The little maid’s eyes had been flitting around restlessly since earlier, paying no attention to Shen Wan at all.
Shen Wan was highly sensitive to the smell of medicine she could tell immediately.
Fortunately, the maid’s unstable temperament had caused her hands to shake earlier, so the rouge had never been applied to Shen Wan’s face.
Knock knock. Someone tapped on the door, a voice urging from outside.
“Mistress, the General wants to know, how much longer?”
Was that Yan Xiao’s exact words?
Shen Wan could even imagine the impatient tone he would have used.
She said, “Let him wait!”
After that, silence fell outside the door.
Shen Wan turned her gaze sharply on the kneeling maid. “Who told you to do this?”
The maid’s lips trembled, her eyes darting nervously, head bowed, unable to meet Shen Wan’s gaze. “It… it was…”
“The mistress is asking you a question! Why are you stammering?” the older servant added sternly. “Speak!”
The maid shivered all over, her face twisted in fear. “It… it was Miss Shen Miao who gave it to me. If I didn’t do as she said, she said she would kill my sister.”
Shen Wan felt a chill run through her.
When they had returned earlier, she hadn’t seen Shen Miao…
She wasn’t surprised it was Shen Miao. During the three years Shen Wan had been at the Shen family, the two of them had never gotten along.
Shen Mingyuan, as her elder, would surely bring Shen Miao along to the wedding.
If Shen Miao hadn’t caused some sort of commotion, that would have been the real surprise.
But if Shen Wan didn’t leave soon, Yan Xiao would probably come up himself to fetch her…
Shen Wan said, “As for the rouge, clean it up.”
“Yes, Mistress. I’ll clean it right away. But what about the dress? If the General sees it, he’ll definitely get angry.”
Shen Wan picked up the scissors from the table and gave a wicked smile. “No, let the rouge be for the little maid.”
“Wh… what?”
Shen Wan lowered her gaze, the curl of her lips full of menace. “If you don’t want the General to know, you’d better do exactly as I say. Otherwise, I’ll report it to him.
Not one of your family will escape. At most, the rouge will cause a little reaction on your face I can fix that. Obey me, and everything will be fine.
But if you refuse, I’ll have someone hold you down and your whole family’s lives will be at risk. Which do you choose?”
The little maid looked around helplessly. None of the servants dared step forward.
Finally, trembling, she stood and picked up the box of rouge as if marching to her death, shaking as she coated her fingertips with the powder.
Shen Wan spoke up, “Use more. This amount won’t be strong enough to take effect.”
Hearing this, the maid shakily spread the powder across her own face.
Once the little maid had applied the rouge, Shen Wan opened the door.
The hem of her dress, stained with rouge, had by some unknown moment been cut into a short style.
“Mistress ” the older servant couldn’t help but speak.
“Do we need to tell the General about this?”
Shen Wan said, “No harm done. We can tell him after the ceremony.”
The older servant was speechless, immediately silent.
“Shen Wan, are you deliberately delaying?” Yan Xiao’s deep voice came from the staircase.
“I already said to make him wait. He won’t listen, you won’t listen do you think I’m dead?”
Shen Wan planted herself firmly. Though she was slightly shorter than him, she did not show any fear.
She tilted her head. “The dress is ruined. I can’t wear it improperly.”
She lifted her skirt and walked up to him.
The cut, short enough to show her ankles, was indeed inappropriate for such a conservative wedding banquet.