Forensic Imperial Concubine by Erika Black

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Harper and her companions were only in Phoenix City for a brief amount of time. Similar to the way they entered the city in
secret, they silently left, as if they were just mere passers-by who had a cursory glance at the city.
Meanwhile, Diana felt that it was so unreal that she had actually entered the city and came out of it in one piece. It was so
surreal that she felt like she was stepping on cotton while they were on their way out.
"Master, we did come out of the Labyrinth Swamp alive! Not only that, we also managed to pass through Phoenix City! I can't
believe it!" Diana exclaimed while pinching her face. She was beyond ecstatic that it seemed like she couldn't feel the pain from
her pinch.
Upon hearing her words, Harper pinched one of Diana's legs really hard. This time, the pain was so harsh that tears almost
came out from Diana's eyes. "Do you believe it now?" Harper asked.
Harper loosened her grip on Diana's leg after seeing that Diana was slowly nodding her head. Harper's pinch hurt so bad that
Diana started to gently rub her leg to ease the pain. In fact, tears were finally welled up in her eyes.
Then, Harper climbed on top of her horse and got ready for their journey to the Birch Pass. But before she rode away, she turned
around and looked at the gate tower. Almost instantly, she saw a familiar figure. Even if she couldn't see the person clearly
because she was too far away, she immediately recognized him.
Standing beside Daphne was a handsome man. She trembled a little and muttered, "Darren, why are you here?"
At that point in time, Harper happened to meet Darren's eyes while she looked back at the gate tower. She noticed that Darren's
lips were moving as if he was saying something to her. But even though Daphne was standing right next to him, she wasn't able
to hear or recognize what he was saying. However, Harper nodded her head evidently, like she understood his words. Without

wasting another second, she then galloped into the distance. "Darren, I didn't mean to hide it from you. Harper told me not to
bother anyone..." Daphne's voice trailed away as if she was too afraid or embarrassed since she did something wrong. The truth
of the matter was that nothing in Phoenix City could be hidden from Darren. He didn't show up because he was well aware that
Harper didn't want him to. "Did she enter the city from the Labyrinth Swamp?" Darren gently asked. His voice was so soft and

charming that it was so easy to make people disregard any precaution that they had. Daphne opened her mouth but she didn't
respond to his question right away. She was considering whether she should betray Harper and tell her brother the truth or
completely hide it from him. After weighing her decision for a few seconds, she ultimately
decided to tell Darren the truth. "Yes, she was forced by Lance and the Holy Maiden to enter the Labyrinth Swamp. She had no
other choice but to get out of the swamp through our Phoenix City. Right now, she's headed for the Birch Pass. She told me not
to tell you because she didn't want you to worry about her. Instantly, there was worry in Darren's eyes when he said, "Did she...
get hurt?" Daphne sighed. "Don't worry. That monster is fine. All of her companions were injured, but she wasn't. She doesn't
have any wounds except for a few bruises on her hands. She traveled across the Labyrinth Swamp and was unharmed. I'm
almost sure
that she's the only one who can do that."
Darren was not pleased that Daphne called Harper monster. "She is not a monster!" he exclaimed.
"Okay, fine, she isn't. She's a goddess." While rolling her eyes, she added, "I don't know what's wrong with her. How could she
choose Matthew over you? You're such a great man. What's so good about her husband anyway? You're so much better than
him!"
Darren didn't respond. He always believed that Harper did it for a reason. In the beginning, it might have been because she was
forced to marry him. But Darren thought it wasn't necessary for Harper to stay with Matthew any longer. As a matter of fact,

Darren didn't want to think about it any further. If it wasn't for Daphne, he wouldn't have started to think about it again. "You know
you talk too much. By the way, I heard that you're getting quite close with Rufus. I was informed that you had some people tied
him up and delivered him to our mansion. I was too busy back then so I didn't ask you about this. Why didn't you tell me about
your relationship with him? Why did you bother to kidnap him in our city?" Darren's voice was still very gentle while his eyes were
full of concern. But even then, it made Daphne a little uneasy.

"Darren, Rufus and I... We... we're just friends!" Daphne stammered. "Yes, that's right. We're just friends."
"Well, if the two of you are indeed just friends, you can invite him to come over. But why did you kidnap him?" Darren asked while
they made their way downstairs.
The expression on Daphne's face changed, but she quickly turned it back. "He doesn't know how to appreciate a nice gesture,
so I used some unconventional ways."
"What do you mean? Are you telling me that he doesn't like you?"
Daphne gave him a stern look. "Humph! He doesn't like me? No, I don't like him. He's such an idiot! I've forgotten about him
already!"
Darren looked at her from the side of his eyes. Daphne looked much calmer than before and it seemed like she didn't feel
embarrassed at the question anymore. "Do you really not like him?" he asked.
Daphne snorted and said, "I'm not that stupid or worse, desperate. I don't like someone who doesn't like me. Harper once said
that we can like whoever we want. It's our choice after all. But we can't force anyone to like us back. What's more, it doesn't
mean that I have to be with someone, simply because I like him."
"You don't have to be with someone even if you like him..." Darren murmured. He was a little surprised.
"That's right. Who says that I have to be with Rufus because I like him? Yes, I like him. But he doesn't like me and I would never
force him to be with me. In the future, I will try harder to pursue the one I truly love. Besides, Harper said that having a crush on
someone is too shallow. That feeling is very different from love. She wants me to find someone I love who loves me back. And
we can spend our lives together." Daphne's voice suddenly became gentle when she continued, "Darren, you like Harper,
right?"