Forensic Imperial Concubine

Chapter 16 A Masked Man

Charles escorted Mavis back to the Peony House after their dinner. There were words on the tip of his tongue but he didn't know where to start. On the other hand, Mavis knew that he wanted to ask her something, but she didn't open her mouth either. Charles was curious of Harper's changes and wanted to know what had happened.

It wasn't until they were at the Peony House that Charles managed to ask, "Mother...Harper..."

"Son, what do you think of her performance?" A meaningful smile was on Mavis' lips. She was very satisfied with how Harper behaved today.

"It's like she has changed into another person." Harper used to be proud, domineering and arrogant, but now she was introverted and elegant, and had a temperament like Kelly Qin, Charles' first wife.

"I, too, feel like she's changed. Mary's really a good nanny."

"Nanny Mary!" That surprised Charles greatly. He had asked Mary in person to teach Hailey imperial etiquette, but had been rejected. He couldn't help but wonder how much his mother had paid to hire Mary.

"Mother, I can't believe that you managed to ask Nanny Mary to teach Harper!"

"Mm." Mavis nodded. "In just a month, Harper has changed completely. Her every move is gentle and charming. What's more, she looks just like her own mother. That kind of tenderness makes her more attractive. Don't you think His Majesty will like her?"

Her words shocked Charles. "You mean you want Harper to enter the Imperial Palace and be His Majesty's concubine?"

"Since His Highness broke off the engagement to her, no one in noble clans dares to ask for her hand for fear of offending Prince Kevin. Harper is your daughter and can only marry a man with a superior

position than hers. There's no way I'll arrange for an ordinary man for her. After I pondered over this, I decided that it's a good idea for her to enter the Imperial Palace. Moreover, Lady Katrina is alone in the palace with no children. Harper's young and beautiful, and if she gives birth to His Majesty's child, Lady Katrina will help her raise the child," Mavis explained slowly. She adored Harper but she cared more about the glory of the Chu Clan.

"Will Harper agree? She's a stubborn girl." It worried Charles because he didn't treat Harper well. If Harper gained power in the Imperial Palace, he feared that she would turn against Katrina and the Chu Clan.

"It's impossible for her to survive in the Imperial Palace without the support of the Chu Clan. And I'm sure that Hailey will marry the crown prince. It's inevitable that they would help each other in the future." There was a twinkle in Mavis' eyes. "You should treat Harper nicely from now on, even if you're just pretending!"

The words made Charles pause in thought but he eventually nodded. "I see. But has she really changed?"

It was hard for Charles to believe that Harper really changed, and that made Mavis unhappily glare at him. "I've seen her changes. She went through tests of life and death. How could she not learn her lesson?"

"It's my fault. I'm overthinking, Mother."

"I'm tired. Go back and discipline Felicia. Don't let her make trouble." It cost her a lot of effort and money to get Mary to teach Harper, so she couldn't let anyone ruin it.

"I'll ask Sue to discipline her."

Meanwhile when Harper returned to the Emerald House, she said nothing about the dust and stain in the place. She just asked some maids to fetch water to clean and even cleaned up with them.

The words Mavis told him remained in Charles' mind even after he came out of the Peony House, so he decided to see Harper. He was greeted with the sight of Harper cleaning the house with her maids, which made his face darken. He immediately sent someone to bring the steward to him. Charles scolded the steward in front of Harper, "You're an amazing steward, aren't you? Harper has to clean the house by herself."

"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault." The steward was scared out of his wits. "I've been cleaning the Peony House for the past couple of days and forgot to take care of Lady Harper's Emerald House. Please forgive me, My Lord. I'll have the house cleaned up now."

"Hurry up!" Charles yelled at him because he didn't know what else to say with Harper being so quiet. She used to love drama and pester him with trifles. Her sudden change made Charles feel a little uncomfortable.

"Harper."

"Father."

"Now that you're back, let bygones be bygones. Don't take it to heart. If the maids fail to serve you well, you have to tell me and I'll help you punish them." With Harper's beauty, Charles was sure that the emperor would fall in love with her, and he wanted to build a good relationship with her. The emperor wasn't getting any younger, but he still loved beauty. It didn't bother Charles to be nicer to Harper since she'd earn glory for the Chu Clan.

"I know."

