Her voice wasn't quiet it was loud enough for the other concubines to hear. Several lowered their heads, pretending they hadn't heard a thing, though the tension in the air grew thick and suffocating.
The concubines, including Azzura, returned to the Concubine Palace an elegant place that suddenly felt cold and empty ever since Liv set foot in the Duke's life. As soon as they arrived, the women gathered in the main hall. Their silk robes rustled softly as they sat together, each carrying the same heavy thought.
They knew. They all knew their lives were no longer the same.
"Still… we have to endure this, Lady Azzura," one of them said softly, as if trying to convince herself as much as Azzura.
"They're right," another added bitterly. "Everyone looks down on us now. Servants barely greet us, and His Grace hasn't stepped foot in this palace for so long."
Azzura exhaled deeply, her fingers tightening around her teacup. It hurt—more than she wanted to admit.
