you to follow big sister’s footsteps and always wanted to find a chance to rescue us.
“He found us by chance and gave me a silver needle to let me prick it into an acupuncture point at the back of Amy’s head. It would make Amy go mad temporarily and he and Nean would accuse her being possessed. We would be saved when the side consort was in a state of confusion and panic.”
Light dawned on Luna. “Now I know why you wanted to comb Amy’s hair.”
Now that she knew the whole process of the event, she started to worry for Gautama Damma and Nean. “It looks like they’ve offended the side consort, who knows whether she would do something bad to them in the future.”
Mary smiled lightly. “That priest was a great disciple and was even taught by Gautama Carana and Gautama Damma themselves. He was smart and clever, and Gautama Damma always hoped that he could be an official. Gautama Damma intended to seize the opportunity to ask for grace from father to let Nean work for him.”
She then grinned at Luna. “Luna sis, that little priest was not someone to be trifled with. There’s a high chance for him to follow us back to the city this time and when he meets and starts to work for father, there’s no more good days for the side consort. She won’t even dare to do anything to Munashii Temple too. Plus, there’s still Gautama Carana having its back, even Gautama Damma is not someone easily defeated. So it won’t be that easy for the side consort to do anything to Munashii Temple.”
Luna seemed to become relieved yet she then said, “I guess Nean won’t need to go to the city to meet father anymore.”
Mary quickly asked, “What do you mean?”
Luna beamed. “The ninth prince has let Doctor Thompson to prescribe medicine for you when you’re in a coma. Some herbs need to be gotten from the city, so the ninth prince asked his military official, Josh Young to rush back to the city together with Angelica. Therefore it’s possible that father is now heading towards here.”
Mary smiled too. She knew Angelica the most and father would definitely believe her words when she spoke. Yet, why was it the ninth prince again who has helped her?
Mary squinted slightly. Why did the ninth prince help her for so many times?
Yet she heard Luna saying casually, “I’m afraid the marriage between Amy and Sir Kace would not make it this time.”
Mary quickly regained her mind and spotted a flash of longing desire and an agonizing look following that across Luna’s face. Somewhere fragile in her heart was given a direct hard hit. Mary decided to lend Luna a hand and she could no longer let Luna escape from reality.
She held Luna’s hands and asked with a soft yet determined voice. “Luna sis, tell me the truth. Have you fallen in love with Sir Kace?”
Luna was taken aback by her question. She threw Mary’s hands off and replied with a cold face. “What do you mean? Mary sis. Sir Kace is our future brother-in-law! Although the marriage between him and Amy did not seem to make it anymore, yet their marriage still counts! Please don’t say those kinds of things anymore, Mary sis. If this is spread out, it would ruin our family’s reputation! And also Sir Kace’s!”
Although she was angry, she still seemed to defend Kace from her words and she sounded lonely.
Mary retrieved her hands and sneered while staring at Luna with a determined look. “Looks like I’m being busybody.”
Luna felt guilty. She knew Mary was angry from her look and she asked with uneasiness. “Mary sis, what’s wrong?”
Mary shifted her head to the side and spoke blandly without looking at Luna, “I thought our relationship as sisters is already strong enough when we’ve overcome matters of life and death. Yet I can’t believe that Luna sis still does not trust me.”
Luna had lived in the regent household for more than a decade and finally found a sister who can exchange her thoughts and feelings. She could not bear to see Mary leaving her and she shouted anxiously, “Mary sis, I’ve always trusted you! It’s just that…It’s just that it’s really hard to talk about!”
Mary turned around with effort and stared at Luna. “What would happen even if Luna sis did tell me? Could I possibly spread it out?”
Seeing Mary being assertive, her voice softened, and since she really did want to find someone to confess her misery, she sat on a stool beside the bed looking dejected.
“Mary sis, if I say this out there’s no turning back, only death. I really should not have had this indecent thought. To be honest, I was attracted to Sir Kace at the first glance when I saw him at the street that day. I thought the legendary paralyzed waste would be someone extremely unpleasant, yet Sir Kace actually had that kind of personality and looks!
“Well forget about looks as I didn’t pay much attention to it. I was born from mother’s womb and mother’s position is extremely low. I’ve grown up depending on others’ look. I understand that good looks have no much importance, only the heart. Although Sir Kace is handicapped, what’s rare is he has a good personality and it’s said that he’s knowledgeable too.
“What’s rarer is Sir Kace is my second self. He knew what I thought and felt when he listened to the flute I played. How would I possibly find another person like him anywhere else?”
Luna then continued hatefully. “Yet a good man like him was being treated like a waste by Amy. She disdained him and did not know what’s good in him. My heart ached seeing that. Mary sis, my heart truly ached!”
She could no longer hold back her tears and her tears dropped ceaselessly.
Mary intuitively wanted to wipe Luna’s tears with her sleeve, yet Luna held her hands and said, “You’re injured, don’t move. And I’ve told you so many times that you need to wipe tears using a hanky! You look more like a monkey from the hills then a mistress from a noble family!” Luna burst out laughing.
“I’m waiting for Luna sis to make me a hanky.”
Luna poked Mary’s forehead hollowly and grunted. “Look at you, still lingering on this when you’re injured. Don’t worry, when we’re back, I’ll make hankies for you every day whenever I’m free.”
Mary quickly bantered and smiled. “Forget about embroidery, Luna sis. Just make more hankies like the plain one last time.”
Luna knew Mary was talking about the hanky which was picked and returned to her by Kace. Color flushed her face and she replied softly. “Stop making fun of me.”
Mary knew she was sensitive and afraid that she was truly annoyed; she said with a serious look, “Luna sis, I really do care for your own good. If you really have your eyes set on Sir Kace, we’ll tell father and drag Sir Kace over since Amy does not appreciate him, and make him my fourth sister’s husband.”
Luna blushed and gave a gentle spit. “Look at you, keep talking nonsense.” Yet her expression showed that she was extremely delighted.
Mary secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Now that she was confirmed with Luna’s thought, she needed to inquire more about Kace’s personality and the background of the Gladstone family. She could only rely on Norman to do that. It seemed that she had owed Norman more and more since he was a big help again this time.
How troublesome. Mary could not help but sigh. If only she could change the name on the marriage letter to Luna’s before she knew about this so things would go perfect.
Luna stayed by her side and talked to her for some time. She folded the corner of the blanket for Mary and whispered when she saw the tiredness on her face, “If you’re tired, do have a nap.”
Mary shook her head. “But I do want to eat something.”
“The kitchen staff’s making porridge; I’ll let Azuki take a bowl of it for you afterwards.” Luna then sighed. “We’re at Munashii Temple, not home after all. There’s nothing nourishing here. It looks like we can only wait for father to fetch us home.”
Remembering Henry and the princes, Mary then asked, “The princes have all gone back?”
Luna nodded and began to praise the ninth prince, James. “The ninth prince was truly a nice guy, he let Doctor Thompson stay here when he left. He said we need a doctor to take care of us as we’re either injured or sick. Both the crown prince and the eighth prince have left their officials too who are ready to be the witness for us.”