What!?

"I'm sure you don't want to be beheaded." Meiruo smiled.

"Yes, I know," Liu'er said to her meiruo as she tightened her grip.

The next day, while Wu Meiruo and Mu liu were attending to their duties in the imperial kitchen, a consort's personal maid, specifically Consort Rong's maid, entered.

Consort rong was favored by the Qi dynasty's empress, and consort rong entered the palace through her.

Maids were always qualified by the level of their master, so Li Min, consort rong's maid, was the most respected after Lu min, the maid of noble lady Qin.

"Who is Wu Meiruo?" Li Min inquired, breaking the kitchen's silence.

Following Li Min's question, all of the cooks present pointed to Meiruo, who was standing next to Liu'er.

Li Min smiled at the cooks' response, "Consort Rong, my master seeks your attention."

For her to be called by Consort Rong meant she was either in trouble or had received Consort Rong's favor, all the cooks thoughy.

"I!?"

Meiruo inquired, wanting to ensure that this consort rong was truly interested in her.

The chefs were present, and Li Min nodded.

"Am I the only one, or is she coming along?"

Wu meiruo inquired, referring to Liu'er, that if someone sought her attention, they should also seek Liu'er's.

When they entered the palace, Meiruo never went anywhere without liu'er trailing behind.

If she was on someone's side, liu'er would be as well, and if she was against someone, liu'er would be as well.

Meiruo reasoned that they were frequently seen together

"Who exactly is she?" Li min asked, much to Meiruo's surprise, 

while she was thinking she couldn't be in trouble without Liu'er being in trouble

and that's when this maid said she doesn't know her, which made it almost impossible.

"Consort Rong only requested Wu meiruo's presence," Li min explained,she was only here to deliver a message, how was she supposed to know anything else?"

"All right, let's go," Meiruo said as she pushed through the cooks and followed Li Min behind her.

"Do you know what she's calling me for?" While on their way to consort rong's chamber, Wu meiruo inquired of Li Min.

"No, I don't have the right to speculate on my master's thoughts," Li min said.

In response to Meiruo's inquiry

"Oh," Meiruo exclaimed, immediately closing his mouth.

"We've arrived," Li min said as they approached Consort Rong's chamber.

"Won't you escort me in?" Meiruo inquired.

"Her highness instructed me to wait outside after bringing you in." Li Min stated, and Meiruo entered.

"Greetings, Your highness," Meiruo knelt after entering the chamber and catching sight of consort rong.

"Stand up."

Consort rong said in a commanding tone that, based on Meiruo's prediction, Consort rong would be an arrogant woman.

"I'm curious why you seek my presence."

Meiruo inquired as she rose to her feet.

"What were you doing at Shunxi Palace?" Consort Rong inquired.

Someone did see her at Shunxi Palace, but she wasn't the only one there. Imperial Guard Yunxi and Liu'er were also present.

Were both present at the time,so why didn't she also notice them, Meiruo braced herself before responding.

"I was out for a walk."

"A stroll, you say," said Consort Rong.

"Yes, Your Highness," Wu meiruo said.

"What were you doing here at the time?" Consort Rong inquired, and Meiruo shivered slightly.

What could that consort rong have heard, or was she the one who held the discussion she heard the day before?

"Responding to your highness," Meiruo said after some thought.

"I only walked for a few minutes before I was called to duty."

"I heard you were involved in a poisoning case; how about becoming my maid and I assisting you in resolving your problem?"

Meiruo was taken aback when Consort Rong proposed.

Consort Rong, who had entered the palace through the empress, was eager to assist her.

What could have caused consort rong to think that way? Meiruo pondered on this question but couldn't come up with an answer.

Meiruo knew she couldn't accept her request because it might help her solve the poisoning problem but wouldn't help her with the mission.

"Your Highness, I appreciate your kindness, but the matter was decided by the crown prince himself, and I don't believe we have any say in this," Meiruo explained.

Consort Rong sensed that Meiruo was attempting to reject her offer, but since this was what someone had asked her to do, she couldn't give up so easily.

