The Princess And The Lord

The amulets were completed on a bittersweet note. Zhao Li Xin carried the exhausted Lory to their room, while the four King Palaces and Ming Yue Yin gathered at the newly built pavilion and examined their new amulets with curiosity.

The amulets were silver with word carvings of a language foreign to them. There was a gemstone at the center of the amulet. Inside each gemstone were blue sparkles that flickered like stars. There was another symbol at the back of the amulet. A smile touched Ming Yue Yin's lips when she saw this.

"The Lucient insignia," Ming Yue Yin mumbled.

"You know what it means?" Be Li Yan heard her and asked

"I don't know what it means but all high officials and the military in Harland wore this insignia proudly?" A warm feeling surged inside Ming Yue Yin's heart. Lory upheld the King's Insignia with the utmost honor. She would never give the insignia to anybody. The fact that Lory gave it to them meant she regarded them as her people.

"Did you see the Kingdom where's madam comes from?" Jin Hao asked.

"I saw glimpses of it. The place… How do I describe it…?" Ming Yue Yin wore the amulet around her neck as she arranged her thoughts. She leaned on the railing with an indescribable expression. "I saw hundreds of high buildings that reached to the sky. There were also hundreds of carriages that flew in the sky. The people smiled and wore nice clothes. I didn't see any beggars or such… Everyone seemed so...happy."

Ming Yue Yin smiled brightly as she recalled her dreams. She wanted the Liangzu Kingdom to have the same environment as Harland. It seemed like a far-fetched dream but would die happy if she achieved half of what she saw. She knew her kingdom had done more than what her ancestors had ever done when she ascended to the throne, but she still aimed for the best for her people. She wanted them to look the way the people in Harland did.

"It is like a dream…" Bei Li Yan unpropped his chin from the table and wore the amulet around his neck, hiding it behind his collar. He fully trusted Lory like Ming Yue Yin and Lory's revelation had not changed his view of her. 

"Why is she here?" Jiang Jin Wei was still a little suspicious of Lory. He had not interacted with Lory like Bei Li Yan and Jin Hao and his temperament was less flexible when compared to the other King Palaces.

"I believe this is the same question she keeps asking herself," Ming Yue Yin sighed

"She doesn't know?" Bei Li Yan was stunned.

"No, she doesn't. She woke one day and found herself here. The only person she came with was Lord Girsha. She met the real Luo Ri Yi and her family shortly after she arrived. The family lived in poverty and didn't have much to eat. Aunty had gone hunting when the unfortunate earthquake happened. The real Luo Ri Yi's house was covered in a landslide," Ming Yue Yin shrugged and poured herself a fresh cup of tea.

"Aaahhh… So madam took Luo Ri Yi's identity and disguised herself. It was after this that she became a maid in Lao Manor," Bei Li Yan clapped his hands with excitement at the missing piece of the puzzle. This explained why the information he initially had on Lory didn't match her temperament and behavior. They were not the same person.

"From a princess to a maid… It must have been hard for her," Wu San Bo chimed in.

"Well, not really…" Ming Yue Yin tilted her head. "Aunty said her father was a strict person who never indulged her with wealth. She learned to take care of herself from an early age. She went to school with other kids, joined a hunters guild, and became a hunter. She says she spent more time in the wilderness than in the castle."

"It explains her calm behavior when we were inside the jungle and the ancient tomb," Jin Hao mumbled and raised his eyebrows. Lory told them she had spent a lot of time in the jungle but her explanation only gave him more questions at the time. He now understood what she meant. Lory was a wild princess.

Jiang Jin Wei crossed his arms as his eyebrows furrowed. He was filled with anxiety, "Are you okay with this? Don't you feel worried? What if she bewitches our lord?"

Ming Yue Yin snorted with contempt. Her voice was filled with disdain, "If it wasn't for aunty, you and your stupid sister would have been kicked out of the Hei Shen Sect. Don't forget how much you owe her!"

"Empress Ming is right. Have you forgotten our lord's behavior before he met madam? Don't you think he is less scary and more approachable now? At least I no longer feel like I am in a sauna every time I report to Milord," Bei Li Yan rolled his eyes. Jiang Jin Wei was the classic conservative man. Zhao Li Xin kept him because he was loyal to him. However, Zhao Li Xin won't hesitate to kill him if he was considered a threat to Lory.

