Chapter 2
I will take my time settling the debt between Russ and I.
The next day, I showed up at the kitchen right on time.
Everyone gave me strange looks.
I acted like I didn't see them.
I was dressed in the plainest clothes, with no makeup, and my face was pale from blood loss.
I looked just like a pathetic woman mourning her child, desperate to win her husband's favor.
Good. That was exactly the effect I wanted.
I sent everyone else away, leaving only Juliet behind.
"Lady Lucy, what are you really trying to do?" Juliet's voice trembled, on the verge of tears.
I didn't answer her.
I just calmly started washing, trimming, and chopping the vegetables.
My movements were slow, but steady.
Each slice was exactly the same size and thickness, perfectly precise.
It felt less like cooking and more like crafting a meticulous work of art.
The General's Estate had only the best ingredients.
But none of them were what I needed.
I reached into my sachet and took out a tiny oil-paper-wrapped bundle.
Juliet leaned in, curiosity all over her face.
"Lady Lucy, what is this?" she asked.
"It's a special seasoning from back home," I said lightly.
I unwrapped the paper, and inside was a small pile of dark green powder.
This was Snowbreaker powder.
My mother secretly gave it to me when I left home to get married.
She told me, "In a big family, people can be ruthless. Keep this close. It might save your life someday."
Snowbreaker would grow way up on the snowy peaks in the far south. On its own, it was harmless.
But if I sneaked just a pinch into a man's food every single day, it'd eat away at his vitality so subtly that no one would ever suspect a thing.
Little by little, he'd lose the ability to have children.
The effect was so slow that unless he had a legendary healer, he would never even know.
I scraped up an almost invisible bit of powder with my pinky nail.
With a gentle flick, I dropped it into the bubbling soup.
The powder melted away instantly, no sign of color, no hint of taste.
The chicken soup still looked as mouthwatering as ever.
I whipped up three dishes and a soup.
All of them were Russ's favorite dishes from before.
I told Juliet to bring the food to Russ's study.
Before long, Juliet came back.
"Lady Lucy, General ate everything," she said, her expression a mix of emotions.
"Okay," I replied, my face giving nothing away.
"He also said... it tasted pretty good," Juliet added.
My hand paused for a second as I wiped down the kitchen tools, then I went right back to what I was doing.
I got it.
From that day forward, I became the General's Estate's exclusive cook.
Every single day, I made Russ his breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
No matter the weather, I kept cooking for him.
The gossip in the mansion gradually took a new turn.
What started as ridicule slowly turned into genuine admiration.
Everyone said I was deeply devoted to Russ.
Even after all I had been through, my love for him never wavered.
Abigail heard about it, too.
She kept showing up in my courtyard, time and time again.
Sometimes she'd flaunt herself, boasting about the rare jewels Russ had gifted her.
Other times, she'd put on a caring act, telling me not to wear myself out, saying my health mattered most.
I ignored her every single time.
She was like an actress flitting about the stage, while I was the most indifferent audience in the crowd.
Eventually, she got bored and stopped coming altogether.
She thought I was just playing the victim, hoping Russ would feel sorry for me.
She thought my greatest weapon was nothing but that pitiful bit of love.
She didn't know the truth.
My weapon was the poison I crafted for Russ, hidden in every meal I made for him, day after day.
One night, as usual, I sat under the lamplight, going over my little collection of bottles and jars.
The dose of Snowbreaker had to be measured out with perfect precision.
If I used even a fraction too much, someone might catch on.
But if I used too little, it would take forever to work.
I was carefully weighing out the powder when Juliet burst in from outside, panic written all over her face.
She blurted out, "Lady Lucy, bad news.
"Abigail seems to be pregnant!"
*****
Juliet's words dropped into the silence like a pebble in a calm lake.
But not a ripple stirred in my heart.
I'd expected this all along.
If Russ could permit that so-called "pregnancy tonic" for Abigail, then of course he'd let her bear his child.
The child would secure her place as the lady of the General's Estate.
"Did she call for the royal physician?" I asked.
"Yes! Dr. Taylor went to see her, and now the news has spread all over the mansion!" Juliet blurted out.
Juliet was beside herself with worry. "Lady Lucy, what should we do?"
I put the bottles and jars back in their place, covering them carefully with a silk cloth.
"Juliet, calm down. What's there to panic about?" I said.
I stood up and walked over to the mirror.