The Empress Dowager frowned.
“Is that... true?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. At the very hour this maid claims to have seen her in the consorts’ quarters, she was with me at Baekryeon Lodge—enjoying more than her share of chicken legs. If you need proof, just look at her face. It’s still swollen from everything she ate last night.”
Hwayeong shot him a sharp look.
‘Did he really have to say that out loud?’
But Sinyeong didn’t miss a beat.
“Sinhui can confirm it, as can the court ladies who were present at Baekryeon Lodge last night. If necessary, I’ll have them testify. They were busy carrying in food until nearly ten, and no fewer than five of them brought dishes directly to her.”
“She managed to eat through half the lodge’s reserves,” Sinyeong added with cool conviction.
The Empress Dowager’s expression faltered. What she’d just heard was nothing like what she had been told.
She turned back to the maid.
“Explain yourself. What is the meaning of this?”