"You underestimate me, little girl; I can beg the empress to intervene in this matter and it will be forgotten in a matter of seconds."

"Can the crown prince reject his own mother's request?" Consort Rong responded, standing up to touch Meiruo's shoulder, who couldn't help but smile.

She knew consort rong had the empress's help, but becoming consort rong's maid didn't help her mission one bit.

"Your highness, if I become your maid, I will be insulted by several people in the palace for seeking help,

And the lives of the others involved in this case will be jeopardized." Wu meiruo tried yet again to reject consort rong's offer.

"You're such a sweetheart, but if you turn down my offer now, not only the ones you want to protect but also you."

"Will die," Consort Rong said after a brief pause in her speech.

She was not about to give up just yet.

"Your highness, could you please give me some time to think about it?" Meiruo asked.

"Think about what!" Consort rong screamed angrily, many maids were looking for this opportunity, 

but this girl right here wanted to think about it because she was so brave.

Despite consort rong's rage, Meiruo did not move; she stated that she rejects it and will stand by her decision.

The people working outside had just heard  Consort Rong scream; they had never heard or seen her so angry.

"Your highness, I beg to depart; I have work to attend to," Meiruo said.

"You..."

Consort Rong was at a loss for words when it came to Meiruo.

"You can leave," Consort Rong admitted defeat.

Meiruo bowed and exited her chamber, where she met Li Min, who asked her, "What did you do to annoy her highness?"

She had also just heard the consort scream.

"You can ask her yourself," Meiruo said as she walked away with a smirk.

Li Min was speechless. Wasn't this the same person who appeared to be about to bow to her? When did she become so proud

Meiruo walked away to register her name tag so she could resume her duties as a maid,

Despite the fact that she had said that to consort rong's offer, she knew it was time for her to resume her duties.

She smiled and walked to the location where she met Liu'er, who was also registering her name.

"You're back," Liu'er said as she noticed Meiruo registering her name tag.

"Yes, I'm back, and I don't believe we need to work together any longer."

As they walked to the study, Meiruo said

Their name tags had already been registered.

"Why!?"

With an angry pout, Liu'er asked, stopping in her tracks. She had told them to always walk together so they wouldn't miss out on anything, but Meiruo was now canceling it.

"Because your reason had expired, consort rong called me but didn't recognize you." Meiruo stated

"Did she discipline you?"

Liu'er inquired, concerned; she now understood why Meiruo had decided to cancel it.

"No, she didn't, but she wanted to help with the poisoning case, which I declined."

"What!?" Meiruo exclaimed, and Liu'er came to a halt.

Liu'er inquired.

"Why did you?" Liu'er inquired again, seeing no reason for Meiruo to reject Consort Rong's offer.

"Because it benefits no one," Meiruo explained.

"How!?"

Liu'er inquired.

"If I accepted her offer, I would become her maid, and I would lose the opportunity to complete my mission; additionally, a poison incident cannot be solved in this manner; someone must suffer as a result."

"And it'll be either you or the cook just now."

Meiruo explained, but Liu'er was still unsatisfied with her response.

"But do you think it's easier to investigate?" Liu'er inquired.

"Do you think others will believe you over the royalties even if you really solve the case?"

Liu'er inquired once more.

"What will we do then?"

"Wait for our deaths, and if I accept her offer, you both will die."Meiruo said 

Liu'er finally understood what Meiruo was saying.

"Don't forget that the crown prince is the one who got us into this mess; he will surely find a way to bring us back," Meiruo assured Liu'er with a smile.

When they arrived at the study, Imperial Guard Yunxi was standing at the door.

They pushed past him and entered.

"You've arrived; come and assist me in grinding the ink while your friend cleans the study."

Yang Lei, Crown Prince, stated

Meiruo approached his table and began grinding the ink while writing.

"Again!?"

Liu'er grumbled that she would be cleaning the study alone for the third time.

"Do you think it's too difficult?"

Yang Lei inquired.

"Yunxi?!"

Yang Lei called

"Assist her in cleaning the study," Crown Prince Yang Lei said.

"What!?" Meiruo, Liu'er, and Yunxi chorused