Accidentally Married the Princess [Time Travel] - Chapter 17

Having failed to hunt any game, Gong Yu was punished by drinking three cups of wine. By the time she returned to her tent at night, she felt light-headed and unsteady. Fortunately, after drinking some sobering soup, she regained much of her clarity.

Gong Yu played with the little white rabbit, observing the girl’s attire, which clearly did not resemble that of the common people of Gong Kingdom.

Moreover, there was a broken arrow embedded in her body, bearing a peculiar emblem that resembled some sort of symbol.

“Your Highness, this girl’s origins are unknown. Keeping her in this camp might not be appropriate.”

“It’s fine. Once she wakes up, if there’s no issue, we’ll let her go,” Gong Yu replied, preoccupied with examining the broken arrow.

After two days of hunting, their meals had consisted mostly of meat, prepared too simply and lacking any real flavor. Gong Yu had long grown sick of it.

On the morning of their return journey, the girl finally awoke, but her mind was still unclear. The guards could find no information about her.

Gong Yu decided to take the girl back to the capital with her, reasoning that her estate was large enough and that housing one more person shouldn’t be a problem.

Yet, within half a month, rumors began spreading throughout the capital that the Ninth Prince had secretly taken in a concubine and brought her into his residence.

Meanwhile, the subject of these rumors—Gong Yu—was peacefully lounging in Dai Ru Yan’s courtyard, indulging in food and drink.

The plump little rabbit, now well-fed, hopped around Dai Ru Yan’s knees, but Dai Ru Yan’s attention remained fixed on the broken arrow in her hand, ignoring the rabbit.

Bored, the rabbit hopped over to Gong Yu and nuzzled against her. Gong Yu stroked its head and cradled it in her arms, asking, “Ah-Yan, you don’t recognize it either?”

“This arrow isn’t crafted in the conventional style of the Gong Kingdom’s royal artisans. This girl’s identity is a mystery—she could very well be a spy sent by outsiders.”

“Huh?”

Gong Yu held the rabbit’s front paws up in a surrendering pose, leaning closer to Dai Ru Yan. “But the physician said her mind is still muddled. Even if she were a spy, wouldn’t she be useless now?”

Dai Ru Yan hesitated, then reached out to stroke the rabbit’s head, incidentally pinching Gong Yu’s earlobe as she sighed. “Then let her stay with me.”

“That… wouldn’t be good.”

“Why not?” Dai Ru Yan didn’t release Gong Yu’s earlobe, instead expressing surprise at her refusal.

Gong Yu let Dai Ru Yan toy with her ear while kneading the rabbit’s soft fur. “No matter what, she’s someone Third Brother has his eye on. If she really is a spy, she could pose a threat to you, Ah-Yan.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just let her go?”

Dai Ru Yan withdrew her hand and poured tea. “But I’ve heard that right now, the girl won’t let anyone near her except you, Little Nine.”

“Eh? Ah-Yan, you know about that too?” Gong Yu accepted the tea Dai Ru Yan handed her, allowing the rabbit to wriggle free from her grasp.

“I’m just worried this girl might have ill intentions toward you, and you remain completely unaware,” Dai Ru Yan said helplessly after taking a sip of tea.

“Ah…”

Gong Yu chuckled. “I’m not that careless. The girl looks about my age. We only chat occasionally. I hardly spend any real time with her.”

Dai Ru Yan set down her teacup and murmured, “So you’re just going to ignore the rumors spreading through the capital?”

“Those rumors are just idle gossip from people with nothing better to do. Even if I wanted to stop them, I couldn’t,” Gong Yu replied, reaching for a piece of pastry nearby and popping it into her mouth. The sweetness of the pastry helped offset the bitterness of the tea.

“As you wish.” Dai Ru Yan suddenly stood up and walked to the side, her tone sounding somewhat cold.

Gong Yu hurriedly rose to her feet, and the little rabbit, hearing the commotion, obediently followed the hem of Dai Ru Yan’s skirt—even more dutifully than Gong Yu herself.

Today, Dai Ru Yan was dressed in a light cyan gown with flowing sleeves, accentuating her graceful figure, as elegant and supple as a willow swaying in the breeze.

Just as Gong Yu was about to follow her, Dai Ru Yan suddenly turned her head and fixed her gaze on Gong Yu, saying quite coldly, “I’m not feeling well and need to rest. Do as you please.”

Huh?

How did she suddenly fall ill in the middle of their conversation?

Gong Yu stared blankly at the little rabbit, which had already abandoned its original owner and was now scampering after Dai Ru Yan without a backward glance.

“Do as you please”—what kind of attitude was that?

Poor Gong Yu, having been shut out, had no choice but to return to her residence by sedan chair. Along the corridor, she encountered the girl.

The girl ran toward her with a smile, now dressed in a light red dress, her face as radiant as a blooming flower—truly youthful and full of vitality.

Unfortunately, Gong Yu was in a bad mood, her mind spinning with thoughts before she finally said, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to meet a big sister, alright?”

Though Gong Yu wasn’t particularly keen on introducing others to Dai Ru Yan. After all, someone as beautiful as Dai Ru Yan was better kept hidden.

The girl nibbled on the pastry Gong Yu handed her, nodding with a silly grin, her innocence making Gong Yu feel like the villain in comparison.

Early the next morning, a light drizzle fell outside. Though not heavy, it was enough to dampen clothes. Gong Yu brought the girl along to Dai Ru Yan’s courtyard.

“Brother…” the girl called out with a smile.

At first, Gong Yu wasn’t used to this form of address, but she had no choice but to let it slide.

The maid who opened the door immediately wore an unpleasant expression. “It’s so early in the morning, and my lady hasn’t even woken up yet. How shameless of the Ninth Prince to come at this hour.”

