Chapter 20 Nightmare 1

  Hans inquired about Lydia and her daughter from his friends who worked in the palace, and every time it was just some trivial matters. Hans thought that although they were having a hard time, their lives were not in danger, after all, Cinderella and the treasure had not been found yet, and the king still had use for Lydia. Unfortunately, he underestimated the character of this friend and overestimated the quality of the king.

  A month ago, Emily was found covered in blood at the west gate of the palace by a female attendant who had been dismissed from the palace. The attendant took pity on her and brought her into the palace as a cleaning maid. On the first day Emily was able to move, she dragged her weak body to find Lydia. Before they even spoke, Emily burst into tears. Lydia looked at Emily's condition and a bad premonition began to form in her mind. She almost didn't dare ask questions, but led Emily behind a statue where no one could see them. Emily handed over a small box that had been hidden against her body to Lydia. Lydia forced herself to calm down.

  "Emily, quickly say if you have seen Miss?"

  Lydia asked, Emily cried even harder, Lydia's heart chilled.

  "How could I have missed it? Didn't you find the Duke of Windsor?"

  "Madam, madam, I'm sorry for you, couldn't kill that scoundrel with a heart eaten by a black bear!"

  Lydia was unsure who she was talking about.

  "Who are you talking about? Who is the heartless person?"

  Emily gritted her teeth and said,

  "Madam, that Duke of Windsor, who would have thought that he looked so elegant on the outside but was so vicious inside! I found his military camp and asked the officers and soldiers about Miss's whereabouts, but none of them had seen or heard of her. At the time, I thought Miss might be in the rear with the Duke of Windsor, but I still had doubts, so I didn't go straight to him. I stayed at the camp, working and asking around about Miss, when an officer got drunk, I chatted with him, he said that Miss was sacrificed because of the Duke of Windsor! Our kind and innocent Miss, her death is such a waste!"

  Lydia fainted when she heard the news of Charlotte's death. She had been suffering from the deliberate difficulties of the housekeeper and Kitty's thoughtlessness, and her body was already much weakened. This time, having lost her beloved eldest daughter, her heart gave out, and Lydia took to her bed. Kitty was hot-tempered and had offended many people in the palace. Although Emily took good care of them, she was alone and weak, and didn't have enough time, so Lydia's illness grew more severe day by day without proper care.

  Emily and Katie had gone to work, Lydia lay alone in bed, when she was awake, she recalled Charlotte from birth to becoming the most beautiful girl in Anasi, during which time she loved her extremely, who would have thought that she didn't even see her for the last time, after crying, Lydia fell asleep again, day after day, Lydia's cheeks were sunken, her face showed an unusual white color, her thin body still retained its former elegance.

  A person sneaked in from outside, followed by a group of attendants. Those people quietly closed the windows and doors after they left, but Lydia knew they hadn't left; they were waiting not far away, listening for the king's summons. From the moment she entered the palace until now, the king had come to "visit" countless times. This time, he took advantage of no one being around, and Lydia was clearer than ever about what he wanted to do. She didn't have the energy to struggle like before, nor did she want to; Lydia just lay there, staring straight at the bed curtains with her eyes wide open.

  The room was not lit, and the king felt his way to Lydia's bedside. The moonlight made her look even more beautiful, especially since she was ill. The silver light added a touch of pathos to her appearance. The king couldn't help but caress Lydia's face, from her smooth forehead to her slightly curved eyebrows. Her enchanting eyes were closed, and her eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a shadow on her pale face. Her lips, which had lost their color due to illness, seemed even more alluring. The king leaned forward, trying to kiss her, but Lydia dodged him, and he only managed to brush against her cheek. Instead of getting angry at her rejection, the king found it amusing. None of the other women in the palace would dare refuse him like that; there was only one woman with spirit like Lydia's.

  The king grasped Lydia's head, his mouth covering hers as his agile tongue entwined with hers, rendering her unable to break free. He pressed his body against hers, and Lydia felt the king's hands slipping into her clothes, roaming up and down. She arched her back, attempting to push the king away, but this only led to a more forceful assault from the man. Lydia ceased resisting, lying limp on the bed as the king continued his actions.

  The king grew increasingly dissatisfied with the current intimacy, he raised his hand to unbutton Lydia's shirt, Lydia grasped the strap of her shirt, the two people stared at each other, Lydia still failed, she let out a breath and loosened her grip, the king was like declaring his conquest of this woman, he violently tore apart Lydia's shirt.