The answer is like a total new world to them. The descendants couldn't help but eye Winter like a gold digger, their gazes condemning. At the end she is like the rest of the girl's willing to do anything to enter the palace after seeing the affluence.
The mother's knew the story is different since her background isn't any lesser. Infact she has the power to rival their king with just being an ordinary adopted daughter of the witch coven leader. It is just surprising she said no, is there an unknown factor they haven't heard of?
Their eyes subconsciously drifted to Winter's smooth and flat belly.
It looked so flat they couldn't help but wonder if she pressed the stomach with her clothes, the cloth does look tight.
Winter eyes smiled playfully still maintaining that queen like aura. She smiled at them and lightly shook her head.
The women blushed furiously knowing they are wrong. The girl playful gaze made them lower their heads with embarrassment. It must be something else! That's why she rejected them.
Head concubine didn't have any fazed expression not did the calm and gentle look disappear. She calmly dropped her tea cup and looked up at Winter.
"It seems miss Powers misunderstood"
Winter eyes narrowed in a mocking smile, are they also going to act like the chiefs and bring out a petty trick to faze her.
If so..
Too bad, she held them in high regard believing they are different and smarter.
"We weren't negotiating" Head concubine soft and gentle voice took a sinister undertone. The surrounding people shivered in fright and the dreadful head concubine aura is unleashed on them.
"I know" Winter picked up her tea indifferently and took a sip savoring the taste.
"However one has to have the power to coerce someone into doing anything"
The faces of the harem turned ugly. She is directly mocking them for not having the power to go against the king but can only weakly roar in front of the crown prince.
Head concubine face fell, her eyes flashed a malicious glint looking down at the girl has just matured in front of her. The girl must be talking about her. She usually have the power to control the king on anything but several times have she mentioned it to the king this little girl isn't allowed for the crown prince and several times have he said no even resorting to threats.
She wanted the girl gone for mainly one reason, to pave way for her son to become king.
But she gradually grew cautious when she saw the king ko longer lays her any attention and is ready to punish her if she mentions any bad thing about Winter.
She and everyone had thought the king brought her to be his next concubine and aren't that worried since the king has hundreds of them and still pays attention to her. However she felt her position in jeopardy after knowing how protective of her the king is.
She grew slightly relieved when she learned she is for the crown prince, quickly put her guard up learning her background and is determined to get rid of her.
"Head concubine you have to teach this girl a lesson"
"I agree with that, she doesn't put us in her eyes now, what about later?"
Head concubine smiled neatly and gently like the sinister look was just an illusion. Her mind as clear as spring, she cancelled what the women spoke into her ears instead focused on the girl full of elegance not in the least minused due to her sexy and mature outfit. It instead boosted her queenly image and a slight lift if her eyes showed extreme disdain and sneer but just right enough for a queen to have.
On the other hand she is wary of the girl.
The others might not know but she knows the chiefs called a meeting with her just before theirs. She must have come right to then after the chiefs meeting.
The chiefs are full of cunning and smart people. Although she doesn't know the conclusion of the meeting, seeing Winter out and unscathed it really isn't hard to guess the chiefs lost. And it might have been a messy defeat.
"Change the tea" She ordered and snapped her fingers.
Maids immediately changed the cups to a steaming one and left quickly.
Winter didn't out up her guard against the changed tea. The former had indeed gone cold and isn't good to drink again.
"Do we have to remind miss Powers about how you ended up here?" A woman spoke up full of sharp aura, her eyes swept up and each word powerful screaming the elegance she was probably brought up in. She thought the head concubine is waiting for them to speak up and talked reminding Winter.
Winter smiled and shook her head gracefully. Even with the lady speaking the alliance still didn't show any weakness.
"No need, I am fully aware of my situation"
The descendants have heard of the story of how Winter is brought into the kingdom, the whole kingdom is aware of it. They couldn't help but admire Winter's perseverance and can't help but compare it with themselves. They would have surely grown insane.
Even if they are the children of the concubines they are still of the royal family and have been brought up with required respect and honor. Suddenly locking them up in unfamiliar surroundings and facing the constant glares and disgust would have drove them out of their minds.
"Ahem" Head concubine lightly coughed into her fist and gave a subtle glare at the woman from earlier. If she isn't careful then they would have shown weakness to Winter.
"Who knows if she is obsessed with this royal life and doesn't want to leave"
A young man her age scoffed and glared at her, the disdain in his tone loud and clear.
"This is the personal business of miss Powers and doesn't require you to gossip about"
A concubine warned sternly but her mocking gaze fell on Winter. She couldn't help but think that way also. Although she is treated right at her home she is still adopted at the end of the day and must be elated to find out she will be the future queen here.
Winter saw the look and gave a mocking smile. No matter how united it is a crack will still appear.
Too bad she still hasn't see the crack despite all the others opening their mouths to talk.
However she found out the head concubine is the only one she has to watch out for. The rest although smart and shrew, still are open books.
"What nonsense are you talking about?!" Little maid yelled furiously. Firstly they connived to take away the miss and didn't put her in their eyes and now they dare to insult the miss, she absolutely can't take that!
"The miss is a jewel in the palm of her mother since toddler and will be the crown princess of this great kingdom, does she still need to be greedy about that?!"
"You better watch out she doesn't take her revenge on all of you that dared to open your stinky mouths!"
Little maid pointed fiercely at the people sitting.
All of them are just too much, trying to coax the miss into leaving, the miss and the crown prince are a match made in heaven and nothing can separate them at least not whole she is still there.
And they didn't stop there and continued insinuating the miss is blinded by the affluence of the palace. She has heard about the missus life and knows all this are little compared to how she is treated back at her home. She even felt they are treating the miss shabbily.
The disrespect didn't stop there, that greasy boy that spoke bad about the miss shouldn't think she didn't catch him ogling openly at the miss whenever the miss isn't looking.
Winter had indeed not seen this or would have taken advantage of the opening.
That boy had better watch out or she will personally get the crown prince to dig out his eyes and hand them to him.
The miss is very pitiful, not only has she suffered from being treated shabbily the past few days she is now defiled constantly by that greasy boy's gaze.
Little maid silently made up her mind to get the miss another dress before the next meeting or she will be constantly coveted by all sorts of perverts!
It isn't the miss fault that she is too outstanding, it is those perverts fault for not knowing their place!
"You this dirty thing dares speak up?!" The greasy boy stood up angrily and rolled up his sleeve ready to fight. He didn't care about any royal etiquette anymore and just wants to teach this rude maid her place.
"Felix!" The head concubine raised her voice angrily.
"Ma?!"
"Sit!"
Felix looked unwilling his hateful eyes boring holes into the girls.
"Do you dare defy me?"
"No ma"
Felix clenched his fist and went back to his seat. This isn't over between them.