Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 74

The merchant caravan could not proceed for the time being, as all the goods had been seized by the authorities. Ling Yue and the others bid farewell to the caravan and continued on their own.

After traveling some distance, they suddenly heard the sound of hoofbeats, and Ling Que’s voice grew closer.

“Stop!”

Ling Yue turned around. She still held some goodwill toward this distant relative and planned to find a reason to get acquainted with her again when she returned to the capital.

Ling Que reined in her horse in front of Ling Yue, rummaged in her sleeve, and leaned over to place a bag of silver in Ling Yue’s hand. “The journey ahead is long, and the money I gave you earlier probably won’t be enough. The Northern Kingdom is not a good place. If you find a suitable spot, it’s best to stay in the Rong Dynasty.”

The money pouch felt heavy in her hand, a considerable sum even for Ling Que. Ling Yue wanted to return it. “We can’t accept this.”

Ling Que looked down at Ling Yue’s outstretched hand but did not take it, refusing firmly. “Consider it a loan. You can repay me later.”

This was merely a comforting excuse for Ling Yue and the others. Ling Que had no intention of ever asking for the money back. Fearing further refusal, she spurred her horse and rode away.

Only after the figure disappeared from sight did a faint smile appear in Ling Yue’s eyes. “How interesting.”

Qing Niao, holding Yun Li’s hand, looked worried. “Are we walking all the way to the Northern Kingdom on foot?”

The Eldest Princess nodded. “If you want to, that’s fine too.”

Qing Niao choked back her words, but the Eldest Princess’s response reassured her. She quickly added, “I don’t want to. Have you arranged for someone to help us?”

Ling Yue was also curious and fixed her gaze on the Eldest Princess, waiting for an answer.

The Eldest Princess smiled meaningfully. “Let’s keep going. Someone will come for us.”

Qing Niao couldn’t help but shiver, rubbing her arms. Whenever the Eldest Princess wore such a smile, it meant another unfortunate soul was about to be ensnared.

Qing Niao silently mourned for the unlucky one for two seconds in her heart, then took the lead, holding Yun Li’s hand.

Ling Yue walked at the rear, believing this would best ensure the Eldest Princess’s safety.

After walking for an unknown length of time, Ling Yue spotted a person by the roadside, arms crossed, leaning against a tree trunk. The figure wore deep blue robes, hair tied simply at the crown, with two daggers tucked at the waist.

Perhaps from frequent exposure to the sun, their skin was much darker than average. Their gaze was cold as it swept over the group, and a scar on the right side of their lips added a touch of fierceness.

Under such a person’s stare, Ling Yue’s internal alarms rang, feeling as if she were being watched by a wolf.

What was even more astonishing was that this person looked exactly like the leader of the escort guards.

She remembered Fu the Escort mentioning she had a twin sister who had gone missing near the Northern Kingdom. Could it be this person?

The other’s gaze was far from friendly. Instinctively, Ling Yue stepped forward to shield the Eldest Princess, returning the wary stare.

The Eldest Princess gently patted Ling Yue’s shoulder. Understanding the gesture, Ling Yue stepped back.

Unfazed by the hostile glare, the Eldest Princess smiled and approached step by step. “I presume you are Escort Bai.”

Bai Yuqi felt a surge of pressure, her heart racing as her hand subtly moved to the dagger at her waist.

The Eldest Princess continued to smile, as if delighted to see an old friend. “Don’t misunderstand, Escort Bai. I merely wish to befriend you.”

As her tone grew heavier toward the end, her smile faded, revealing a hint of killing intent. Bai Yuqi sensed the danger and drew her blade, but then froze in place.

Empty! The two daggers at her waist were gone!

In a panic, she looked up and saw the two blades resting in the hands of the Eldest Princess. She quickly retreated into a defensive stance. “Who are you?!” she demanded.

Last night, she had returned to discuss matters with Xu Hu and the others, but aside from bloodstains and a burnt-out torch, there was nothing else on the ground.

After relighting the torch, she noticed a line of text written on the ground in the language of the Northern Kingdom.

And it wasn’t just ordinary Northern script; it was the ancient script of the Northern Kingdom.

Bai Yuqi found the location mentioned in the text and waited as instructed, never expecting that the ones she would end up waiting for were the refugees from the Wen merchant caravan.

The Eldest Princess casually tossed the two daggers, and they whizzed past Bai Yuqi’s face, embedding themselves in a tree. The hilts vibrated incessantly, emitting a low hum.

Bai Yuqi raised a hand to wipe her cheek, and the bright red blood on her fingertips was glaring.

Since childhood, she had been accustomed to danger, having faced life-and-death situations countless times. But never before had she felt so utterly devoid of the courage to resist as she did today.

Bent over, she retreated behind the tree, then reached out from behind it to pull the two daggers free. Peeking out with half her face, she stared at the Eldest Princess and her companions with extreme wariness.

As if satisfied with having frightened her enough, the Eldest Princess smiled and said, “Don’t be nervous. I’m on your side.”

Suddenly switching to fluent Northern language, the Eldest Princess not only stunned Bai Yuqi but also left Ling Yue wide-eyed in shock. The calmest person present was probably Qing Niao.

Watching the startled expressions around her, Qing Niao felt a subtle sense of satisfaction.

Scared, weren’t they? Hah!

In her past life, Qing Niao had spent years treating the Eldest Princess’s illness. Although the princess’s lucid moments were far outnumbered by her bouts of madness, even the brief periods of clarity were enough to make Qing Niao curse her as a freak.

