Forensic Imperial Concubine novel Chapter 38

Kate and Hansen had left in the middle of the ceremony, which confused many ladies present there, but no one dared to find out the reason. After all, noble families always had nasty secrets that were swept under the rug.

"How dare you!" Sue stepped toward Harper as soon as Kate left, intending to slap her.

Harper stepped back and dodged Sue's attempt. "Calm down, Mother. It's better if we keep what happened just now a secret. Otherwise, it will affect Hailey's reputation," she said with a complacent smile.

Sue was furious, but what Harper had said was true. It was a stain on the reputation of the Chu Clan. If Hailey ever wanted to be the wife of the crown prince, she had to be flawless.

"Bitch, I'll kill you!" Felicia leapt up growling in anger, but Yvonne was quicker. She ran quickly and hid behind Harper. Blinded by her fury, Felicia went feral as her sharp nails clawed at Harper's face.

Harper kicked Felicia hard enough for her to fall clumsily on the floor. Yvonne mustered her strength to suppress her laughter at the sight of Felicia's posture.

"Harper, you bitch! How dare you kick me! Mother, order the servants to beat her to death!" Sue stopped Felicia and stared at Harper thoughtfully. Harper had maintained a remarkable degree of composure recently and that had made Sue uneasy. Sue realized that she had underestimated Harper over the years.

"Don't create a scene here." Harper pulled her handkerchief and wiped her mouth. "Yvonne, what are you waiting for? Haven't you heard what Lady Kate said? She has decided to allow you and Felicia to enter Prince Kevin's mansion on the same day. Why don't you go back and have a talk with Lady Carrie?"

"Sure. Thank you, Harper. I'm leaving now, Mother." Yvonne hurried out of the hall and scampered towards the backyard. She hadn't expected that Harper would help her by forcing Kate to accept her as Hansen's concubine. Carrie was right; Harper was a hard nut to crack.

"What on earth do you want?" Sue's red eyes, blazing with anger, settled on Harper.

"Mother, there are still many guests waiting outside. I think you should get Felicia cleaned up. Only then will she be able to see the guests. Lady Kate has stormed out with her son; everyone will start thinking that there is something wrong with Felicia. She has to keep up her good appearance in order to maintain our clan's reputation," Harper smiled. "Grandma is waiting for me. You will have to excuse me, Mother."

Harper turned around and walked away. Felicia's face was contorted with rage. Sue clenched her fists tighter as her nails sank deeper into her palms. "Go clean yourself up and meet the guests. You are going to be His Highness's wife and Yvonne will be nothing more than a concubine. She can gloat all she wants now, but after the wedding, her life is in your hands," Sue grunted through her gritted teeth.

No matter what Felicia had dreamed of, she was left with no choice but to accept Kate's decision. But she could never forgive Harper. If Harper hadn't intruded in the matter, there was not the slightest possibility of Hansen taking Yvonne as a concubine.

"It's all because of Harper. If it weren't for her—"

Sue interrupted, "Don't worry. Her smugness will not last long." A vindictive look flashed across Sue's face. She had put up with Harper for a long time. Now was the time to plot her downfall.

Harper had gone to meet Mavis in the Peony House, and she saw Carrie kneeling on the floor, shaking with fear.

"Grandma," Harper called.

"There you are. Come here." Mavis patted the chair that was next to her and motioned for Harper to sit down.

Harper walked towards her grandmother and sat down obediently. "Grandma, I've taken care of it all. Lady Kate has promised to accept Yvonne as His Highness's concubine. If Yvonne gives birth to a son, he will be registered as Felicia's child."

Mavis nodded and looked at Carrie, who was still kneeling on the floor. "You've taught Yvonne good manners. The girl has grown into a slut. Felicia is still unmarried and yet she couldn't wait to become a concubine of Felicia's future husband. Does she have no shame? You better get back and keep a close eye on your daughter. If she dares to harm our clan's reputation again, I'll show no mercy to her. I swear."

"Yes, Mother." Carrie left the Peony House. Harper shook her head as she watched Carrie leave.

"Grandma, Yvonne is a lady of our clan and she is pregnant now. The wedding cannot be delayed; otherwise, it will be difficult to conceal her pregnancy. Don't be mad at her, Grandma. Yvonne knows to plan for herself. Felicia is an impulsive girl. I am sure that His Highness will have more women in the future. So it's a good thing that she has Yvonne to help her." Harper stood up and massaged Mavis' temples. "Don't lose your temper over something like this. It is not worth it and is bad for your health."

"You have no idea." Mavis looked troubled. "Hailey's reputation cannot be smeared. We must deal with it with absolute delicacy."

There was a hint of surprise in Harper's eyes, but it disappeared in no time. Chu Clan rose to power through women. In the beginning, it had relied on Qin Clan's resources. Later it had clung on to Katrina and the Wang Clan. And now, it seemed that it was going to make full use of the younger generation of the clan.

