"Then why…"
"If one joke turns into many, and if the greed one has suppressed deep within their heart can finally see the light of day…"
Court Lady Yeo's eyes widened. However, Consort Min didn't seem to care how the court lady was looking at her and merely picked up her teacup.
She wasn't sure what had happened inside, but the money she had secretly siphoned out from under Ethan's nose had been decreased by half. She tried to find out what had happened, but her informants told her they could not say and avoided answering her inquiries.
Either way, she didn't have to ask to know what was going on. She was irritated to discover that Adelina was one to work quickly.
"You see, when it comes to a man's heart… There's no need to struggle to obtain it in one go. You just need to make a tiny crack. A crack so small that even they do not know it exists. And before they know it, it's a gaping hole. Just like how a small stone can create many ripples once it is thrown into a pond."
Cedric had always obediently done what he was told, but this was the first time he spoke up for something he wanted. And what he wanted was Adelina. Inevitably, Cedric had to let go of her, but he never gave up on her.
Because she knew this, she exposed the Deputy Secretary General's corruption and blocked the royal marriage.
No matter how indecisive Cedric was, he would never give up if the possibility of obtaining what he wanted was right before his eyes.
"A marriage is something that ties a man and a woman together, but it is also something that causes them to grow apart."
Whether it was Cedric, who couldn't hold his position with his own hands yet was greedy for it, or Adelina, who insisted on playing the role as the Mistress despite having no power… In the end, they were all obstacles in Consort Min's path.
"I should go back and wash up. Let's go."
As Consort Min stood up, Court Lady Yeo grabbed the long hems of her skirts.
It didn't matter if people called her a whore for abandoning her husband and entering the arms of the Emperor. It didn't matter if they called her a femme fatale for shaking the foundation of the Emperor's authority by seducing him with a sway of her skirts.
For a woman who had nothing but her pretty face, there wasn't much she could do. If she was going to be buried deep within the inner residence with nothing to do, then she might as well continue to listen to the insults and protect her position here.
Consort Min's slightly stiffened face gradually softened, and she began to walk with graceful steps.
* * *
Ethan watched from afar as the servants diligently moved the purchased items into the residence.
It was calm, but something had changed. One could feel it under their skin. Since Ethan and John hadn't been the ones to make a move, in the end, the only one left was the one who was in charge of the inner residence, Elly. However, Elly shook her head and claimed she was not the one who had done this.
The sunlight was especially strong today. Sweat was pouring down the foreheads of those who were moving the goods.
The moment Ethan turned to call for John to have the workers take a rest, the door opened and a group of servants entered and placed food in front of the workers.
"The Mistress sent this to you as thanks! Eat this and continue to work hard."
Ethan's eyes narrowed as he watched the food being brought in.
From what he knew, the money that went into the inner residence was also going to Consort Min.
He knew things were changing, but he heard that a lot of servants were opposed to the new Mistress.
It seemed that what he heard and what he was seeing were at odds. Additionally, there were a few servants who were with him but belonged to the Consort. However, he wasn't aware of all of them.
"The linen over there and the things over here are to be sent to the inner residence, so carefully take them there. The Mistress wanted to come here personally to let you know, but I managed to convince her to let me do it instead. Nearly gave me a cold sweat, she did."
"Of course. We'll move it to the inner residence right away."
"How tactless! You should move the Master's things first before the Mistress's. Do I really have to say it?! Please be tactful and move the Mistress's things over when you're ready."
As Mona chatted with the eating workers, Ethan's sharp eye turned to her.
At that moment, John approached Ethan from behind.
"She's the Mistress's servant. Her name is Mona. Elly says she's young, but she's very quick."
"I heard that everyone else ran away and only one was left."
"Elly tried to send more people, but the Mistress rejected her offer."
Although she promised to live as if she were dead not that long ago, she was now making a ruckus to survive.
However, this change in Adelina didn't annoy him. Actually, he liked it. Although she didn't say much and was very quiet, the Adelina Ethan knew was someone who would properly step forward when she needed to.
Although she was definitely not the wife he had expected to take, he'd rather have someone who opposed the Consort than someone who acted as her eyes and ears.
"Let's go back."