Seeing Granny Gordy had arranged everything nicely, Mary felt extremely relieved. She lowered her head and whispered. “Luna sis was truly nice to me.” She had to boost Luna’s dignity so Luna would not suffer too much loss when the matter between her and Kace was exposed.
“Your fourth sister is a good child. Of course, you too.” Ralph let out a soft sigh and said to Granny Gordy with a straight face, “I’ll leave this to you as I have something to do later.”
Mary knew with a glance that Ralph must be looking for Amy and the side consort now and who knows how Amy’s situation would be later.
Granny Gordy stooped and watched Ralph leaving the side hall. She turned around and smiled at Mary amicably. “What does fifth mistress want to do now?”
Mary’s energy was slightly drained from talking too much and she felt light-headed. Her body was too weak that she could not endure such a small wound. It seemed like she had to do more exercising after recovered.
“Granny, I’m a little tired and wanted to sleep.” Mary’s voice died down as she spoke.
Granny Gordy felt heartache. “Do have a sleep, fifth mistress. I’ll be outside the hall. Do call me when you wake up.” She turned and headed out of the side hall after seeing Mary asleep. She then stayed outside the main hall.
She spotted two servants guarding the entrance when she went out. The surrounding was all bright with sunshine. She frowned and said, “It’s still inappropriate to let the fifth mistress continue resting in the side hall. Let’s move the fifth mistress back to the room tomorrow.” She then pointed at one of the servants and said, “Go guard the entrance of the side hall.”
The other servant cringed, as if being reluctant. “The main hall looks creepy; I’m scared to stay inside it alone.” Yet she quickly put up a big smile and said when she noticed Granny Gordy frowned wanting to explode, “Plus, there are gods being worshipped inside the hall. If an old and wrecked servant like me has accidentally offended the gods, I’m afraid it will do the fifth mistress harm too.”
Granny Gordy was different from Ralph in terms of believing in the myths of ghosts and spirits. She quickly relinquished her order after hearing the servant’s words. Sadly, Mary had a weird temper after she recovered from her illness as she did not like anyone to guard her when she slept. Granny Gordy sighed. It was difficult to serve and please her little master.
“Fine. You two stay here. Be alert and open your ears. Enter the side hall if there’s any commotion inside. I’ll go check on the kitchen. The fifth mistress has a weak body and I need to make something nourishing for her.”
The servants quickly agreed. Their obsequious smile vanished the moment Granny Gordy was gone.
The one who spoke just now spat on the floor. “Pat! What the hell?”
Another servant quickly pushed her. “Granny Wayne, mind your words. She’s still the house steward of the palace. Her single word could make us two lose our jobs.”
Granny Wayne looked resentful. “So what? To be frank, she’s still a servant like both of us. Her Ladyship’s single word could take her life!”
“Shush…” The other servant quickly motioned her not to speak. She looked around and lowered her voice after making sure there was no one else around. “Granny Wayne, you can’t be so reckless in your words. The formal Ladyship was already gone, so how could there be any ‘her Ladyship’ in the palace?”
Granny Wayne pointed at the yard where the side consort stayed and replied, “That one of course?”
“Oh my! You’re truly dim-witted! Can’t you see what the situation is now? Since the one inside recovered, she has always been our Majesty’s sweetheart. She used to be an idiot in the past and who knows how much she has suffered back then. It looks like there would be something interesting happening in the palace in the future. Granny Wayne, let me give you a word of advice. Do be cautious on your words and manners from now on, don’t say anything you shouldn’t say, and don’t inquire anything that you shouldn’t know. We should only mind our business and carry out our duty.”
The voices outside faded and the two servants started to talk about commonplace things again.
A man in black with a mask was sitting languidly on the stool beside the bed. His two long legs stretched lazily forward and his back leaned on the bed post, turning his back towards Mary. He chuckled. “The servants of your family look interesting.”
Although Mary was not a decent member of the Debeur family, she still needed to care for the family as she had occupied the body of its original owner and possessed the owner’s name. She felt immediately unhappy after hearing Norman’s words.
Yet she was unable to argue with him as what he said was right. The two servants were out of manners that they actually started to comment on their masters’ matter.
Mary frowned and said unhappily, “There’s no queen in the house, so of course, the servants are all out of manner.”
Norman turned and looked at Mary. He said with a slightly frivolous tone, “Does that mean you want to find yourself a stepmom?”
Mary gave him a glare. “What does it have to do with you whether I want or don’t want to?”
Norman threw up his hands. “I knew many mistresses from noble families and I could introduce some to you as a reference. You can choose whoever you want to become your stepmom. The royals of the Rustica kingdom are coming to meet the emperor this July. You could seize this opportunity to talk to your grandparents. I guarantee your father would agree under the pressure of your grandparents.”
