C2 The Child Was Not Yours

"Miss," Xiaoxi stood protectively in front of Gu Zhuohua, like a mother hen shielding her chick. Despite the fear in her eyes, she didn't back down an inch. Unable to meet Duke Lin's imposing gaze, she fixed her eyes on the woman in flowing white beside him, her expression wary.

The woman's delicate frame leaned slightly on the shoulder of her maid. Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned, and a single black mole at the corner seemed to enchant everyone around her. Her pale lips trembled as she spoke, her voice quivering with a hint of tears, "Sister Gu, are you alright? Just now, just now..."

As she spoke, tears the size of pearls rolled down her cheeks, her sorrowful demeanor evoking sympathy. Seeing her tears, Duke Lin, who had been standing with his arms crossed, immediately showed a hint of distress. He gently pulled the frail woman into his embrace, his expression tender. "Yao, this isn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself."

Shen Yao nodded, nestled in Duke Lin's arms, tears still streaming down. Yet, only Gu Zhuohua noticed the glances Shen Yao cast her way—seemingly sympathetic on the surface, but with a mocking and... triumphant glint beneath.

Triumphant? Really triumphant?

A faint smile played on the woman's lips, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling clarity.

"Miss Shen, it was clearly you who pushed our lady down the stairs. If, if the Prime Minister finds out..." Xiaoxi mustered her courage to meet Shen Yao's gaze. She couldn't confront Duke Lin directly, but she could still speak the truth to seek justice for her lady.

But before she could finish, the maid beside Shen Yao swung a whip with a sharp "crack," leaving a vicious red mark on Xiaoxi's left cheek. Her body, like a battered autumn leaf, was flung to the side.

Gu Zhuohua felt a chill run through her as her outstretched hand froze in mid-air. Damn it! This body's reaction time is so slow! Her eyes turned cold, a fierce glint fixed on the young maid who had struck her.

The young maid's heart skipped a beat, and she almost dropped the long whip in her hand. But then she remembered she was about to become part of the Duke's household. Why should she fear a woman with a tarnished reputation? Emboldened, she spoke up.

"How dare you, servant! Do you think you can falsely accuse our future Duchess? Everyone saw it clearly just now. Miss Gu insisted on arguing with our lady and accidentally fell off the platform. Our lady has always been frail and kind-hearted; she would never do what you claim!" The young maid shouted in the direction Xiaoxi had fallen, though her gaze kept darting back to Gu Zhuohua.

"Exactly! We all know Miss Gu's temper—spoiled and willful since childhood. Now she's trying to pin some wild child on Duke Lin. Poor Duke Lin, about to marry a beauty, only to have his name dragged through the mud."

"Miss Shen is the most beautiful and talented woman in the kingdom. How could she possibly push this notorious troublemaker? Shameless!"

"I say the Gu family should just get rid of her to avoid further disgrace."

"Absolutely, Prime Minister Gu is known for his strictness. He'll surely do what's right, even if it means punishing his own."

Xiaoxi scrambled up from the ground and stood protectively by Gu Zhuohua, anger burning inside her. "You're all lying! Miss Gu is innocent!"

But her voice was drowned out by the crowd's chatter. To Gu Zhuohua, the murmurs below were nothing more than fleeting noise. She stared steadily at the frail-looking woman on the platform, a strange smile playing on her lips.

She turned her head, a gentle smile playing on her lips, her gaze calmly resting on Duke Lin, who had been silent for a while. "Are you really sure this child isn't yours, Your Grace?"

Though she had Gu Zhuohua's memories, for some reason, the details of how this child came to be were hazy, like fragmented scenes with indistinct figures.

At her words, Rong Lin's expression shifted briefly, a flicker of emotion crossing his eyes so quickly that Gu Zhuohua couldn't grasp it before it vanished. He replied, "Of course. With someone as enchanting as Yao by my side, do you really think I would be interested in you?"

Gu Zhuohua let out a cold laugh. Complimenting one woman while insulting another—how deep was this grudge?

She nodded thoughtfully, touching her belly as she murmured with feigned regret, "Oh, child, it seems I've chosen the wrong father for you. Well, we'll just have to find another."

"Miss!" Xiaoxi exclaimed, shocked at her mistress's sudden change in demeanor.