Uh…

Before Gong Yu could respond, the girl beside her spoke up: “Mean person!”

The maid, angered, glared at the girl and snapped, “You—who are you calling mean?”

“Mean person,” the girl repeated, blinking innocently with a smile.

“Then I’ll wait here. It’s no trouble to see Sister Dai whenever she wakes,” Gong Yu interjected, cutting off the exchange.

And so, Gong Yu and the girl waited in the courtyard of the side hall, with only a pot of tea and not even a plate of pastries to accompany them.

The girl, clearly displeased, rubbed her stomach and whined, “Hungry… tummy hurts.”

Luckily, Gong Yu had a habit of carrying snacks with her. She pulled out a small oil-paper package from her sleeve, containing sticky rice cakes—sweet and delicious.

“Good thing I brought some. Want some?” Gong Yu asked with a smile, holding out a small piece.

The girl leaned in and took a bite of the cake Gong Yu offered, her cheeks puffing up as if she couldn’t be more satisfied.

Gong Yu ate some herself but, worried the girl might swallow too quickly, hurriedly said, “Don’t gulp it all down at once.”

But she spoke too late. The girl had already swallowed it whole, her eyes reddening in discomfort as she looked at Gong Yu pitifully.

“Here, have some tea,” Gong Yu said, holding a cup of water to her lips. “Don’t cry. A sip of water will make it better.”

The girl was easy to comfort. She lowered her head to drink the tea Gong Yu offered, and her mood brightened again.

Suddenly, light footsteps sounded outside. Gong Yu turned her head and saw Dai Ru Yan walking gracefully toward them. She immediately straightened her posture.

Unlike usual, Dai Ru Yan didn’t speak first, nor did she look at Gong Yu. She simply sat down quietly to the side.

This behavior left Gong Yu utterly bewildered. Nervously, she took a sip of tea.

However, the tea didn’t seem as bitter as what Dai Ru Yan usually drank.

“Has Sister Dai eaten yet?” Gong Yu asked with a cheeky smile.

Dai Ru Yan held the teacup and glanced at the girl before replying, “I have.”

The hall fell silent again, save for the little rabbit that followed Dai Ru Yan, hopping and circling around her.

The girl beside them curiously reached out and hugged the soft little rabbit, giggling as she nuzzled against it.

Gong Yu couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Across from her, Dai Ru Yan suddenly set down her teacup and asked, “Why did you bring this girl here?”

“I brought her for you to see, of course.”

After some reflection, Gong Yu had concluded that Dai Ru Yan’s unusual mood yesterday was likely because of this girl.

Dai Ru Yan’s gaze shifted from Gong Yu to the girl beside her, then she said softly, “If she were from an outsider clan, she would have revealed something unusual in conversation. But right now, she seems mentally unclear—it’s probably impossible to uncover anything.”

After a brief pause, she added, “If you want to keep her in your residence, that’s fine. But her identity as an outsider woman must remain hidden.”

Gong Yu nodded obediently, holding her teacup as she replied, “Mm, I’ll make sure of that.”

The girl, meanwhile, played with the rabbit, seemingly oblivious to the conversation between Dai Ru Yan and Gong Yu.

Dai Ru Yan smoothed her sleeves and turned her head to look at the light rain outside. “I had loquat trees planted in my backyard. They should be ripe by now. Why don’t you go pick some to try?”

“Sure!” Gong Yu stood up, only to find her robe tugged by the girl. She bent down to reassure her, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring back something delicious for you. Stay here and behave, alright?”

The girl obediently let go, watching Gong Yu with wide eyes. Dai Ru Yan sipped her tea without a word.

Only after Gong Yu followed the servant out of the side hall, her footsteps fading into the distance, did the sound of rain outside grow louder. Dai Ru Yan’s fingers traced the rim of her teacup, her gaze not once landing on the girl, as if speaking to herself:

“I don’t care if you’re truly foolish or just pretending. I’m only warning you—stay away from Gong Yu. If she suffers even the slightest harm because of you, you won’t live to see another day.”

The girl shrank back, staring at Dai Ru Yan without a single reaction, as if she were truly an innocent, unknowing child.

Dai Ru Yan watched the rain outside grow heavier and called softly, “Biyu.”

“Here,” the maid waiting outside the door answered quietly.

“The rain is getting heavier. Send someone to find the Ninth Princess. Tell her a few loquats are enough to satisfy her craving. She shouldn’t stay out in the rain for too long.”

The maid bowed and said, “Yes, my lady.”

The rain intensified. At that moment, Gong Yu, busy beneath the loquat tree, gathered an armful of the fruit and dashed into the covered walkway.

She happened to run into the maid sent to fetch her. Shaking the dampness from her sleeves, Gong Yu grinned and asked, “Did Sister Dai send you to look for me?”

The maid replied patiently, “My lady is kind-hearted. Your Highness shouldn’t read too much into it.”

Gong Yu chuckled, ignoring the sharp-tongued maid, and selected some of the best-looking loquats before heading back to the side hall.

Before she could push the door open, she saw Dai Ru Yan standing in the courtyard. The slightly loose cyan gauze of her robes did nothing to conceal her slender figure. If anything, it made her seem even more delicate.

A few stray strands of hair rested behind her ear, swaying gently in the breeze. Dai Ru Yan reached up to tuck them back, her movements effortless and graceful. Enough to steal one’s breath away.

If one had to choose a single word to describe the person before her, Gong Yu could only think of “radiant.”

Such was the radiance of Dai Ru Yan that it left one utterly at a loss for words.

The rain pattered down from the eaves, forming delicate curtains of water. Dai Ru Yan tilted her head slightly to glance in this direction, her clear eyes reflecting the flustered Gong Yu—even the tips of her reddened ears were visible in that gaze.