Gardenia of Blooming Desire

Chapter 163: Camille & Ludwig

Celine observed the three years old Camille walking around the cold palace. Her hair grew fast, it showed wavy golden hair, like a fairy tale princess. It honestly made Celine happy, because at least, her daughter is the real blood of Golden Camellia.

Because sometimes, she felt that her marriage, her pregnancy, her baby, was just a dream. Because everything felt unreal, ridiculous and funny at the same time. How could she, a Great Princess from Arctyr, set to marry the Emperor of Golden Camellia since she was ten years old, got abandoned in Cold Palace?

She was set to marry Leopold to ensure the political faction between the two countries. She was ten when her parents announced the engagement, and she was married when she reached twenty.

The marriage in Great Arctyr was honestly amazing, everything was beautiful, the ceremony, the party, the public feast, it was like a dream come true for everyone.

'And that first night'

Celine looked at Camille again, she was now playing with flowers around the Cold Palace's garden. This place was deserted before, but Celine and her maids took care of the garden properly until flowers started blooming.

It had been three years and she had been in this Cold Palace for the whole three years. Her husband, Emperor Leopold didn't even want to look at her face, let alone visiting the Cold Palace.

Only Empress Eva visited to humiliate her and gave some leftover food from the palace for her to eat. Celine didn't have a grudge against her honestly, because who would have predicted that Emperor Leopold's golden circle trait suddenly activated after they got married in Great Arctyr? And instead of marrying Celine, Emperor Leopold married Eva instead, an average maid who just entered the palace.

Celine was melancholic, seeing how Camille had to grow up in this kind of environment, without proper food, proper care, proper clothing. All her clothing was just Celine's clothing who was tattered, and then sewn into a few pieces for Camille to use.

'I don't mind suffering here, but I don't want her to suffer too'

Celine looked at her ring, the Great Princess ring. She had been calling for help, she sent a few letters to the Great Arctyr, but it always got traced by the Golden Camellia guards and she could do nothing.

Great Arctyr tradition was rigid too, parents of the bride could not visit their daughter for the first five years, this was to limit the interference from the in-laws about the daughter's marriage.

And a woman could not return to the Great Arctyr unless her husband was dead. The tradition trapped her in this Cold Palace.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The familiar rhythm of a glass heel that came to the Cold Palace surprised Celine. She immediately took Camille inside and hid her in the closet. She immediately prostrated with her forehead touching the wooden floor, "Your Majesty Empress Eva has arrived, this lowly servant greets Her Majesty in my lowly home."

Empress Eva laughed, she used the tip of her heel to nudge Celine's forehead. Celine raised her head, and she was instantly kicked on the face. Empress Eva unleashed her wrath again by kicking Celine many times in front of her maids.

'She is still too beautiful! Why is she still more beautiful than me after years of starvation!?'

Celine's maids were pained seeing this, but their princess already warned them not to interfere, because they will be executed if they did stupid thing. Celine let Empress Eva kick her until her body was bruised.

After she felt satisfied, Empress Eva pulled her two years old son and sat him in front of Celine who was lying like a dead woman. Empress Eva taunted, "This is your first time seeing him, right? He is Ludwig Audric Camellia. The Crown Prince of Golden Camellia and the only child of Emperor Audric III."

Two years old Ludwig didn't seem to notice anything strange in front of him, instead, his eyes darted on the cupboard heading to another room. Celine glanced at the place he was looking at and instantly alerted, she tried to block Ludwig's view "CCrown Prince Ludwig, you will be a great emperor someday! TThis lowly servant will devote her life for your glory!"

"Mama her" innocent Ludwig didn't care about Celine at all, he pointed at the cupboard, and Empress Eva seemed to notice it. She grinned maliciously.

"It seems Ludwig has a sister, huh? Guard, bring her here."

"Don't!" Celine screamed. She tried to block the guard, so did the two maids. But the guards just pushed them and went straight to the little girl who was hiding behind the cupboard. The girl looked scared, but she couldn't move.

The guard pulled her forcefully and placed her in front of Empress Eva.

"What is your name, little girl?" Eva asked. She looked down on this small girl.

