Chapter 3

Marianne asked, "Flowers blooming on the tree? What do you mean?"

Lady Lydia whispered a few words, her lips moving with calculated precision. I could make out her message: "You can pretend to be pregnant. If Lord Charles returns early, you can say you had a miscarriage. If he takes longer to come back, we’ll bribe a midwife to find a chubby boy and claim him as your own. And if… Lord Charles never returns, having a son by your side will protect you from that old woman."

Marianne’s eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically. "Mother, you always have the best ideas!"

I held my breath and slowly backed away from the door. My hand instinctively drifted to my lower abdomen.My period had been late, and I had already suspected what it meant. Lord Charles's bloodline had taken root within me.

I knew that if this child was born, it would not belong to me. I couldn’t just sit and wait for my fate to be sealed. I knew what Marianne feared most. In that instant, I had a plan.

Back at Lord Charles’s manor, I deliberately changed into a brightly colored dress and stood in the garden, tending to flowers. Voices and footsteps approached from the corridor behind me, but I pretended not to hear.

A clear male voice called out, "Sister-in-law?"

Startled, I turned to see Henry, Lord Charles’s younger brother, accompanied by two beautiful maidservants. When Henry saw my face, his eyes widened with surprise.

I knew this was the path he always took to return to his quarters. I made sure to act frightened, bowing to him gracefully.

Henry hesitated, asking, "You’re not my sister-in-law? Why do you look so much like her from behind?"

One of the maids answered, "This is the Lady Marianne’s dowry maid, Clara."

Henry pondered for a moment, "Clara?"

The other maid added, "Clara is mute, young master. Please don’t take offense."

Henry’s expression softened with pity. He gently said, "Clara, the wind is strong here. If you want to pick flowers, you can come to my garden."

I shook my head and quickly bowed, then turned and ran away.

---

That night, I brought hot water into the room to help Marianne wash her face and hands. She glared at me and suddenly knocked the copper basin out of my hands. Hot water splashed all over me, and I yelped in pain, immediately kneeling before her.

Marianne grabbed my chin with her sharp nails, forcing me to look up at her. She smiled coldly, devoid of any warmth.

"Clara, you’re quite cunning. Young Master Henry only looked at you once today and went to beg his mother to have you sent to his quarters."

I made desperate hand gestures, trying to show her that I had done nothing wrong.

Marianne slapped me hard, sending me sprawling to the floor. She was furious, cursing like a shrew, "You little wench! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! You think you can latch onto young Master Henry and rise above me? As long as I’m here, you’ll never outshine me!"

Her reaction was exactly as I had predicted. I noticed the pen and ink on the desk. I quickly crawled over, grabbed the pen, and wrote a line on the paper: "I beg you, Sister, please send me away so I can reunite with my mother."

Marianne eyed me suspiciously. "You really want to leave?"

I nodded fervently, then wrote five more words: "Please, Sister, grant my wish."

I knew Marianne had always been wary of me, and now that I was of no more use to her, she wouldn’t keep me around to steal her spotlight. After a moment’s thought, she agreed on the spot.

"Fine, since you’re so filial, I’ll grant your wish."

I pretended not to notice the malice in her eyes and knelt to thank her.

---

The next day, I packed a few belongings and boarded the carriage Marianne had arranged for me. The driver was a thin, wiry man who had eyed me lewdly before I got in.

After half a day’s journey, he pulled the carriage into a forest, saying the horse needed a rest. I sat under a tree, clutching my bundle. The man approached me with a bowl of water, pretending to be kind.

"Miss, you must be tired. Have some water."

I waved him off and stood to walk away. He followed, grabbing my arm. I pushed him away, spilling the water.

His demeanor changed instantly, and he growled, "You’ll regret refusing my kindness!"