Free Web NovelChapter 159: Regaining Freedom
We repeated these loops of arguments and passionate love making for almost a week while I was locked up in his room. It was probably on the sixth or seventh day, I didn’t even bother to count the days anymore, that Shin came to let me out. freёwebnovel.com
It was an utter disappointment that tore at my heart that the man who finally let me out of that place was Shin and not Ren. I wasn’t sure how Shin came to know of our issue or how he managed to let me out or if he had Ren’s permission. I was deeply disappointed, but I was thankful to regain a little of my freedom back. The saddest part was that after almost a week, Ren and I were still not able to reach any kind of understanding.
“General Shin...”
I heard a man’s voice outside. It must be one of the guards that were guarding my room. If I didn’t hear incorrectly, then Shin was here.
Shin! Shin is here?!
A few words were exchanged and then I heard the sound of the door being unlocked from the outside. It wasn’t noon yet so usually Ren wouldn’t be back. Is Shin here alone?
The door opened and Shin walked in the room. His face seemed tired, and he wasn’t bothered to hide his fatigue. When he saw me, alive and well, he smiled.
“My Lady, let’s return you to your palace,” Shin stated simply.
“Is that...ok?” I asked.
I wasn’t sure if Ren was aware of what Shin was doing or if he had Ren’s permission. What scared me was brining trouble to Shin. I remembered Ren’s aggressive behavior at the hot springs when he caught me being too overly friendly with Shin. It wasn’t a good memory.
“It’s ok. Let’s go...unless...you want to stay locked up in here?” Shin said with a warm smile.
Of course, I didn’t want to stay locked up in here. I followed Shin out and just like that, he returned me back to the White Lotus Palace.
...
It had only been a week since I had last returned to my own room, but it felt like ages had passed. Unbelievably, I missed my room and being back in my palace. I even miss having the same team of maids around me to help when I bath and changed clothes. It wasn’t that I missed the luxury of having someone there to help me but getting back to the lifestyle that I was used to felt comforting.
Although, I had found it unbelievable at first, somehow, I have come to appreciate my lifestyle here in the inner court as my new life. I had grown used to it and it had become a new norm for me. I spent the first day back in the inner court in fear and paranoia. Every little sound made me turn my head around, waiting to see Ren burst in through the door in a fit of rage.
The first day past by peacefully without a visit from Ren. I can’t even begin to describe how relief I was that he didn’t turn up. The second and then the third day passed by the same way. By the time that the fourth sunrise arrived without Ren paying a visit to see me in the inner court, I began to worry.
It just wasn’t like him. Something very ominous is about to happen. That was what my gut feeling was telling me, and I prayed that I would be wrong.
By the time that I had finished having my lunch alone in my living room, my sense of foreboding was confirmed when I heard a huge ruckus outside. The maids were screaming and chatting very loudly. It was all very unusual for the well-behaved and composed maids of the White Lotus Palace to act this way.
“What’s going on? Everyone is being so loud...” I asked after coming out of the living room into the hallway.
The maids all shut their mouth immediately when they spotted me. After nervously looking at each other and nudging each other, it seemed like the one who would have to answer my question was finally selected by the group. freewebnoveℓ.com
“It’s...Lady Jeely, My Lady,” the poor maid said so softly that I almost couldn’t hear her.
“What about Jeely?” I asked, curiously.
“Something happened...perhaps, you should go outside to see...” the maid said as she pointed towards the exit of the White Lotus palace.
Outside? Something was happening outside of my palace in the inner court?
There’s only one way to find out. I quickly made my way out of the palace onto the pathway outside. It was the main pathway of Ren’s inner court. Unlike its usual peacefulness, today the pathway was filled with people. Women were gathered on both sides of the pathway as they seemed to be waiting for something.
“What’s going on?” I asked a maid who was standing there.
“Umm...some officials have come for Lady Jeely...” the maid replied with a bow.
“What does that mean?” I asked in confusion.
“My Lady!” I heard a familiar voice calling out to me and turned to see Auntie approaching me.
“Auntie...what is going on?” I asked.
The old woman grabbed my hand in hers and I could feel her hand shaking. Her hands were as cold as ice.
“It’s Jeely. Jeely is being arrested!” Auntie exclaimed and I could see tears swimming in her eyes.
“What?” I said in shock.
Why is she being arrest? She’s just a concubine in the inner court. What could she have done wrong? Impossible. Jeely is perfect, there is no way that she could do anything wrong.
As if to refute my firm belief, a parade of people appeared on the path where we were standing. Soldiers and senior eunuchs who seemed like senior government officials walked in orderly line along the path. In the middle of the parade of people was Jeely. I gasped in shock at what I was seeing.
How could this be happening?
Jeely was no longer dressed in her glamourous clothes befitting of a high-ranking concubine. Instead, she wore a plain white dress made of cheap fabric. The black text painted at the center of her chest read ‘Prisoner’. As she came closer, I could tell that she was crying and wailing in despair. Her hair was in disarray and her hands were tied together with rope. Soldiers flanked her from all sides to prevent her escape.
--To be continued...
