Mistakenly Marked the Madly Beautiful Princess - Chapter 83

Lighting the incense she carried with her, Qing Niao turned to look at the children. Though they were in a new environment, they still huddled in the corner of the room.

As the incense smoke curled upward, Qing Niao crouched before them with a gentle smile. “Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?”

No one answered. It was as if they couldn’t hear her voice, but Qing Niao knew their hearing was fine.

Patiently, she asked the next question: “What are your names? Where do you live?”

Still silence.

The fragrance gradually spread throughout the room. Yunli, who had been sitting bored on a stool, suddenly felt her head grow heavy. Drowsiness washed over her, and she nodded off with half-closed eyes until her head finally thumped against the table.

“Thud!” “Ouch!”

Qing Niao glanced back. “Tired, aren’t you? Go to bed first.”

Yunli was still curious about what would happen next, but she couldn’t hold on for long. Her eyelids felt as heavy as lead, and she let out a yawn.

Staggering to her feet and rubbing her eyes, she mumbled, “Okay.”

Then, step by step, she shuffled to the bed and lay down.

Qing Niao approached, removed her shoes and socks, adjusted her sleeping position to make it more comfortable, and sat by the bed, smoothing the stray hairs at Yunli’s temples.

She waved a hand in front of Yunli’s eyes but got no response. It seemed she was already asleep.

Gazing at Yunli’s peaceful sleeping face, Qing Niao’s eyes grew even softer. She took Yunli’s hand in hers, then gently placed it back down.

Now, there were more important matters to attend to. Qing Niao turned to the children, who seemed like empty shells. She walked over, took one child’s hand, and repeated the same questions.

“What’s your name? Where do you live?”

A flicker of confusion and struggle appeared in the child’s eyes, but the heavy drowsiness made it impossible for her to think clearly.

Qing Niao’s voice softened further. “This is a dream. Don’t be afraid.”

The girl finally made a sound, though it was filled with wariness: “A dream?”

“Yes, it’s a dream. I’ve come to take you back. Some of the doubt in the girl’s eyes faded, replaced by a wave of grievance. She tried hard to see Qing Niao’s face, but she was too sleepy, and everything looked blurry.

After wavering for a moment, the girl grew cautious again. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Qing Niao didn’t feel annoyed by the child’s stubbornness. Such a reaction only meant she had suffered greatly.

She heard her own sigh but quickly rallied, playing the role of a benevolent deity. “There’s no need to be strong. You’ve already done very well.”

“Now, it’s time to return to Pengzhou.”

At the mention of Pengzhou, the children couldn’t hold back. In that moment, they seemed to come alive, huddling even closer together.

“Go back?”

“But there’s nothing left.”

“Everything’s gone.”

Qing Niao soothed the little ones and managed to extract some information from them.

These children shared the same surname and came from the same family. Though their surname was Lin, their ancestors had originally been surnamed Ke.

Qing Niao recognized them purely by chance among them was someone she had known in her previous life.

Watching the children as they drifted into deep sleep, Qing Niao tidied up bedding on the floor to settle them in. Then, she turned her gaze to the child she had just questioned.

Brushing aside the messy hair that obscured the view revealed a tear-streaked face, with a small mole just below the corner of the mouth. Even in sleep, the lips were pressed tightly together, refusing to relax.

“Lin Yi, long time no see. I never expected you to be in such a sorry state.”

Qing Niao gave a bitter smile. She had spent the entire day tending to wounds and preparing incense, and now that everything was done, she felt as if all her energy had been drained. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she thought it necessary to explain things to the princess.

Pushing the door open, she turned her head and saw the princess leaning against Ling Yue’s shoulder, looking as delicate as a little bird nestled close.

The scene was so perfect she couldn’t bear to disturb it, and she immediately wanted to close the door. But Ling Yue had already spotted her and greeted her cheerfully, “Guihua!”

The name was so cringeworthy it made Qing Niao’s toes curl. Unable to resist, she retorted, “What is it, Erya?”

Ling Yue sensed Qing Niao’s displeasure but couldn’t figure out the reason for her anger. After all, the name Guihua was one Qing Niao had chosen herself, so Ling Yue couldn’t understand why she was upset.

Under the circumstances, Qing Niao felt no qualms about being the third wheel. She circled the two of them, clicking her tongue in admiration. “What a deep sisterly bond?”

The simple words seemed to twist and turn like a winding mountain road when she spoke them, her teasing tone unmistakably obvious.

Ling Yue shyly let go but didn’t deliberately create distance, instead changing the subject to something else.

Qing Niao hadn’t closed the door when she came out, so through the crack, she could see the sleeping children. Concerned, she asked, “Are they alright?”

“They’re fine, but they still need time to recover.”

Ling Yue breathed a sigh of relief, grateful. “That’s good. If we hadn’t gone that day, those children probably wouldn’t have survived much longer.”

Qing Niao gave Ling Yue a deep look, then decided the open space wasn’t suitable for discussing certain matters. She turned and closed her own door.

Her expression turned serious. “Let’s talk inside.”

The bedding in the room was somewhat messy, as if someone had been tossing and turning on it. Qing Niao’s gaze became meaningful.

