After Becoming Pregnant With The Empress Cat's Cub - Chapter 35

Ju Rin clumsily slid her fingers into the gaps between the human’s own.

Night fell, and lights flickered to life throughout the palace. Inside the Queen’s residence, it was even brighter, illuminated as if it were broad daylight.

Ju Rin, arriving first, didn’t enter immediately. She stood outside the doors, looking up at the bright moon in the night sky. It was a moon just like this, nearly full, yet missing a silver on the night she had decided to leave the palace. Since then, whenever she saw such a moon, she was reminded of the words that had spurred her departure.

The Queen had said she didn’t want to see her again… Even knowing it was said in the heat of the moment, Ju Rin’s heart still ached.

“Princess, please come inside,” a servant waiting for her said, noticing her hesitation. “A lounge has been prepared for you.”

Hearing this, Ju Rin looked at the servant, her deep eyes dimming. The Queen still wasn’t willing to see her privately. “No need,” she replied, looking back at the moon. “I’m waiting for my person.” She would go in once the human arrived.

The servant relayed the message inside. The guards at the door were secretly pleased, beastmen admire the strong, and the Princess was the strongest they had ever seen. They watched her with eyes full of reverence. For a moment, a tableau formed, the Princess gazing at the moon, and everyone else gazing at the Princess.

After a while, the night wind picked up, but the person she was waiting for had yet to arrive. Another message came from inside, urging the Princess to enter.

“Your Highness, the wind is picking up. Why don’t you wait in the lounge? I’ll wait here,” the servant suggested.

Ju Rin was about to refuse when her ears twitched. She heard footsteps in the distance, irregular ones. A few quick steps, a sudden pause, a heavy skip, then a few steps so light they seemed to be on tiptoe. In this palace, only one person walked like that.

Thinking of Lan Ye, Ju Rin’s lips curled slightly, and her cold, moonlit expression softened. She looked toward the sound.

In the darkness, Lan Ye looked around curiously. The palace at night felt even more dreamlike, like a fairy tale world. In her original world, palaces were grand, ancient structures with straight red walls and gray tiles. Here, the paths were winding and irregular, flanked by glowing flora.

The lights were unique, mushroom shaped lamps in the grass, glowing artificial leaves on trees, and statues of the Cat-Li race that radiated light. It felt like stepping into a secret realm. If Lola hadn’t reminded her they were running late, she would have stopped to stare.

As they rounded a corner, Ju Rin smoothed her hair. When she saw Lan Ye, her heart skipped. This was the third time today her heart had reacted to the human’s attire. From the white wedding dress in the morning to the green dress in the afternoon, Lan Ye now wore a silver moon evening gown that seemed woven from moonlight itself. Yet, even that radiance couldn’t outshine the star like sparkle in the human’s eyes.

Once Ju Rin met that gaze, she couldn’t see any other light. She realized the human was right, she did carry a bit of light with her.

Lan Ye’s eyes brightened further when she saw Ju Rin. She hiked up her skirt and started running.

“Be careful!” Lola cried out, startled. “Miss Lan Ye, slow down!” The Princess had emphasized that the human was pregnant and shouldn’t run.

Before Lola could even take a step, a guard blurred past her like a gust of wind.

“Careful, Lan Ye.”

Before the words had even landed, Ju Rin was already there. She was much faster than the human. Lan Ye had barely taken a few steps before the person she’d seen in the distance was right in front of her. She tried to brake.

Ju Rin caught her, stabilizing her and spinning her half a turn to shield her from the approaching guards. Ju Rin didn’t look back; she only cared about the person in her arms.

“Careful,” Ju Rin repeated. The data said pregnant humans had to be extremely cautious.

Lan Ye found it hard to remember she was “pregnant” unless she needed to use the status to her advantage. Seeing Ju Rin “teleport” over, she assumed the Princess was just eager to see her. She hugged Ju Rin back, looking up with sparkling eyes. “Rin, were you waiting for me?”

Ju Rin felt a bit self-conscious under that gaze. She let go but didn’t deny it. “Mm.”

Lan Ye smiled. She’d forgiven Ju Rin for “escaping” earlier. Remembering the photos she’d seen after the Princess left, her smile took on a mischievous edge that Ju Rin couldn’t quite place.

“What is it?” Ju Rin asked, feeling a sense of impending trouble.

Lan Ye shook her head. Since there were others around, she’d save the “blackmail” photos on her phone for later. Once they were back in their chambers, just the two of them, they could “appreciate” them together, specifically the ones she’d hand-picked from a whole bookshelf of albums.

“Does my dress look good?” Lan Ye changed the subject, spinning around. She hadn’t expected a simple dinner to require a whole new outfit, but apparently her “elegant” afternoon dress wasn’t enough. She’d even been forced to wear makeup.

