Page 78 of Empire's Curse

“Daiyu!How have you been? It’s truly been too long.” Jia’s bubbly, upbeat voice was a stark contrast to Daiyu’s darker, more sinister and suspicious thoughts as she embraced the noble lady in her sitting area at her home. Jia smelled like an amalgamation of floral scents, none of which Daiyu could pinpoint, while her sitting room reeked of aloe and clove incense. When she pulled back from the embrace, her brown eyes were alight with true concern.

“I was so worried when I heard you were taken from the palace,” she said, ushering her over to the array of couches splayed across the expensive crane-embroidered rug. Hot tea was already waiting for them at the tea table, and there was another woman sitting on the wooden framed couch. “This here is Lady Eu-Meh. Lady Eu-Meh, this is Yin Daiyu, the one His Majesty chose during the royal selection.”

Lady Eu-Meh smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “A pleasure to finally meet the infamous farm girl! We were all so worried when we heard what happened to you. I’m sure it must have been absolutelyterrifying.”

Daiyu’s own smile was fake as she sat down next to the youngwoman. When Nikator had arranged for her to meet Jia at her home, she had thought she would be alone with the cheerful lady, but maybe it was better this way—more women meant more gossip, and the more likelihood that someone knew something.

Jia eased herself into the seat across from them and picked up her porcelain, butterfly painted teacup from the table, her dark brows pulling together in worry. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. How horrifying.” The red painted lotus between her brows creased. “How did you manage to escape?”

“How did His Majesty react? Does he know?” Lady Eu-Meh interrupted.

Daiyu picked up her own teacup, her fingers warming instantly. “It’s a long story, but I’m well.”

Lady Eu-Meh leaned forward expectantly. “But does he know?”

“Does he know what?” Daiyu looked between Lady Eu-Meh and Jia, both of whom were staring at her as if waiting for something. It took her a second to realize what they were inquiring about: did Muyang know she was here after what had happened?

Of course they would be curious to see if he would even want her after she was abused by a rough group of men. Her face flushed with embarrassment and she hated the way they were searching her expression for answers.

“His Majesty is the one who sent me back here,” she finally managed to sputter, bringing the warm tea to her mouth. She nearly scalded her tongue, but she didn’t notice or care. “He took care of me while I was in the fortress and, quite frankly, I’d rather not talk about my experience.”

“Oh, oh.” Jia’s polite grin was back in place, although her cheeks reddened as if she realized how rude they were being.

“But.” Daiyu lowered her teacup on her lap, her insides knotting together as she looked between the two women. She wanted nothing more than to leave this place and not talk to either of them, but she needed to probe the issue and figure outmore, and since they were already on the topic, it was probably wise to remain there for a bit longer. “I do wonder whyIwas kidnapped. I’m not married to the emperor yet and so what worth is there in abducting me?”

“Maybe someone is jealous?” Jia raised her brows and sipped her tea. “You never know. It did cause a bit of a stir when you were chosen. Lots of jealous people out there.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure that might play into it.” Lady Eu-Meh bobbed her head, her tone dropping an octave. “And there were so many noble families who were offended that the emperor chose a commoner over their daughters. I’m sure that played a part into it.”

“So you both think it might have been a noble family?” Daiyu asked, trying to keep her tone as innocent and flippant as possible.

“Oh, heavens, you didn’t hear that from me.” Lady Eu-Meh laughed and reclined into her seat. “But I do agree that it’s a bit suspicious why you were abducted when you don’t mean anything to the emperor. Wouldn’t it have made sense to do thatafteryou were married to him? Orafterhe had taken you to his bed?”

“Huh, I didn’t really think about that.” Jia frowned. “I thought the rebels just wanted to insult His Majesty by stealing his bride. I don’t think … Well, at least that’s what I think. Fang didn’t mention anything else to me either.”

“I said it was suspicious, but I highly doubt a noble family would do such a thing,” Lady Eu-Meh said with a dismissive wave, the gold bands around her wrist jangling with the movement. “It makes more sense that the rebels did that to offend His Majesty. Although many noble families were slighted at the fact that he chose a farm girl, I don’t think that means someone would want to abduct her. Especially since we know His Majesty will choose many others. I mean, have you heard the rumors of how many women have visited his bedchambers? Why go through so much trouble for one small girl?” She smiled thinly at Daiyu, leaned forward, and patted her on the hand. “I meanthat with all the love in the world, Daiyu. You have nothing to fear!”

Daiyu returned her smile with an uneasy one, her mind spinning at this new piece of information. Muyang took many women into his bedchambers? She hadn’t heard that one before, but she shouldn’t have been too surprised—nobles likely knew more and gossiped more, since they were more entwined with his court. But still, she couldn’t deny the sharp pang in her chest that made it hard to breathe.

“Ah, so he’s been with multiple women?” She slurped the herbal tea and barely tasted the citrus undertones or the sharp mint. “I thought I was the first he chose as his bride.”

“Oh, you are,” Jia began.

“But he’s been with several. Just”—Lady Eu-Meh lifted her shoulders—“unofficially.”

Her pointed grin seemed to dig the point deeper into Daiyu, as if to say:you’re not that special, girl.

Daiyu knew that. She was always going to be one of many when it concerned the emperor, but she didn’t expect it to sting this much. And it bothered her how much she was actually troubled by the fact that shewasn’tspecial and that he had been with many women before her. She was replaceable—he had told her that much—so why was she so hurt by the obvious truth? Even after he married her, he would marry many others. Sheknewthat.

“Oh, remember that one girl he was with a few months ago? What was her name?” Lady Eu-Meh tapped her chin thoughtfully, her full lips twisting into a frown. There was something cruel about the glint in her eyes that Daiyu didn’t like—as if she was ready to pull the rug from beneath someone’s feet. “The one from the Wu family, was it? We all thought His Majesty would choose her, didn’t we? But what ended up happening to her?”

Jia blinked back, her gaze flicking between the two women. She fidgeted with her teacup. “Oh. Right, I forgot about her.”

“Wasn’t she sent away a few weeks before the current royal selection?”

“I don’t remember, but she was hastily married off once the emperor”—Jia shrugged sheepishly and stared down at her tea—“was done with her, I suppose, for lack of a better phrase.”

Lady Eu-Meh bobbed her head, the heavy gold hairpieces intertwined in her hair bobbling. “Yes, yes. I didn’t have the chance to attend the wedding since it was on such short notice and I was visiting family down south, but I was shocked when I returned to find out she was already married off.”

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