Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 29

The entire Ling residence was draped in mourning white. Ling Fu’s body had not yet been transported back, and for the time being, Ling Ya was managing the large household and its many affairs.

Some close and distant relatives had already arrived, but not a single member of the Ling clan had shown up yet. This suited Ling Ya just fine. After all, she was not entirely naive, she could more or less guess what she would have to face in the days to come.

Ling Ya did not know whether she had the ability to overcome this crisis, but no matter how difficult it was, she had to face it.

According to custom, the belongings of the deceased, such as clothing, had to be sorted and burned. Ling Ya entered her father’s room and began tidying up.

In truth, these tasks could have been left to the maids, but Ling Ya’s mind was burdened with too many thoughts. Keeping herself busy helped distract her.

As she cleared out all the clothes from the wardrobe, a maid was organizing old items in another corner.

Ling Ya was about to leave when she noticed a tiny gap in the inner wall of the wardrobe. She reached out to touch it and confirmed that she had not been mistaken.

Just as she leaned in for a closer look, she stepped on the hem of her skirt, stumbling forward. Her hand happened to press against the rectangular outline formed by the gap.

Click!

Ling Ya did not fall. Once she steadied herself and let go, a small box slid out from where she had pressed.

Inside the box lay a rolled-up white scroll, tied securely in the middle with a brown cord.

It was clearly a hidden compartment, and the item inside had been deliberately concealed by Ling Fu.

What could be so important that her father had gone to such lengths to hide it?

Driven by curiosity, Ling Ya untied the cord and unrolled the scroll. The characters on it were incredibly small, densely packed like ants crawling across the surface.

Ling Ya strained her eyes to read further.

Everything before her felt familiar. It took Ling Yue a while to realize she was in her own room.

Perhaps she had slept for too long her head ached slightly. Propping herself up, she sat in a daze, murmuring, “Wasn’t I in the mountains?”

Chun Tao entered with a basin of water for washing her face. As soon as she stepped inside, she heard her mistress speaking nonsense. Setting the basin down, she said with concern, “Miss, I really don’t feel at ease about you leaving.”

Ling Yue took the towel Chun Tao handed her, washed her face, and then asked, “What time did I return last night? And where is the Eldest Princess?”

At this, Chun Tao couldn’t help but feel pity.

What kind of misfortune had her young lady brought upon herself? Whether in dreams or reality, she was always thinking of the Eldest Princess.

But that was the Eldest Princess, the likelihood of her falling in love with someone was about as probable as a pig climbing a tree.

Chun Tao poured out the wash water and sighed helplessly, “Miss, didn’t you come back on your own?”

Ling Yue had no memory of it. She only remembered the Eldest Princess telling her many things before falling asleep on her lap.

She had intended to bring the Eldest Princess back to the city, but who would have thought she would succumb to drowsiness and fall asleep as well?

Could it be that she had a habit of sleepwalking?

Ling Yue couldn’t make sense of it. At least she had returned home safely but what about the Eldest Princess?

Had she sleepwalked back alone, leaving the Eldest Princess still in the mountains?

The thought sent a chill down Ling Yue’s spine. She hurriedly dressed, tied her long hair up hastily with a hair ribbon, and rushed out the door.

Just as she stepped out of her room, she saw Ling Ya approaching, her expression heavy with worry.

When Ling Ya spotted Ling Yue, her smile was strained, and she greeted her stiffly, “You’re awake, little sister. Are you feeling unwell?”

Ling Yue was perfectly fine, just a bit flustered. On the other hand, Ling Ya’s behavior was strange, but given her chronically weak constitution, it might have been due to overexertion these past couple of days.

Worried about the safety of the Grand Princess, Ling Yue had no time for small talk with her sister and brushed her off dismissively: “It’s nothing. I won’t chat with you now, Sister.”

With that, she turned to leave, but fortunately, Ling Ya stopped her in time.

