The War Bride

31 | Beneath the Masks

In the Three-Stars Hall, Luwen glanced at the smiling faces of the socialite women, particularly at Madam Suyong's beloved princesses.

One of them knows.

It only made sense the culprit sent someone to follow them after they left the pavilion last night. Whoever had their eyes on her wanted to find out her lies and deepest secrets to use against her. If Madam Suyong suspected her past, so would her daughters.

Today, the women had gathered for tea and various activities; watching the birds, painting and embroidery.

"It's a shame you can't teach me how to paint today, Princess Xia."

Luwen turned towards the voice, noticing how Yue Siying offered a smile of pity. "How's the wound on your finger?" she asked.

"It's fine. My lord helped me with the bandage."

At the mention of Dai Yichen, Yue Siying's smile faltered slightly—an expression which certainly didn't go unnoticed by Luwen. "I envy you for having such an affectionate husband, Princess Xia." She turned back to her painting, setting down her bamboo brush and frowning at the slanted strokes on her rice paper. "If you can't use your hands, perhaps you can assess my work and give me some pointers on how I can improve?"

She had drawn beautiful orchids. Although she wasn't as exceptional as the real Princess Xia, she was proving herself to be a girl of many talents.

However, there was something in her tone that made Luwen wary of her. Underneath her cordial behavior was the tiniest hint of something dangerous. It felt strange how she kept pressuring Luwen to showcase her talents. It felt strange how she kept having odd reactions whenever she heard or saw Dai Yichen.

Almost as if she wanted Luwen to mess up for once.

Regardless of her hidden agenda, Luwen assessed the painting with the lack of knowledge she had. Diverting the attention away from herself. "I'm afraid I can't find any flaws in this beautiful piece," she commented. "You've commendable skills."

Yue Siying grinned. "Then I suppose I can give this to my father as his birthday gift, can't I?"

Madam Suyong sipped her tea, calmly observing their interaction from the rim of her cup. "I heard my daughters have taught the matriarch's daughter how to play the instruments last night?"

Her second daughter gave a loud snort of laughter. "It was a terrible play, Mother," Yue Siyun remarked. "I have seen no one with skills as awful as hers. Even a seven-year-old would be better at playing a zither than her on their first attempt."

A mixture of reactions rippled through the hall; some of the clan lord's wives gasped, some giggled, while the rest remained silent.

Yue Siying spoke up to defend Luwen. "You're being mean, Sister. It's not that easy to play a zither on her first attempt."

This time, Madam Suyong's eldest daughter—Yue Siwen—raised her brows and fixed a questioning look at Luwen. "It seems like Princess Xia is lacking in many aspects. Tell us, how does the matriarch act when she's your mother? Many of us are curious about her since few have seen her in person."

The chatter in the hall ceased into a deafening silence. All eyes landed on Luwen, waiting expectantly for an answer from her.

Suddenly, a couple of them mustered their courage to ask questions.

"Is it true that the matriarch abducts children and drinks their blood to keep her youth?"

"I heard she kills off hundreds of servants every year who have offended her. Can she really curse you for several generations to come if you look into her eyes?"