XH 55
"After the New Year celebration is over, I will bring you to meet a person. Perhaps the answer you seek will be answered."
"The answer that I'm looking for?" Hope surged high in her heart. There was only one answer she was seeking that the Third Prince knew of. "I can return home?"
All the books that the Eighth Prince and Third Prince had found that were related to crossing different worlds never mentioned about them returning back to their world. The only thing recorded was their long list of contributions to society and how they arrived in this world.
'Visit a historical site'.
'Enter a forbidden forest'.
'Chant a wrong spell'.
'Teleportation artifact broke down'.
"It's just a small possibility. You should not place too much hope on it." If Xiao Hua clings onto that hope too much, it might crush her spirit if that hope ended up unable to be achieved.
She nodded but her eyes were glazed, already thinking the possibility of her returning to her original world now that she was given hope. Her heart would not be at ease if she did not see how her mother was doing. She would not be so worried about her if there were maternal relatives still in the world of the living.
"Who is that person?" Xiao Hua asked curiously.
The Third Prince stared at her doubtfully. "Are you capable of keeping a secret?"
"Third Prince, I can keep a secret!" Although she was annoyed that her capabilities were being questioned, she restrained her glare and chooses to sulk instead.
"I can't tell you so easily even if you are capable of keeping it a secret. That's why I decide to give you a test to make things fair for both of us. If you pass it, I will let you know who that person is. If you fail it, you will do one thing for this prince."
"Wait, why would I need to do one thing for you if I lose?" Xiao Hua asked with incredulity.
"You could choose not to take the test at all," the Third Prince offered kindly.
"Okay, I won't take that test," Xiao Hua immediately gave her answer.
Why would she take a test just to know who that person is? She will know who it was after the New Year celebration anyway! Xiao Hua was not an overly curious person.
The Third Prince gently placed Xiao Hua down on a chair. Then he turned his face away and turned into an unmoving mute. He continues being so until Xiao Hua could no longer stand being ignored in such an obvious and childish manner. Xiao Hua tried to coax him to say something and even poured him the ready-made tea in her new bedroom, but he just ignored her, his whole attention on drinking the tea.
"What do you want me to do?" Xiao Hua finally relented. His word of letting her opt-out was a lie after all!
"You agree to take the test?" the Third Prince immediately regained his voice.
Xiao Hua wanted to answer 'depends' but that might just make him mute again. Honestly, she wondered if the Third Prince gave her random tasks just to made her accept the punishment if she failed.
But she was weak towards this man that had treated her so well when she was just a maid with average looks that would not bring benefit to him. "Alright, I...I will take the test."
The Third Prince's sulking immediately disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place, immediately replaced with a happy smile. His phoenix shaped eyes seemed to send signals that encourage Xiao Hua to helplessly misinterpret their meaning.
Such alluring bedroom eyes... if only he truly mean it! Say a word and this young lady will gobble you up, beautiful man!
"I will tell you a secret code and you will need to guard it until the test ends. A person will try to get the code from you, and you have to keep it a secret. This test will end tomorrow morning."
Okay, that does not sound so bad. "Who will be taking the code from me?"
"That's a secret."
Well, it does not hurt to try. Xiao Hua exhaled. "What's the secret code?"
The Third Prince leans closer to her, placing his mouth near to her ear. His warm breath and the smell of oranges made Xiao Hua's ears itch and his body heat seems to have transferred to her despite they were not touching each other. Hearing the secret code, Xiao Hua's eyes widen and an uncontrollable blush colored her fair cheeks.
The Third Prince straightens his back. "The test will start now. Da Bei will be following you, and whatever you said will be known by him."
"T-That code..."
"What's wrong with that code?" His eyes displayed ignorance and she does not know if he purposely chooses it to tease her or not.
Is that really the code? "N-Nothing."
"Da Liu," the Third Prince called, already aware of the presence of the other man in the room. The intimidating black-clothed man stepped out from a dark corner and kneeled down before the Third Prince, his black hair in a high ponytail sways slightly from his precise movement.
"Liu Chu Chu had moved into the Second Prince's manor after being blamed for murdering the eldest daughter of Liu with poison found in her bedroom. Sir Liu is very angry and declared that he will no longer admit Liu Chu Chu as his daughter. This servant failed to find out the truth. Please punish this servant."
Eh? The heroine's eldest sister is dead? And got kicked out of her house?!
In contrast to Xiao Hua's shock, the Third Prince was not surprised at the news. "Long Shan is someone that does not tolerate mistakes. Liu Chu Chu naturally shares the same trait, or else she won't be his 'love'." The Eldest Miss Liu was the main bully of the previous Fifth Miss Liu, and this bully continued onto the new soul, so naturally, Liu Chu Chu will retaliate. "Lau Liu, any news from the palace?"