No one knew how the princess’s mind worked she had a grasp of astronomy, geography, various folk customs, enemy languages, and even some skill in martial arts with blades, spears, and staffs.

Aside from her poor health and bad temper, Qing Niao could hardly find any flaws in her.

Oh, right she was also picky about food, refusing to eat celery, cilantro, or cherry tomatoes.

Having been shocked to the point of numbness, Qing Niao now wanted others to walk the same path she had, so she could sit back and enjoy the show.

The familiar language eased Bai Yuqi’s guard slightly, and her tense body relaxed a little. “Who are you? What do you want from me?”

The Eldest Princess’s eyes curved into a smile. “Me? I’m a spy sent here by the Northern Kingdom.”

Since the two were conversing in Northern language, Ling Yue could only understand bits and pieces, and the rapid pace made it hard to follow completely. Overall, it seemed the Eldest Princess was spinning a tale.

Under her smooth talking, Bai Yuqi’s expression gradually cleared, as if she had been enlightened. How to describe this change vividly?

It was roughly like watching a wolf turn into a dog.

In the end, Bai Yuqi arranged horses and carriages for them and even volunteered to be the driver.

Ling Yue, still mindful of Fu Shuang’s request, climbed out of the carriage and sat beside Bai Yuqi to chat.

Looking at the face so similar to Fu Shuang’s, Ling Yue couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you come to the Rong Dynasty, Miss Bai?”

Bai Yuqi flicked the horsewhip, her tone as calm as her expression. “To find someone.”

Ling Yue’s heart stirred, and she quickly asked, “Looking for family?”

Bai Yuqi nodded slightly, then added, “To kill them after I find them.”

Ling Yue: “…”

Never mind, perhaps she didn’t quite understand the mindset of the Northerners. But if Bai Yuqi could recognize them as refugees from the caravan, how could she have missed Fu Shuang, whose face was identical to hers?

The Eldest Princess continued to refer to Ling Yue as her younger sister, and since Ling Yue could also speak a bit of simple Northern dialect, Bai Yuqi felt quite close to her.

Ling Yue let out an awkward laugh, suddenly unsure how to continue the conversation. She fell silent, shrinking into herself like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Bai Yuqi glanced at Ling Yue before looking ahead again. “After all, my identity is special. If it weren’t for the protection of the Gale Escort Agency, I would have been captured long ago by the soldiers of Rong City. Taking reckless revenge would be too risky.”

Ling Yue looked up at her. There was no trace of emotion on the other’s face neither joy nor anger as if she held no particular feelings for Fu Shuang, her own kin.

Bai Yuqi didn’t hold back, but this time her tone carried a hint of sarcasm: “The Rong Dynasty is in such chaos that I can achieve my goals through more indirect means. However, things have unfolded unexpectedly, so I’ll let Fu Shuang live a few more days.”

What a peculiar sisterly relationship?

Ling Yue couldn’t help but ask, “Are you resentful that your family abandoned you?”

Bai Yuqi didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes.

“Younger sister, come inside.”

Hearing the Eldest Princess’s voice, Ling Yue set aside her thoughts, lifted the carriage curtain, and slipped inside.

The Eldest Princess was seated alone on one side, and Ling Yue instinctively took a seat beside her. “Is there something urgent, sister?”

In truth, there was nothing urgent. The Eldest Princess had simply called Ling Yue in because she felt a pang of discomfort upon hearing her chat so cheerfully with Bai Yuqi.

But as Ling Yue gazed at her, her focus so intense it seemed as if the world had narrowed to just the two of them, the Eldest Princess’s heart suddenly felt lighter. She took Ling Yue’s hand and leaned gently against her shoulder, whispering softly, “I’m tired.”

Ling Yue watched as the Eldest Princess closed her eyes, her heart aching with sympathy. She tightened her grip on the princess’s hand, hoping it would ward off any nightmares.

The carriage was far less comfortable than a bed, but the Eldest Princess never complained about such things, especially with Ling Yue by her side.

When the carriage jolted over a stone, Ling Yue noticed the princess frown. Carefully, she shifted the princess to rest her head on her lap, and the furrowed brow smoothed back into serenity.

Ling Yue breathed a sigh of relief. With the princess so close, she couldn’t help but lose herself in thought, staring at her.

Suddenly remembering Qing Niao was nearby, Ling Yue quickly asked, “Can you give me the recipe for the calming medicine?”

Yunli had also fallen asleep in Qing Niao’s arms. Qing Niao raised a finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh!”

Ling Yue thought she was being overly cautious her own voice hadn’t been that loud. Still, she softened her tone and repeated, “The recipe, did you hear me?”

Qing Niao had indeed heard, but she didn’t dare hand it over. Once Ling Yue realized her dreams contained fragments of her past life’s memories, she had stubbornly refused to take the medicine. Qing Niao just didn’t know how much Ling Yue had dreamed or whether the same memories kept recurring.

With a bitter smile, Qing Niao shook her head, avoiding the question. Instead, she asked about Ling Yue’s current state. “Have you had any nightmares lately?”

Ling Yue shook her head. To her, those dreams no longer felt like nightmares. And she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but her memories seemed to be growing clearer and clearer.

In the past, what left the deepest impression on her was that great fire. Later, she encountered many people connected to her past life, and the memories associated with them became much more vivid, no longer feeling like viewing flowers through a mist.

Ling Yue looked at the Green Bird, whose eyes were filled with tenderness.

It felt strange, almost as if…

As if she were looking at an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time.

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