The Mad Princess and the Dying Prince novel Chapter 53

That maiden statue was exactly what Lucia had buried in the hills behind the rural estate.

"What maiden statue?" Lucia kept her face completely unreadable, her tone airy. "I lost it ages ago."

If they wanted it, she certainly would not give it to them.

Though she herself did not know what was hidden inside the porcelain.

"What? Lost?" Lady Beaumont's voice turned sharply shrill. "You treated it like a treasure and refused to let go even when you slept. How could you lose it?"

Poor young Lucia's childhood memories were hazy. She could not recall how she had obtained the maiden statue, but it most definitely was not Lady Beaumont's thing.

It was a sculpture of a young girl, gentle and beautiful. The porcelain was smooth and white, completely unblemished. It was quite heavy, and if shaken vigorously, one could hear something rattling inside.

Over the years, the Countryside Beaumonts had constantly schemed to steal or snatch the figure away. Fearing she could not protect it, poor young Lucia had secretly buried it in the hills, telling the family she had hidden it.

Old Dame Beaumont had beaten her several times to force a confession, but even when half-dead, she had refused to speak.

Later, as she grew older, they likely feared that pressing her would cause her to uncover the statue's secret, so they ceased mentioning it entirely.

Of course, this was merely Lucia's deduction.

Now that Lady Beaumont was demanding it back, what exactly was hidden inside?

"Who can blame me with my fragile fate? I was often sick as a child, delirious from fever. Old Dame Beaumont never let me eat enough, leaving me dizzy with hunger. Losing a single item is perfectly normal under such conditions."

Lucia spoke with such conviction that it sounded entirely true.

Looking at her, Lady Beaumont actually began to believe it.

"Think carefully about where you dropped it! I will write to Uncle Mason Beaumont and have him search for it!"

No wonder she was so thin, looking as though a strong gust of wind might topple her.

"Tell them to search those spots," Lucia said, the corner of her lips curling up. "However, in my ten years there, I certainly stayed in more places than that. My head injury prevents me from remembering them all. Just this morning, I was nearly fed scraps. If I do not eat or dress well, I imagine my memory will have a hard time recovering."

It was a threat!

Lady Beaumont caught on immediately.

Fury rushed to her head. She had come to scold Lucia for causing a scene in the kitchens and stealing their Restorative Broth and pastries, yet now she was the one being cornered.

However, Lord Beaumont had warned her not to offend the girl too deeply until they secured the maiden statue.

Lady Beaumont swallowed her rage, nearly choking on it.

"You just returned, and the kitchens are not yet used to an extra mouth. They did not intentionally skip your meal! You could have just spoken to me. Why did you have to resort to violence?" Lady Beaumont forced out through gritted teeth.