Empress Natsume ✓

LXVI

Natsume was taken aback when she opened her eyes, the sky is already turning orange. Did she slept that long? Her stomach growled.

She haven't eaten since this afternoon after she escaped from that task of 'embroidering'. Stretching her body to get the numb feeling off, she then stood up.

What's more surprising is how quite the surroundings was. Where did all the servants go? Walking in the hall where the court ladies were doing their embroideries a while ago, only her footsteps can be heard. On the way there, she didn't saw a single person.

Sliding the door to take a look inside. The embroideries they're working on are still there but the court ladies cannot be found in the room.

Could it be that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity given by the heaven? Did the spirit god finally listen to her wishes?

Hope is rising in her heart. A chance that one must not slide.

Natsume proceeded to the door, neither fast nor slow. Else she might bump into someone. The palace is too complex that she's having a hard time to find the exit, she wandered around in the servants corridors for a bit, thankfully no one is still around as she wanders.

Her eyes sparkled when she saw a small metal door on the tall wall after passing through the chamber of the head eunuch. Could it be that it's one of the hidden exits in the palace used by royalties if an enemy invaded?

The excitement in her heart cannot be contained as she run to that door happily. Her happiness was extinguished soon when she tried to open the door. It won't budge, it needs a key to open it.

Natsume turned around to rudely go in the head eunuch's private chamber, determined to turn it upside down just to find the key.

"Hey, you there! What are you still doing here? Do you want your head to be severed off of your body like the Queen's servants? Hurry up and kneel in front of the main palace"

An imperial guard shouted at her who was ordered to resume his patrol around the palace with the others.

Maybe this is not a chance given by the heaven, this is just to tease her. Her brows furrowed when she realized something wrong of what the imperial guard had said.

Nevertheless, she still continues to pretend as a court lady. Lowering her head and obediently go in front of the main palace to kneel. What greeted her is the sight of thousands of servants kneeling on the ground. She blends in kneeling on the ground too besides a court lady who has the same outfit as her. Throwing this court lady a glance whose face is deathly pale, the other servant next to her is also like her. Raising her head a little, she saw that most of the servants who are kneeling are visibly shaking in fear.

"What's going on here?"

She whispered, the court lady was polite enough to answer her question directly.

"The queen is missing... "

This kind of situation is quite laughable, yet she can't find herself to laugh at it. If only it is true, but she's still stuck in here. Isn't she? Innocent lives were taken because of this. Can she still go on with her disguise?

Yuan Kang is standing at the top of the long stairs, staring at the kneeling servants. He wanted to behead all of these useless people. What's the use of them if they can't serve well? How could they let her escape? His heart cannot be at ease. Did Raiden steal her again from him?

"Your Majesty... "

The King's eunuch cautiously called out to him.

"Why don't we interrogate each of the servants involved and look for the queen outside? It was not that long since she has gone missing, there's still hope"