Chapter 10 · After He Killed My Child

Chapter 10

Inside was the blood-stained fabric I'd used when I lost my baby.I'd asked Juliet to keep it for me.Staring at the dark red stains, I could almost smell the sharp, metallic scent of blood all over again.It came from the baby I never got to meet.I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.I asked Juliet to find out which royal physician had prescribed that herbal tonic for me.Soon, the news came back.It wasn't an royal physician from the palace.It was a folk doctor with the last name Cress, known throughout Landskaria for cleaning up the messes of the rich and powerful.Word was, his so-called tonics to protect pregnancies were more like death sentences.The old woman who had fetched Patrick Cress and personally brought me the medicine was a distant relative of Russ's wet nurse, Harper Padilla.Harper had retired and returned to her hometown after I lost my baby.I gripped the slip of paper in my hand, a cold, frosty smile curling on my lips.Russ was quite meticulous.However, he could never escape the consequences of his actions.I glanced at Juliet.I said, "Send someone to find out which village Harper returned to after her retirement."Prepare a generous gift. We're going to pay Abigail a visit in the west courtyard."*****The door to the west courtyard was locked.A cold, rusty brass lock hung on the door, its red paint peeling away.It was as if the person inside had been erased from the world.I told Juliet to go up and knock.After a long while, the door creaked open, just enough for someone inside to peek out.A lifeless face appeared in the narrow gap.It was the lowly servant girl assigned to look after Abigail.As soon as she saw me, she dropped to her knees with a loud thump."Lady Lucy, greetings," she stammered, trembling.I paid her no mind and strode right in.The courtyard was choked with weeds, towering taller than any person.The air was thick with the stench of rot and damp, a moldy smell that clung to everything.Abigail was sitting beneath a dead locust tree.She wore old clothes washed so many times they'd turned pale, her hair loosely gathered with a wooden hairpin.At the sound, Abigail slowly lifted her head.After a few months apart, she seemed like a completely different person.Her once delicate, alluring face was now only half intact.The other half was twisted by a hideous burn scar.It sprawled across her face like a giant centipede, coiled and menacing.Her eyes, once lively and full of spirit, were now dull and clouded, filled with resentment and apathy.When she saw me, she paused in shock.Then, in that numb gaze, a bone-deep hatred suddenly flared."Lucy, you bitch. What are you doing here?"She howled, like a wounded beast, struggling to rise from her chair.But with her belly swollen at eight months pregnant, she could barely move.I strolled over and towered over her, looking down from above.Juliet stood behind me and opened up a fancy food box.Inside were some delicate pastries and a steaming bowl of soup.I set the box on the stone table in front of her and personally served her the bowl of soup.I said, my voice dripping with false sweetness, "Abigail, look, I specially stewed this soup just for you."I know you're pregnant, and this is the time you need the most nourishment."This is premium soup, perfect for boosting your energy and nourishing your body."Abigail trembled like a leaf in the wind.Abigail stared at the bowl of soup like she was seeing a ghost out for her soul."Get it away from me. Take it away!"She let out a piercing scream and swiped at the bowl, trying to knock it out of my hands.I just leaned aside, dodging her attack without effort.Not a single drop of the steaming hot soup spilled.I clicked my tongue, acting all regretful."Abigail, you're still as feisty as ever."That's really not good for the baby."I made sure she felt every syllable of "baby," letting it hang in the air like a threat.That was her only hope now, and her biggest weakness.Sure enough, her hand hung in the air.Instinctively, she shielded her swollen belly, as if protecting her only hope.Her hateful glare finally faltered, a crack of vulnerability showing in her eyes."Lucy, what do you want?"Abigail's voice was hoarse and dry, like she hadn't tasted water in forever."Not really," I said, shrugging like it was no big deal.I placed the soup on the stone table and took a seat across from her, moving with deliberate grace.

Chapter 10