Ju Rin looked at the fluffy, dandelion-like head of hair and chuckled. “Mm.”

Lan Ye raised an eyebrow, her smile fading. This tsundere’s praise was far too stingy. What kind of compliment was “Mm”? She looked past Ju Rin toward the guard behind her.

“Little Landmine said I’m as beautiful as the moon and stars that flowers bloom and leaves rustle whenever I pass, and that everyone regrets having only two eyes because they can’t see enough of me.”

Ju Rin: “…”

She looked back and realized the guard was indeed “No. 2.”

Little Landmine saw Lan Ye looking and smiled. “It’s the truth! You’re just that beautiful!”

Ju Rin’s eyes darkened. She looked at Lola as if to ask, Why is she here?

Lola was confused. The Princess had said to bring guards to the Queen’s palace. When she mentioned it, Lan Ye had specifically requested this one. Lola had noticed on the way over that the two seemed to know each other, chatting and laughing until she reminded them to be quiet.

“Everyone, dismissed,” Ju Rin said coldly.

Lola immediately complied, ushering the guards away. Little Landmine didn’t move until she looked at Lan Ye.

Lan Ye waved her off. “It’s okay, Little Landmine. Go ahead. I’m safe with her~” She patted Ju Rin’s shoulder.

At this, Little Landmine finally remembered her place, bowed, and reluctantly withdrew. Ju Rin wondered whose guard she actually was.

As Little Landmine walked away, she sighed at the moon. Why weren’t they divorcing? She’d thought her chance had come when Lan Ye mentioned leaving earlier today. Now, the wedding was back on. Fine, she thought, I’ll keep waiting.

Lola, walking beside her, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“When do you think the Princess will get other lovers?” Little Landmine asked longingly. “I hope it’s soon.” Earlier, when she asked Lan Ye if she’d consider a lover, Lan Ye had said that since the Princess didn’t have any, she wouldn’t either.

Left alone, Lan Ye looked at Ju Rin. “I’ll give you a chance to try again.”

“What chance?”

Lan Ye spun again. “A chance to praise me properly.”

Ju Rin: “…”

Lan Ye: “Do I look good?” Her eyes carried a playful threat, if the Princess didn’t say something good, she’d go right back to No. 2.

Thinking of the guard’s flowery words, Ju Rin was silent for a long time. Finally, as a servant from the Queen’s palace approached, she spoke quickly.

“You look good… You’re the most beautiful in the whole world.”

In her haste, she’d simply copied Lan Ye’s own style of praising. Her face felt hot. What am I saying?

Lan Ye beamed. “Well, that’s not quite right.”

Ju Rin looked down at her.

“There is someone more beautiful than me,” Lan Ye winked. “You are the most beautiful person in the whole world!”

Even knowing it was a “setup” line, Ju Rin’s heart thudded.

The Queen’s servant, approaching to ask if anything was wrong, overheard the flirting. She was stunned. Rumors had been flying all afternoon about the human lover the Princess was so fond of. For years, many had tried and failed to become Ju Rin’s lover; apparently, they had been too subtle. It turned out the Princess liked this direct approach. The servant made a mental note to tell her friends, a lover wasn’t a wife, there was still room for more.

“Your Highness, it is time. Please come in.”

Ju Rin regained her composure and nodded. She reached out her hand, intending to lead Lan Ye in safely. Lan Ye took it, her fingers naturally sliding into the gaps to interlock them. Their two diamond rings, one large, one small, brushed together, sparkling in the night.

Ju Rin looked down at their joined hands. She felt a warmth in the spaces between her fingers. This was a strange way to hold hands… She felt a bit restless but didn’t pull away.

Lan Ye didn’t notice the tension. She was admiring Ju Rin’s outfit. The Princess had also changed into a similarly colored gown, but with more jewels on the belt and sleeves. Her hair was styled with delicate braids pinned back by a jeweled clip. She looked every bit the high-born princess.

Lan Ye mused that being a princess was hard work, changing clothes just for a meal. In her old life, she only saw this on TV. Usually, if she went out for hot pot, she’d wear something she was planning to wash anyway. She chuckled, her life had certainly changed. It was fun for a taste, but doing this every day would be a hassle. She hated trouble.

The Queen’s palace felt even colder and quieter than Ju Rin’s, mostly because it was larger.

“Does the Queen like music?” Lan Ye asked, breaking the silence of the long hallway.

“Why?” Ju Rin asked.

“If she does, she should install some speakers and play something.”

Ju Rin: “…” Does this human think this is a shopping mall? She bit back her critique and offered a different warning instead. “No matter what they say to you later, don’t mind it…”

She didn’t know what her parents wanted, but it likely wouldn’t be pleasant. Remembering how much Lan Ye cared about food, she added, “If you don’t like the food, you don’t have to eat it. We can have the kitchen make what you like when we get back.”