The princess didn’t seem to mind. She sat down leisurely and elegantly sipped her tea.

Ling Yue, however, wasn’t as comfortable. She sat there awkwardly, her eyes darting around the room. But no matter how nice the inn room was, there wasn’t much to look at.

Qing Niao knew she was feeling awkward but didn’t call her out on it. Instead, she began to talk about what she wanted to discuss.

“Those children are descendants of the Ke family from Pengzhou.”

The words “Pengzhou Ke family” immediately caught Ling Yue’s attention, and she looked surprised.

After all, the only remaining member of the Pengzhou Ke family was her mother, who had passed away many years ago. Where had these descendants with Ke blood come from?

Qing Niao explained, “But they don’t bear the surname Ke. They’re part of the group that changed their names and went into hiding.”

Ling Yue understood instantly. She felt a surge of emotion fate was truly mysterious, to encounter clansmen with blood ties in such a foreign land.

The princess listened quietly, occasionally turning to observe Ling Yue’s expression, a gentle smile playing on her lips.

Qing Niao, taking in their reactions, felt a pang of something sour, then couldn’t help but laugh.

In her past life, the princess had silently witnessed Ling Yue’s tragic life, but Ling Yue, never looking back, had never known of the princess’s struggles.

And so, Qing Niao watched the entire life of the Princess in this manner.

In her memories, the Princess was always in pain, a stark contrast to the person she was now.

Lost in thought, Qing Niao suddenly sighed again. She gazed at the two of them and said, “There are people in the Northern Kingdom who believe that rumor too. They are all sacrifices.”

Only then did the Princess shift her gaze away from Ling Yue. “You said, sacrifices?”

Qing Niao’s tone grew heavy. “Yes, sacrifices.”

The book Strange Tales of Pengzhou did not detail how the secret ritual was performed, but Qing Niao understood.

“A sacrifice is a soul in extreme agony.”

Qing Niao did not elaborate further, but after a moment of contemplation, the Princess said, “So they failed, and then casually handed over those who had lost their value?”

Before Qing Niao could respond, they heard Ling Yue’s voice, suppressed with anger. “That’s too much.”

Qing Niao shook her head and looked at Ling Yue with concern. “You need to be careful in your actions.”

Ling Yue understood what she meant, but she felt a profound sense of helplessness. How much longer would this rumor continue to harm them?

Qing Niao trusted that Ling Yue was not the impulsive type and added, “Is there a way to send those children back to Pengzhou?”

The Princess replied calmly, “There’s no need to worry about that.”

Reassured by her words, Qing Niao couldn’t help but smile. Then, remembering the matter with Yunli, she emphasized again, “You two must not teach Xiao Li martial arts anymore.”

Ling Yue felt somewhat wronged. Qing Niao and Yunli were practically inseparable all day when would she even have the chance to teach Yunli martial arts?

Just as she was about to argue, the Princess spoke up, “I almost forgot, little sister, find Bai Yuqi for me.”

Bai Yuqi had left early that morning, saying she was going to the East Market to buy some Northern Kingdom clothing for them, as their current attire was too conspicuous.

The East Market wasn’t far, so Ling Yue didn’t think much of it. She acknowledged the request and went out to find her.

As the sound of footsteps on the wooden staircase gradually faded, the Princess poured herself more tea and asked Qing Niao with a smile, “Would you like some?”

Qing Niao didn’t dare let the Princess pour tea for her and hurriedly said, “I’ll do it myself.”

Taking the teapot from the Princess, she filled her cup about two-thirds full.

The tea leaves settled at the bottom of the cup. After taking a sip, Qing Niao couldn’t help but frown. “It tastes awful.”

More than the tea, Qing Niao was curious about what the Princess wanted to say, especially since she had deliberately sent Ling Yue away.

“What do you want to ask?”

The Princess smiled lightly. “I want to ask what you’re worried about. And what exactly is this so-called secret ritual?”

“Worried about what?”

The Princess looked at her and explained, “You clearly know everything, yet you seem to have many reservations. Even now, can you not speak? Or do you not dare?”

Qing Niao could only offer a bitter smile. “I don’t dare.”

The Princess’s gaze gradually turned cold. “Why don’t you dare? How exactly is this so-called secret ritual performed?”

Qing Niao felt a wave of pressure but could only smile bitterly again. “Do you think you’re invincible?”

“Of course.”

It was the expected answer. Qing Niao couldn’t help but shake her head. “So full of yourself.”

Then her expression grew increasingly serious. “You do have the confidence to back it up, but that’s precisely what makes it even more terrifying.”

Qing Niao stared into the Princess’s eyes. “Because what you’re facing is yourself.”

The Princess furrowed her brow in deep thought.

After a long while, she asked again, “What about Ling Yue? Is she facing the same problem as me?”

Qing Niao was taken aback for a moment, then felt that this person’s lovestruck mindset was beyond saving. She sighed with a soft laugh, “Yes, it’s the same, but the dangers she faces are different from yours. She’s an overly gentle child.”

The Eldest Princess strongly agreed with this statement and turned her gaze to Qing Niao, “What about you?”

Sudden concern always brings warmth.

Qing Niao smiled, “Me? I’m doing just fine.”

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