Gardenia of Blooming Desire - Chapter 176: The Colour of Revenge

“Does she continue to consume the poison?” Empress Eva asked her subordinate. The subordinate who delivered the poison every week nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty, the cook keeps requesting more poison. So, I would say that Duchess Camille and Duke Harion consume it daily. They might already be infertile now.”

Empress Eva laughed maliciously. She was trapped in her palace for years because of Camille’s shadow guards looming everywhere, pressuring her to stay hidden. But at last, with the help of her son, she could poison this bitch Camille until she became infertile.

‘Ah, Camille. Do you think you are smart enough to stop me? You’ll die old without any child and your duchy will rot. My descendants, Ludwig, Charles, they all would rule Golden Camellia. My blood!’

Empress Eva hummed happily as she handed a bag of gold coins to his subordinate. She was relieved, because with Camille unable to bear a child, the crown for many generations would only be her descendants.

‘As dirty as she is, she still has pure golden blood traits, if her child has the same trait as her. They might be able to challenge the throne.’

There was a chance of Camille becoming the new Mother of the Golden Land, a title granted for the woman whose child had become the new Emperor. There was no Mother of the Golden Land currently, because Emperor Leopold slaughtered his family in order to become the new emperor.

Since Leopold was the third in line for the succession, and his mother preferred the Crown Prince, he slaughtered everyone, including his mother and two brothers. He even slaughtered his brother’s children. Thus, there was no one to challenge the crown.

Only Elena, the old Golden Princess survived because she was doing an overseas project to support Golden Camellia’s soldiers to war with medicine and also morale boost.

At first, Empress Eva was gleeful when she became an Empress. She knew that her husband didn’t have any sibling or branch family left. It was guaranteed that she would become the highest woman in power, something that she had dreamt of.

And then, Camille was born. That girl was her doom, she was so sly and cunning, she could also be ruthless to no end.

‘Hmph! That bitch Celine is dead when I poisoned her food, I will kill her bitch daughter in the same way too! They will not ruin my happiness!’

***

Camille was drinking another remedy brewed by a famous healer in Golden Camellia. The healer said that the poison inside her body was far too long to be treated, but she could make remedies that would preserve Camille’s womb, at least only for one more pregnancy.

A shadow guard appeared in front of her, he kneeled and said, “This subordinate is reporting to Your Highness Duchess.”

“Say.”

“Empress Eva is still distributing the poison to the cook and the cook said nothing.”

“Good.”

The shadow guards disappeared, Camille smirked. It had been a year since she found out about Empress Eva’s tactic to make her infertile. She threatened the cook to pretend that he still needed more poison. Of course, she had to use his children as hostages.

Camille told him that she would poison his three daughters and wife with the same poison, but in high doses until their womb melted inside their body. He was so shocked that he agreed immediately.

For a year and a half, she had been taking remedy every day and she tried many times with Harion. Until she finally felt something was different this month. Since she had been pregnant five times already, the sixth time made her extremely careful about everything.

She had to hide from the noble circle with depression as the reason, thus, Empress Eva wouldn’t know that she was actually pregnant right now. Harion also rarely attended any party or events, so it could be said that Duchy of Stormhill was withdrawing from the social circle of the high aristocrats.

Of course, it was needed to fool the Empress, the more Empress Eva felt that everything was under her control, the better it got.

Camille smiled and caressed her stomach gently.

“Don’t worry, my baby. I will protect you with all my life.”

***

Seven months had passed and it felt harder for Camille to walk. She often sat on the sofa and knitted even more clothing for her baby. She doesn’t want any tailor to make clothes for her baby. She was just… afraid.

Harion returned after a long day of work. He smiled and kissed Camille.

“How is my baby today?” Harion caressed Camille’s belly gently. Camille giggled. She flicked Harion’s forehead and said, “Go shower, you smell bad.”

Harion went to the bathroom and took a night bath. Before Camille and Harion fell asleep, Camille whispered something in Harion’s ears, ‘Husband, I need you to leave for tomorrow and the day after. I have a certain craving during my pregnancy. And it will be messy.’

Harion stared at Camille’s beautiful face silently, he knew what Camille was going to do, and he agreed to support her whatever she did. He whispered to Camille, ‘Do you need my help?’

Camille smiled and kissed him, ‘I just want you to be safe. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.’

Harion was unsure if he would just leave his wife alone with lunatics. But if this was her craving during pregnancy…

Harion nodded and whispered, ‘I believe in you, wife.’

The next day, Harion left the duchy at dawn. He left without telling anyone, he just used a carriage and two guards with him. Camille saw the carriage left the Lantern Palace.

Camille was sitting on a sofa in her private chamber. She wore a simple white dress that was in line with her pale skin. She said in a low voice, “Bring her in.”

