Sleeping Soundly in Her Bed - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: In an Instant, Falling Into Her Hands

 

A small stream meandered at the bottom of the grassy slope. Rachel braked just in time, coming to a precarious halt at the water’s edge, narrowly avoiding a pathetic plunge.

 

She stood unsteadily, feeling dizzy. After confirming no one was around, she let out a long sigh and leaned down to take several deep gulps of water from the stream.

 

Next, she had to return to her own estate.

 

As the most favored princess, Rachel owned an independent manor in the west of the city. Her servants were all hand-picked, including her most trusted head butler. If she could find him, she could use him as a bridge to reunite with her Eldest Brother and relay the news that Jiang Zhishui supported him.

 

Although her Eldest Brother was officially “deceased,” the factions supporting him in the shadows still existed. Perhaps they could even find a witch or a wizard to help Rachel return to her original body.

 

No sooner said than done.

 

Rachel glanced at the sun to discern the east and set off at a run.

 

Manor, this Princess is coming!

 

However, after walking for half a day, Rachel suddenly realized something was wrong.

 

Jiang Zhishui’s manor was located at the easternmost edge outside the city, while her own manor—as the most favored princess—was right next to the Royal Palace on the opposite end of the city. Between the two lay the distance of an entire capital.

 

Was she really going to walk the whole way like this?

 

Rachel’s vision went dark. She decided to rethink her plan. Perhaps she could hitch a ride? She looked down at her brilliant golden feathers and gave up on that idea.

 

In the Empire, golden animals weren’t unheard of, but a golden peacock was a once-in-a-century rarity. When she was alive, Rachel had fair skin and hair as white as snow, which earned her the title “Golden Peacock.” If a common noble found her, she would undoubtedly be captured and enshrined as a rare exotic bird.

 

At that thought, Rachel’s feathers trembled. She suddenly realized just how dangerous her situation was.

 

I must disguise myself!

 

Nearby was a filthy mud ditch. Rachel hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and jumped straight in, rolling frantically in the muddy water. But no matter how she struggled, those golden tail feathers seemed to possess a magical quality; the mud slid right off as soon as it touched them, leaving them spotless.

 

What should she do?

 

Rachel grew more and more anxious. Becoming a pet hadn’t broken her, and being threatened hadn’t broken her, but just now, she had cast aside her status to jump into the mud, and these beautiful feathers had failed her, completely shattering her final psychological defense.

 

Why was this happening to her?

 

Rachel was both bewildered and distraught. There were no tears in her beautiful eyes, but they were filled with a heartbreaking sorrow, like a high-and-mighty angel being dragged forcibly into a quagmire. To any onlooker, her struggles would look like a joke.

 

How had she fallen to this point?

 

An Imperial Princess rolling in the mud—this fact thoroughly destroyed Rachel’s dignity. At that moment, she felt something inside her break. Looking at those conspicuous tail feathers, she steeled her heart, grabbed the base of one, and ripped it out by force!

 

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

 

The acute pain sent Rachel rolling on the ground, tears nearly springing forth. She intended to pluck the remaining feathers clean, but that single one had already exhausted most of her strength. Her body trembled as she reached out, but she could no longer find the power to pull.

 

Maybe… I’ll just leave it like this for now?

 

No! I’ll be caught!

 

Even reduced to a beast, the princess’s resilience continued to support Rachel. She looked at those beautiful tail feathers, and with old grudges and new hatred surging in her heart, she ripped out another one!

 

The magnificent plumes were finally stained with filth, but Rachel felt no pity for them at all. She only wanted to leave. Unexpectedly, she had barely taken a step when she heard the sound of approaching hooves!

 

Someone was coming!

 

Rachel quickly rolled into the nearby bushes, smearing mud everywhere. Knowing she was in trouble, she crawled along the brush deep into the thick forest. Once she was certain she hadn’t left a trail, she hid in the canopy to watch.

 

“Quick! Continue searching along the road! Lord Peacock couldn’t have run far; we must find her!”

 

The male and female servants were all frantic. Every so often, someone would jump off a carriage to search. After Rachel’s disappearance, the entire manor had been mobilized; they would soon be searching under this very tree.

 

This escape had been too hasty. Looking at the anxious crowd, Rachel knew things were bad. If she were caught by Jiang Zhishui, she would likely face severe punishment.

 

She looked toward the rushing river behind the forest and finally took a leap. Under the cover of a wooden bridge, she vanished into the river water.

 

Suffocation.

 

An intense sense of suffocation struck instantly.

 

The icy, surging river water stripped away Rachel’s ability to breathe. Even though she had held her breath the moment she hit the water, she still couldn’t stabilize herself in the rapids. She could only let herself be swept away toward the unknown distance.

 

After an unknown amount of time, the peacock’s body slammed hard against a protruding giant rock. Rachel quickly hooked her claws into a crevice, finally steadying herself.

 

She inched toward the shore. This place should be far from Jiang Zhishui’s manor. Rachel moved without haste, and it wasn’t until the sun began to set that she finally hauled herself onto the bank.

 

The mud on her body had been washed away completely.

 

I rolled in that mud for nothing.

 

Rachel lay on the ground, all traces of her princely poise long gone. She was cold and hungry, her mind filled with thoughts of a warm nest and sweet food. But no—she was a princess. How could she be content as Jiang Zhishui’s pet?

 

She forced herself to stand, intending to find something to eat in the forest.

 

Downstream was a remote town. Rachel vaguely remembered that while it wasn’t wealthy, the people were simple and lived in peace.

 

But as she approached the town, Rachel knew she was wrong. Where was the peace and prosperity? As evening fell, the thugs hiding in the gutters all emerged. After witnessing two robberies, Rachel bypassed the town, but at the edge of the woods, she saw a maid crying privately.

