The War Bride

27 | The Birthday Banquet

Luwen's blood ran cold, her hands turning cold and clammy.

She swallowed once before answering Lord Yue's wife with an uncomfortable smile. "As you can see, I've recovered well from my poor health, Madam Suyong. My lord treats me well and has given me plenty of tonics to drink."

Madam Suyong's haughty smile faded, replaced with an inquisitive expression. "How strange, princess. According to the rumors I've heard, they spoke about your death before your marriage with Young Lord Dai."

She knows.

Luwen, now on tenterhooks, fought to keep her emotions from surfacing.

This was bad. Madam Suyong had heard about her—no—the princess's death. The way she obtained this information remained a mystery.

The rumors may have originated from one of the matriarch's people, particularly those present at the meeting where Luwen got chosen as the war bride.

While rumors might not be completely true, they held some truth in them. If word had spread this much, people would naturally be curious and eager to know more. However, this would place her in an undesirable position of attention.

Another possibility was spy infiltration. Many clans were not on friendly terms with the Xia clan, hence, monitoring their enemy would have given them a peace of mind. If the matriarch had a spy infiltrated the Dai clan's grounds, others could have done the same by placing their own in the Xia clan. Since the matriarch had strict laws in place to bar outsiders from working in her palace, bribing someone who was working inside would be a much more plausible attempt.

Regardless of which way Madam Suyong had gotten her information from, this could only spell trouble for Luwen. The older woman might possess deeper knowledge or, worse, be aware of her biggest secret.

Luwen risked a glance at Dai Yichen, who was staring at her with a frown and a face full of concern, wondering if Madam Suyong spoke the truth.

"Is that true?" he asked. "Did you almost die?"

In contrast to her, he was likely unaware of this rumor and was waiting for a response from Luwen. Even Yerong and Biyu wore the same expression as he did—shocked, confused and worried.

Keeping her back straight and head held high, Luwen answered them with a calm voice. "I was born with a frail body and almost died when I contracted a high fever," she said. "Fortunately, I pulled through. I'm much healthier and stronger these days, too."

Turning to Lord Yue's wife, she smiled again, putting more effort this time in showing her appreciation. "I thank you for your thoughtful concern, Madam Suyong."

Her choice of words seemed to have the older woman lose her supercilious confidence from earlier. "I guess rumors are just rumors," she said nonchalantly, before turning and gesturing for them to enter the Moonlight Manor. "Let us show you the way in. You may rest in the guest rooms we've prepared before the banquet begins."

The group followed Lord Yue and his wife through the palatial estate; a cluster of interlinked halls, beautiful courtyards and gardens. Red pillars held gray-tiled roofs that were adorned with dragon statues at the corners. They passed through several moon gates, taking twists and turns to go from one building to the next.

When Luwen finally reached their guest room, she realized she would have to share a bed with Dai Yichen again. It was spacious, fitting three people comfortably. She planned to sleep all the way to the side to avoid contact with him during their sleep.

As soon as their escorts left, the sudden silence was jarring.

The words which Madam Suyong spoke about Luwen suddenly rang in her mind.