The shadow guards appeared instantly in front of Duchess Camille with a human sized crate. The shadow guards opened the crate and a middle aged woman was laying weakly, probably because she was inside that crate for the whole night.

The shadow guards kicked the crate rudely and the woman opened her eyes. She looked around confusedly, and her eyes darted at one spot. Where a woman she hated so much was sitting leisurely, as if nothing bad had happened.

“How dare you kidnap me like this! If Leopold or Ludwig know this, they will kill you!”

Camille laughed. It was the funniest thing she heard today, probably for the whole day too, “Oh, do you think the Emperor and my brother would kill me because I kidnap a peasant maid, Eva?”

“I AM THE EMPRESS!” Empress Eva declared recklessly. She tried to get up and choke this woman in front of her, but the shadow guards reprimanded her again.

“It seems you are too agitated to realize something,” Camille raised her eyebrow and caressed her belly gently. Empress Eva finally noticed it and she was shocked to the bone.

“H—How could—���

“Surprised? Well, because I found out about it a year ago.”

Empress Eva trembled with anger, she struggled as hard as she could. All she really wanted to do right now was to kill this woman and end her suffering. Because this woman and her mother were the source of Eva’s nightmare every day.

Camille laughed, she was satisfied with Empress Eva’s reaction. “Well, we should wait for another guest today. I think he will come in about two hours.”

Empress Eva was bound on a chair with her mouth taped. There were only Camille and Eva in this room. Eva was glaring at her with obvious hostility, while Camille’s eyes had turned black.

Knock! Knock!

“Big sis, it’s me.”

‘Ludwig?!’ Empress Eva’s eyes widened in fear. Camille laughed and she said, “Come in, Ludwig!”

Ludwig was nervous and excited at the same time. This was the first time after three years since his big sis finally wanted to talk to him again. Maybe because of her miscarriages, but she shouldn’t worry about it honestly. Because his mother said that she would only poison Harion and made him infertile, so Camille wouldn’t be able to have a child with Harion.

‘When I become the Emperor, I will tell the people that Harion is infertile, and he should divorce my big sis. Then I can marry my big sis instead and get rid of that filthy fat Beatrice,’ Ludwig thought.

“Come in, Ludwig!” Ludwig excitedly opened the door, but he wasn’t greeted with the gentle smile of his sister. Instead, he was greeted with black eyed big sis and his mother bound in a chair.

“Long time no see,” Camille greeted coldly. She sneered, “How is it? Your life with your wife? How is Charles now?”

Ludwig froze on the spot when he noticed Camille’s stomach, “H—How…”

“Surprised?” Camille grinned, “Thank you for your poison, I was constantly in pain, I felt like my stomach was melting from inside, I felt like my life had ended.”

“B—Big sis… I—”

“SILENCE!” Camille loudly rebuked him. Ludwig was never scared of anyone but his big sis. Thus, he just lowered his head in shame. His big sis found out about everything.

“Why are you doing this to me, Ludwig? Did I ever treat you badly? Do you have any grudge against me that you wanted to poison me like this?!”

Ludwig raised his head instantly after that last sentence, he was stupefied with the appearance of his big sis crying in front of him, “Big sis, I never poisoned you! I just poisoned Harion, so he will be infertile!”

Ludwig lowered his head again, “Also, I—If you want a child, you can always ask me…”

“LUDWIG, YOU ARE SICK!” Camille’s chest was undulating, there was so much emotion in her heart that her stomach started cramping. She tried to calm down, because she was afraid it would hurt her baby.

“You said you didn’t poison me, but I consume the poison every day!” Camille pointed at Empress Eva, “Go ask your mother!”

Ludwig shifted his attention to his mother, he took of the tape on her mouth and asked, “Mother, you said you would only poison Harion, not big sis…”

“Ludwig, this is for your own good! I did this so you can secure the throne!”

“So, you really did…”

Camille laughed at this funny joke in front of her, “Ludwig, you may leave now with your mother. But I will say this to you. I will never forgive you. You are nothing in my eyes, you are not my brother, not my lover.”

Ludwig was shaken with Camille’s statement. He hurriedly kneeled in front of Camille and begged her, “B—Big sis, please don’t abandon me, I will do anything! Anything!”

Ludwig’s eyes had turned golden in front of Camille, which was a contrast with Camille’s black eyes. Camille caressed Ludwig’s head gently and said, “Ludwig, I can’t forgive you. But I would try to forget it if you can do me a favor.”

“W—What is it?! I will do it immediately!”

Camille smiled, she took the sharp knife near the sofa and gave it to Ludwig, “She killed my five unborn babies. Skin your mother alive.”