Duchess Li slowly rocked Xueyue back and fourth. She felt herself sigh with relief when the crying eventually calmed down and upon closer inspection, Xueyue had fallen asleep.
Lightly lifting the blanket, she slowly tucked Xueyue into the bed. She was sound asleep and you could tell she was beyond exhausted. Her long lashes were still rimmed with tears and her nose was bright pink from crying so hard.
When Duchess Li tucked Xueyue into bed, she saw a few more droplets of tears roll down her cheeks. Duchess Li immediately wiped them away.
Duchess Li slowly released the breath she was holding in for a very long time. Her heart felt heavy at the thought of leaving the small girl alone.
To throw her out into the streets meant she would rot in the cruel hands of society. She was only a child and it was evident Xueyue had experienced a life of hardships and an entire lifetime of abuse.
Duke Li watch his wife gingerly wipe the tears off of Xueyue's dainty face. In a heavy and solemn voice, he said, "I know what you're thinking and the answer is already no."
Duchess Li raised her head and stared at her husband. She had already expected this response, but that didn't stop her stubbornness.
"Do I need your permission to keep this girl in a house we paid equal amounts over?" Duchess Li immediately countered his words. Her lips pulled into a small frown.
Duke Li felt his lips twitch with amusement. She was a smart one, that was for sure.
"Because we paid equal amount, we have to come to an agreement." Duke Li replied with light mirth in his eyes.
Duchess Li narrowed her eyes and thinned her lips. "The girl gets to stay." She declared, leaving no room for arguments.
Duke Li studied the fierce woman standing before him. In the twenty years that he had known her, she was always a docile and gentle woman who followed the rules of society...man ruled over the house while the woman stay behind and take care of the children.
Before the death of their daughter, Duchess Li was very calm and collected. But Duke Li knew there was a hidden layer of sass and passion beneath her gentle smiles and softened eyes.
Perhaps it was because the death of her daughter made her realize something that Duke Li didn't, or perhaps it was because her stubbornness was beginning to come out, but Duke Li saw a fighter within her.
Duke Li walked towards the right side of the room. He sat on the couch and leaned into the cushions.
His eyes turned fierce and analytical. The mirth and light was gone from his eyes. There was no warmth in his stony face.
Duchess Li raised her head and stared back at him. She recognized his terrifying expression. It was the same mask he was infamously known for in the Imperial Courts.
She knew Duke Li was known as the "Iron Minister," because of his unrelenting and unflinching behavior that didn't seem to budge from threats and bribes. As long as it involved the affairs of the Imperial Courts, nothing could get pass his keen and hawk-like eyes.
Duke Li leaned onto the couch and in a questioning and doubtful voice, he asked, "What will you tell her when she wakes up?"
"I will offer her the choice to stay with me."
"And if she rejects?"
"I don't see why she would."
Duke Li laughed at his wife's response, but the laughter was cold and harsh. "A person will always have to prepare for the worst when they want the best." He mused.
"There is no worst in this situation. She can stay here or she can fall into the hands of society." Duchess Li took a taunting step forward. Her hands were tucked in front of her in a very harmless manner.
In a cold and dignified voice, Duchess Li said, "We both saw her reaction. Xueyue knew she had no one in this world that cared about her. She has experienced things a child should never be able to imagine."
A cold, dark smile spread on Duke Li's lips. The smile never reached his eyes.
Duchess Li didn't blink or flinch at the smile that would send most men cowering in their boots.
"And if she does decide to stay with us, what will the people say? What will your relatives, your parents, your long-term friends, and the people of society say about this issue?" Duke Li stared at his wife with strong, brooding eyes.
Duke Li was prepared to deliver the final blow when he said, "Think about how this will affect your reputation."
Suddenly, a smile bloomed upon Duchess Li's face. Duke Li was taken by surprise at her coy and humorless smile.
He suddenly felt his palms become clammy. When he lightly brushed his forehead, he felt cold sweat. Had they always been there?
Since when was his lovely and docile wife capable of such a frightening smile and expression?
He had truly underestimated her.
"My dear husband, the people will not talk harmful words. They're more fearful of your reputation than they are of losing a precious gossip." Duchess Li's voice was so chilling and icy, Duke Li tried his hardest to not shiver at his wife's tone.
He suddenly thought about the saying, "Hell hath no furry like a scorned mother."
"Xueyue will have the 'Li' surname and the title as your niece who has come to stay and keep me company." Duchess Li knew she was taking a big risk by forcing her husband to pass his surname to her.
"And why should she share my surname and not yours when you want to keep her more than me?" Duke Li said with a scowl.
"Because the people will talk less if she shares your household name. Wasn't that your objective?" Duchess Li was right.
If Xueyue shared the powerful "Li" surname, no one would dare bully or comment about her. The people were terrified of the Li family whose influenced didn't stop in the Royal Court. They had connections in the military, the trading ports, and anything a person could think of.
"What if the people talk about her resemblance to Minghua and brand you as a horrible mother who is seeking for her daughter's replacement-"
"Besides our servants, no one has ever seen Minghua's face. You kept her far away from society, because you feared her sleeves would be tainted by the scums of this world." Duchess Li's eyes flared at the horrendous memory of Minghua's covered face.
She remembered the whispers that spoke about Minghua. Because her face was always covered by a veil, the people thought she had some sort of illness or scar that made her look ugly, therefore, forced Duke Li to have her cover it.
But the truth was completely different from the rumors.
Duke Li didn't want anyone to experience Minghua's beauty. He didn't want suitors to line up at his door and steal his daughter away. Duke Li loved Minghua too much to allow any scummy man to marry her.
He had kept her locked within the tall walls of the Li Manor. There was never a day she had seen or walked the outside world. For thirteen years, she remained hidden and locked away in the deepest wing of the Li Manor.
Because Minghua died at a age that wasn't suitable for a proper introduction to society, no one had ever seen her face. Aside from her high rank and title, there wasn't anything special about her, thus, many nobles had lost interest in her.
No one wanted to go against Duke Li who always kept a strict leash on his daughter's security.
"I tried to keep her safe-"
"By having her face covered from sunrise to sunset is not keeping her safe!" Duchess Li slammed her hand on the table in front of her husband.
Duke Li's eyes darkened at his wife's words.
"When she disappeared, the townspeople and guards had a very hard time searching for her because none of them had a proper glimpse of her face! Pictures and drawings can say one thing, but the physical memories is more accurate than just a simple brush dipped in ink!" Duchess Li didn't mean for her voice to raise so high and her face to get red with anger, but the thoughts of her lovely daughter wandering the forest for days without shelter or food, and only to be found face-down in a pond, broke her heart.
Duke Li breathed in and out at the harsh words of his wife. He didn't expect the demure kitty to bite back at him with the ferociousness of a tiger twice her size.
Pinching the spot between his brows, Duke Li released a heavy sigh. In a tired and losing voice, he declared, "The girl gets to stay."