Free Web NovelChapter 23: Truth at last
Ru Yi told them everything that happened, starting from dressing up for the ball and dancing with Han Shuying while thinking she was Princess Lin Yuexin.
Shen Lieyin interrupted her. "What do you mean you danced at the ball with Han Shuying? That stubborn mule knows something other than picking a fight?"
Ru Yi fought the urge to roll her eyes. She knew she’d drop dead if the triplets decided she was useless to them.
There was a bit of hesitation on her part when she spoke again. "I don’t know if she knew it was me, or that I’d mistaken her for someone else. But she didn’t say a word, only—" grabbed Ru Yi’s waist and melted their forms together.
She continued telling the story, leaving out the part where she’d tried to leave the palace gates only to turn back for the princess.
It was one of the rare times Ru Yi wished she’d ignored that voice in her head. She should’ve been out of the palace by now, settling in with the villagers. Her only worry would’ve been how to make a living for herself.
Still—
If not for Ru Yi, who knew how long the princess would’ve laid there before someone found her.
"I only went into the inner palace because I saw Han Shuying and followed her thinking she was the princess." Ru Yi sighed. "That was when I saw the body."
The image flashed in her head which made her wince.
"Who was the first person that saw you with the body?" Shen Qingyue asked.
She was the only one of the triplets that acted cool headed, wanting to hear Ru Yi’s part of the story.
Ru Yi had a feeling the other two would’ve done away with her a long time ago. Especially Shen Yexue who seemed to want revenge because she thought Ru Yi killed the woman she loved. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"It was Han Shuying," Ru Yi answered.
The triplets shared a look that Ru Yi immediately caught onto. They knew something, but they’d never share the information with her.
"What did she say after she saw you with the body?" Shen Qingyue looked even more invested now.
"She simply declared me the killer without asking any questions." Ru Yi closed her eyes. How did what was supposed to be the best night of her life turn into this?
In the morning she’d been a simple maid excited to dance with the princess. And now? She’d been declared a murderer.
"Do you think Han Shuying lured her into the inner palace?" Shen Qingyue asked her sisters.
It was Shen Lieyin that scoffed. "Han Shuying would never be caught dead in any of these events. And even worse, she’d rather take a punch to the gut than wear a dress." Her gaze fell on Ru Yi. "At least check your facts before lying."
Shen Yexue snickered. "I can’t even imagine what she’d look like in a gown. And with her hair cut so short, I always mistake her for one of the guards."
They shared a round of laughter without Shen Qingyue.
It wouldn’t be the first time she heard her sisters talk badly of Han Shuying.
After all, they’d all grown up together and picked on one another. While she’d thought her sisters would grow out of it, they’d gotten progressively worse when Han Shuying joined the army.
It wasn’t that Shen Qingyue cared—she just found it inconvenient most of the time.
She cleared her throat. "Lets say you really did dance with Han Shuying—"
"I did!" Ru Yi tried to keep her temper in check. "I have no reason to lie."
So far, Shen Qingyue thought the maid was telling the truth. "That night in your room, you seemed to be fighting with Zhao Chen about something. What was it?"
Ru Yi bit her lip, then realized the truth might be her only chance at surviving this nightmare.
"The crown prince wanted me to leave the palace with him. But I didn’t want to leave with him. I’d tried to tell him several times that I wasn’t in love with him..."
"Okay, now you’re stretching it," Shen Lieyin piped in, her initial indifference gradually morphing into annoyance. "Everyone within these four walls knows how you seduced Zhao Chen. The idiot clearly has no taste."
Usually Ru Yi knew to shove the insults to the back of her mind. In this world she was at the bottom of the hierarchy. But now? She had nothing more to lose.
The entire kingdom thought she’d killed their beloved princess all because she loved the crown prince. As if she’d ever commit a crime so hideous because of a man.
"Not to offend any of you," she started, "I wouldn’t touch the crown prince even if he was the only human alive."
That earned her a snicker from Shen Lieyin and the subtle hint of a smile from Shen Qingyue.
"I might’ve been in love with the crown prince but not anymore. Infact, I was trying to leave the palace so I could get away from him. I just want a normal free life, why is that hard to—" she broke off, the heavy emotions she felt snatching her voice up.
"I think she’s telling the truth, but it just doesn’t add up." Shen Qingyue rose to her feet. "Lin Yuexin had no enemies so far as the palace is concerned. Who else would want her dead?"
Shen Lieyin shrugged. "I don’t know, but if Han Shuying is involved then it can’t be good."
"What are you going to do with me?" Ru Yi asked. "Do you intend to kill me?"
"As if we’ll waste our energy on such useless things," Shen Yexue bit out.
"But you took your sweet time breaking me out of that cell," Ru Yi countered. Something about the last triplet made her want to pull all her hair out. "Looks like I’m not that useless to you."
Shen Yexue lunged forward but was held back by Shen Qingyue. "Keep your temper under control, will you?"
"She’s asking for it!"
Ru Yi decided to taunt her further. She was better off dying by their hands than at the public execution she had no doubt waited for her.
"If you must know, Princess Lin Yuexin gave me this dress herself...and the mask. She wanted to dance with me at the masked ball." Ru Yi wanted to stick her tongue out for the heck of it.
Shen Yexue couldn’t be held back this time, her fist connecting with Ru Yi’s jaw. "Shut up!"
Ru Yi groaned, her vision going white for a split second. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Pain exploded behind her eyes but she welcomed it. It provided the right amount of distraction from the turmoil going on in her chest.
"Oh... I almost forgot. She always rewarded me with a kiss after I went on errands for her." She let her gaze slip lazily to Shen Yexue. "I guess you never experienced that because you were too much of a coward to—"
The next blow from Shen Yexue sent her spiraling into complete darkness.