Lan Ye interpreted this as Ju Rin worrying she’d lose her appetite over mean comments. “Don’t worry. If it’s something unpleasant, I’ll just treat it like a fart. I don’t go around seriously smelling other people’s farts.”

Ju Rin: “…” It was crude, but strangely philosophical. She realized the human had a certain wisdom, even if her delivery was lacking.

They reached the dining room, and Lan Ye gasped. The room was larger than two basketball courts combined. “How many people are eating tonight?”

“Four.” Ju Rin was confused; Lola should have told her it was just the King, the Queen, and them.

Lan Ye pointed at the table, which was nearly twenty meters long. “Don’t you think this table is a bit… much?”

Ju Rin didn’t see the problem. She’d grown up eating here. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s huge!”

Lan Ye looked at the massive crystal chandelier above. It was grand, but in this cavernous room, it felt lonely. A dining room should be lively and warm. This was just strange.

A bell rang in the hallway. Ju Rin pulled Lan Ye to the side. Soon, the King appeared. She looked healthier than she had in the morning, her face less pale. Beside her was the Queen.

Lan Ye gave a warm smile, but the Queen merely frowned slightly and looked away. Lan Ye didn’t mind. She noticed that while Ju Rin looked like the King, she had the Queen’s cold, unapproachable aura. Definitely related, Lan Ye thought.

She followed Ju Rin’s lead in bowing. Ju Rin was surprised, she had told Lan Ye that as a pregnant woman, she had special exemptions. But Lan Ye did it anyway, as if she were greeting family rather than monarchs. Something in Ju Rin’s heart warmed. She reached out to help Lan Ye back up.

The King and Queen paused briefly to look at the human, then continued as if nothing had happened. They split up, one going left, one going right, with their respective retinues following.

“Are they really going to sit at opposite ends?” Lan Ye whispered.

“Mm,” Ju Rin replied.

“Then where do we sit?”

Ju Rin led her to the very center of the long table. After a servant pulled out Lan Ye’s chair, Ju Rin walked all the way around to sit directly across from her. Lan Ye couldn’t help but laugh. “Why doesn’t a family eat together?” At least the table wasn’t too wide, she could still talk to Ju Rin.

Ju Rin didn’t know how to answer. She thought of the tiny table at Lan Ye’s house where everyone sat close together. That wasn’t how things worked in the palace.

Another bell rang. The King’s servant rang a handbell, and the signal was passed down a line of servants until it reached the kitchen.

“Is that to call for the food?” Lan Ye asked. “Why not just call the kitchen on the phone?”

Ju Rin: “…” She’d never thought about it.

“Oh, right, ritual!” Lan Ye realized. It was like lighting candles. She looked at the monarchs at either end of the table. “How do they talk to each other from that far away? Do they have headsets?”

“They don’t,” Ju Rin explained. “We don’t talk during meals.”

Lan Ye’s eyes widened. “Is that a rule because the table is too long, or did you make the table long so you wouldn’t have to talk?”

Ju Rin: “…”

“What’s the point of eating together then?” Lan Ye muttered. It was like agreeing to go out for hot pot but sitting in separate booths. If anyone “farted” at this distance, you definitely wouldn’t smell it.

The food arrived, highly intricate dishes where Lan Ye couldn’t even identify the ingredients. She ended up eating things she never wanted to taste again.

“This is gross, don’t eat it,” she whispered to Ju Rin. “This one is okay, try it.” “This is good, eat more.”

Lan Ye provided a running commentary on every dish. Her voice was low, and in the vast room, it didn’t disturb the silence at the ends of the table.

Ju Rin realized this was the first time she’d ever had someone talk to her in this dining room. She didn’t hate it, in fact, she liked it. She found herself with a better appetite than usual. She watched the way Lan Ye’s eyebrows furrowed at bad tastes and lifted at good ones. Even without speaking, Lan Ye was expressive. Ju Rin silently made a note of the dishes that made the human smile.

Two hours later, Lan Ye was full. The King and Queen hadn’t said a word the entire time. They hadn’t even checked their phones. So much patience for loneliness, Lan Ye thought.

A bell rang. The King stood up, and the Queen followed. Then Ju Rin stood, and Lan Ye did the same. The two monarchs met in the middle. Lan Ye expected them to finally speak, but they just nodded to each other and walked toward the exit together.

“That’s it? It’s over?” Lan Ye was baffled. “They didn’t say anything!”

Suddenly, her hand was caught. Ju Rin stood beside her and, with a bit of hesitation, clumsily interlocked her fingers with Lan Ye’s, just as the human had done before.

“Not yet,” Ju Rin said, leading her out. She explained that tea time followed dinner. That was when people actually talked.

Lan Ye’s eyes lit up. She knew it! Now that they were fed and watered, it was time for the “spicy” drama to begin.