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墨書 Inktalez
"Why has Your Majesty not yet named a consort?"
The man who was asked looked momentarily lost in thought before he replied softly, "I have long had someone in mind." After a pause, he murmured, "I have been waiting for him to grow up, but now that he has, I can no longer find him."
The woman maintained her calm demeanor. "Does Your Majesty love her?"
"Yes, I love him," he said, "so much that I would be willing to give up this kingdom to grow old with him."
Suddenly turning from the window where he had been standing, the man looked at the woman with an expression of sincerity. "Consort Huan, you have endured so much over the years."
Her expression finally shifted slightly, and suppressing the bitterness rising in her throat, she forced herself to remain composed. "If it weren't for Your Majesty, I would have long been married off by my father. For all these years, I have been grateful. I only wish to recite scriptures and pray for Your Majesty's peace and stability in return for your kindness."
"Yuan Yuan, it was my fault back then. If I hadn't taken you to meet him, we wouldn't be in this situation today."
"Your Majesty," Consort Huan suddenly exclaimed sharply, "what happened back then was my own choice; it was not Your Majesty's fault. Moreover, over the years, all my wishes have been fulfilled by you, and I feel unworthy of such generosity."
The emperor sighed lightly. "I have neglected you for so many years. It was only because I did not want you to be caught up in the struggles of the harem; that was not something you should have to endure."
The woman smiled knowingly. "After all these years, Your Majesty understands me best. We are truly confidants." No longer referring to him as 'I' or herself as 'this servant,' but as 'we.'
It was rare for the man to drop his regal demeanor; he walked over and gently patted her head, chiding her lightly like a neighborly younger sister. "You are still as sharp-tongued as ever. Who could blame us for growing up together? As the saying goes, we are childhood sweethearts."
"You are the emperor; naturally, there is a difference from common folk."
"Your Majesty," the man's tone suddenly turned cold, "they do not regard me as their emperor."
The woman smiled lightly, seemingly understanding. "Is Your Majesty planning to do something?"
She did not mind that those he referred to included her own family.
The man looked at her again, his expression still warm as it had been at the beginning.
"Yuan Yuan, have you had breakfast today? Come and eat with me."
The woman nodded, her eyes filled with laughter. "Sure."
After having breakfast in the kitchen today, I found myself quite bored. Recently, Yuhua had been favored more and no longer had time to come to my courtyard for a chat. At least not as frequently as before. However, this was what I needed; I was tired of hearing her cry and complain about favoritism all day long.
I was the emperor's consort, but I was definitely not the emperor's woman.
So the harem felt very distant to me. No, it was I who kept my distance from the harem. This place did not belong to me; when the time came, I would leave and return to the home I had built for myself. Back to my family, where I had unknowingly come to regard Little Seven and Uncle Zhong of the Official Family as my own kin. Most importantly, outside there was my beloved Old Buddy.
Even though I didn't know what stories he shared with my mother and the Head of the Family, I knew that I was extremely important to him. Otherwise, why would he willingly let me tease him and do things he never liked?
After a comfortable bath, I took Yun Ying out for a stroll. Of course, I was made up this time—not as a little eunuch but as an ordinary palace maid. I hoped nothing like the last "tragedy" would happen again; otherwise, Yun Ying's glare would surely kill me.
Over these years of being together day and night, Yun Ying had not learned much about being a good servant but had certainly mastered how to be disrespectful to her master. However, I was relieved that her innate servility had almost disappeared. This gave me a small sense of accomplishment.
In my education of her, being adaptable was most important; no matter when or under what circumstances, preserving one's life was paramount. Moreover, one must understand how to disguise oneself and play different roles depending on whom they were dealing with.
It was fine for her to be disrespectful towards me, but she needed to observe proper etiquette with those outside who could be ruthless masters—kneeling when necessary, showing weakness when required, and fleeing if needed. She must never be foolish enough to make stupid mistakes.
Compared to the awe I felt during my first two visits to this grand palace, now that the novelty had worn off, it truly felt rather unremarkable.
As we strolled along, suddenly a figure resembling a master approached from ahead. Yun Ying and I quickly stepped aside, lowering our heads with our hands hanging down obediently as we stood quietly by. We slightly bent forward in preparation to leave hastily with Yun Ying.
