Chapter 6:

Staying in the Seldom Malami family for half a month, the Seldom family prepared two maids and two caretakers to accompany Emma back to the Capital. Beta Henry's carriage arrived, the carriage curtains adorned with colorful pearl chains, and the deep red silk embroidered with exquisite peony flowers, giving the decorations inside the carriage a sophisticated and luxurious appearance. However, it seemed simple and unadorned from the outside.

Emma glanced briefly and then looked away. She knew that Luna Sandra was using this to threaten her. However, this was just the beginning.

Qri carefully placed a cup of hot tea on a small wooden table inside the carriage, glancing at Emma, who seemed to be resting with her eyes closed, wondering if she should engage in small talk to ease her sorrow. Emma's demeanor was not like that of a young lady when traveling. She also looked at Ori sitting across from her, who seemed to wear a peculiar expression, making her even more uneasy. The Seldom family sent both Qri and Ori to Malami to accompany Emma. Still, they had yet to understand this Third Young Lady's temperament fully, so they hesitated to speak.

Emma gently closed her eyes, memories returning to when she entered Beta Henry's mansion years ago. Nervously stepping into Beta Henry's house, Luna Sandra evaluated her head to toe with a kind smile, saying, "This little one indeed seems blessed. Take the child to change clothes."

Emma was anxious and restless but felt deeply grateful for those words. As a little girl, born in February, and if not for Luna Sandra's declaration of grace, how could her father suddenly remember her? Unfortunately, when she looked up at Luna Sandra that year, she saw only disdain and coldness in her eyes.

Despite being a typical rural girl, Emma didn't know a single word at that time.

A young lady from Beta Henry's house who couldn't read, exposed to the outside world, naturally invited ridicule from others. Now, thinking back, Edward was an unknown prince, not destined to become the Lycan king. How could her father and Luna Sandra marry her beautiful elder sister, Felicia, to him? However, Edward had a foster mother of noble status, Luna Mandy, so that they couldn't refuse outright. Little did they know that Edward would later ascend to the throne and that country bumpkin from the village would become the Queen...

When she left Luna Sandra's place and followed the groom to depart, she heard a melodious voice reading a poem from inside the study.

Emma heard the voice of a young woman reciting:

"The peach blossoms are vibrant and pretty,

The roses are in full bloom under the spring sky.

Today, she follows her husband,

Bringing warmth and happiness to her new home."

Emma didn't know how to read, but she found the words pleasing to her ears. As she was about to continue listening, she was startled by a threatening scream, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Emma looked up in surprise to see a beautiful young lady staring at her.

The young lady reading the book also asked, "Is this the maid from the mansion?"

With just that sentence, Emma blushed and didn't know how to respond.

The beautiful young lady looked at her, already guessing her identity, but she still covered her mouth and laughed, saying, "Maid! How can we have such an uncouth maid in our mansion!" Her words carried a hint of mockery.

Emma lowered her head and looked at herself again. Compared to the young lady in the study, they were worlds apart. She clenched her fists, feeling resentful in her heart.

The young girl refused to let go: "Why are you still standing here? Can't you see that you're disturbing us while the lady teaches? Go away!"

"Third young lady, let's go," whispered a maid next to her.

Emma wished there was a hole in the ground to hide in! Just then, a gentle voice came from nowhere – "Emily, she's the third eldest sister, Emma! How can you be so unreasonable!"

That voice instantly rescued her, like a voice from the heavens.

Later, Emma learned that the young girl who had spoken up for her was Felicia. She stood still for a long time, almost stunned. She had never encountered such an extraordinary young lady or heard such a beautiful voice. At that moment, she quietly thought that even if she were a celestial being, she couldn't surpass this.

"Third young lady! Third young lady!" Ori softly called her name.

Emma slowly opened her eyes, sat up straight, and smiled. Her soft and lovely smile suddenly made her eyes look lively and adorable. "What's wrong?"

Ori smiled, "Third young lady, we're almost there."

Emma pulled back the curtain and looked outside. The carriage had just passed the gate of Ethan and was about to reach Beta Henry's house on Mestiva Street. Beta Henry's mansion was not in a bustling area or adjacent to other noble estates. It was once sought after by a duke, who had asked for it to build a house there. However, he found the location a bit off, so he only stayed there briefly. Later, the duke joined a failed rebellion and took poison to commit suicide, leaving behind his wealth. The property was returned to the royal family's internal affairs and finally given to the Seldom family. And so, it passed through generations. This mansion was built for the retirement of the old duke, with a garden full of bamboo, dotted with wild orchids, and exquisite and refined. If one considered the size, it couldn't compare to the mansions of the nobles in the Capital, but in terms of scenery, it could rank among the top.

