Vecna's POV:
Iris immediately understood that Madam Lauren was trying to shield me, and let out a cold laugh. "Madam, it's not just me. The Seventh Princess has spoken as well, she said she'll come tomorrow to watch the match. Besides…"
Her gaze sharpened like a blade and shot straight at me. "Since you've married Joseph, you should at least look the part of the Anderson family's madam. Being so timid and evasive, aren't you just making Joseph lose face?"
Her words pierced the air like needles. Hearing Joseph's name brought up again and again, anger flared in Dorian's chest, and she snapped back before she could stop herself. "Iris, Joseph is your father's superior, his rank is even higher than my husband's. Even your father must salute him. I suggest you learn some self-respect!"
But Iris showed no restraint at all. She shot me a look full of contempt. "What? Planning to dodge this for real?"
I saw through her intentions clearly. What they wanted wasn't merely a match, but a spectacle to humiliate a newly married wife. If I stayed silent, tomorrow the entire capital would laugh at Joseph, and at me. I didn't care about insults thrown at myself, but I couldn't tolerate Joseph being made a joke of.
So I straightened my expression and answered calmly, "Are you sure you want to play polo?"
Iris nodded arrogantly. "Of course."
I replied at once, my voice cold, as if setting a stone squarely before her. "Then I advise you to change to another game."
Iris snapped, "Why?"
I looked straight at her and said only two words: "I'm afraid… you'll cry."
Evercrest Estate fell into dead silence. More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned toward me at once, unable to believe that a so-called country girl dared to say such a thing. Iris's face went pale; rage burst out of her. "What arrogance! A backwater girl like you, have you ever even seen a real polo match? Change the game, or you'll end up crying for your parents on the field!"
Utterly reckless.
I answered calmly, "Very well."
After Iris was shown out, the four legitimate young ladies of the Anderson family swarmed around me like bees around honey, firing questions all at once. "Sister-in-law Vecna, do you really know how to play polo?"
"In the countryside there were lots of children. We often rode horses and played ball together," I replied.
They pressed on anxiously. "Do you have protective gear? A helmet? Knee and wrist guards?"
"No."
"Can you really ride a horse?"
"Of course."
Then came another worry. "Marblewick Haven isn't wealthy, how would common folk have warhorses?"
I froze for a split second. In Marblewick Haven, horses were as precious as gold; farmers never dreamed of keeping one. I quickly remembered something and said, "Years ago, when the estate steward brought holiday gifts, he left behind a horse."
That reassured the girls somewhat, though they still feared I was only talking big and would embarrass myself on the field. Dorian immediately stepped in.
"Don't worry. I'll put together a team, there's no way I'll let my sister-in-law be bullied."
Before her marriage, Dorian had been one of the most dazzling ladies in the capital. Though she'd withdrawn after marrying, her mettle remained. She promptly wrote letters, inviting familiar households to lend support.
Madam Lauren also instructed her daughter, "Tomorrow, leave Andy at home and follow Vecna to the field, that will put my mind at ease. Only with you there can I worry less. If Vecna is looked down on out there, it will be very hard for her to gain a firm footing in the capital's noble circles later."
I avoided responding directly, merely nodded, then took my leave and returned to the Pavilion of Eternal Spring.
Karen had already come back, head bowed and face gloomy. She reported,
"The Royal Guard and the State Security Bureau have fully taken over the protection of the envoys. This servant had no chance to act."
Hearing that, I understood immediately: the Emperor didn't want anyone interfering with the envoys' entry into court. All routes had been sealed. My plan would have to be shelved for now.
…
Joseph's POV:
That evening, I was on duty at the palace and couldn't return to the estate. The duty room of the Executive Cabinet lay deep within the Sovereign Gate. By regulation, the royal kitchens prepared meals for officials on watch. I wasn't used to eating communal food, and the Anderson household had always secretly sent private meals into the Illumination Hall.
Yet today, when the door to the duty room opened, the person who entered was Daniel, my brother-in-law.
I was reviewing documents. I only glanced up and asked, "Why is it you?"
Daniel was still wearing his dark charcoal aristocratic suit, the impeccable cut of a senior statesman. The silver-plated family crest on his lapel hadn't even been removed yet. He set the lunch box on the side table naturally, then sat across from me, calm and unhurried as if entering my office like this had long been a habit.
Within the Executive Cabinet, the four elder councilors each occupied rooms near the center. My duty room was on the outer edge quiet, rarely visited, and of little concern to others no matter what I did or whom I met.
Daniel poured tea and said lightly, "I went to the Anderson estate to see Andy. Ran into your people delivering food on my way out, so I brought it along."
I nodded, finished the last part of the file, and had my aide deliver it to the Bureau of State Protocol. After washing my hands, I sat down to eat, while Daniel leaned back on a round chair, eyes closed, resting. The door was shut; the surroundings were utterly silent only the two of us.
Seeing the exhaustion on my brother-in-law's face, as if all his strength had been drained, I asked, "If you're this tired, why not just stay at the Anderson estate? Why bother traveling back and forth?"
Daniel lowered his head for a long while. The corner of his mouth twitched, half a smile, half self-mockery. When he finally looked up and met my eyes, he said, "Joseph… I'm afraid you don't know this. Your second sister and I have slept separately for many years."
My hand paused mid-motion. At first, I thought he was joking. But the suppressed gloom and endurance in his eyes told me it wasn't.
"Why?" I asked bluntly.
Daniel hesitated. His face twitched, whether from anger or shame, I couldn't tell. Only after a long moment did he answer hoarsely, "Your sister… has someone else in her heart. She detests me. Since she became pregnant with Andy, she drove me out to the study. For three and a half years now, I haven't touched her even once…"
The words struck like a boulder.
I truly hadn't expected that the couple outsiders praised as "harmonious" were nothing more than an empty shell.
My expression cooled without my noticing. "Three years and you're only telling me now?"
Daniel let out a helpless breath. "She wouldn't let me speak. The moment I tried, she said she'd divorce me immediately."
I fell silent for a beat, then asked, "Then how did you know there was someone else in her heart?"
At that, Daniel flushed, so flustered he couldn't meet my gaze. "I discovered it by accident."
Clearly, he didn't want to elaborate. I didn't press him. But my brows tightened. She had someone else in her heart and I had known nothing at all. When Father decided to marry her to Daniel, she hadn't objected either. I had assumed they lived well. It turned out to be nothing but the illusion of an outsider.
As I was still deep in thought, Daniel suddenly reached out and grabbed my sleeve, his voice low and urgent. "Joseph… I want to ask you for a favor."
I looked at him without speaking.
"Help me find out… who exactly is the person in your sister's heart."
The air in the duty room suddenly grew so heavy it was hard to breathe.
…
Vecna's POV:
Early the next morning, with the sky still veiled in mist, Dorian sent someone to urge me, "Mrs. Vecna, change quickly. The polo field is far, go early to familiarize yourself with the terrain, or you'll feel awkward once you're on horseback."
I put on a long blue riding coat simple and neat. Underneath were knee-fitted trousers and narrow sleeves, an outfit convenient for riding yet still retaining a noble air. Karen followed behind as we headed out.
Today, Dorian was coming along. The four legitimate Anderson young ladies were also there to lend support. Lizza, the best polo player among them, was assigned to shield me. Several Anderson young masters rode ahead to clear the way. The Royal Marquis's household joined in as well. Carriages lined up one after another; the road in front of the estate was packed with over a dozen automobiles, an early-morning bustle lively enough to make my heart beat just a little faster.