Ling Yue looked at her, puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

Under Ling Yue’s gaze, Ling Ya suddenly grew timid again. She released her grip and lied, “I just wanted to ask where you’re going.”

Ling Yue didn’t overthink it. “To see the Grand Princess.”

“Is that so? Then come back early.”

Ling Yue sensed something amiss. After taking two steps forward, she turned back. “Sister, is something troubling you?”

Ling Ya forced a stiff smile. “Not at all. I’m managing the household affairs. The Grand Princess’s matters are more urgent. You should go.”

Even someone as oblivious as Ling Yue could tell something was wrong. She wanted to ask more, but her concern for the Grand Princess’s safety weighed heavily on her mind after all, the mountains were no place to sleep.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. Bidding farewell to her sister, Ling Yue headed out of the estate.

Before she had taken more than a few steps, she heard an unusual rustle of wind. Casually sidestepping, she saw a small pebble land by her feet.

Looking up, she spotted the very person she was searching for standing on the rooftop, waving at her.

Relieved to see the other safe and sound, Ling Yue found an unnoticed spot and flew up to join her.

“Your Highness.”

Ling Yue noticed that the other seemed to enjoy high places, on the city walls that day, atop the mountain last night, and now crouching on a rooftop.

To avoid drawing attention, Ling Yue sat down as well, though it was little more than a psychological comfort. Many people still noticed and began pointing.

Normally, someone would have urged her to come down, but with the Grand Princess seated beside her, no one dared say a word.

Gradually, the streets emptied as people retreated into their homes.

With nothing left to see, Lu He stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and smiled at Ling Yue. “Come with me to the palace for a while.”

The journey was silent. Ling Yue wanted to apologize to the Grand Princess but never found the right moment.

It wasn’t until they were seated in the Hall of Self-Cultivation, with no one else around, that she finally gathered the courage to speak. “Your Highness, how did you return yesterday?”

Lu He, who was brewing tea, replied casually, “When I woke up, you were already asleep. You looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Ling Yue pondered this, it didn’t seem like she had walked back on her own.

But there had been no one else on the mountain last night. Could it be that the Grand Princess had carried her back?

The thought made Ling Yue uneasy. Tentatively, she asked, “Did you bring me back, Your Highness?”

The tea was ready. Lu He took a sip and smiled. “Yes. Fortunately, you’re not heavy. Carrying you wasn’t tiring.”

Carrying?

Ling Yue was stunned. The Grand Princess had carried her back.

Lu He looked at Ling Yue’s dumbfounded expression and couldn’t help but smile.

How to describe it? Adorably foolish.

She’d be easily deceived.

The thought suddenly made Lu He feel uncomfortable. She set down her teacup, the dark reddish-brown tea reflecting her frowning face.

She raised a hand to smooth her brows, feeling a wave of confusion.

Ling Yue hadn’t yet recovered. Many questions flooded her mind like her poor sleeping habits or the fact that she talked in her sleep.

According to Chun Tao, her sleep-talking even involved the Grand Princess.

Ling Yue’s face flushed with embarrassment. Having lived her life as an honest person, it felt as though her reputation was ruined in a single day.

The moment she recalled calling the princess by her name while nestled in her arms, she covered her face and began searching for a crack in the ground to hide in.

Why did the craftsmen have to build it so flawlessly? There wasn’t even a single crack to squeeze into.

Lu He had been lost in her own thoughts, but Ling Yue’s sudden series of flustered movements left her utterly bewildered.

Even if she was embarrassed, there was no need to act like this.

The heaviness in her heart quietly dissipated, and Lu He chuckled, “You’re so easily flustered.”

Ling Yue lowered her hands, revealing a flushed face. Everything that had just crossed her mind was mere conjecture she still needed to ask to know the truth.

Forcing herself to calm down, she asked, “Did I say anything foolish in my sleep?”

Seeing how nervous she was, Lu He deliberately adopted a hesitant expression, which thoroughly frightened Ling Yue.

