"I wish for my sister who caused my demise to die a miserable death!" was what the dead eldest miss of Duke Qian requested in the letter.
Time passes differently in the afterlife. From when Qingli died to when the lady took over her body, it has been less than 5 minutes whereas, in the afterlife, it has been a few days since her soul arrived.
The Lady who now inhabits the body of Qingli took out a bottle of grey ash and sprinkled it on the dead bodies before leaving the clearing. Those are scattering powder and they scatter anything that they come in contact with. Unless that object is protected with something else, it will turn into ashes.
Qingli steadily made her way back to the Duke's palace and into her room. There were many servants tending to her every need and guarding the courtyard of the eldest miss but none of them noticed when their master sneaked out after receiving a note from the crown prince for a meetup. It was a fake note made by the younger daughter of Duke Qian, Qingle.
Even if Qingli couldn't notice the handwriting, the Lady could. Such child play and yet Qingli met her end due to it. Really pitiful.
Qingli slipped into her inner chambers and changed into her nightwear. Just as she was about to blow out her candles and sleep, her sensitive ears picked up a sound from her courtyard's entrance. The sounds of footsteps.
Seems like there is going to be a show. Calming her mind, she fully immersed herself into Qingli's personality.
"Father, please believe me. I received this letter from elder sister saying that she snuck out of the palace to meet up with the crown prince." A soft and light voice floated from the entrance. It belongs to the younger daughter of Duke Qian and her face was filled with worry as she hurried her father into her sister's courtyard.
"Your sister is resting in her room, do not sprout such nonsense!" Duke Qian resisted the urge to slap his younger daughter. It was not as if he does not know what is going on between his daughters.
His eldest daughter is too kind that she does not even know she was being used and bullied by this wretch daughter of his. Ever since that accident that scarred her face, she had been depressed and refused to see anyone. As a father, he feels very much in pain when he sees his beloved daughter in such a depressed state.
"My lord, even if you do favor Qingli, you cannot deny the evidence in front of you. My head servant has just reported that Qingli has been spotted going into the east forest near town less than an hour ago. How could she be in two places at the same time?" Duchess Qian held her husband back before glancing at Qingle.
"That's right, Lord father. She told me not to tell anyone as she will be back within an hour. It has been 3 hours since I received her letter and she is not back yet." If it was the real Qingli who heard this, she would immediately lock her doors and refuse to come out. But Qingli is no longer here.
"Crown Prince, I apologize for my family causing such a fuss in the middle of the night." The Duke bowed in shame.
"This matter concerns my fiancée, there is no trouble at all Uncle." The dignified young man standing behind the Duke returned the bow. He was as worried as his uncle about his fiancée because he knew how innocent she is. She would believe anything at the bat of an eyelid and the crown prince is very worried that misfortune had happened to his beloved.
"You there, where is your young miss?" the duke turned towards one of the servants and asked.
The servants of the courtyard had all bowed the moment they saw the masters of the palace and they had stayed in that position, waiting for orders. The servant that was addressed replied promptly, "Eldest young miss is resting in her bedchambers."
"Call her out, we have matters of importance to discuss." The duchess said before her husband could say anything.
Throughout the years it was known that the Duke favored his eldest daughter. The Duchess, however, favored her younger daughter. It is actually a secret that nobody other than the duke and the duchess knew. A secret that Qingli was actually not the duchess daughter. Qingli was actually born from a lowly maid that was the duke's childhood friend. The duke was intending to marry her and make her his official wife if not for the current duchess. The duchess found out about the secret affair and secretly poison the maid to death but who would have known that the maid was pregnant and had managed to give birth to a baby girl before dying. If the duke had not known about the pregnancy, the duchess would have gotten rid of the baby the moment it was born but she had to swallow the humiliation of acknowledging that bastard as her own daughter after a huge fight broke out between the Duke and her.
The duke clenched his fist tightly in anger. He knew that Qingli is not his wife's daughter but must she do this to her? Does she really think that he would not do anything to her now that she is married into his family as his main wife?
"Understood," the servant went into the house and walked towards the inner chambers.
Knocking on the door, she called out. "Eldest young miss, the lady is calling for you. Are you awake?"
There were some shuffling noises and the servant knew her mistress has yet to sleep. She stood at the door as she waited for her mistress to open the door.
Qingli opened the door after she took one of her cloaks and stepped out.
The servant bowed and said, "the masters are waiting at the entrance of the courtyard. His Highness the crown prince has arrived as well."
Qingli nodded her head before she stepped out of the main door.
"Sister?" Qingle was the first to react as she gasped in shock.
How was it possible? Did the people she sent fail? She was seen walking towards the forest and the men had followed after her. There is no way her information was wrong. So how in the world did a weak little girl like Qingli escape their clutches and ended up in front of her alive?
"Daughter greets Father, Mother. This humble girl greets your highness the crown prince," Qingli took turns and bowed respectfully.
"Li er, you were in your room?" the duchess asked after she recovered from her shock.
"Where else could I be?" Qingli responded with a question, giving her mother a meaningful glance.