"Miss, don't cry. His Excellency would definitely marry you. You are the one he likes most! Look, these are the accessories and clothes that he sent. You will definitely dazzle him if you put them on. I have never seen another woman as beautiful as you. How would His Excellency bear to make you sad?" The maid picked up the beautiful clothing and accessories by her side and showed them to Yun Yiqiu, who had cried so much her eyes were red.
"Cousin is going to marry that woman." Yun Yiqiu's eyes were red from her crying. Her tears could not stop flowing no matter how she wiped them. Even though she had already known that her cousin was going to marry that woman and had even gone to see the woman especially because of that, she could not even utter niceties because her heart had hurt so much. She could only hide in her room to cry.
Her beautiful face was marred with tears and she seemed especially pitiful. How could His Excellency not like such a beautiful woman? The maid thought to herself, feeling somewhat unfair on behalf of her mistress.
"Miss, you and His Excellency grew up together, how can the other women out there replace you? Furthermore, His Excellency promised that he would marry you after he marries that woman and will make you an equal wife who is of the same status as her. You grew up in this place, Madam is your aunt and His Excellency dotes on you. How can that woman compare to you. If we were to speak frankly, the woman loses to you in everything other than her reputation."
The maid put down the things in her hands when she saw Yun Yiqiu crying non-stop. She helped to make her a cup of tea and gave it to her, comforting her glibly.
However, this statement struck a chord in Yun Yiqiu. She thought back to this morning about how her cousin had hugged her and guaranteed to her softly and gently that he would dote only on her. He was only marrying that woman because her family background was what the Duke's Manor needed. Once they no longer had such a need, he would not make her suffer.
Her cousin's eyes had been gentle and soft, like the shining moon, when he said that. She had been so moved she dove into his chest and hugged him while crying silently. He wiped away the tears at the corner of his eyes using his gentle fingers. She could still feel his heated kiss on her eyes. All this meant that her cousin truly cared for her.
When that woman is gone, she would be her cousin's main wife! When she thought of that, she felt a surge of joy. So what if that woman had a good family? Her cousin only liked her and will make that woman give up her position as main wife for her.
The maid sensed that what she had said had worked when she saw Yun Yiqiu's sobs subside. She smiled and praised Yun Yiqiu, saying, "Miss, you are so beautiful and gentle, which man wouldn't dote on you? Not only does His Excellency dote on you in this manor, even Madam treats you like you're of utmost importance, just like how she treats Second Miss. You were given everything that Second Miss gets ever since you were a child. Doesn't that mean that madam thinks of you has her daughter-in-law already?" The maid said happily.
"But, Cousin is going to get married…" When Yun Yiqiu thought about how her cousin, whom she was in love with, was going to marry another woman, she felt very upset. She held up her handkerchief and started crying out of self-pity once more. She could not understand why her cousin and her could not get together openly since they were in love with each other. Why would he marry her only after he marries that woman, and why did they have to be equal sister-wives?
Sister wife sounded nice since they were both wives. But compared to a main wife, she was still just a concubine!
She could not accept this. Her cousin was hers. How could she allow another woman to take her place?
"Miss, why are you so stubborn? His Excellency is marrying that woman for the good of the Duke's Manor. When the Duke's Manor situation is improved, get His Excellency to divorce that woman. You would be the one who gets the say in the manor. Bear with it now and everything will be yours in the future. His Excellency is thinking of the Duke's Manor right now, and also for your future. He is already suffering, so you can't make it even worse for him, right?" The maid understood from Yun Yiqiu's hesitance and cries that her mistress was still eyeing the position as His Excellency's main wife. She tried her best to console her.
This truly spoke to Yun Yiqiu. Indeed, her cousin was the son of the Duke. He naturally could not just stand and watch as the Duke's Manor fell. He first had to marry that woman. Then, he could do anything he wanted. When the woman becomes useless, she could just get her cousin to divorce her. She would be the true Madam of the Duke then.
It was indeed not the time for her to be a burden to her cousin. Not only should she not drag him down, she had to make her cousin feel that she was being gracious. Then, her cousin would feel guilty towards her and her goal of being the Duchess would not be far from her then.
With that thought, she picked up her handkerchief and wiped her face. Then, she cleaned up with the help of her maid. No matter what, she could not let her cousin see her as a petty and useless person.
"Has the soup been reheated?" Yun Yiqiu could not help but calm down when she looked into the mirror at her curved eyes and beautiful face.
"It has been heated, Miss. It's sitting by the stove. However, isn't it a little late to be sending it over now?" The maid looked out at the skies and asked hesitantly. It got darker earlier in winter and there were already lanterns being lit outside.
The soup had been boiled earlier and they had wanted to give it to His Excellency before dinner. However, her mistress had heard that His Excellency wanted to marry another woman and had returned to her room before she reached His Excellency's room. She laid on her bed and cried the moment she returned. The maid was concerned with consoling Yun Yiqiu and did not have time to send it over. He left the soup on the stove to warm it. It did not seem that it was an appropriate time to send the soup over now.
The rumors about her mistress and His Excellency had already spread long ago!
If there was a new rumor at a time like this, Madam would probably break her legs.
The maid could not help but shudder when she thought of what her Madam would do.