 

It was the maid specifically responsible for organizing her toys—hardly over twenty. Usually, her hair was combed meticulously, and she was quite strict, but now she was kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

 

“We cannot bear the sin of Lord Peacock’s disappearance! Get up quickly, why are you kneeling on the ground?” The maid beside her looked anxious, nearly crying herself as she reached out to pull her up. “Keep looking!”

 

But the maid on the ground insisted on bowing in one direction. Rachel looked that way and saw a luxurious carriage. Sitting inside was not Jiang Zhishui, but Mu Yanshan.

 

Mu Yanshan didn’t even spare a glance for the kneeling maid. She simply pointed coldly in a direction: “Keep searching! Everyone! If she isn’t found, none of you will live!”

 

Rachel’s heart skipped a beat.

 

All of this had started because of her escape. The peaceful lives of the manor servants had been shattered; so many people were implicated because of her, unable to sleep in the middle of the night, freezing in the cold wind. Rachel’s throat felt as if someone were squeezing it; it was incredibly painful.

 

No, this must be an act Mu Yanshan is putting on for me! There are hundreds of people in Jiang Zhishui’s manor; how could she kill them all? This is definitely Mu Yanshan’s scheme!

 

Rachel fled the area almost like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, constantly brainwashing herself. Even though she understood that Jiang Zhishui would stop at nothing to find her, she still hypnotized herself into believing it was all fake.

 

Along the way, Rachel dodged several merchant convoys traveling late at night. She was small and almost invisible in the grass, especially in the darkness. She actually managed to bypass two towns and reach the edge of the city-state.

 

Her feathers were still soaking wet, and Rachel felt a bone-chilling cold. Even though it was spring, she felt as if she were in the middle of ice and snow.

 

The whole world was against her.

 

The desolation in Rachel’s heart grew heavier, and her body became weaker. To make matters worse, a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky.

 

To a farmer, spring rain was the hope of a bountiful harvest, but to Rachel, it was a bolt from the blue. Her feathers, which had dried slightly, were instantly soaked again. It felt as if Rachel were wearing a suit of cold, hard armor, dragging her down and making it almost impossible to move.

 

She wanted to find a house to stay in—even a straw hut would do, as long as it offered shelter from the wind and rain to get through the night.

 

The rain gathered into lines under the eaves of a farmhouse. Rachel watched the houses warily. Some farmers were still awake, so Rachel bypassed them. After circling around, she found only one small courtyard where the lights were out.

 

It was quiet inside, as if no one lived there at all.

 

Sorry, I’m just staying for one night, Rachel said in her heart.

 

She hopped onto a tree outside the yard. After confirming there were no lights inside, Rachel carefully peeked out.

 

She remained alert, waiting in the tree for a while. Once certain there was no movement, she finally plucked up her courage.

 

“Chirp chirp?”

 

The peacock’s cry echoed in the small courtyard; no one responded. One probe, two probes, three probes! After confirming it was safe, Rachel happily hopped over the final low wall and flew into the garden.

 

Those pure gold tail feathers sparkled in the moonlight, trailing dazzling points of light like a meteor. Rachel finally ran toward the embrace of freedom. But before she could even be happy, her body suddenly froze—“Chirp?”

 

Rachel looked up blankly, only to lock eyes with Jiang Zhishui’s calm and indifferent face!

 

And she herself was falling straight into Jiang Zhishui’s arms!

 

“Little bird, did you have fun playing outside?” Jiang Zhishui asked softly.

 

Rachel didn’t dare move at all.

 

The rain dripped onto the steps under the eaves, much like her cold sweat—though as a peacock, she couldn’t actually sweat.

 

“Little bird, speak.”

 

Jiang Zhishui’s voice remained flat, almost devoid of emotion. Rachel, however, shuddered violently, squeezing a weak syllable from her beak: “Chirp?”

 

“Be good.”

 

Jiang Zhishui carried Rachel into the courtyard. Only then did Rachel realize that while the yard looked ordinary from the outside, the interior decoration was quite innovative, nothing like a normal home.

 

She saw Jiang Zhishui walk to a nearby rack, pick up a piece of white silk, and gently begin to wipe away the water.

 

“Chirp chirp…”

 

“Are you cold?” Jiang Zhishui asked softly.

 

Rachel blinked, thinking she might as well give up. Jiang Zhishui had sent so many people to find her; now that she was caught, wouldn’t she be torn apart?

 

Since she was going to die either way, she nodded vigorously.

 

“Chirp chirp chirp chirp!” (Kill me or hack me to pieces, do what you want! At worst, I’m going to hell!)

 

However, the moment Rachel opened her beak, a round object was flicked into her mouth. She instinctively swallowed with a gulp before she could react. Then, she screamed: “Chirp chirp chirp chirp!” (What did you just feed me? I don’t want to be poisoned to death, ahhh!)

 

Jiang Zhishui said softly: “Noisy.”

 

Rachel shut up, a look of despair on her face.

 

Was she really going to die here today? No! She hadn’t told her Eldest Brother that he could make a comeback; she hadn’t taken revenge on her Second Brother! No!

 

The more Rachel thought, the more aggrieved she felt, and the anger in her heart flared. She had just been caught in the rain; even if Jiang Zhishui wouldn’t comfort her, she actually fed her poison!

 

Is this how all people from the East raise pets!

 

D*mmit! In her next life, she was definitely going to keep Jiang Zhishui as a pet!

 

Rachel closed her eyes, quietly waiting for death. However, the expected pain did not arrive. Instead, her body became warmer and warmer, and her soaked feathers gradually became fluffy and dry.

 

Wait… that thing just now…

 

Was it medicine?