Edward Harris was also out of favor, but because she clung to Lady Margaret, the Imperial Household Department was very good at reading the room. By the time it was Lillian Reed's turn, all the rations for Mingyue Palace had already been taken.

After returning to the palace, Lillian Reed went to Rose to get the rations, and sure enough, there was only half left.

This, of course, led to an argument.

Grace Baker heard Lillian Reed angrily say, "Our lady is still raising two children. If the princess and prince go hungry or cold, can you bear the blame?"

It was probably not the first time this threat had been used. Ruby replied carelessly with a laugh, "Just have your lady eat a little less, and you'll save enough, won't you?"

Lillian Reed was so angry she wanted to rush up and fight her, but Violet Morgan stopped her.

Grace Baker thought back and realized that Violet Morgan really did eat very little.

The meals in the side hall were not plentiful, mostly plain porridge and small dishes, but Lillian Reed was a good cook. Grace Baker was picky, but it was still edible. Violet Morgan always gave the only meat dishes to the two children, barely touching her own chopsticks, sometimes just drinking a bowl of rice soup.

Grace Baker had thought she was just trying to keep her figure, but it turned out it was because there wasn't enough food?

She truly hadn't expected the situation in the side hall to be this dire.

Who would believe it if told? A consort of the emperor, and she couldn't even get enough to eat.

Might as well stop calling her Violet Morgan and rename her Walter Morgan ("Xiao Difficult").

Grace Baker pushed open the door and walked out, seeing a woman dressed flamboyantly sitting at the main hall entrance—presumably Edward Harris. She was leisurely sipping tea, as if watching a show.

Lillian Reed's eyes were red, and after a few quiet words from Violet Morgan, she stopped arguing and headed toward the side hall.

Grace Baker called out crisply, "Mother."

Violet Morgan turned to see her and said gently, "Why aren't you behaving? Has the incense finished burning?"

Grace Baker pouted, "My knees hurt from kneeling."

Violet Morgan didn't say anything more, pulling her along to head back. Grace Baker curiously glanced toward Edward Harris and innocently asked, "Mother, why does the Talented Lady take so much food? Does she also have two children to raise?"

Edward Harris had entered the palace two years before Violet Morgan. The emperor had many children, princes and princesses, but Edward Harris’s own womb had never been fruitful, not a single sign all these years.

Now that she had lost favor, she didn't even see the emperor once a year, so there was even less chance of getting pregnant.

Grace Baker's words were like stabbing a knife right into her heart.

Edward Harris was so angry she smashed her teacup, but there was nothing she could do. Violet Morgan quickly led her daughter back inside. Once the door was closed, Lillian Reed gritted her teeth and said, "Do enough evil, and heaven will see—no wonder she can't have children!"

Hazel said to Violet Morgan, "This can't go on. If you try to reason with her, she always uses her rank to suppress us. Why not go to the Empress and ask her to uphold justice? Even if she doesn't care about you, she has to care about the royal bloodline."

Violet Morgan sighed, "If we make a fuss in front of the Empress, won't that just draw the whole harem's attention to us again? Forget it, it's not a big deal. We can still get by."

After living with Violet Morgan these past two days, Grace Baker had figured out her character.

She was truly kind, but also truly weak. She never tried to solve problems, always retreating if she could, enduring if she must. With a personality like that, no wonder she had ended up in this situation.

But there wasn't much Grace Baker could do either—the time was too short, and besides, she still wanted to be a good person.

Violet Morgan was already used to things like this and didn't take it to heart. After the memorial rites, she led Grace Baker to kneel before the Buddha statue in the room, chanting scriptures and praying for blessings.

Charles Baker imitated them, kneeling on the cushion beside them, and asked innocently, "What is sister doing?"

Violet Morgan rolled the prayer beads and said gently, "Sister is praying for peace."

Charles Baker reached out both hands to Grace Baker: "I'll give all my peace to sister!"

He didn't know what peace was, but whatever his sister needed, whether he had it or not, he would give it to her.

Grace Baker felt a warmth in her heart, and also a bit of strangeness. She had actually felt a kind of familial love she had never experienced before, from a child who understood nothing.

Thinking this way, she felt that things like rations weren't so important after all. A peaceful and simple life was actually quite warm.

The prayers continued until evening, when Violet Morgan finally felt a bit more at ease. She reminded Grace Baker several times that if she saw anything again, she must tell her.

Grace Baker nodded obediently and was just about to go to bed when the palace gate of the side hall was suddenly knocked on urgently.

Hazel hurried to answer the door, and when it opened, it was actually Edward Harris outside.

She was accompanied by two people in monk's robes. She strode in arrogantly, "Where is the Fifth Princess? I heard she encountered evil spirits today. I’ve brought people to exorcise her—don’t bring anything unclean into my Mingyue Palace."

Violet Morgan's expression changed as she got up to stop them, but several palace maids and eunuchs rushed straight into the room and dragged Grace Baker out into the courtyard.

Violet Morgan cried out in shock and anger, "Talented Lady! Little Grace is the dignified Fifth Princess of Dalin!"

Edward Harris laughed, "Precisely because she is a princess, I went to the trouble of bringing people to exorcise her. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother. Even if you take this to the Empress, I am still in the right."

With that, she signaled with her eyes.

The two monks immediately pulled out two willow branches from behind them.

Violet Morgan and the others were blocked by the palace maids, and she shouted angrily, "What are you trying to do?!"