After a short while, the monotonous sound of horse hooves made time stretch longer.

After what seemed like ages, the carriage finally came to a stop.

Outside the curtain, the gentle voices of the maids doing heavy work rang out, "Third young lady, we have arrived!" Then they put down a small seat next to the carriage, and Qri and Ori helped Emma down.

Entering the mansion and passing through the corridor, countless bamboo birdcages hung overhead, containing red-headed cranes, orange-bellied parrots, spoonbills, scale-bellied fishers, as well as Honduran Emerald hummingbirds, New Zealand Night Parrots, Palila Birds, and Christmas Island Birds, with other exotic birds singing harmoniously and delightfully. Emma's eyes glanced over a Hawk perched on a leather glove, revealing a sharp, keen gaze. She calmly shifted her gaze away.

Along the way, green-clad maids and blue-clad servants stood silently, bowing respectfully when they saw Emma. The scene seemed familiar, just like in her previous life.

When she saw them, she was flustered and ill at ease. Looking back, Luna Sandra could have sent someone to teach her manners or the Seldom family in Malami could have prepared someone to brief her. Yet, no one had done so, allowing her to lose all her dignity in front of the lower-ranked people and be judged as a rustic village girl. Emma remembered the past, smiled, and followed the servant who led the way forward. Qri and Ori saw this situation and quickly followed suit.

"Did you see that? That's the Third young lady!"

"She looks so beautiful, and her figure is also good! Didn't someone say she grew up in the countryside?"

"That's right; the young miss is indeed the young miss. Growing up in the countryside doesn't make her afraid of anything!"

Emma was not interested in those speculations and walked straight to the grand entrance of the fragrant palace. A little maid stood there attentively, pulling the curtain up. When she saw the girls approaching, she smiled and said, "Third young lady."

Emma nodded slightly in response to the little Maid and stepped into the grand room.

Qri and Ori followed her inside, and when they saw the glistening gold mosaic floor, octagonal palace lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and the oak wood columns inlaid with ivory patterns, they were almost breathless.

Indeed, it was very... luxurious!

But Emma, who should have been frightened by such grandeur, didn't bother to look at those beautiful things even once. She just walked forward with a light smile and respectfully bowed to the old lady sitting in the center: "Emma pays respects to the ancestors, mother, and the two aunts."

The previous generation's prime minister, Beta Tom, who was vigorous in his middle age, had withdrawn from the world. His daughter, Beta Linda, was overwhelmed with grief, so she left the family's residence and moved to a secluded retirement home. After returning, she was still afraid of the place where her loved ones had passed away, so she decided to move to the most remote fragrant palace, which was relatively isolated. Since then, she rarely inquired about the affairs of the family. In her past life, this ancestor Beta Linda was a reserved woman who spoke very little and seldom associated with others. However, she was fair in her actions, never mistreating anyone. Therefore, Emma always had a good impression of her. Unfortunately, she passed away before Emma ascended to the throne as the Empress.

In the room, Beta Linda sat in the center, wearing a luxurious emerald silk gown with five blessings patterns and a white sable fur on her head adorned with a piece of jadeite. Seeing Emma gracefully paying her respects, she nodded gently and said, "It's good to be back."

Upon hearing this sentence, Emma's eyes reddened for some reason, and everyone present noticed the difference in her emotions.

At this moment, a beautiful lady in a honey-colored silk dress with a golden phoenix hairpin came forward and lifted Emma. She evaluated her from top to bottom and said with a smile, "Lady, congratulations! Another beautiful child has been added to the family."

Luna Sandra smiled faintly, but her eyes showed a hint of sarcasm. She slowly assessed Emma and said, "Indeed, a well-behaved child. Come here. Let me take a closer look."

Emma's eyes flickered. She courteously passed by the Second Madam, Luna Maccy, who had just lifted her and stood before Luna Sandra, bowing gently. "Mother."

Luna Sandra looked at her lovingly and said, "They say Malami has good feng shui, capable of nurturing talented people. When you were born, you were as small as a little cat, and your body was weak. But just looking at you now, I can see that you have much better vitality. Truly, it's a sign of good fortune!"

Good feng shui? Nurturing talented people? Emma chuckled coldly in her heart. She was almost encouraged to death, yet they dared to talk about good fortune. This face was certainly not a standard thick-skinned type!

Thinking this way, she laughed gracefully and said, "Mother is right. Over the years, Emma has received some care and attention from others."