“...Was it wrong to report to the Empress Dowager?”
“In the consorts’ quarters, reports are supposed to go to Lady Mother first. She decides if it’s worth bringing to the Empress Dowager. Skipping that step means the maid knew exactly what she was doing. The Empress Dowager is quick to anger—and quicker to act. But Lady Mother? She wouldn’t have let it slide so easily.”
At his explanation, Hwayeong nodded in understanding.
“So that’s why Her Majesty was so angry.”
“The more I think about it, the stranger it gets,” she added. “Seonhwa hadn’t even reported the theft yet, but the so-called witness ran to the Empress Dowager first? What if it had been my embroidery cloth?”
She paused, her expression darkening.
She and Seonhwa had confirmed it on their way back—Seonhwa hadn’t told a soul. She hadn’t even decided whether to speak with the Empress about it.
But before she could make up her mind, the Empress Dowager had summoned her.
