Chapter 3
"One more thing," I interrupted, turning my gaze to the young eunuch who had "testified" against me.
He was trembling.
"You said you saw me bury something in the corner of the King's study?" I asked.
"Y-Yes..." he stammered.
"Which day? What time?" I pressed.
"T-Three days ago... around dusk," he replied.
I gave a wry smile.
I said, "Three days ago, around dusk, I was by the old well behind the exile wing.
"Helping Halle Navarro find her gold hairpin that fell in.
"Others were there too.
"Averie Phillips from the Wardrobe Hall was there."
"And Jason Fletcher, captain of the third squad of the Royal Guards, was on patrol nearby.
"Just have the King send someone to ask, and it'll be clear."
The young eunuch collapsed to the floor.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty... I must have remembered wrong... It was... it was four days ago..." he stammered, voice trembling.
"Four days ago?" I laughed. "Four days ago, Lord Chamberlain Zachary came with three young eunuchs to deliver winter charcoal to my courtyard. They stayed from the Monkey hour all the way until dusk. Any of them can vouch for me. I never stepped outside."
The young eunuch collapsed completely.
He was shaking uncontrollably.
He couldn't get a word out.
The Sanctuary Hall was silent.
The King finally spoke, his words slow and deliberate.
His tone was impossible to read.
"Isobel," he said. "You're quite clever with your calculations.
"Even down to the prince's birthday. You seem to know it all."
I bowed my head.
"It wasn't me doing the math, Your Majesty," I replied.
"Oh?" the King said, his interest piqued.
"When Prince Andrew was a month old, Lord Chamberlain Zachary was making the official record. I just happened to walk by and took a peek. I just have a knack for remembering things, can't help it," I replied honestly.
Everyone was speechless.
Her face contorted in fury.
She looked absolutely livid.
The young eunuch was hauled off.
Megan got grounded for three months for "not keeping her people in line and falling for gossip too easily."
I was let off the hook.
And just like that, I was dumped back in my crummy little courtyard.
Zachary personally delivered a royal reward.
It was meant to soothe my nerves after all the chaos.
He also brought a message from the King.
"Isobel Harrison..." Zachary called out.
"Yeah?" I answered.
"His Majesty has sent word for you to... relocate," he said.
"Where to?" I asked.
"The Hall of Sovereign... the side hall," he replied.
The snack seed slipped from my fingers.
Wait, the Hall of Sovereign, the King's bedchamber?
"Do I really have to go?" I whined, making a face. "I like it here. It's quiet."
Zachary's face twitched.
"Isobel... please don't make things hard for me. The King's orders are not to be questioned!" he pleaded.
So, I was reluctantly moved into the side hall of the Hall of Sovereign.
The place was dazzling, all gold and glitter.
The scent filled the air, everything cozy and fragrant.
But I just felt totally out of place.
Honestly, I felt like a salted fish suddenly thrown into a fancy goldfish bowl.
The King would occasionally come by.
He wouldn't say a word.
He'd just sit there, reviewing official papers or burying himself in a book.
I'd keep to myself on the far side of the hall.
Sometimes I'd doze off.
Sometimes I'd just stare out the window, zoning out, counting how many birds flew by.
On this day, he came by again.
After signing off on a stack of reports, he massaged his brow.
Out of nowhere, he suddenly spoke.
"Isobel," he called out.
"Yes?" I was just at sparrow number thirty-seven.
"Read my fortune," he said.
I turned my head.
"What do you want to know?" I asked.
"Read my fortune..." he said, his gaze heavy and unreadable, "Tell me about my empire."
My heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes.
"I'm not doing it," I said flatly.
"Why not?" he asked.
"Reading the fate of the empire is bad luck. It shaves years off your life," I said honestly. "I'd rather stick around and keep eating delicious food for a few more years."
He just stared at me.
He went quiet for a moment.
"Then read my fortune," he said.
"What do you want to know?" I asked.
"Read my fortune..." he paused, then said, "Tell me how much longer I'll live."
The eunuchs and maids serving in the Sanctuary Hall all instantly dropped to their knees.
Everyone knelt at once.
Heads bowed low.
No one even dared to breathe.
I let out a sigh.
"Your Majesty," I said.
"Yes?" he replied.
"You want to know?" I asked.
"Just say it," he said.
"You really want to know?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just say it," he ordered.
"Alright," I shrugged. "Fortune-telling fee: one thousand taels of gold. Cash only. No credit."
The King looked like he'd just swallowed a fly.
He just stared at me for ages.
Then, suddenly, he burst out laughing.
Everyone in the hall was left stunned by his unexpected laughter.
"Good! Good one, Isobel!" he said, finally stopping, his gaze hard to read. "You've got guts!"
He didn't force me to tell any more of those deadly fortunes.
He just kept me in the side hall, like a lucky charm.
I was like some odd decoration that, for whatever reason, made him feel at ease.
The winds in the harem had completely changed.
Nobody dared to ask me to read their fortune anymore.
No one would even think about messing with me now.
After Megan's confinement was finally lifted, she was a lot more restrained now.
She still looked at me with that complicated gaze.
But she didn't dare lay a finger on me anymore.
The Queen was all politeness with me.
The other concubines wouldn't even set foot near the Hall of Sovereign.
I was basically an oddity in the harem.
Everyone knew my name, but my rank was rock bottom.
Still, I was living closer to the King than any of them.
I wasn't out there trying to win the King's attention.
I didn't stir up any drama.