"Your doubt is the reason Luo Ri… I mean Lory kept her secret from us for long. Remember she chose to reveal her secret to us since she needed to create these protective amulets for us. I know you have your doubts but I hope you can use your brain to differentiate between right and wrong," Jin Hao also scowled at Jiang Jin Wei.

Jiang Jin Wei's face turned red as they reprimanded him. His sister was disrespectful to Lory and almost harmed Lory if it was not for Mong Ki and Mong Yi being present. The lord was a strict and stern person who never changed his decision, but Lory's intervention made the lord change his punishment for the first time. He was thankful that Lory never held the matter against him or his sister. Lory even fainted with exhaustion when she created the protective amulets for them. They were all distraught to see Lory's pale face.

"My bad. I'm sorry…" Jiang Jin Wei heaved heavily. Ming Yue Yin scoffed but didn't make a comment

Bei Li Yan sighed and said, "As long as you understand…"

It was morning when Lory woke. It seemed like she had slept for a full day. Karma was coming back to bite her for teasing her brother for sleeping too much in the past. Lory rubbed her eyes and stretches her arms above her head. She only stopped when her bones made a crackling sound. She yawned and got up from the bed and found a beautiful face staring at her with worry.

"Morning…" She's voice was hoarse. 

Zhao Li Xin poured the fresh spring water into a bowl and passed it to Lory to drink. She quickly finished the water and her throat felt better. Zhao Li Xin was worried Lory would sleep for days and was thankful she only took a day to sleep.

"Don't do that again?" Zhao Li Xin said.

"Do what?" Lory's brain was still asleep.

"Create protective amulets… You don't have to make them again…" He reprimands her sternly.

"Oh?" Lory's recalled the events of the previous day. She stretched her hand. "Let me see your amulet."

Zhao Li Xin took off his amulet and handed it to Lory. She examined it with a serious face and pressed the amulet between her hands. She sighed with relief when she felt mana flowing within it. She happily returned the amulet to Zhao Li Xin, "Wear it! Never take it off no matter what from now on!"

"Of course," Zhao Li Xin promised.

'Knock-knock' Someone interrupted them by banging the door.

"It is that brat," Zhao Li Xin was annoyed Ming Yue Ying thought of bothering them early in the morning.

"Oh, send her in…" Lory got up from the bed to wear her outer robes while Zhao Li Xin opened the door with a scowl. Ming Yue Yin gave a wry smile. 'I'm gonna miss this', she lamented to herself and felt a little sad.

"Morning, brat. What are you doing here this early?" Lory tied her outer robes and moved away from the screen divider.

Ming Yue Yin felt sadder when she saw Lory. She took long strides towards Lory and held her hands. She smiled bitterly, "I'm here to say goodbye."

"Wait! What? When are you going to leave?" Lory gasped.

"After breakfast," Ming Yue Yin giggled. She felt slightly better when she saw Lory's sad expression.

"Why so soon?" Lory whined.

"I've lived here for almost three months and you keep urging me on a daily basis to go back home," Ming Yue Yin pouted and pretended to be hurt.

"But I didn't think you would listen to me," Lory rolled her eyes.

Ming Yue Ying burst out with laughter, "But…I did. Besides, I can't leave my kingdom for too long. The nagging old man will soon come and drag me home."

Lory couldn't hide her reluctance but she remembered the brat was an Empress who needed to go back to her kingdom. Lory hugged Ming Yue Yin and she whispered to her, "Fine. You can go. Send my regards to the old Zhang and others."

Ming Yue Yin's eyes moistened with tears, "Okay… Will I see you at Xi Yin's wedding?"

"I do not think I can make it. I have many things to do. Tell Xin Yin I'm sorry and I promise to make it up to her," Lory said.

"Okay…" Ming Yue Yin replied with a low voice. She pulled herself from Lory's arms and wiped the corner of her eyes quickly. She put on a sweet smile, "Let's eat first!"

"Okay!"

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