Mary pondered and felt that Norman’s suggestion made sense. Yet she spoke with contempt after another thought, “When have you started being into mismatching stuff?” She was still unsure who Norman really was and it was not an easy task to choose the boss lady of the regent household.
If she had to listen to Norman even for something important like this, then who knows when the whole regent household might fall into his control too. No one could guarantee that his spy was not among the choice of stepmom provided by him.
Norman knew what she was thinking and gave a soft chuckle. He chose not to expose her but divert the topic of conversation. “Miss Debeur was good in acting just now. It feels real.”
Mary felt slightly annoyed and embarrassed. “How long have you been here?”
Norman put his hands at the back of his head and stretched himself comfortably. “I’ve been outside the moment you forced your fourth sister into indecency.”
Mary blushed. He must have then seen through the reason behind her acting fragile in front of Ralph. Damn this guy for hiding outside for such a long time. She would not be able to notice him if Ralph did not leave just now.
Moreover, even Ralph could not notice that a martial art master was hiding in the hall though he had sat here for quite a while. Therefore it was evident how formidable was this guy’s martial art.
“How did I force my fourth sister into indecency?” Since he had witnessed the scene, Mary refused to admit to see how he would deal with her.
“Your fourth sister is easily embarrassed yet you still insist on forcing her to admit fallen in love with her brother-in-law. If it’s not forcing others into indecency, then what is?”
Mary could not bear to hear anyone talking bad about Luna, she then argued. “Brother Kace is no longer my third sister’s husband, so why can’t my fourth sister fall in love with him? Plus, mutual adoration is an extremely normal thing in this world. Who cares about secular prejudice when two people truly love each other?”
“If you’ve truly fallen in love with someone in the future and everyone objects. What will you do?”
Norman suddenly stooped. His breath which caressed Mary’s cheeks was warm. Mary felt her cheeks burnt at once and her chest stuffy. She quickly turned her head sideways and replied. “I’ll still be with him of course.”
Norman stood to his feet and smiled. “Fifth mistress’s doing as expected. I’ve never misjudged you.”
Being mocked by Norman was a highly demeaning thing to Mary. She realized the more she felt suspicious towards Norman’s purpose, the less she was able to tolerate his mocking. “I don’t need you to judge who I am. Also, it’s none of your business how would I become in the future.”
“Fifth mistress is too ungrateful!” Norman returned to the same pose earlier. “I’ve just saved fifth mistress and now fifth mistress has forgotten the favor.”
Mary’s face flushed. It was truly thanks to Norman this time. If it was not for Norman, both Luna and her situation would be in grave danger.
Mary was a principled person. Leaving her doubt aside, she had to thank him for saving her. “It’s all thanks to you this time. I’ll remember your kindness and I’ll repay you in the future.”
“How would you want to repay me?” Norman stared at Mary’s uncovered pale and flawless neck. Her skin had an alluring good texture which attracted his gaze and forbade him to detach. Frivolous words came out of his mouth without notice. “Do you want to dedicate yourself towards me?”
Norman slightly regretted the moment he said it.
As expected, Mary went furious. “Norman Leeway, don’t you think you could humiliate like this when you’ve saved my life!”
Norman quickly retrieved his playful attitude and apologized. “It’s my fault. I’m so sorry. Fifth mistress is a heroine, do forgive me this time.” His tone of voice was exceptionally serious.
Mary did not want to forgive him at first, yet she had to force back her anger as there was something she needed to ask him to help later. “If you want to talk to me then talk in a serious way. If you don’t, please go out and don’t interrupt my rest.”
Norman secretly sighed. Are all women that capricious? Not only her, Mary who is front of him too. It was such a headache.
“I’m afraid if I do tell you how I really want you to repay me, fifth mistress will kill me at once.”
Mary let out a wry smile. “If so you don’t have to worry. With my current state, not to say killing you, I’m afraid I’ll not be able to even fight the two servants outside too.”
Norman smiled too, as if truly believing in her words, he said, “What I want is actually simple, and it would be easy for fifth mistress to do too. There’s a letter from the eighth prince in your father’s study room. I want that and I hope fifth mistress could get it for me. I’ll return it back to fifth mistress after I read it.”
Mary’s anger rose. So he finally wanted to show his true color? Her conjecture was right, this guy really was aiming at Ralph that he approached her so frequently. The situation now was in a chaos and if she was not wrong, Norman must be Ralph’s political foe. He must be intending to steal the secret of Ralph’s study room when he showed up at Ralph’s birthday banquet last time.