Substitute Bride: Utterly Pampered by Her Billionaire Husband

Chapter 1482: Disfigured

After he came out, she actually locked the door.

Ethan Barnes was both angry and amused—this audacious woman!

"Celeste Linden, open the door, can’t you hear me knocking loudly? Are you asleep?"

"Are you able to sleep well even when I’m not by your side? Are you like a pig, sleeping so soundly?"

"Open the door quickly, or I’ll have someone smash it down."

Ethan shouted angrily outside. It was nighttime and all his actions were being closely watched. The palace beauties all came out, looking shocked at Ethan being shut out.

There was such a commotion outside, but inside the room, there was no sound; Celeste Linden made no noise.

Ethan Barnes outside, "..."

At this moment, the housekeeper came over, "Master, should I have someone open this door?"

Ethan stood with one hand on his hip, his strong chest heaving, truly upset by Celeste Linden. Tonight, she was doing it on purpose, driving him to other women where she slept well.

He considered breaking in, but decided against it, saying in a deep voice, "Someone gave me something shady; you get the antidote for me."

"Yes, Master."

The housekeeper quickly brought the antidote, and Ethan swallowed it, soon feeling the unbearable heat inside him gradually subsiding.

"Send people to investigate who is behind this mischief," Ethan commanded with a dark expression.

"Yes." The housekeeper backed away.

Ethan looked at the tightly closed door, then snorted coldly and left with a wave of his sleeve.

...

Celeste had a good night’s sleep. The next morning, she woke up naturally, and upon going out, she noticed the beauties staring at her with strange expressions.

What’s happening? Could something have happened?

Last night she didn’t attend to the King; it was Dotty’s turn—and yet they were so hostile toward her. Celeste really couldn’t understand.

She didn’t pay them any mind and went for a walk in the garden.

As she left, the beauties immediately started talking,

"Look at Celeste Linden—her proud tail is practically pointing to the heavens. She’s the first dare to lock King Hayden out."

"Last night I think King Hayden slept in the study, not calling anyone else."

"Dotty, what really happened last night? Didn’t King Hayden want to favor you? Why did he go out searching for Celeste Linden instead?"

Dotty’s face turned awkward, thinking if they knew she used drugs to try and keep Ethan, she’d be laughed at.

From observing last night, she felt Ethan Barnes was different with Celeste Linden; she definitely held some weight in his heart.

"I don’t know either; King Hayden seems really not to like me anymore. His thoughts are all on Celeste Linden."

Dotty put on a very wronged expression, continuing to complain, "You saw King Hayden’s attitude toward Celeste Linden last night—she’s unique in the entire palace. Even though I had the chance to be favored, I ended up being humiliated. From my perspective, this is just our fate—soon this place will become our cold palace, where we’ll miserably watch as King Hayden belongs solely to Celeste Linden."

Those words hit everyone’s sore spots. Nobody wants to stay in the cold palace; none wish to waste away precious years waiting for death, and they genuinely admire Ethan Barnes.

Before Celeste Linden arrived, everyone could share the King’s attention, but now, they couldn’t even get Ethan to glance at them.

Frustrated, they clenched their fists, all wishing Celeste Linden would disappear.

Her disappearance would be best.

Dotty noticed their changing expressions and then said, "Actually, King Hayden’s interest in Celeste Linden is just a novelty. After all, she is indeed very beautiful. If... she were to lose that pretty face, get something like leprosy or a contagious disease, King Hayden would surely avoid her completely, and then we could return to our previous happy days."

With these words, everyone’s eyes lit up, and someone asked quietly, "Dotty, what could ruin someone’s face?"

After all, living here, they couldn’t find any drug to disfigure Celeste Linden. This must be done secretly—if discovered, none of them would survive.

Dotty seemed to miss what they meant, directly pointing to the back garden, "Inside, there’s a purple flower. Squeeze the flower’s juice into food, and that person’s face will soon be covered in red spots, as if disfigured."

Is that so?

Everyone silently noted this.

...

At dinner time, everyone sat down to eat. Someone suggested, "Shall we have a cup of tea first?"

Each person had a cup of tea before them, and everyone began drinking.

However, Celeste Linden didn’t move, clearly not wanting to drink the tea.

"Miss Linden, why don’t you drink the tea? It’s very good for the body, promoting beauty and youth. It’s great for us women, hurry up and drink it."

"Yes, Miss Linden, have some tea. Recently you’ve been attentive to King Hayden; it must be exhausting, right?"

"I see Miss Linden is strikingly beautiful; it’s no wonder she’s captured King Hayden’s heart."

Everyone began flattering her.

Celeste Linden didn’t want to drink the tea and actually had no other thoughts about it, but now seeing everyone act so strangely, she became interested in her cup of tea.

Since she entered, the beauties made her feel unwanted, while giving various odd compliments. It was unusual for them to suddenly change and start praising her.

As the saying goes, unusual things must have hidden motives.

Celeste Linden grew curious about what sort of "trick" was in this tea.

"Miss Linden, come on, let’s joyfully drink this cup and become good sisters as we tend to King Hayden together in the future."

Still urging her to drink the tea.

Alright then, Celeste Linden picked up her cup and swallowed the tea all at once.

The beauties exchanged glances, their eyes filled with the joy of getting their way.

...

That night, Celeste returned to her room and suddenly found her face feeling very itchy.

She knew a little about those beauties—they definitely wouldn’t dare harm her life under Ethan Barnes’s watch, at most disfiguring her, making her an abandoned concubine.

Celeste went to the mirror and discovered her face was covered with many small red dots.

These small dots covered her entire face, looking like she had caught some contagious disease.

A normal person seeing her face would surely be startled and avoid her like a venomous snake.

Instead of feeling sadness or distress, Celeste Linden touched the little red dots on her face, feeling oddly happy. To her, it was a huge surprise falling onto her head.

She needed this twist to thank those people.