"Yes, Your Majesty. Please excuse me." There was no dissatisfaction or jealousy on Sherry's face. As she walked away
gracefully, a touch of praise flashed across the emperor's eyes. Noticing the subtle interaction that had just taken place in front of
her, the empress was a little embarrassed and her eyes flashed sharply. Sherry was an expert at making concessions in order to
gain advantages. In the palace, Sherry had an obedient manner, but she knew exactly what the emperor had in mind.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that I'm of no use to you in my current condition."
"Don't stress your brain. There is no important business at hand. I'll keep you company tonight. Sleep well now. I'll sleep
outside." The emperor clasped the empress's hand, then went out to wash and went to bed.
"Nancy, take good care of His Majesty," the empress commanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"No need for that. Take good care of the empress, okay? If her health declines, I'll hold you responsible." The emperor glared at
Nancy. "Did you hear me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After that, the emperor went directly to the outer room and sat down. Cheryl quickly went to him with water and started to wash
him. Somehow, the emperor's eyes fell on Cheryl as she served him.
"What's your name?" the emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, my name is Cheryl. Her Majesty gave me this name," Cheryl said submissively with her head lowered. She
helped the emperor freshen up and take off his outer robes before going to bed.
The emperor suddenly stretched out his hand and grabbed Cheryl's arm, pulling her closer to him. Cheryl was shocked and
flushed instantly.
"Your scent is very good." The emperor smelled the maid. Then, he asked softly, "How old are you?"
"Your Majesty, I'm 17 years old," Cheryl answered carefully. At the time of the emperor's other visits to the Sleek Palace before,
he had never talked to her like this. She was obviously very happy to receive this attention from the emperor. A thought came to
her mind immediately. 'Is the spell doll really working?'
The emperor somehow liked Cheryl. With the empress so ill, he had not been in the mood to have sex with anyone. Yet now he
felt an overwhelming desire for this attractive girl, and as an emperor, he would make no compromises.
"The empress is ill, so she can't serve me tonight. You will serve me instead," the emperor said in a low but full voice, enough to
be heard by the two people in the inner room. A moment previously, the empress had been so elated to snatch the emperor from
Sherry. But when she heard the emperor order her maid to sleep with him, a quiet fury surged through her and her face turned
even paler.
With an indignant face, Nancy was about to go out and find out who the shameless bitch was. How dare she take the opportunity
to seduce the emperor at a time like this?! But the empress stopped her immediately.
"Your Majesty!" Nancy was nonplussed.
"I'm recovering from my illness, so it's good that someone can serve His Majesty now. Tomorrow, take a look at the person who
serves the emperor and don't forget to give her the award." The empress emphasized the word 'award', but whatever the award
was, it was left unstated.
Cheryl was so ecstatic that she couldn't believe the emperor had chosen her to sleep with him. Even if she was in the empress's
palace now, and serving the emperor in the outside room, she was still very happy. The emperor was vigorous and strong, and
stopped having sex with her until the middle of the night. As it was her first time to have sex with a man, his vigorous movements
were almost too much for her to bear. In the Sleek Palace that night, Cheryl's weak voice begging for mercy together blended
with the emperor's teasing lasted until late into the night.
Inside the inner room, the empress pinched her palm so hard that blood oozed out of it. She didn't get a wink of sleep that night.
In the outer room, her husband and her personal maid were enjoying themselves with no inhibition. The empress had never
hated herself so much before that night. She had induced the emperor to come to her palace at the cost of her own health, but
her efforts were now in vain, and had actually benefited only her own maid!
Looking at the empress squeezing her palm so hard that it was bleeding, Nancy felt so infuriated at the maid who was having
sex with the emperor. Were they shouting so loudly just to make sure everyone in the palace could hear what they were doing?
Didn't they know that the empress was in poor health and needed a good rest?
"Your Majesty." Hearing the sound outside finally die down, Nancy looked at the empress. The latter closed her eyes for a long
time in silence, and then said slowly, "I'm fine. You stayed up all night. Just go and have some rest." Her voice was hoarse.
Although her face remained expressionless, she hated Cheryl to the core of her heart. She knew the emperor had just
surrendered to a whim and was glad to have sex with a young girl. But as long as she was in her palace, the empress would find
a way to punish that shameless minx!
The emperor's encounter in the Sleek Palace was not a secret. The emperor had made a night-time visit to the empress, but in
the empress's bedroom, he had sex with the empress's personal maid. The news spread throughout the whole imperial palace
like a wildfire. When the emperor was absent from the imperial court session in the morning, everyone was curious about what
extraordinary abilities the empress's maid had. She must have been quite extraordinary that the emperor missed an imperial
court session because of her.
Hearing this news, Sherry made no response, but the look in her eyes revealed her feelings. Everything was out of her
expectation but suited her just fine. The emperor favored a maid to such an extent that he missed an imperial court session. This
was unprecedented in the country's history. No matter where the fault really lay, historians would blame the whole thing on the
empress. After all, the empress had authority over the imperial harem.