Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 79

Unexpectedly caught off guard, the one unprepared this time turned out to be the Eldest Princess.

After speaking, Ling Yue dared not look at the person before her. Her hands trembled, and her entire body tensed from overwhelming nervousness.

Unable to endure the silence any longer, Ling Yue took a deep breath. “I spoke nonsense. Please forget it, Sister.”

She turned and left, closing the Eldest Princess’s door behind her.

A short while later, the Eldest Princess heard the sound of the neighboring door unlocking, followed by a creak and the hurried footsteps of Ling Yue, before everything fell into silence again.

The sunlight was warm. The Eldest Princess stretched out her hand, letting the warmth rest in her palm.

“Hah.”

In truth, the coward wasn’t just Ling Yue, the Eldest Princess had her own reservations as well. Illness confined her, and if she merely regarded Ling Yue as a plaything, she wouldn’t have to care so much.

But she understood clearly: her feelings for Ling Yue were genuine.

She had never believed in fate before, yet now the Eldest Princess often recalled the small figure that had climbed over the wall and stood before her thirteen years ago, remembered that face so easily flushed with color.

But thinking too much was exhausting. The Eldest Princess lay back on the bed, gazing at the exotic-style canopy overhead before closing her eyes.

Yet Ling Yue had no intention of letting her off. That face, tinged with a rosy blush, kept swirling in her mind.

Irritated, the Eldest Princess opened her eyes and finally let out a soft sigh.

Ling Yue wasn’t faring much better either. The first thing she did upon returning to her room was cover her flushed face in regret, regret for her impulsiveness.

Her heart refused to calm, her mind filled with worries about the future.

Would the Eldest Princess distance herself because of this? Had she gone too far? She had already received so much, yet she still yearned for the other’s love.

Normally, when her heart was in turmoil, she would practice swordplay or wield other weapons in an open space. But now, that wasn’t possible she was unfamiliar with this place.

Suddenly remembering Bai Yuqi, Ling Yue gently pushed the door open and cautiously left the inn.

The inn wasn’t built very tall. With a slight step back, Ling Yue spotted Bai Yuqi sitting on the rooftop. She called out, “Miss Bai!”

Bai Yuqi glanced over, nimbly flipped down, and asked Ling Yue, “What is it?”

“Take me around.”

Bai Yuqi was somewhat puzzled. It seemed Ling Yue’s hostility toward her had vanished.

However, she had never regarded Ling Yue as a threat and wasn’t particularly concerned about the other’s attitude. Still, as the younger sister of her benefactor, she had to try to fulfill the request.

After a moment of contemplation, she asked, “What would you like to see?”

Ling Yue only wanted to find some peace and quiet. Anxiously, she replied, “Anything is fine.”

“Going somewhere without me?”

Ling Yue was startled by Qing Niao, who had suddenly appeared behind her. Frowning, she asked, “How come your footsteps make no sound?”

Qing Niao teased, “It’s because your mind is too preoccupied to notice me.”

Her words seemed to carry a hidden meaning, reminding Ling Yue once again of the impulsive words she had spoken.

Her expression darkened slightly. Noticing Qing Niao was alone, she couldn’t help but glance past her toward the inn. “Just you?”

During this period, Qing Niao and Yunli had always moved together, which was why Ling Yue asked.

“Just me. She’s asleep.”

Ling Yue had many questions in her heart, but in the end, she remained silent.

Taking one person or two made no difference to Bai Yuqi. She had no objections, merely pondering where to go next.

This is just an ordinary small town, and if there’s anything distinctive about it, it would be the black market.

Bai Yuqi made up her mind and spoke up, “Follow me.”

Trailing behind Bai Yuqi, Ling Yue glanced back at the inn above. Only one room had its window open, and her heart grew unsettled again. She turned her head away and left.

The Eldest Princess watched from the window as her figure disappeared into the crowd.

Yunli rubbed her eyes, having just woken up. Her hair was a mess, and she didn’t quite understand the situation. “Auntie, aren’t you going out?”

The Eldest Princess finally turned around, ruffling Yunli’s hair even more. Her voice was gentler than usual. “No, I’ll teach you martial arts.”

Sleepiness vanished instantly and Yunli jumped up happily. “Auntie, you’re the best!”

But once she was fully awake, she noticed something. She looked around the room and asked, puzzled, “Where’s my mother?”

The Eldest Princess merely smiled. After Ling Yue left, she had knocked on Qing Niao’s door and asked her to keep an eye on Ling Yue.

In truth, Ling Yue was hardly in any danger. The Eldest Princess simply wanted Qing Niao to watch over her.

The Eldest Princess felt a sense of melancholy. This didn’t feel like her usual self at all. She had always done whatever she wanted, never second-guessing herself like this.

Yet every time she thought this way, she remembered Ling Yue, and every decision related to her required careful consideration.

It felt as though a heavy stone were weighing on her heart. The Eldest Princess sat at the table in the center of the room and began to space out.

Yunli, feeling neglected, sensed the Eldest Princess’s low spirits. She sat down opposite her, propping her little head up as she observed the Eldest Princess’s expression.

Yunli’s gaze was too direct for the Eldest Princess to ignore. Frowning, she asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Yunli grinned foolishly. “It’s rare to see Auntie like this.”

