Ralph was ruthless in his words. Grace secretly looked up and saw his stony face. She knew Ralph was truly being serious this time and he would not be fooled with just a few words. Grace felt more resentful towards Amy. It was all because her fault.
Ralph glared at Natalia with a grim smile. He pointed at Madam Barbosa and chastised. “Why, you want me to hold you up?”
Madam Barbosa bore with the pain on her chest and hurriedly stood to her feet. She held the side consort up with Grace.
“Take her down! I’ll deal with her once I get back!”
Natalia who had been closing her eyes suddenly opened her eyes and wailed. “Does your Majesty want to harm Amy and Grace after chasing me away?”
“You actually cherish them, yet sadly, you’ve raised a problematic child for me!” His words were brutal and he did not want Natalia in his line of sight at all. “Don’t worry. I won’t go off the deep end and kill them; they’re still my flesh and blood after all. It’s my duty to teach them a lesson whenever they make a mistake, or else it would be too late when they doom the family!”
Natalia still wanted to plead for Grace and Amy, yet Grace quickly knelt down and spoke sincerely, afraid that Natalia would provoke Ralph. “Grace would comply with father’s punishment!”
Ralph snorted. “You’re good at knowing what to do!”
Understanding Grace’s purpose of doing so, Madam Barbosa secretly gave Natalia a pinch. Only then Natalia was willing to leave with a despondent face. She initially planned to eavesdrop outside the room in order to at least stop Ralph when his anger rose and he wanted to beat Amy, yet she spotted Granny Gordy standing in the middle of the yard with a stern face the moment she emerged from the room.
She abhorred Granny Gordy and refused to show her weakness in front of her. She raised her chin and walked past her without giving her another glance.
Granny Gordy on the other hand showed her courtesy by bowing at her.
“Granny Gordy.” Natalia stopped when she walked past her and spoke with a cold voice. “Don’t think you’ve found yourself a protection by counting on that slut since she’s recovered. Do you forget what her mother had done in the past?”
“There’s still no consensual conclusion on that case.” Granny Gordy replied with a neither humble nor arrogant tone of voice. “How does your Highness know it’s her Ladyship who did it? It could be someone else. Side consort, you’re born at a huge family, I suppose you know all those tangles of rules better than me?”
Natalia was speechless and she became furious. She immediately sneered. “What’s left for that little slut now? Isn’t it only his Majesty’s sympathy? Sympathy is such an unreliable thing. Even her grandparents have given her the cold shoulder, granny, what hope and bright future would you get by following this kind of master?”
She then lowered her voice and continued, half alluring and half threatening. “Granny, why don’t you follow me? I’m still the side consort of the palace after all. As long as I’ve given birth to a son for his Majesty, won’t the palace be mine? Until then, I’ll give granny a huge amount of money and let granny live a luxurious life outside the palace. What do you think?”
Granny Gordy was not moved by her offer at all. “Your Highness need not worry about that. His Majesty has mentioned earlier that his Majesty will provide me a place to settle when I’m too old to do work.”
Natalia’s face went gloomy. “Granny Gordy, you’re refusing toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Don’t you forget, I’m the master of the palace too!”
Granny Gordy was still keeping a straight face and she did not show any fluctuation in emotion after hearing her words. “Your Highness is certainly the master of the palace, yet the palace is still his Majesty’s in the first place. I work for his Majesty and would only obey his Majesty words. I’ll only fulfill what his Majesty order me to do. Could your Highness possibly intend to defy his Majesty’s order?”
Natalia certainly did not have the guts to say so. Her family, the Neil family was already doomed leaving only a distant cousin whose age was still young. How would her match to oppose Ralph if she dared to oppose his order?
Seeing Natalia not making a reply, a smile finally appeared on Granny Gordy’s face. “Your Highness, I still have something to report to his Majesty. Since your Highness is busy too, I’ll not bother your Highness any longer. Oh yes, regarding his Majesty’s request for the investigation of the fifth mistress being poisoned earlier, we have gotten some clues.”
Natalia’s heart plummeted. What? They have gotten clues already? Natalia felt light-headed and everything before her went dark. She staggered yet did not faint as Madam Barbosa was holding her tightly.
Seeing that it was impossible to threaten Granny Gordy anymore, Madam Barbosa held Natalia away, almost dragging her along the way.
Ralph noticed the commotion outside. He opened the door and asked blandly. “Does granny have anything to tell me?”
Granny Gordy bowed reverently at Ralph and answered. “The fifth mistress is resting. As for the officials of the crown prince and the eighth prince, Doughall Thompson and Josh Young who were the ninth prince’s doctor and military officer respectively, I have asked people to prepare and deliver lavish gifts to them. I’ve also arranged everything for the third son of the Gladstone family.”
