Page 79 of Empire's Curse

Daiyu drank her tea quickly. Her chest felt tight, like someone had pulled a bowstring too taut. Like her ribs were being jammed together, squeezing her innards and making it harder to breathe.Of courseMuyang had been involved with other women. She had assumed as much when she saw his wickedly beautiful face—someone like that wouldn’t be alone for long. And even she had her own romance before—with Heng. But for some reason, there was a prickle in her throat that made swallowing hard. That made breathing feel like she had sandpaper rubbing between her lungs.

She didn’t like the idea of Muyang having multiple lovers and discarding them like they didn’t matter because ultimately, that was who she would become, wouldn’t she? One of the many women who would be gossiped about, just like this.

“I bet His Majesty will choose you to light the first lantern in the Autumn Festival,” Jia said with an enthusiastic smile. She sipped her tea quietly. “Don’t you think, Lady Eu-Meh? I can’t remember who did it last year … was it Lord Sun’s daughter?”

Daiyu had heard about the lantern lighting during the Autumn Festival, where the emperor’s most favored woman, or a very important woman in society or in court, was chosen to light and launch the first lantern. It was usually an honor reserved for someone of high class and many women sought out to be the one to do it. Daiyu had no idea if Muyang would choose her and she hadn’t honestly given it much thought.

“Oh,maybe?” Lady Eu-Meh shrugged. “It’s quite possible. He did choose you for the royal selection, so maybe he’ll do it again for the lantern lighting? But then again, I would think hewould choose the daughter of his trusted allies first over you … But I really don’t know what His Majesty is thinking.”

“I’m excited about the festival,” Jia said. “And if it means anything, I think he’ll choose you. It only makes sense.”

“Right …” Daiyu could only smile and nod.

“It’s such an honor to do it.”

There was a pregnant pause and they all fell silent for a moment too long.

“Anyway, it was soverycunning of you to send all the women away from the Lotus wing,” Lady Eu-Meh said with another slick grin. This time, she winked at her as if they were conspiratorially sharing a secret. “I didn’t think you would have it in you to ask such a thing from His Majesty, and even more so for him to oblige!”

“Many women were upset by that,” Jia said with an enthusiastic nod. “I was pretty shocked too.”

Daiyu tightened her hold on her empty teacup. “Ah, well, I figured it would be?—”

“Good to cut off the competition?” Lady Eu-Meh winked again and chuckled. “I completely agree. I wonder how many enemies you made from that move?”

Clearing her throat, Daiyu smiled again, her cheeks stretching uncomfortably. “I feel as though I would make enemies regardless of whether I sent the women away or not.”

“That’s true. Many people probably feel threatened that you’veenchantedthe emperor,” Jia said with a warm smile. “You’re the first he’s chosen, so I’m sure that means something!”

If that was supposed to make her feel better—it didn’t. Instead, it only made her feel like she was inching closer to her expiration date. Muyang would realize soon enough that she wasn’t any different than other women. There was nothing spectacular about her. She wasn’t charming in any fascinating way. She didn’t have experience in the bedroom, nor with romance in general. She didn’t have much of anything that stood out. And the sooner her charm vanished, she would be cast aside like LadyWu, or the plethora of other women who had ultimately disappointed him.

I’m only doing this for my family. Her hold on the teacup fastened even more, to the point she was afraid she would crack the fragile porcelain object. Love was never a part of this equation, but even as she told herself that, it was becoming harder to breathe. Harder to think.

“I wonder if it would be wise to tell His Majesty that I think someone might be after me?” She tried to rein back into the original reason she was even here with these women. She tried to smile, but she wasn’t even sure if she was doing it right. Not with the way they both were looking at her—like she was a pitiful fool. “I suspect a jealous noblewoman might be?—”

“Oh,heavens.” Lady Eu-Meh burst into shrill laughter, covering her mouth with her jeweled hand. Her eyes crinkled with laughter and she thumped the armrest of the couch as if Daiyu had cracked the funniest joke in the world.

A tingling flush crept up Daiyu’s face and ears. Every nerve in her body warred with the instinct to either run or spit back with fire. She replayed her words, wondering what she had said that was so funny, and resisted the urge to snap at the woman.

“Forgive me.” Lady Eu-Meh’s chest continued to shake and she wiped the corner of her eyes. “I just—” Another chuckle. “I just can’t believe you think His Majesty is supposed to help you with this? What is he supposed to do? Make you feel better? Pat your head and say it’ll be okay?” She giggled again and shook her head. “Oh, heavens. Dear girl, I can see that you’re truly not from here.”

She licked her lips, feeling their judgmental eyes on her. At least Jia had the decency to look embarrassed on her behalf.

“If all the emperors throughout history had to deal with the courtly affairs of their women, this empire would have burst into flames long,longago.” Lady Eu-Meh smiled thinly at her, and Daiyu’s toes curled inward. “His Majesty doesn’t have time for that and he certainly wouldn’t care about what you’re goingthrough unless it involves bedding him. If you truly do believe you’re being targeted—which, once again, all women involved with royalty have to go through with one another—then it’s best to deal with it yourself. Has no one taught you anything about court politics and your place in them?” She reached into the folds of her sleeves and yanked out a silk fan. She whipped it open, and the sprawling design of a red-scaled dragon appeared in the center as she fanned herself. “Goodness, you’ve given me quite the laugh, Yin Daiyu.”

If the ground could open up and swallow Daiyu whole, she would have preferred that than to have to continue sitting here, pretending to be jolly with these two women. She placed her teacup onto the tea table and couldn’t muster up a smile, not with her face feeling like it was made of fire.

She felt so small in that moment. Wearing fancy dresses, shiny jewelry, and silk shoes didn’t make her one of them. She would never be like a glittering, beautiful noble lady with poise and knowledge about courtly affairs. She was just … Daiyu. Daughter of a humble farmer. Whose only skills were in gardening, harvesting rice, scrubbing pots, and sewing patches into her clothes.

Daiyu traced the drying, red smudge her lips had left on the rim of the teacup, her thoughts traveling to escape routes. For a moment, she wanted to flee from it all—from these two women, from His Majesty, from the empire … But then she reminded herself why she had chosen to plunge into the uncomfortably cold, thorny palace. She couldn’t let these women and their gossip get to her, and she needed to get used to being spoken down to like this. Like she didn’t matter, like she was too stupid to understand what they were saying.

Placing her teacup on the table, she fixed a pleasant, albeit naïve, smile in her place as she looked at the two women. “Since we’re on the topic of courtly affairs, I’d love to hear about the latest scandal with … what was her name, Lady Wu?”

If she was going to survive in this unfamiliar place, she neededto learn everything she could. And gossip seemed to be the easiest place to start with, especially with these courtly, noble ladies, who turned out to be more like a den of vipers than anythingnoble.

Lady Eu-Meh flicked her fan shut, her calculating, laughter-filled eyes glittering with mischief. “What would you like to know?”

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