Chapter 8
The moment Jiang Shuang slipped inside, a guard struck the back of her neck with the edge of his hand and knocked her unconscious.
By the time I had exchanged our clothes and jewelry, the fire had reached the doorway.
I glanced once more at Jiang Shuang, lying motionless on the bed. This time, she would be the charred corpse!
Turning away, I stumbled out through the opening Pei Yu’s men had deliberately left for me.
Father caught me in his arms and cried loudly, “My darling! You nearly frightened your father to death!”
I took the chance to bury my face in his chest, evading the hawklike gaze of the man beside him.
He wore a servant’s clothes, but his tall, straight bearing and quiet authority made it obvious that he was no ordinary man.
Besides, I would know that face even if it were reduced to ashes.
He was the one who had pushed me into the fire with his own hands, without a trace of pity.
Father drew me over to Pei Yu. “My lord, this is my daughter, Jiang Yue.”
As Pei Yu glanced at me, he added pointedly, “Yue, as in the moon!”
“Hah.” Pei Yu gave a cold laugh, but did not contradict him.
A flimsy pretense to cover their shame. Nothing more.
Father pushed me a little closer to him and murmured obsequiously, “My lord, I’ll be relying on you to take good care of my daughter.”
Remembering our betrothal, Pei Yu finally lowered his head and gave me a proper look.
I took the opportunity to move a little closer, looking up at him with smiling eyes.
He stared into them and at last began to smile.
But before the smile reached his eyes, he suddenly shouted, “You dare!”
Everyone started. Blood began to seep down Pei Yu’s chest, more and more of it.
When even the ground had been stained bright red, he could no longer stand. Clutching the sharp dagger in his chest, he collapsed.
His eyes remained open in death!
I curtsied to Father. As he stared at me in shock, I said quietly, “Father, I’ve done what you asked.”
He glared at me, his eyes almost bursting from their sockets. “Jiang Yue?!”
I smiled at him.
Now they could turn on one another like dogs.
As the soldiers Pei Yu had brought finally understood what had happened and rushed toward us, my guards appeared in time to rescue Father and me together.
The soldiers pursued us relentlessly. Their lord was dead; none of the men who had accompanied him could expect to live either.
Unless they caught the culprit. Perhaps that would redeem them.
They fought with extraordinary ferocity. Finally unable to hold them off, my guards accidentally left the Marquis of Cheng’en behind.
Seeing Father stand in terror amid a crowd of soldiers, I could no longer restrain my laughter.
Now no explanation could save him!
He had lured the Duke of Yan’s heir here, laid a trap, and killed him. Clearly, he had changed his mind and couldn’t bear to contribute such a fortune to the Third Prince.
Of course, when the Third Prince and the Duke of Yan investigated Mother’s shops, they would find that the money and stock had long since been transferred elsewhere.
Only the premises remained, and the title deeds were nowhere to be found. Naturally, they could make no use of them either.
Therefore, all this had been the Marquis of Cheng’en’s own plot. His crime was unforgivable!
Under the overwhelming fury of the Third Prince and the Duke Who Guards the Nation, I was sure he would experience things he had never experienced before!