"It's alright, it's not as if I have never gone at this time." A faint blush appeared on Yun Yiqiu's face. She thought of how she had gone to Sima Lingyun before at this time and how they had spent the time together and she felt heat rushing to her face. She lowered her head and spoke shyly.
That was in the past. The Madam had ordered the past few days that her mistress should not go to His Excellency if she had no business there. If her mistress refused to listen, the maids would be the ones to be punished! The maid, of course, did not dare to say this straight to Yun Yiqiu. This was partly because of the warning her Madam gave and also partly because of her Mistress hurrying her. It was awkward for the maids.
Her gaze swept past the dishes on the table and her eyes brightened as she got a thought. She pointed at the uneaten dishes and said, "Miss, do you want to have some dinner first? Your health is poor and you were in a bad mood earlier. Don't fall ill because you haven't eaten. The last time you fell sick, His Excellency was so worried for you. If you fall sick again, he will punish us servants again. Please help us, Miss, eat dinner before going, alright? The soup is still warming on the stove and will not get cold."
It had only just gotten dark and there were many people walking around in the manor. If her mistress went now, it was very likely that she would be seen. They might as well go later in the night. The servants rarely went out in the dark so the Madam might not find out about it.
Alright, then let's eat dinner first!" She did not know what Yun Yiqiu was thinking as she nodded with a blush. Yun Yiqiu did not insist on going to Sima Lingyun but sat down at the table. She picked up her chopsticks and sat down to eat obediently.
It was getting late, the two lamps outside the Duke's Manor doors could only light up the one foot strip of land before it. A small grey carriage appeared from the dark road. There was a maid dressed in blue standing beside the carriage. Her head was lowered and one could not see her face clearly. They arrived at the Duke's Manor doors but did not enter through the front door but the side door instead.
The side door was opened even before the carriage arrived. A rather intelligent older female servant who was in her 40s or 50s opened the door slightly and peered out. When she saw the carriage approaching, she did not say anything but only opened the door wider and gestured for the carriage to enter.
The servant locked the door after the carriage entered. She walked in front as two carriage bearers carrying the carriage followed behind her. The maid followed closely by the side. The group was very tired and only the sound of their footsteps could be heard. Even their breathing was gentle.
The carriage went to Sima Lingyun's study. The carriage was put down and the maid in blue helped a person wearing a veil out of the carriage. There were no lanterns in front of the study and one could only vaguely see the faint yellow light coming out from inside the study. It settled on the person wearing a veil. In the faint patch of yellow light, one could not tell if the person was male or female. They could only guess from comparing the person's height to the maid that she was female.
The servant had long left with the two carriage bearers and the maid in blue. When they left, they had carefully closed the courtyard doors. The two guards standing in a hidden corner were brought away by her as well.
The study door opened. Sima Lingyun who was wearing an embroidered robe stood at the door with his hands against his back. The light shone from behind his back, casting a long shadow in front of the room. The woman who had just gotten off the carriage seemed to sense his presence and looked up. Their eyes met, filled with emotions.
Then, Sima Lingyun approached and held the woman's hand tenderly. He pulled her into his study slowly and the door shut behind them. From the window of the study, one could see their shadows leaning in slowly. They hugged, and like love birds, their figures entwined.
On the other side, Yun Yiqiu could not eat again after having a few bites. The maid intentionally reheated the soup and placed it in a box before taking Yun Yiqiu to His Excellency's study excitedly. They were not far from Sima Lingyun's study and they would have arrived just by passing through a few small paths. However, there was construction work on the road, so Yun Yiqiu had to take a longer path to get to the study.
"Miss, walk slowly, the soup is about to spill. His Excellency will wait for you. They said that His Excellency wanted to come to find you earlier but was stopped by Madam. Even if he can't visit, he will definitely know that you will be sad today and will give you an explanation. Miss, you are not only not angry and even made him soup. He will be very happy." The maid held the box with the soup and had to be careful not to spill it. She could not help but tease Yun Yiqiu when she saw her walking quickly.
"You chit…" Yun Yiqiu was in a good mood and scolded the girl gently. However, she did slow down. Her heart sang when she thought of how her cousin was definitely waiting for her.
"It's true! His Excellency dotes on you so much, how would he bear to make you sad. If he wasn't busy, he would have visited you long ago. So, Miss, you have to take care of yourself first. That's how you can show His Excellency your love for him. Everyone in the manor knows that you are the most important to His Excellency. He will only be happy when you are happy. You have to take care of yourself well so that he can rest assured." The maid grew even more excited when she saw that Yun Yiqiu was receptive to her words She hurried forward, holding the box containing the soup and teased softly.
Yun Yiqiu's heart soared and she glanced at the maid, twisting her handkerchief in her hands. She was blushing so hard she could not speak.
They could already see the study in front of them. It was just as quiet as usual as they looked at it. In the past, if Yun Yiqiu visited at night, Sima Lingyun would always be very considerate and ask the servants all to leave. He said that he was afraid of ruining her reputation. He said that he did not want there to be rumors about her because he loved her. Yun Yiqiu was touched by the small things that he did for her. A shy smile appeared on her lips.
Her cousin was indeed waiting for her. Everything had already been done even at the study entrance.