Ralph was apparently satisfied for her arrangements and he asked, “Have you let the doctor check out on the fourth and fifth mistress?”
“Doctor Hoffman has checked out on the fourth mistress. He said the fourth mistress has ruined her body from crying too much and she’ll recover after resting for a few days. He’s prescribed a medicine too. I’ve examined it, it’s sedative and I’ve let people to brew it. As for the fifth mistress, since she’s asleep, I’ll let Doctor Hoffman check out on her when she awakes.”
Ralph trusted Granny Gordy’s caliber. If not, he would not let her handle all the housekeeping tasks in the palace. “You know what to do.”
Granny Gordy peeked sideways and noticed Grace was kneeling on the ground obediently with her head lowered. She then lowered her head too and spoke without blinking. “It’s almost lunch time, does your Majesty want to have some meal first?”
Ralph did not have any appetite due to anger and he did not have the mood to eat too. He waved his hand signifying Granny Gordy to leave. Granny Gordy turned and walked out.
As for the culprit who poisoned Mary, both Ralph and Granny Gordy knew it in their heart but they chose not to disclose it. Granny Gordy had already found out it was Natalia, the side consort who did it three days ago yet Ralph chose to hide the truth from others.
It was all due to considerations for the royal palace. Although the Neil family was already doomed, Natalia’s distant cousin, Bacon Neil was the top scholar last year. His reputation was good as an official and he would be working in the city by the end of the year. The emperor might even permit him to work in the cabinet. As long as Bacon did not make any mistake once he entered the cabinet, the journey of his career would be smooth and steady and he would have a high chance to be promoted.
Therefore Ralph was reluctant to offend the Neil family at this point of time.
Because of this, Granny Gordy felt aggrieved towards Natalia. If she could not ruin her with one strike, she promised that she would not let her live a good life as long as she stayed in the palace!
Ralph closed the door back slowly after watching Granny Gordy walking afar.
Grace’s heart wrenched with the squeaking sound of the door. She had lowered her head and waited for a long while. Only then she heard Ralph speaking blandly. “Get up. I’ve investigated what happened yesterday. Since you’re not really involved in the matter, I’ll not hold you to account.”
As Grace heaved a sigh of relief, she heard Ralph continued sternly. “Yet, as the eldest daughter and sister, not only that you didn’t advise your mother and sister when they’ve made mistakes, you even abetted them to do so!”
Grace, who was about to stand up, plummeted to her knees when she heard it. “It’s Grace’s fault! Therefore please don’t blame the side consort and Amy sis!”
Ralph snorted. “Stand up when I ask you to do so! If you did care for your mother and sister, why didn’t you remind them when they’re befuddled? You better watch out in the future. If you dare repeat the same mistake again, I’ll not let you off that easily next time!”
Grace quickly promised. Her legs had gone numb and sore from kneeling too long. Yet she did not dare to show it and could only stand at the side obsequiously.
“Where’s your disappointing little sister?”
Grace quickly squeezed out some tears and led Ralph to the bedside. “Amy sis was already injured, and her body has gone weaker due to fright. Therefore she’s still bedridden and could not get up.”
Ralph doubted it. “I heard her being powerful in her voice outside the window just now. She was yelling in the room. How could her be so weak in just a short while?”
Amy trembled under the blanket and her shivering body resembled the falling leaves in the wind. She only hoped that Grace could alleviate Ralph’s anger as she did not want to get whipped again.
Seeing Amy’s pathetic look, Ralph went outraged. He yanked the blanket off her and tossed it on the floor. “Think about your poor fourth and fifth sister when you’re lying comfortably here with servants serving you meal! You’re in a fright? Your fifth sister is the one being frightened!”
Amy knew she could not pretend it anymore and she burst out crying. Her body shook vigorously as she was terrified. She bawled with her eyes closed and could not even speak a complete sentence which was poignant to look at.
Since she was still his daughter whom he loved dearly since young after all, therefore no matter how angry he was, Ralph’s heart still melted seeing her like this.
Grace who was peeking at Ralph secretly noticed his expression had gone soft and she wept at the side. “Father, you’ve wronged Amy sis. Amy sis knew it was her fault after the incident yet she could not remember anything from it. If father does not believe my words, father could ask those who was at the scene yesterday!”
Grace’s voice became anxious. “It must be because Amy sis has encountered something nasty that caused her went crazy. Or else, how could she stab Mary sis with such a weak body?”