*** THE CONSORT FROM LIAN ***
My eye twitched slightly. For a moment, I genuinely wondered if the heavens were mocking me or already punishing me for trying to escape my so-called fate.
I had risked everything to escape becoming trapped inside the Xuan Imperial Palace… only to end up returning there as a servant? A mere servant?
I, Princess Ruyue of Lian, working as a servant in this hell of a palace.
Disgust curled inside me immediately, but I tried to keep my expression weak and grateful.
"Is there something you want to say?" he asked when he noticed the disgusted expression I couldn't possibly hide.
"No..., I… understand," I murmured.
He gave a small nod before standing from the chair. "You should rest. Your wound is still fresh," he said, and then he turned and left the room.
The moment the door shut behind him, my entire expression darkened. "A maid?" I hissed under my breath in disbelief. "Unbelievable. How dare he try to turn me into a mere servant?"
I glared at the ceiling angrily, my fists clutching the sheets beside me.
Of all the terrible fates awaiting me in this world, becoming a palace servant in the empire I had tried to escape from had never crossed my mind. This had to be some kind of curse, I thought.
But no— I refused to stay here. Jinhai would be waiting for me at the hunter's shack beyond the western cliff by now. He promised he would come, no matter what. I just needed to leave before anyone discovered who I truly was.
I pushed the blanket aside and tried to stand up, but the instant my feet touched the ground, a sharp pain tore through my stomach so violently that my knees nearly gave out beneath me.
I sucked in a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the bed tightly.
Damn it! My stomach hurt so badly, I probably wouldn't make it to Jinhai if I tried escaping in my current state. I might end up collapsing in the forest and die for real this time, or even get caught by the Xuan soldiers or those scary assassins.
I exhaled, lowering myself back onto the bed slowly, frustrated tears stinging my eyes. I wiped them off before they could fall, pressing a hand carefully against my bandaged stomach.
"Ruyue, you have to be strong, for Jinhai... for Xiu Mei," I whispered.
I only needed a few hours of rest. Once night faded before dawn, I would escape quietly and make my way to the hunter's shack. Jinhai would still be waiting for me, I assured myself. I closed my eyes and somehow slept like a dead person all through the day and night.
The next thing I felt was freezing water crashing over me like a sudden heavy downpour of rain.
I gasped sharply in my sleep as an entire bucket drenched my body from head to toe. Cold water soaked through the blankets, splashed across my face, and ran down my hair in streams before dripping onto the floor.
I jolted upright with a startled cry. My soaked hair clung messily to my cheeks as I wiped water from my eyes, breathing hard in confusion.
Three women stood before me. One stood at the front holding an empty wooden bucket, clearly the leader among them. The two behind her wore servant robes as well, one of them carrying a folded set of clothes neatly in her arms.
The woman with the bucket glared down at me in disgust, and I glared back at her, foaming with anger. Before I could unleash my anger...
Slap!!!
A sharp sting exploded across my cheek. My head snapped sideways from the force.
"How dare you stare directly at Senior Lin, you shameless thing?" the servant beside her snapped viciously.
I slowly lifted a hand to my burning cheek, too stunned for a moment to understand what was going on.
What in heaven's name is going on? Have I just been struck by a mere servant? The question rang silently in my head.
My fingers curled tightly against the blanket, anger surging through my body instantly. I nearly rose from the bed to strike back, but the movement pulled painfully at my wound, and reality struck me quickly.
I was no longer Princess Ruyue. I was a nameless servant with fake memory loss trapped inside the Xuan Palace now. Revealing my temper now would only attract attention, so I forced myself to stay silent.
Senior Lin folded her arms coldly. "So this is where you've been hiding," she said sharply. "Neglecting your assigned duties while everyone else works themselves to exhaustion. Do you think this palace feeds useless girls for free?"
Duty?
I frowned slightly. She had clearly mistaken me for someone else.
Without another word, she snatched the folded clothing from the maid beside her and threw it onto the ground.
"Put it on and meet me outside immediately."
Then she turned and strode out of the room while the other two servants followed closely behind her.
The moment the door slammed shut, I let out a sharp scoff. Then another, and soon bitter laughter slipped from my lips.
"How unbelievable," I muttered. "A mere palace servant just slapped me across the face. If this had happened in Lian, I'd have had them dragged out and beaten for daring to touch me, and then thrown into the prison yard before sunset. And now I just have to endure it."
Still irritated, I grabbed the dress from the ground, and I froze. My brows slowly furrowed as I held up the outfit.
It wasn't a maid outfit. The fabric was thin, colorful, and far more revealing than proper servant attire. The sleeves hung loosely while the skirt was designed to flow elegantly with movement. It looked exactly like the clothing worn by entertainers in pleasure houses.
My expression darkened immediately. "…Don't tell me," I gasped when I suddenly came to my realization.
So when that woman mentioned duties… she meant this?
I looked around the room quickly for another escape route.
"You can't do this, Ruyue. You have to find your way out now," I murmured to myself, but the windows were far too narrow, and the door remained firmly locked from outside.
And suddenly, footsteps began approaching again.
My eyes widened slightly. If they discovered the bandages around my stomach, the deep cut, questions would follow immediately.
Grinding my teeth, I quickly changed into the dress despite the pain pulling at my wound.
The moment I finished tying the sash around my waist, the door swung open.
"There," one servant muttered impatiently. "Take her."
Before I could protest, they dragged me through several winding hallways until we reached a large room overflowing with girls dressed in similar outfits.
The scent of powder and perfume filled the air.
"Get her hair and makeup done," Senior Lin ordered dismissively before leaving, and immediately, several girls gathered around me, sat me before a mirror, and began combing through my damp hair.
"We're lucky," one of them said while arranging pins into another dancer's hair. "This is the biggest ceremony we've had all year."
"Of course it is," another girl replied excitedly. "The emperor's new consort is finally arriving tonight."
The emperor's new consort? Her words caught my attention immediately, and then she added,
"Have you heard she's a princess from Lian?"