Hearing the commotion, Henry Faulkner furrowed her brows and asked Alice Green in a low voice.

　　“What’s going on?”

　　“I don’t know either, my lady.”

　　Alice Green looked completely bewildered.

　　Seeing this, Henry Faulkner had no choice but to lead her people outside first.

　　As she reached the doorway, she saw Grace Carter standing angrily in her courtyard with several maids and eunuchs, looking ready to confront her.

　　“What’s the matter, Sister Zhao? If you have something to say, come inside and let’s talk it over.” Henry Faulkner said calmly.

　　But Carter just sneered disdainfully and immediately began to curse.

　　“Stop pretending! From the moment I saw your face, I knew you were a troublesome, seductive wretch. You act all obedient, but you’re full of schemes. You’ve only just entered the Eastern Palace, only received favor a few times, and you already dare to step on my head and act out?”

　　They had interacted for a while now, and Henry Faulkner knew Carter was the type to bully the weak and fear the strong, always currying favor with those above her, but she had never come straight to her courtyard to curse her before—there must be some reason she didn’t know about.

　　And just as Carter said, she herself was still new and not particularly favored, while Carter had a son and was a senior in the palace, so she had no choice but to yield.

　　So even though the other’s words were harsh, Henry Faulkner still held back her temper.

　　“Sister Zhao, I really don’t understand what you mean. I truly don’t know how I’ve offended you. Please, enlighten me. If it’s really my fault, I’ll apologize to you at once.”

　　At this, Carter snorted coldly and glanced to the side.

　　Immediately, the maid named Little June beside her stepped forward.

　　“Our young master loves fish mousse soup. The kitchen prepares it every day, and everyone in the palace knows it. But today, when I went to fetch lunch, they said the fish mousse soup had already been taken by someone from Biluozhai. That soup is complicated and time-consuming to make, so there was none left for lunch today.”

　　After hearing this, Henry Faulkner’s eyes immediately darkened.

　　“Evelyn Lane, what happened?”

　　Standing behind Alice Green, Evelyn Lane trembled slightly, hurried forward, and looked extremely nervous.

　　“Replying to Lady Liangdi, I heard Sister Alice Green say that your stomach isn’t well, and I thought fish soup would be good for you. The kitchen said that although fish mousse soup is prepared daily, the young master doesn’t eat it every day, so I asked for it. I deserve to die—I really didn’t mean to steal the young master’s food!”

　　Upon hearing this, Henry Faulkner immediately rebuked her.

　　“You’ve been in the Eastern Palace for a while now, and everyone knows that fish mousse soup is prepared for the young master. How could you take it? Besides, I never asked for it. Hurry and apologize to Grace Carter, and make sure to send the soup over properly!”

　　After she finished, Evelyn Lane immediately knelt before Carter, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness.

　　Henry Faulkner also stepped forward and bowed to Carter.

　　“This matter is my fault. I failed to properly discipline my servant. Please forgive me, Sister Zhao.”

　　Seeing that both mistress and servant had the right attitude, Carter’s anger subsided a little, but she still glared coldly.

　　“Enough. If you hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t have bothered coming to this unlucky place. Just throw that fish mousse soup out and feed it to the dogs. What’s prepared for my son isn’t for you. If this happens again, I won’t let it go!”

　　With that, she led her people away with a flick of her sleeve.

　　After they left, Henry Faulkner finally turned a cold face to Evelyn Lane, who was still kneeling on the ground.

　　“You certainly care about me.”

　　“Please forgive me, Lady Liangdi! Please forgive me!” Evelyn Lane kowtowed again. “I was only thinking of your health. I was confused today. I’ll be careful from now on and never dare do it again!”

　　Seeing her so terrified, Henry Faulkner looked away after a moment and waved her hand.

　　“All right, get up. If you break your head and leave a scar, that won’t be good. I know what you’re thinking. This time, you’ll be punished with twenty strokes to remember this lesson. Don’t ever do this again.”

　　Hearing this, Evelyn Lane finally breathed a sigh of relief, kowtowed twice more, and then got up.

　　Henry Faulkner’s mood was ruined, and she had no appetite for lunch, especially that bowl of fish mousse soup, which only made her more annoyed.

　　So she picked at a few bites of food and then ordered it to be taken away and shared among the servants.

　　Alice Green brought over tea to help her rinse her mouth.

　　Henry Faulkner took it, sipped, and spoke softly.

　　“I’m afraid today’s incident isn’t so simple. There’s probably something wrong with Evelyn Lane. Keep an eye on her these next few days, see who she’s in contact with.”

　　“You suspect she deliberately tried to stir up trouble between you and Grace Carter today?”

　　Alice Green asked.

　　Henry Faulkner nodded. “She’s usually not very diligent, not as good as Irene Wynn or Ruby, but today she suddenly cared about my health. It’s rather odd.”

　　After hearing this, Alice Green immediately nodded and quickly withdrew.

　　Jinxiufang.

　　After lunch, Grace Harris was in high spirits, arranging flowers in the outer room.

　　Summer Reed came in, smiling and curtsying.

　　“My lady, Carter really did go and make a scene at Biluozhai.”

　　“And? What happened?” Grace Harris perked up at this, quickly putting down her work. “Did Faulkner quarrel with her?”

　　But Summer Reed shook her head.