"What's done is done. We must come up with the best course of action. Although it seems inappropriate for the two sisters to share a husband, it is better than the news of Yvonne's pregnancy before marriage. After the wedding, we can tell everyone that Felicia is pregnant, and register Yvonne's child as Felicia's. This way the two of them will support each other, and secure their positions in Prince Kevin's mansion," said Harper looking calm and collected.

"You are a wise girl." Mavis patted the back of Harper's hand. "That's enough. Come and sit with me."

"Yes, Grandma."

"Harper, do you still remember your maternal grandfather?" Mavis suddenly asked.

Harper was shocked by the sudden question. "Father has told me that my mother's entire clan disappeared overnight. Is that true?"

"Yeah, it's true," Mavis said thoughtfully. "Maybe they will come back one day."

"Really?" Harper had always thought that the disappearance of the Qin Clan and her mother's death were interlinked and had something to do with the Chu Clan, but she couldn't find any clues. Moreover, all the old servants of the Chu Clan had either left or died. Therefore, it was difficult to find out what happened to the Qin Clan.

"Who knows." Mavis exhaled a deep breath. "Regarding today's issue...Harper, I must say that you've handled it well. It's time for you to plan for yourself."

"I know, Grandma," Harper said softly.

"Well, you must be tired after a busy day. Go back and rest well."

"Good night, Grandma. Don't forget to take your medicinal meal. You have to take good care of yourself." Harper instructed Annie to cook medicinal meal for her grandmother and finally left.

Annie gazed at Harper's receding figure and said, "Harper is a devoted granddaughter."

"Yes, but the kid doesn't think about herself. She plans more for others than for herself. I'm worried about her future," Mavis said apprehensively.

"Harper has got you. You're there to plan for her future. That's why she doesn't worry about herself."

Mavis smiled at Annie's words. Annie was right. She would take care of Harper and give her only the best.

Harper saw Carrie waiting with Yvonne outside the Peony House. "Harper," Carrie called out.

"Lady Carrie," Harper nodded in return. "Yvonne, you should know that although Lady Kate has accepted you and Mother hasn't opposed it, anything can change before the baby is born. Keep that in mind."

Yvonne's face went pale. "Harper..."

"Although Felicia is being persuaded by Mother now, you can imagine how upset she must be. A lot can change before the wedding. So pay more attention to Yvonne's meals and supplies," Harper said to Carrie. "Take care, Yvonne." Harper nodded and turned to leave.

"Harper!" Carrie tugged on Harper's sleeve and pleaded, "Please help us."

Harper's face remained unchanged. "Lady Carrie, you must be kidding. Father doesn't like me. How can I help you?"

"Harper, Lady Sue can't tolerate your existence. Don't you want to settle things with her?" Carrie asked in a low voice, looking around in apprehension; she didn't want to be seen or heard.

"No, I don't," Harper said honestly, "I've come of age, so I won't stay in the mansion for too long. I will leave once I get married. So she wouldn't bother me."

Carrie looked visibly shaken. She grabbed Harper's sleeve. "What must I do to make you help us?"

Harper looked at Yvonne, whose face looked white as if she had seen a ghost. She then turned towards Carrie. "Lady Carrie, helping you means standing against Mother. What do I get by making her mad at me?"

"As long as you can help Yvonne keep the child, we will do everything we can to support you in the future." Carrie didn't want any harm to be inflicted upon Yvonne's baby.

Harper smiled. "You have to prove your sincerity, Lady Carrie. Otherwise I wouldn't know if you are making a fool out of me."

"Enya and Elsie are secretly working for Lady Sue," Carrie whispered through gritted teeth. Harper had sent away many maids of hers, except for Enya and Elsie. Unfortunately, they were the real traitors.

"I have known this for a long time," Harper said flatly. "I've kept them because they are still of use to me. But I have seen your sincerity. Just pay attention to your diet and health."

"Thank you, Harper."

Harper turned around and left. Yvonne's face was still pale. She grabbed Carrie's hand and trembled. Carrie patted Yvonne's hand. "Don't worry. As long as Harper is there to help us, your child will be safe. She is the best physician in this mansion, not Hailey."

"Harper," a voice called out.

Harper squinted her eyes and looked at the woman standing in front of her. "Lady Serena," she greeted in return.

Serena looked at Harper and a playful smile graced her lips. "It is amazing to see how calm you are, Harper. How could you maintain your composure when your sister has robbed your fiance?"

"I'm flattered," Harper answered calmly. "What's mine cannot be taken away from me, and it's pointless to cling on to something that's not mine."

"You sound like a philosopher." Serena chuckled. "You are just like your mother."

Harper knitted her brows in confusion. Her mother had died soon after she was born. Serena had never seen her mother; how would she know about her?

"Charles has always said that your mother hated to compete with others. And you are exactly like her. But even though you mind your own business and don't compete with others, people might think otherwise. Am I right, Harper?" Serena leaned over and whispered in Harper's in a voice that was as cold as ice.