Chapter 39: The Storm Brews
The scene before Xu Bai was so cliché it reminded her of the corny romance novels she used to read in her spare time, the villainous noblewoman’s taunts practically ripped from their pages.
However, if this “Madam Madeline” knew Lin Yan, why hadn’t Xu Bai ever heard of her before…?
Madeline’s shrill voice quickly attracted a crowd of onlookers, eager for some entertainment. After all, such confrontations were rare in their small, tightly-knit circle.
Most were there for the spectacle, only a few of Madeline’s friends looking slightly concerned, though they didn’t intervene.
Of course, the woman currently causing a scene wasn’t the real Madam Madeline, but Sasha in disguise.
Her power allowed her to perfectly mimic her target’s appearance, mannerisms, and even emotions.
When Sasha saw Lin Yan in her elegant gown, she had almost sighed in relief at finally seeing someone with decent fashion sense, but the emotions flooding through her from Madeline’s persona revealed a deep-seated hatred for this seemingly refined young woman.
So, she played along, delivering Madeline’s sharp, yet ultimately harmless, barbs.
“Why are Madeline’s emotions so strange…?” Sasha wondered, her face contorted in a hateful sneer. “She clearly wants to kill her, yet there’s also a hint of gratitude… What did this pretty girl do to Madeline? Jilted her? Hmm… or maybe they share a forbidden love for the same type…?”
Lost in thought, Sasha overlooked Xu Bai standing behind Lin Yan. Perhaps it was the dim lighting, Xu Bai’s small stature, or the matching dress that made her blend in.
Xu Bai, after a brief glance at “Madam Madeline,” lost interest and continued to keep her head down.
As the tension escalated, the lights dimmed further, and a series of claps echoed through the hall, drawing everyone’s attention.
A spotlight shone on a middle-aged man in a black butler’s uniform. He smiled, his eyes half-closed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this banquet hosted by my master. General Glaimond will be joining us shortly. Until then, please enjoy yourselves—however, my master would prefer a less… disruptive atmosphere.”
He opened his eyes slightly, glancing in the direction of Lin Yan and Madeline (Sasha), then bowed to the assembled nobles.
The lights returned to their previous brightness, and the man disappeared.
A faint smirk touched Lin Yan’s lips. She recognized Glaimond’s butler.
For a mere butler to warn her like that… Glaimond had grown arrogant.
Sasha, still disguised as Madeline, was pulled away by her friends. Since their host had expressed his displeasure through his butler, they didn’t want to cause further trouble.
The music resumed, the atmosphere returning to normal, but the nobles continued to gossip about the earlier confrontation.
Gossip was human nature, regardless of social standing. Everyone enjoyed a bit of scandal.
Xu Bai’s curiosity was piqued. She tugged at Lin Yan’s sleeve, whispering,
“Miss Lin Yan, is there something between you and Madam Madeline?”
Lin Yan looked slightly surprised. “Are you interested in gossip too?”
“…Just curious,” Xu Bai quickly lowered her head, the action becoming almost habitual.
Lin Yan’s expression returned to normal, her voice flat.
“It’s nothing much. It’s not about Madam Madeline herself, but about her husband—or rather, her late husband.”
The surrounding chatter ceased instantly, a hush falling over the banquet hall. Xu Bai’s jaw almost dropped.
“W-what?”
A feud related to Madeline’s husband… those words, coming from any noble lady, would be shocking, let alone from the esteemed Lin Yan.
If she remembered correctly, to be addressed as “Madam,” Madeline’s husband must have held a noble rank of at least Second Class.
And those granted such a rank were usually at least forty years old.
Lin Yan was only in her early twenties…
The surrounding noblemen were stunned. The Lin family’s young miss had such a hidden past?
Lin Yan, realizing her slip of the tongue, quickly waved her hand at the stunned Xu Bai.
“It’s not what you think. How should I put it… my relationship with him? It was supposed to be a secret, but it doesn’t matter now.”
She paused, her voice lowering.
“I killed him.”
Although spoken softly, her words were like a thunderclap, silencing the entire hall.
Sasha, nearby, felt a surge of hatred and rage through Madeline’s persona, mixed with an inexplicable fear.
“W-what?!”
This was even more shocking than the earlier misunderstanding!
That misunderstanding had only implied a moral failing.
But murdering a Second Class noble… the perpetrator being the Garrison Commander, a member of another noble family… that was scandalous.
No, wait.
According to official records, Madeline’s husband had died a hero’s death, fighting demons on the battlefield.
His death had led to his family’s downfall, forcing the once-respected Madam Madeline to leave the capital for the remote Vikarn Port, clinging to her pride.
But no one had suspected he had died at Lin Yan’s hands.
“Who was Madeline’s husband…?” Xu Bai wondered. She knew that for Lin Yan to reveal this so openly, the Duke must have committed an unforgivable crime.
And in the North Empire, there was only one truly unforgivable crime.
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