It satisfied Charles to see Harper being well-behaved. "You must be tired after a long journey. Go to bed early."

"Thank you, Father." Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

A flicker of smile emerged on Harper's lips as she looked at Charles' receding figure. But after a second, the faint smile disappeared without a trace. Enya felt that Harper became a little strange but she couldn't put a finger on it.

In accordance with Charles' orders, the steward called several maids to clean the Emerald House and by nightfall, the house was fully cleaned. Hot water was brought by Nina and Anabel to help Harper bathe.

"You can go and rest. I don't need anyone to look after me." Once everyone had been dismissed, Harper bathed herself. A sly expression flashed through her face when she saw the wound on her arm. That day, only her four maids knew that she was going to pick herbs for Mavis, yet someone cut off the rope and tried to kill her. She wondered which one of them had betrayed her.

Immersed in her thoughts, Harper didn't even notice that someone entered the room until she smelled the faint trace of blood and saw a sword on her neck.

A very ferocious mask greeted her when she turned to look. "You're bleeding," Harper said.

"Shut up! Don't make a sound or I'll kill you!" The man's breath became shorter and the smell of blood was stronger. Harper was certain that he was seriously injured.

"You're seriously injured. I'm a physician. If you trust me, let me get dressed and clean your wounds. What do you think?" Harper offered tentatively.

"If you try to call for help, I'll kill you instantly!"

"Don't worry. If I call for someone, my reputation will be destroyed," Harper said calmly. "I'm walking on eggshells around the Chu Clan. Sue, the hostess of the mansion, would like to find a reason to kill me. If I call for someone, she will take this chance to kill me." The smell of blood became heavier and the man looked even fainter.

"Come out quickly and don't try to ask for help. I'll kill you before you can utter a word!"

With a nod, Harper put on her clothes after the man retreated behind the screen. The man sneaked into the Chu Clan mansion with injuries. If someone searched for evidence, she wouldn't be able to stop them from arresting him with any excuse.

The man's eyes darkened as he saw the silhouette flickering on the screen. 'How dare this woman be so bold!' he thought to himself.

It didn't take long for her to finish and fetch the medicine box. Harper studied his bloody shoulder and cut his clothes near the wounds. The grievous wounds made her frown and say, "I need to clean your wounds. It'll be a little painful. Try to bear it and don't scream."

The words made the man frown. Did he look like the kind of person who would scream out of pain? But when he saw her deep in concentration to clean his wounds, he swallowed down his anger and pretended not to hear her words.

It didn't take her too long to handle the wounds, and she even wiped away the bloodstains in the room. She then lit sandalwood to remove the smell of blood in the room. Every move was skillful as if she was used to doing it.

When he saw how she behaved, the man felt unreasonably uncomfortable. "Why are you so good at this? Do you often have men breaking into your room?"

The words made Harper roll her eyes. "I just don't like the smell of blood, nor do I want any trouble. You better leave as soon as possible. As far as I know, my father will search the whole mansion soon and there's no place you can hide from him in here!"

"Are you afraid that you'll be implicated?"

"Of course I am. I worked so hard to deceive him and make him change his mind on killing me. If I make trouble again, I'll be courting death." The man made a face when Harper offered him a cup of tea after she tidied up.

"What's this?"

"Longan and reds date tea. You've lost too much blood. Drink some of it and it'll be beneficial to your health," Harper explained as she poured a cup of tea for herself, sitting far away from the man. Eventually, they heard noise from outside the room.

The man glanced at Harper and gulped down his tea. He then jumped out the window and disappeared into the night like he wasn't even there at all.

The cup the man used was turned upside down as if no one used it at all. Then Harper took a medical book and quietly read it. She looked bewildered when Charles broke into her house with his men.

"Father, it's so late. What's the matter?"

Seeing her wet hair, tea cup and medical book, Charles squinted at her. "Harper, did you see anyone come in?"

"No. I've been in my room all this time and didn't see anyone. Why not call my maids here? You can ask them about it." Harper shook her head.

Charles then thought that it was impossible for a girl like Harper to hide a man in her room. "It's fine. There was a thief in the mansion. I was worried about you, so I came here to have a look," he said with a frown.

"Thank you, Father. I'm fine."

"That's good. It's late. Go to bed early."

"Yes, Father."