Looking on as Lin Jiaojiao was escorted into the inner room by maids, Maid Wang's eyes burned with rage.
It seemed that this queen was not easy to handle as thought.
"Useless!" Zhao Shuang Er yelled at Maid Wang before storming off; her peach-pink woven gold robe swirled in her wake.
Maid Wang felt choked of breath at Zhao Shuang Er's harsh rebuke.
Still, she rose quickly and dusted off her skirt to follow her.
After all, she had been assigned to the Prince Manor by the Empress Dowager and there was no chance she could return to serve the court, So, whether willing or not, Zhao Shuang Er was indeed her only master as far as appearances went.
She would have to rely on Zhao Shuang Er in the days to come.
Furthermore, she knew what kind of temperament Zhao Shuang Er had; such incidents could be weathered with a bit of forbearance.
Lady Li and Mrs. Yang shared a look of understanding before simultaneously departing Shuanghua Residence.
...
――― Yilan Court.
"Ah―――!"
Bang! Thud!
Clamour echoed from within the room, indicating a grand commotion inside. Maid Wang shook her head ruefully as she observed the kneeling crowd outside on the open ground..
Inside the room.
The luxurious room was in a state of disarray. Zhao Shuang Er was wreaking havoc, on the verge of breaking anything within reach. Yuan'er, her personal maid, watched with a bashful look on her face.
Her hair was disheveled, her expression menacing. This was hardly an image of a consort, but rather similar to a shrewish market woman.
Yuan'er had never seen her mistress in such a tempestuous rage before.
No doubt she was truly furious; having been pampered by both of her parents since birth in the house of Zhao, how could she tolerate such indignity?
As Zhao Shuang Er picked up a gold-rimmed box to be her next target, Yuan'er scuttled to her knee, gripping her legs, and pleaded, "Madam, you mustn't. This is a gift from the Empress Dowager to you. It must not be broken!"
"Get away!" Zhao Shuang Er roared, and raised the box to carry out her threat, but in the end, she stopped.
Despite her willfulness, she did know better than to wreck things from the royal family.
She sighed, exhausted, and sank onto the chair behind her, gripping the valuable box and going rigidly still.
The heaving of her chest was the only sign that she was still alive.
Yuan'er crawled two steps closer, and timidly said to Zhao Shuang Er, "Madam, I beg of you, you can't let yourself get sick from anger. The old Madam would be devastated."
Zhao Shuang Er's face was vacant, a hint of fury still smoldering in her eyes. She seemed too weary to raise her voice anymore, "Who does Lin Jiaojiao think she is? Just a daughter of a third-ranked official. Her mother is a mere merchant. What right does she have to treat this queen in such a manner?"
Yuan'er wanted to say: Because you are a consort, and she is the Main Consort.
But she didn't dare to say that; all she could do was placate, "Madam, you hold an honorable position. You shouldn't let her get on your nerves. Today, you...shouldn't have said those things to Maid Wang."
Sayings so, ended up summoning Zhao Shuang Er's wrath, which made Yuan'er hurriedly bow her head closer to Zhao Shuang Er's feet.
She tremulously added, "Maid Wang was sent here by the Empress Dowager; she's the Empress Dowager's personal old nanny. If you show your dissatisfaction with Maid Wang, it may upset the Empress Dowager. Now that we're receiving hostility from all sides at Shuanghua Residence, if the Empress Dowager stops supporting us just because you upset Maid Wang, I fear it will be hard for us to live here afterwards."
Yuan'er only dared to vocalize all these at the risk of being beaten to death.
Despite her anger, Zhao Shuang Er had to admit that Yuan'er was right.
She had turned against her aunt because of her insistence on marrying into the Prince Manor. Now, if she upsets Maid Wang, she fears her aunt would no longer look after her.
Sighing, Zhao Shuang Er casually kicked the kneeling Yuan'er aside and ordered, "Fine, invite the nanny in."
She knew how to act coquettishly and apologize. Her mother and aunt bought into that act, it worked.
Though Maid Wang was nothing but a lowly servant, she was considered half an aunt; apologizing wouldn't really lower her status.