Forensic Imperial Concubine

Chapter 18 The Greek Gift (Part Two)

Charles only laughed and said, "Sue, you know for a fact that no imperial concubine would have an easy life without the backing of a powerful clan. She is a clever girl and will never do the things good to none but worse to herself."

Sue nodded and agreed, but deep inside, her mind was already fueling with so much rage. If Harper became an imperial concubine, she knew that she would do everything in her power to humiliate her. If Sue wanted Charles and Mavis to give up their plan, then there was only one thing left to do—destroy her precious face!

The clothes made by the Brocade Chamber were immediately sent to Sue for her examination. The moment they had arrived, Sue kept the clothes and asked Ruby, her wet nurse, to deliver the clothes to Harper.

"Nanny Ruby, I didn't expect that you came to my place in person!" Harper said brightly.

"My Lady, Lady Sue was worried that these maids wouldn't be too careful with the task and would ruin your new clothes. That's why I'm here. My Lady, please try them on. If they don't fit to your tastes, I could ask the tailors to make adjustments," Ruby said calmly, patting them. She was quite aware that the fabric was contaminated by some special poison, one that could leave Harper's face disfigured as long as she wore them.

"No, thank you. The Brocade Chamber already measured for me, so I'm sure they'll fit perfectly. Please send my appreciation to Mother." Harper waved it off dismissively, eyeing the clothes that Ruby was holding.

Ruby felt bad that she didn't coax Harper into wearing them. To make Harper like them and wear them, Sue had spent a lot of money on them. The clothes were created to fit the latest style and made from the finest material the Brocade Chamber could ever acquire.

"I'll leave them here for you then." Ruby nodded and placed the clothes on the table. Once she left, the smile on Harper's face turned cold.

"My Lady, the clothes are exquisite. I didn't expect Lady Sue to be so generous." Anabel swooned at the beautiful threaded designs and the diamonds attached to their collars. When she reached out to touch them, Harper quickly swatted her hand away. "They're from Sue. Don't touch them yet."

Though Anabel was left confused, Nina quickly closed the door, understanding her meaning. "My Lady, do you think there's something wrong with the clothes she sent?"

"You've been in our mansion for so many years. Have you ever seen her being kind?" Harper sneered. "There's something sneaky about this."

She picked up one of the clothes and felt it carefully. She didn't find anything special with the fabric. She lifted it up higher to smell. There was a very faint scent on the cloth, reminding her of incense, but it wasn't. She just couldn't put her finger on the smell!

"The smell of these clothes is a little strange." Harper eyed them. "I think I've smelled it somewhere before."

"Let me smell." Nina took a sniff. "It smells like the face powder you've been using."

"My face powder..." Harper's eyes widened in realization. Suddenly, she pushed Nina immediately to wash her hands. "Stay away from the clothes! That's not the smell of my face powder."

"What's wrong, My Lady?" asked Nina, confused.

"She is smart. She must be willing to pay so much to set me up," Harper muttered, shaking her head. She took another sniff at the scent to find it emanating from the collar. When Harper rubbed the fabric around its corners, she could feel something creamy. Sue hid the poisonous powder right in the collar.

"My Lady!" Nina shouted, alarmed. However, Harper didn't seem fazed as she scrapped the powder from the fabric.

"My Lady, what kind of powder is this?"

"The Fallen Red Flower." Harper raised her eyebrows and smiled. "It's a poison that can disfigure a person's face. Once held close contact to the face, the victim would develop swelling red bumps across their skin, like fallen red flowers. They'll be so unrecognizable the people would treat them as monsters."

"Oh my God!" Nina covered her mouth with her hands and asked, "My Lady, why did Lady Sue...?"

"In order to stop me from being selected by the Imperial Palace, I assume," Harper answered indifferently. "You can leave now, and tell no one about this."

"Yes, My Lady."

After Ruby had sent the clothes to Harper, Sue had been waiting for the moment she'd see Harper wear those poisoned clothes. The moment she did, bright blisters would pop out of her face and she'd be ruined forever!

To be selected by the emperor, one must have a beautiful face and an equally proportioned figure. With a scarred face, Harper wouldn't even be allowed to enter the Imperial Palace. She'd be useless! That'd mean she could do anything she wanted with her.

But after a few days of waiting, to Sue's disappointment, Harper still hadn't put on the clothing. At first thought, fear crippled inside of her. Maybe she'd known already, but Sue shrugged the thought away. The fragrance of the drug was similar to the face powder Harper used, and she wouldn't even notice. In fact, Harper would've even appreciated the smell.

"Nanny Ruby, have the clothes been sent there?" Even then, Sue couldn't help but feel worried. Harper had always been a thorn she tried to remove countless of times. She even got away when the emperor was about to kill her. The woman was impossible to kill!

"My Lady, I was the one who personally gave the clothes to Lady Harper. She loved them so much and even praised the exquisite workmanship of the Brocade Chamber," Ruby said affirmatively. "I think she wanted to find an opportunity to wear them to show off in public."

"Find an opportunity..." Sue narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then I will give her a chance to show it off!"

"My Lady, you mean you'll make Lady Harper put on those clothes voluntarily?" Ruby's eyes were twinkling with excitement while Sue tapped her long slender fingers on the table beside her, smirking. As long as Harper wore the clothes, she'd be disfigured for life with no place in the Chu Clan mansion. Then, Sue could find an excuse to send her to the ancestral temple and kill her. After all, no one would care over a disfigured and scarred woman. She couldn't wait.