"Pardon my intrusion." Eunuch Lau Liu stepped into Xiao Hua's new bedroom. "Eunuch Xiang said that the Emperor does not look happy after hearing the news but he allowed Liu Chu Chu to stay at the Second Prince's manor. But the marriage can only be held when Liu Chu Chu is sixteen years old."
"Old Liu must be questioning himself now that the Emperor did not force Long Shan to throw Liu Chu Chu away. Anything else?"
Eunuch Lau Liu's face formed a humorless smile. "The Second Prince requested the Emperor to give justice to Liu Chu Chu for being framed as a murderer of her own sister. The Emperor as of yet to give an answer to the Second Prince."
The Third Prince's lips curved mockingly. "Father Emperor will ask the Minister of Justice to handle it. That's all, dismissed."
Da Liu and Eunuch Lau Liu saluted before leaving the room silently.
The Third Prince turned to Xiao Hua. "The novel that Heise wrote, did it include this event?"
Xiao Hua shakes her head. "Not that I remember, but the heroine- Liu Chu Chu will make her sisters have a miserable life. In the end, the Liu family will eventually die under the heroine's manipulation. Liu Chu Chu had collected enough evidence of their illegal doings that will sentence them to death. I forgot what it is, but it involves the Crown Prince as well. Heise will remember it better."
"I will talk to Eighth brother later and check with the eldest brother."
"Third Prince...why did you not call the Second Prince as 'brother'?" Xiao Hua only noticed that the Third Prince will call the Second Prince by his title or name while calling the other princes as his brothers.
Could it be...he knows that the Second Prince is not his brother?!
Xiao Hua's guess was spot on.
"The novel revealed that the Second Prince does not have the royalty blood in him?" The Third Prince easily guessed after correctly deduced from watching the open book that goes by the name of Xiao Hua.
Xiao Hua nodded weakly. She remembered that before the Third Prince died, the hero and heroine had visited him in the prison, more like bragging about the hero's life, portraying himself as a victim that everyone had mistreated.
"The son of Concubine He and the retired General. The tragic childhood lovers."
Xiao Hua gasped. "You knew this much? Why did you not tell the Emperor?"
If the Emperor knew, he would immediately have the Second Prince dragged out and beat him to death. But no one knew if he might have the heart to kill Concubine He, his favorite woman in his harem. However, an Emperor would not tolerate being treated as a fool that had been tricked for so many years.
"It's not the right time yet." The Third Prince raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, go out and mingle. You don't expect to pass the test that easily, right?"
Xiao Hua reluctantly left the safe haven and feel that the sun was rather bright today.
"Elder Sister Hua!" Si Si just happened to pass by and separated herself from the other female servants, speed walking towards Xiao Hua.
"Oh, it's Si Si."
"Elder Sister Hua, when I saw your belonging missing from your room, I thought you are dismissed as Third Prince's servant! Thankfully you are still here! Did you anger the Third Prince and get demoted?"
Si Si was better in acting compared to the Eighth Prince but Xiao Hua was not shabby in spotting liars, especially when nowadays she was bored and tend to stare at anything that manages to spark her interest. Si Si's tone, voice, and expression were almost flawless. But the only thing that betrayed her was her eyes. Si Si was used to look down whenever she conversed with servants that have a higher position than her. Hence she did not work hard in hiding her expression from her eyes.
She has nothing to hide from those servants with the same rank as hers, as they have no benefits for her to exploit so there was nothing scheming revealed in her eyes when she chatted with them.
As for Xiao Hua, Si Si had already regarded her as silly, someone that could not be compared to her, hence the unguarded eyes.
"I don't know." Xiao Hua played her part in being silly. Letting her enemy believe she was stupid instead of smart will be better. But being stupid does not mean she could not show off! "The Third Prince took me to a pretty room. He said it's mine so I will be staying there from now on."
"That's generous of the Third Prince," Si Si gushed but the other party could see her irritation.
Xiao Hua started to think back on those times she had lied. Did she perform as poorly as Si Si and Heise?
It's actually really embarrassing to believe that she had successfully fooled the other party but the other party let you continue just for the sake of entertainment!
"Where is your new room? I will need to know so I can serve Elder Sister Hua."
"Eh...I don't know...ah! I remember it's beside the Third Prince's bedroom!"
Xiao Hua can hear the sound of teeth grinding clearly. She was impressed that the textbook closed-lip smile could hide terrifying teeth grinding from view.