The Eldest Princess sighed helplessly and pinched Yunli’s nose. “Then what am I usually like?”

Yunli thought for a moment. “Hmm…”

“Mean, serious, scary even when you’re not angry, and even scarier when you are.”

In short, it wasn’t a good impression.

Perhaps out of self-preservation, Yunli quickly added, “But Auntie is still very gentle, even if it’s not very obvious.”

Using the word “gentle” to describe the Eldest Princess was entirely mistaken.

Seeing the Eldest Princess remain silent, Yunli cautiously studied her expression. She had a guess and ventured carefully, “Did Auntie have a fight with Auntie Yue?”

The Eldest Princess was momentarily taken aback but shook her head. “No. And what’s going on in that little head of yours every day?”

Yunli shrank back, but seeing the Eldest Princess wasn’t angry, she grew bolder. Without hesitation, she betrayed Qing Niao. “Mom said you love Auntie Yue so much it’s like life and death.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she received a light knock on the head. The Eldest Princess’s expression remained unchanged as she denied Yunli’s words. “Your mother’s talking nonsense. Don’t believe her.”

Yunli rubbed her head and replied meekly, “Oh.”

But a moment later, she heard the Eldest Princess ask, “What else did your mother tell you?”

Instinct told Yunli this was a dangerous topic. She shook her head and dodged the question. “Nothing.”

“What a pity.”

Yunli let go of her forehead and saw the regret on the Eldest Princess’s face. Her curiosity was piqued, and she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s a pity?”

The Eldest Princess’s lips curved slightly upward, but Yunli didn’t notice.

The Princess Royal sighed, “What a pity. I had intended to pass on my unique internal martial arts to you, but it seems you don’t know much about it.”

Yunli’s heart stirred immediately. She had witnessed both the Princess Royal and Ling Yue practicing martial arts, and it was evident that the Princess Royal was more skilled. Yunli had begged the Princess Royal many times to teach her the internal arts, but the Princess Royal had never agreed.

Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a trap.

After a long internal struggle, Yunli ultimately couldn’t resist the temptation.

“I do know! Mother told me a lot more!”

The Princess Royal looked surprised, then her expression shifted to curiosity. “Can you tell me about it?”

Meanwhile, Qing Niao, who was walking with Ling Yue, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She looked up at the sky, it was bright and sunny.

She couldn’t help but mutter, “How strange.”

Hearing her mumbling, Ling Yue turned back and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qing Niao shook her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. How much longer until we arrive?”

This last question was directed at Bai Yuqi.

Qing Niao was somewhat excited about visiting the black market. In her previous life, she had always followed the Princess Royal and helped with many tasks, some of which required sourcing items from the black market.

Qing Niao wanted to try her luck and see if she could find the medicinal herbs she needed there.

As they made their way through the crowd, Bai Yuqi’s voice remained cold. “Soon enough.”

Bai Yuqi wasn’t lying. After walking another five hundred meters, they arrived at a tightly locked, dilapidated gate.

Ling Yue carefully assessed the height of the wall and, after confirming it, suddenly felt the urge to climb over. She quickly dismissed the thought.

She couldn’t help but smile wryly. Back in Rongjing, too many people had scaled walls to find her at night, including the Princess Royal.

Unconsciously, her thoughts drifted back to the Princess Royal, and her mood began to sink.

However, no one noticed her melancholy. Bai Yuqi stepped forward and knocked on the door in a peculiar rhythm, clearly some kind of secret signal.

After knocking, Bai Yuqi took a step back. Soon, the door was opened from the inside.

A young girl with slightly curly hair peeked out from behind the door. When she saw Bai Yuqi, her wary expression vanished, and she eagerly dashed out, wrapping her arms around Bai Yuqi’s waist.

“Sister Bai! You’re back!”

Bai Yuqi nodded. “I’m here to buy some things.”

The girl released Bai Yuqi and eyed Ling Yue and Qing Niao with clear hostility, as if she were appraising goods rather than people.

Ling Yue felt displeased and frowned at the girl.

The two had been speaking in the Northern Kingdom’s language, which Qing Niao didn’t understand, but she was familiar with black markets and recognized the meaning behind the girl’s gaze.

They were still dressed in Rong Dynasty attire and had been brought here by Bai Yuqi, a Northern Kingdom native, which easily led to misunderstandings.

After scrutinizing them, the girl smiled with satisfaction. “The goods Sister Bai brought back this time are quite good, though one of them is a bit old.”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Bai Yuqi quickly explained, “They are my friends, not goods.”

Hearing this, the girl’s expression cooled. “Why would Sister Bai be friends with people like them?”

Bai Yuqi said nothing more but took a piece of silver from her sleeve and handed it to the girl.

The girl, who had been scowling moments before, brightened at the sight of the silver and tucked it into the small pouch she carried.

“Fine, for Sister Bai’s sake, I’ll let them in.”

Bai Yuqi nodded. “Thank you.”

The girl stepped aside, and Bai Yuqi led the two inside.

However, the path inside was just as winding. Ling Yue followed, unsure of how many turns they took before arriving, though the calls of vendors ahead grew increasingly distinct.

Yet when she saw the scene before her, a chill crept up from the soles of Ling Yue’s feet.

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