He opens the door and saw me kneeling over a dead bleeding woman, my body and face covered in blood, the weapon that Mei had kicked towards me after cutting her self, all as stark evidence against me .
He looks to the corner he sees the empress holding her tummy protectively, cuts on her body and face and her maids quivering in fear, of me? Servants and dignitaries that followed behind gasped and screamed at the bloody sight before them.
Empress Mei screams as she points at me, "Murderer!!!". I look up now realizing that every one was glaring at me and how it looked. What are you talking about? I didn't do anything!!!. I defended my self but the blood dripping down from my hands said otherwise.
Chang Hao's face transformed from concern to cold fury in an instant. His eyes locked onto Bella's blood-covered form, then flicked to Empress Mei's staged wounds and terrified maids.
"Silence!" he roared, his voice shaking the very foundations of the chamber. "Not another word from any of you!"
Servants and dignitaries who had followed him into the bloody scene recoiled in horror, their gasps and whispers filling the small space. General Kenji positioned himself protectively in front of Chang Hao, drawing his sword with deadly intent.
"You dare accuse my Bella?" Chang Hao snarled at Empress Mei, taking a menacing step forward.
"Are you blind ,to the obvious my emperor?" Mei accused. "I called this woman", she pointed at the dead woman. "She is a midwife. I felt pains and thought I was having contractions and sent for her. She was about to examine me, when Bella" , she points at me accusingly, "barged in here, she looked terrified, probably jealous I was about to born the heir."
" She started her pathetic rant about how her babies were torn from her and said that I will face the same fate, she said she was going to kill our child. I struggled to fight her off, when she came at me before she could do more damage to me , the lady stepped in and Bella killed her blinded by rage. " Cheng Mei points at her self inflicted injuries.
I was dumfounded by her story and accusation. "You can ask the maids they came in in time to see Bella brutally killing the woman ", she added to her defense .
Chang Hao's jaw tightened dangerously as Empress Mei spun her web of lies, manipulating the terrified witnesses to support her claim. His gaze flickered between Bella's distraught face covered in another woman's blood and Mei's calculated performance.
"Maids," he addressed the trembling servants firmly. "Did you witness Bella attack this midwife?"
The two girls exchanged frightened glances before one finally managed to stammer, "Y-yes Your Majesty. We came in just as Lady Bella... as she pushed the knife into the poor woman's chest."
My eyes widened in shock. The spectators gasps. There are witnesses. She is a murderer. Hearing their murmurs , Mei added more fuel.
"Remember how she is a very jealous person. Tried to kill herself severally, even got you hurt when you attempted stoping her. She argued a lot with me. She even turned mad for obsession. She doesn't care about anyone, not even your majesty" she adds.
The spectators thought of what she said and raised their voices in agreement . She smiled to her self in victory, as everyone listened and believed her. In the mist of the chaos.
I turned my gaze to the one person who meant the world to me. The one person whose trust and faith meant everything to me. I searched his eyes with hope. I mouthed with trembling lips. You believe I didn't anything right? ..... It seemed like eternity before he replied.
"Why?, why did you do it Bella?". Hearing those questions broke my already mended heart. I felt my world crumbling before my eyes. Why would he ask me that. It was worse than a no. Silence was better than this. I looked at him speechless.
Chang Hao's question hung in the tense silence, heavier than any accusation Empress Mei could have leveled. His face remained rigid, betraying nothing of his inner turmoil as he stared at Bella's silent form.
Behind him, General Kenji cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Your Majesty, the witnesses confirm Empress Mei's account. It's obvious she killed the woman and attacked the empress"
Empress Mei dabbed delicately at her fake wounds with a silk handkerchief, her expression one of wounded innocence mixed with triumph. "Perhaps she cannot speak because she knows her own guilt," she suggested softly to the growing crowd of nobles and guards now gathering in the hallway.
One of the visiting Korean diplomats stepped forward hesitantly. "Your Imperial Majesty, we are witnesses to this tragedy. To have such instability within your harem reflects poorly on your judgment."