Chapter 24
Our first talk was okay.
No great content to tell. Really. He should have felt it and lost some interest. However, "Greetings Mistress, this will be your room next to His Highness."
Don't call me mistress.
"Please call me whenever you need something, Your Highness."
"..."
I'm not liking this. Is he indirectly guarding me with one maid? The King of Yi instructed her to 'assist' me such people around him are no ordinary servants.
"Princess, please come this way. This maid had prepared a bath for you."
I followed her lost in thought.
I've always had an ominous feeling after our conversation. Even as I'm taking a bath, it feels like I'm better off in my old dilapidated place than this. This shouldn't be my reaction but staying with the ML is really making me...repugnant. No matter how hard I try to convince myself to be flexible, deep inside it makes me repelled just by seeing him and it takes me great effort to act normally in front of him.
"Your Highness, you can relax. The King had told me you like being yourself."
I don't like being myself. Because I don't know if I like my real self.
I smiled. "Great."
As expected, this woman is of great capability.
"Then please stop calling me, Mistress but just Princess."
That's better.
"Forgive me, Mistress, you are our Master's wife therefore as a servant we should address you with the highest respect."
"...okay."
This situation makes me think of a novel I read in the past about a master and his trusted female servant who has a hidden affection for him. Well, she developed an affection for her master. Oh man, should there be a time that it'll come to that? My mind is swirling again. That'll be awesome, it's another escape route.
"Then is it alright if you leave me alone here? No need to help me."
"Understood, Mistress."
Such an understanding bestie.
As soon as she left I raised my head to look above. What should I do now? If I want to escape, I should take care of the maid. Moreover, I'm not sure what's on his mind why he truly married me. In these seven days, I'll have to think of a way, no, five days to plan my escape and find Houxian.
Maybe if Houxian was not my first option, then this wouldn't have happened. Did I misjudge? No, maybe it's just my flimsy escape. It's such a mistake on my part.
"This is really a drag, ah."
As long as I'm not married to him I can escape. No, even if I'm married. Mother told me to take responsibility for my words, so if I'm married I should stay loyal and not leave my man without a reasonable explanation or he acted out of violence as love does not mean you can be beaten, bruised, and battered consecutively.
Even though the King of Yi never beats his FL, it's reasonable for me to leave. Being married to him would destroy my mental health. For goodness sake, I've never liked Male Leads unless they were the hidden villain themselves. But as far as I know, all the villains in this book are too weak and most scenes were directed to a female leading route of her journey being at the top while her man supports him and stays by her side.
I bit my nail. I shouldn't underestimate the Male Lead. I'm not calculating enough. Planning, yes, I need thorough planning.
"Where's my wife?"
"Wait a moment."
I half-shouted. Goodness, why enter a woman's room when she's bathing. He is even full of confidence announcing 'Where's my wife?' As if he had entered my room for decades. The audacity.
"Forgive me, it seems your taking a bath. Your husband will wait for you outside."
"This maid is truly sorry, please punish nubi."
I just smiled at the maid. Fake.
"That's alright."
What were you even doing?
After I was done I walked out of the room and saw the ML standing beside the door. As expected of a male lead even standing makes him a great model. His cunning eyes lit up like starlights, and his slick black hair was handsomely tied in a knot. I'm not in the mood to describe everything about it so in short all his bearings, show how immaculate he is. Ugh.
"Where should we speak?"
I asked him.
"How about my chamber?"
"..."
I chuckled. "Your Highness, you're words knows no bound."
"It is as it is."
Heh.
"Anyway, you're here, please make yourself comfortable."
As always, he is smiling.
"Alright."
The maid who I don't know her name left closing the door behind us.
"What does his Highness wants to discuss with this lowly one?"
"Jin Hai."
I just smiled at his reminder.
"You won't call me by my name?"
Because that's reserved for the FL. In my opinion, saying your name while I'm being branded as your betroth is insulting to the original FL.
"Dear."
Bleurgh. I can't believe it, I have to say this in front of a guy like 'him'. I am the person who favors the villain more than the protagonist.
I'll just think I'm talking to some child or my friends. Yes, that's it.
"Hm, fine."
I suddenly realize something. "I— This Princess forgot to brew co—tea. Let me ask my servant."
Dang it with the coffee and the pronoun I, Jun Xue get used in using the third person's POV!
"You don't have to mind your words. There is no consequence as you are my wife so speak freely."
You just made me want to speak more formally.
"Li Jia Ying will ask the maid first to brew you a tea."
"No. It's fine, let's talk."
I looked at him for a moment before sitting back. Okay, boss.
"It was really the truth when Bengong told you that I was enamored by you at first sight."
"Oh, you mean that dirty plebian?"
He chuckled.
"It's your fighting spirit."
"..."
What's next? My fighting shadow? Sure, I'll believe you.
"Bengong would offer you a hand in getting your revenge but this might not be to your liking—you can use your status as my wife."
"Li Jia Ying is a useless pawn if you want to conquer this Empire."
I said unconcernedly about the offer not minding how his eyes glinted a bit.
"You really think so?"
"Dear, this one has nothing to give. If it's keeping my foolish self then this Princess will agree to be your wife until you meet someone more deserving as the King of Yi's wife."
"You,"
"Hmm?"
"Suppose Bengong finds another woman to enter my household. Would you agree?"
No, because I won't be there to witness that spectacular event.
"Isn't that how it always was?"
It is known that polygamy is normal in ancient times. Although, I hate polygamy by sharing my man even if it's ancient times I can't just go boom and say, 'don't you dare!' If we even got to that point, who am I to dictate if it's what this favored ML wants? It's also good if he marries a better scapegoat then I'll secretly escape. So go on and create a harem. More distractions the better for me.
"If you decided to let a woman enter your household then this wife will dutifully assist her."
"Very well."
The King of Yi nodded glancing at the window.
"Shuwan, let the people know that the King of Yi loves his wife dearly and will never marry another woman."
My jaw dropped.
"Fvck."
"Fahk?"
My smile was stiffer than fvck.
"It's nothing."
A shadow instantly disappeared from the window like a cold breeze. Amazing I didn't notice him, a shadow guard practicing qigong? Damn, I want to learn that.
"Oh and spread the word that whoever wants to stubbornly recommend their daughter to this King will only lead to death. Their title will be stripped and never would they regain their noble status until the end of their ninth generation."
"That's..."
How overbearing! I felt like I shouldn't have said the word fvck. Yes, I just felt like I shouldn't have done that.
"Dear, how about telling me more?"
"My, and here I thought you'd forgotten."
Weird.
Never did I read in chapters he refer to himself as 'I'. Can personalities change this quickly? I did skip some chapters...
"Do continue."
"I regret not meeting you earlier. You're far brighter than the sun and moon the more bengong is close to you."
My lips twitched, and another bvllshit was spouted from his mouth. How much spouting can you say in a day huh?
"Your Highness, the King of Yi, you alone can outshine them all and create something extremely unprecedented."
He can't be the only one complimenting here.
We both smiled, a smile both of us can recognize easily.
That is of course being pretenders.