Before Lu He could even say anything, Ling Yue had already confessed her “crime.” “Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“Oh? What crime have you committed? Tell me.”

Ling Yue couldn’t bring herself to say it. She hemmed and hawed for a long time, finally offering a vague reply: “I have offended Your Highness. Please grant me your forgiveness.”

This only piqued Lu He’s interest further. She pressed, “Offended? Repeat what you said to offend me.”

The princess’s persistence troubled Ling Yue greatly. She could only repeat, “Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

Seeing her reluctance, Lu He set aside her curiosity. There would be plenty of time in the future sooner or later, she would find out.

“Never mind.”

Ling Yue felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and she couldn’t help but admire the princess’s magnanimity for letting such a matter slide so easily.

Lu He was quiet while reviewing memorials, and Ling Yue didn’t dare disturb her, though she found herself growing bored.

Occasionally, Lu He would glance up and see Ling Yue idly spinning a teacup, examining it from one angle before shifting to another. The palace was quite large perhaps it would be good to let her go out for a stroll.

Lowering her head to continue reading the memorials, Lu He said, “Go out and take a walk. You might even run into Qing Niao wandering around.”

Ling Yue hesitated, but after repeated assurances from Lu He, she finally stepped out of the Yangxing Hall.

She wasn’t familiar with the palace paths. In her past life, whenever she entered the palace, she went directly to the Yangxin Hall. After meeting Lu Weiying, she would retrace her steps to leave. Never before had she been free to wander like this.

But where should she go? Ling Yue felt lost.

After standing still for a while, she decided to simply walk straight ahead.

As she continued forward, she encountered very few people along the way perhaps because the princess preferred peace and quiet.

“Ling Yue.”

The call came from above in a tree. Ling Yue looked up and saw Qing Niao perched on a branch, next to an empty bird’s nest.

It suited her name quite well, but the tree was rather tall. Wasn’t she afraid of falling from such a height?

The princess truly had a remarkable array of talents around her, and each of them had their own eccentricities though, for now, Qing Niao was the only one she knew.

With a light leap, Ling Yue landed on the tree, eliciting an exclamation from Qing Niao: “It’s so much easier for those of you who know martial arts. It took me ages to climb up here.”

Noticing the empty nest, Ling Yue grew even more puzzled. “What are you doing up here?”

Qing Niao pointed at the empty nest beside her and smiled wryly. “I thought this nest looked like it might fall, so I came up to straighten it. But it turns out it’s empty.”

One had to admit, though Qing Niao’s personality was a bit peculiar, her heart was in the right place.

Ling Yue smiled and said, “I see. But it’s too dangerous to stay up here. We should get down as soon as possible.”

Qing Niao’s expression shifted, and she replied with a bitter smile, “I can’t get down.”

This was a possibility Ling Yue hadn’t considered. Her smile couldn’t help but brighten, but while she enjoyed the joke, she still had to help.

She reached out and grabbed Qing Niao by the belt, lifting her up. The sudden loss of balance made Qing Niao shriek in panic.

“Ah!!!!”

When her feet touched the ground, Qing Niao couldn’t steady herself and fell backward. Rubbing her sore bottom, she yelled, “Couldn’t you carry me on your back? Did you have to lift me by the belt?”

Ling Yue didn’t think she had done anything wrong. She retorted confidently, “Heaven and earth have their order, men and women should keep their distance.”

Qing Niao grew even angrier at this, her voice sharpening, “You’re so old-fashioned!”

Ling Yue couldn’t be bothered to argue. Having already saved the person, she continued walking forward, while Qing Niao trailed behind, grumbling and rubbing her sore bottom.

Their voices gradually faded into the distance. Lu Weiying stood under the same tree, watching their figures grow smaller and smaller.

She slammed her fist against the tree beside her, and an empty bird’s nest fell at her feet.

Only when Ling Yue’s figure disappeared from sight did she finally leave.

Support