Chapter 4 - 30 strokes of Cain.

Lady Elara waited outside for a while and Lyra was still not awake, so she had no other choice than to go inside, she sighed and went to the side of the bed. She noticed that she was naked and there was a blood stain on the bed. She immediately sighs in relief.

The empress will go easy on her after hearing that they consummate their marriage and that is why she was late to the morning greetings.

"Your Highness, it is time for you to wake up," Lady Elara said almost in a whisper.

"I want to sleep more," she said as she groaned and rolled to the other side of the bed exposing her thighs.

Lady Elara coughed lightly and used the blanket to cover her body. "Your Highness I am afraid that you will be late for the morning greet."

"Urgh–" she groaned as she used her hand to ruffle her hair in annoyance and attempt to cover her ears.

Just then the imperial head maid Maya barged in without announcing her presence, she served the empress personally.

Lady Elara bowed immediately as she entered, she bit her lip watching the position in which Lyra was sleeping.

"Collect the bedsheets and also get crown princess Lyra ready immediately!!" she ordered with her voice full of authority.

Headmaid Maya is one of the people the maid feared in the palace because she always wears a serious look and she also serves the Empress.

Immediately the maid did as they were told and carried her to the bathtub.

"What are you doing?" Lyra asked as she saw that she was being lifted from the bed, she did not know that this is how they treat the crown princess of the heavenly realms.

The maid helped her with her bath and also got her ready in a beautiful red attire. Her hair was tied in a ponytail and was decorated with headpins.

"Can you handle these small duties assigned to you," head maid Maya scolded.

Lyra stood up immediately from the front mirror and walked to them. "If anyone should be blamed it is me and Crown Prince Lyrien for making me so tired and not able to stand up this morning!!" 

The maids looked at each other and almost burst into laughter, they indeed saw red stains on the bed sheets, and Lady Elara could not do anything about what happened yesterday and how tired the crown princess was this morning.

"I apologize, Your Highness, you are called by the Empress, Her Majesty," Headmaid Maya said after being scolded. After she was scolded by Lyra she knew her place and was more respectful towards her.

Lyra rolled her eyes and walked out of the chamber arrogantly, she has always been like this even in her previous life, she is the head chef so she gets to scold her junior lot and her employees so it is not new to her. But she feels like it is unfair to be treated the way she was treated this morning.

Lyra feels pains in her thighs as she walks, and it makes her more angry with the crown prince Lyrien, it is not enough that she had her first time with a stranger and now he makes her so tired that her maid has to be scolded.

"Her Highness the crown princess Lyra is here," Empress Aethera was informed as Lyra stepped in.

Lyra bowed slowly before she sat down in front of her, she looked around and saw a lot of unfamiliar faces, and her husband was also sitting on the other side of the Empress, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Greeting Your Majesty,"

"Your Highness you have to sit beside your husband," Lady Elara whispered into her ear before she smiled awkwardly and stood up.

Empress Aethera smiled. "Why are you late?"

"I don't think that question should be for me, you should ask the crown prince instead because he kept me awake for a very long time last night," she blinked her eyes and looked at him.

"I apologize, Mother," Crown Prince Lyrien apologized immediately, taking all the blame.

"As the crown princess of the heavenly realms you should master how to wake up early even if you sleep so late, so you don't have any excuse for that," Empress Aethera responded with a smile before sipping her tea.

Lyra smirked. "Is that why your handmaid ripped me off the bed and forcefully got me dressed, is this how you treat your daughter-in-law — Geez the people here did not have any manners," she said before drinking her tea in annoyance.

 screamed immediately after the hot tea touched her tongue."Hot~!" She screamed as she blew her tongue.

Everyone present was surprised to see how she disrespected the Empress and was also acting strangely as if she was not the same noblewoman they once knew, they started to talk.

"I apologize, Your Majesty, my wife is not feeling too good today, we will excuse ourselves now."

"Look who wants to escape now when his wife disrespects the Empress, I hope Your Majesty will not let this go unpunished just because she is her son's wife," imperial consort Calantha Said with a smile.

Imperial consort Calantha is the emperor's second wife, she is among the rank noble women, and that's what won her the title of the imperial consort, the emperor cherished her so much and she is the second inner court ruler.

"I wasn't planning to let her go, guard take her out to the courtyard and give her 30 strokes of Cains," Empress Aethera ordered before the guards rushed in.

"Mother!!" Crown Prince Lyrien yelled as he held onto Lyra 's hand.

Lyra and everyone in the room were shocked they were not expecting Express Aethera to give her this harsh punishment.

Empress Aethera was known for being kind to all of the princes and the princesses even though most of them were not her children. She is calm and understanding. That's one of the reasons why the Emperor chose her to be the Empress. 

The empire needs an Empress who is calm and understanding, but her punishing the crown princess now is like going against her principles.

"What's going on here?" An old woman's voice came out after opening the door.