Sima Shao glanced at the two ordinary palace maids hurrying past and felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. It seemed—yes, it was their fragrance; there was a hint of osmanthus scent mixed with a strange refreshing aroma. Where had he smelled this fragrance before?
"Wait a moment." The Young Master in brocade spoke up, and I knew trouble was coming. That fierce Crown Prince was not someone I could provoke. I lowered my head, hoping he wouldn't recognize me.
Since coming to the palace, I hadn't encountered any jealous women vying for attention, but now I had attracted this little tyrant. Thankfully, I hadn't brought Xiao Quanzi along today; he was on gate duty. Otherwise, the life he had just saved would be in danger again.
Sima Shao came to mind. He was the one who had been foolish enough to throw himself at me that day. The scent on him was unmistakable; I had wondered then how a servant could smell so fragrant.
Despite calling out to God, the Virgin Mary, and the Jade Emperor in my heart multiple times, no one answered. The arrogant Crown Prince approached with a complex gaze, smirking as he said, "What’s this? The little eunuch has turned into a maid." He then shouted sharply, "How dare you deceive the Crown Prince! Do you know what crime you have committed?"
I secretly pulled Yun Ying down to kneel beside me, my face pale and nearly in tears as I stammered, "Your Highness, this servant did not intend to deceive you. It was just that I offended you and feared your wrath, so I ran away secretly. Please forgive me." I bowed repeatedly, begging, "Please spare this servant. This servant deserves death."
Yun Ying murmured behind me, "Miss—"
I shook my head at her anxiously but continued to keep my head down and repeat those words in fear.
"You wretched servant." He kicked at me suddenly. In a daze, I didn't react in time; even if I could have dodged it, it would have been impossible.
Pain surged in my chest. Fortunately, he was still just a child; otherwise, as a prince trained in martial arts from a young age, his kick would have been powerful. I fell back to lessen the impact of his kick but couldn't help letting out a muffled groan of pain.
Yun Ying caught me from behind, but I scrambled back up and knelt respectfully before him.
Taking several deep breaths to steady myself after that kick disrupted my breathing, I forced out a few tears and cried softly.
Sima Shao looked at this humble and respectful servant before him, puzzled as to why he had found her special that day. The way she had thrown herself at him seemed premeditated; her eyes had sparkled with mischief then. That triumphant smile made the past month of lying in bed all the more unbearable. How could his perfectly fine foot hurt for an entire month? He couldn't be mistaken; it had to be her—the terrified servant kneeling before him now.
He had spent a month thinking about this and searching for her, vowing revenge and planning to teach her a lesson so she would understand that he was the Crown Prince while she was merely a servant—showing her how to act like one.
Yet seeing her cowering before him brought no joy; instead, he felt anger towards her submissive demeanor and found himself quite displeased.
He glared at her fiercely, and as she cried and begged for mercy, he flicked his sleeves and left in anger.
Watching the Little Benefactor leave inexplicably, along with the rage burning in his eyes, I blinked in confusion, wondering what was happening. At that moment, a sharp pain shot through my chest, and I coughed a few times, spitting out a mouthful of blood. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and Yun Ying's figure before me gradually became blurry. The last thing I could perceive was her panicked expression as she shouted at me—
"Miss, you need to eat the Brown Sugar Boiled Egg."
I looked at it with disgust. I knew that the Brown Sugar Boiled Egg was delicious when eaten once, but if you had to eat it every day for a month, even the finest delicacies would lose their flavor. However, Yun Ying insisted that eating this would help with my chronic chest pain. There was no evidence to prove it, and I had no way to verify any of it.
So I had no choice but to brace myself. Seeing Yun Ying about to explode with frustration, I closed my eyes and obediently took a bite.
Originally, that brat's kick hadn’t been too forceful, but it had triggered my illness. I had been seriously ill before; although after that incident Chen Ningyuan helped me recover my life from the clutches of death, I was left with this persistent chest pain.
Damn that brat! I didn’t care if he was some future master or a Sponsor; the next time I saw him, I would make him pay! With that thought in mind, I drank the last mouthful of the deep red broth.
So sweet.
But—
I hated sweets!
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