Camille was scared, but she replied while stuttering, "CCCammille"

"Camille? Nice to meet you, Camille. My name is Empress Eva, and the boy beside you is Ludwig, your brother."

"My brother?" Camille wondered. She looked at her injured mother, then looked at this Empress Eva, then to the boy, "If you are my brother, why don't you protect my mom?"

Empress Eva's expression turned ugly, she said to her son, "Ludwig, when you see your sister talking back at you, you must slap her, okay? You must kick her too, like this!"

Empress Eva slapped the three years old Camille's cheek hard until it was bruised, Camille cried hard while holding her cheek.

"DO IT LIKE THAT, LUDWIG!" Eva said.

Ludwig only stared at his sister, and then approached her and kissed her cheek instead, "Sister no cry" he said.

Empress Eva anger finally exploded, she pulled Camille's hair and screamed at her face, "YOU BITCH IS JUST LIKE YOUR MOM, YOU ARE ALL WHORE! YOU SEDUCE EVERYONE JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!"

Eva flung Camille to the ground, which her mother caught and shielded with her body.

"I will kill her! I will kill that kid!"

Eva stomped at Celine's back many times. After she calmed down slightly, she left with her son and the guards.

"Miss!" The maids immediately helped Celine, but she already fainted after holding so much pain.

Camille sobbed for the whole night, because her mother said they should not make so many noises at night. She tried to wake her mother up by shaking her shoulder, but Celine finally opened her eyes at night.

She noticed that Camille was still sobbing, "CCamille, why are you crying?"

"Mom why is she so mean to us?" Camille asked, still sobbing.

"Because you are the most beautiful," Celine smiled and wiped Camille's tears, "Camille, there are people who would hate you, who would try to hit you again. So, you must be strong when you are older, okay? Don't be weak like mom, you should be strong, so she will not be mean to us."

Camille stopped sobbing and looked at her mom, "IfIf I become strong, will she stop hitting you?"

Celine stared at Camille meaningfully, and said, "The most important thing is you. You must survive, okay?"

The three years old Camille didn't really understand the whole meaning, but she only remembered that her mother said she should be strong.

'Strong strong'

***

Three years had passed, Camille was now six years old and her golden circle trait became prominent. Long wavy golden hair, golden circle on her eyes, and that beautiful sculpted face, the combination of Celine and Emperor Leopold.

She developed interest with books at a very young age and Celine started teaching her about basic knowledge, math, reading, drawing and such. Surprisingly, Camille aced everything her mother taught, she was a prodigious child, and she was especially talented in painting.

"What are you going to paint today, Camille?" Celine asked.

"Mom," Camille said cheerfully.

"But mom is ugly, you should paint the flower instead!" Celine replied jokingly, she pointed at some petunia.

"I want to paint mom," Camille said.

"Well, do I need to pose? Hahaha."

"Mom can lean on the wall and smile at me, yes!" Camille started to paint her mom on a canvas. She and the maid found a way to extract color from the flowers they grew to make paint.

The maids peeked at the painting their little princess did. At first, they were anxious, fearing that little princess would draw something ugly. But they were surprised to see their little princess drew intricate details for her mother, but she gave her mother a luxurious dress in the painting instead.

Her mother looked fresher in the painting, with a luxurious dress, sitting on a lavish sofa. The maids teared up.

Celine wondered why the maids cried. After Camilled finished painting, she showed it to her mother. Celine was surprised and asked, "Why do I look so good there?"

"Because mother fits this dress better! Even better than Empress Eva!" Camille cheered. Celine shushed Camille, but it seemed too late.

"My mom is better with that dress!"

Everyone's eyes shifted to a corner where five years old Crown Prince Ludwig suddenly came out of nowhere. He was standing and looked angry. He pointed at the painting and said, "Big sis has insulted my mom, big sis is guilty!"

"YYour Highness Crown Prince it is not" Celine tried to pacify

"Shut up you ugly thing! I will tell my dad!" Ludwig ran away from them. Celine and the two maids were terrified, but Camille looked calm and nodded silently.

'This is the chance to see dad.'