For a few minutes, the three women pretended to talk between themselves, about trivial matters such as the weather and their Prince’s latest concerns, but Cassandra knew they were observing her. She pretended not to know and soaked her feet, ignoring them.
“Lady Cassandra, what do you think of this?”
Wondering what topic they had finally decided to share with her, she turned her head to them. The woman in a pink dress had a cunning smile Cassandra didn’t like.
“My servant made a mistake this morning. I thought I should punish her, but my friends thought I should be nice to her and let it go. She has been a very nice servant of mine for a while but…recently, I’ve been thinking she’s acting too much in front of my dearest Prince. I think maybe the little swine is trying to seduce one’s Prince. What do you think?”
Cassandra frowned a bit. It may have seemed like a trivial matter, but her words were heavier than they seemed. Was she hinting at how a servant or a slave, like Cassandra, had dared to seduce a Prince? She obviously had no idea. Cassandra sighed.
“I wonder why you should punish her. Isn’t The Fifth Prince the one to have many concubines? If he can split his love so easily, you should be used to His Highness welcoming one more every once in a while, right?”
The concubine’s expression turned sour.
Cassandra was clear, though. She wouldn’t let this woman imply they were in the same situation or that Cassandra had stolen anyone’s property. She couldn’t compare her Prince with his womanizer of a brother. Basically anyone could become the Fifth Prince’s concubine, with a good body and some sense of seduction. No wonder those women were jealous to death and eager to start fights at any given occasion.
“At least she isn’t some slave,” said one of those in a red dress, pretending to talk to her peer.
“It has to be difficult, you know. We should even pity her,” said the other one. “I mean, the Imperial Family can be so wilful. If it’s only a slave or a servant, they can be wiped out without blinking and no one will even remember them.”
Cassandra ignored them, a bit annoyed. Were all concubines so petty? So childish? Did they think they could toy with her? She wasn’t a slave anymore, so why would she listen to this nonsense? Seeing Cassandra wasn’t flinching, the concubine in the pink dress clicked her tongue. She thought she had found easy prey, but this wasn’t as fun as she had thought.
“You know, it’s been done before. Servants taken as concubines and forgotten the next day. Sent to feed the dragons.”
“Really?” said Cassandra, her voice remaining very calm.
Her experience as “dragon food” probably was not the one they had imagined at all. Actually, Cassandra smiled, remembering her first encounter with both Kairen and his dragon. Seeing her like this, the concubine became red, annoyed at her passive response. Wasn’t this bitch going to worry at all! The War God wasn’t anywhere in sight, so how could she keep acting so mighty! She wasn’t even that pretty!
“Well, slaves are meant to be tough after all.”
Once again, Cassandra ignored her. She couldn’t be affected by such a petty attitude. Actually, she thought this concubine was acting like an annoying flea, trying to bother her with baseless sentences and a mighty attitude.
She couldn’t be bothered by that, or she wouldn’t be able to withstand one more day here. After dipping her toes in the freshwater some more, turning a blind ear to their nonsense, Cassandra stood up, brushing her hair a bit. To her surprise, the concubine stood up too and stepped closer.
“Now that I see you up close…”
Cassandra did not like this woman being so close. Aside from her Prince and his family, she hadn’t gotten used to anyone being so close. She took a step back and the concubine in pink smiled, mistakenly thinking she was afraid.
“If…one was to disappear…mysteriously…I wonder how long it would take one to worry?”
Was this woman an idiot? Or did she think Cassandra was that weak? To be scared by such a childish threat? Cassandra had learned to be afraid of the Imperial Family. Whether it was a Princess or a Prince, she would have definitely been scared. But a concubine was only a woman, like her.
“Are you threatening me?” she asked.
Her calm but cold voice was sending a warning. Only the two women in the red dresses understood and carefully stepped back, looking pale and worried. Truth was, Cassandra herself wasn’t scary at all, but her calm and confidence in this situation was something their instincts couldn’t underestimate.
Unfortunately, the other Concubine missed that warning, smiling like a cat once again. It was as if she had found an easy prey to toy with, and would play until she had enough. Only, Cassandra wasn’t in the mood to be playing at all.
“Why would I threaten you, Lady Cassandra? We are both concubines, after all. It would be a shame if anything happened…by accident.”
Cassandra hated that word. No accident ever happened in the Imperial Palace. As the other woman kept stepping forward, she kept retreating, closer and closer to the pond, until her heels were touching the water.
“Do you think…I’m scared?”
Cassandra’s sudden question, said in a clear voice, finally managed to make her doubt. She frowned. She had been retreating all this time, wasn’t she scared?
“Step back,” ordered Cassandra.
Her soft and gentle voice didn’t match her words. Hence, the concubine didn’t move and chuckled.
