Story By: Choco Lily
Story Assistant: Rozenbach
Editor: Draygan
** Disclaimer **
The characters in this novel are a work of fiction and are not based on real people other than their names!
Chapter 23
Tea Cake continued telling Guan Zhong everything she knew about Rosaline's disappearance.
All the while Tea Cake was talking, Queen Ruyi's eyes never left the bottle containing the fabled Beauty Pill.
"Um... I will hand in the payment first." Rozenbach placed the bottle on the jade table and pushed it towards Queen Ruyi. Although he would have preferred to hold it until Guan Zhong found Rozie, Rozenbach could not continue seeing the raw longing that seemed to be screaming from Queen Ruyi's expression.
"No! That would not be appropriate!" Queen Ruyi said hastily, but her eyes still lingered longingly on the bottle.
"You seem to want it very badly," Rozenbach noted.
"It's our policy not to accept client payment until the task is completed!"
This... would they not incur losses with that policy?
"I trust you," Rozenbach insisted and pushed the bottle even closer to Queen Ruyi.
Queen Ruyi suddenly looked as if she was going to cry! "Thank you! I promise you on my name that I will aid you in finding your twin brother!"
As she stopped speaking, a light blue mist suddenly wrapped around Queen Ruyi for a moment before it gently dispersed.
Tea Cake gasped, "That's a sacred promise! If it is broken, that person will be punished with unimaginable pain!"
Rozenbach did not know what a Sacred Promise was, but from Tea Cake's explanation, it could be guaranteed that Queen Ruyi would not break her promise!
"Woah...That's some unnecessary pressure right there," Guan Zhong lamented.
"You must do your very best, Guan! Do not even dare to come back without Lord Rozenbach or you will suffer my Ruyikick!"
Guan Zhong flinched and his face paled, as he knew very well of his elder sister's kick. The number of times he had experienced it was more than his fingers could count.
A sudden loud splash got everyone's attention. Rozenbach turned to the direction of the sound, which was from the long, narrow river. The river seemed to be connected to the whole palace as he remembered often seeing it everywhere he went.
Tea Cake stood up with her back towards Rozenbach, her stance to protect him from danger. He could not see anything as Tea Cake was holding up her outer green robe in front of them.
He blinked when he heard Guan Zhong's and Queen Yuuko's miserable wailing.
"Teaaaa Cakeeee!" Queen Yuuko screamed in annoyance.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I just wanted to protect Mistress!"
"You can put down your robe now," Queen Ruyi said. Tea Cake finally lowered the obstacle that was obstructing his sight.
Rozenbach's eyes widened as he saw the forms of the two Queens and Guan Zhong – they were completely soaked! Even the group of intimidating men that had stood in front of them could not block them from the water.
It was only Tea Cake and Rozenbach that had remained dry, with the exception of Tea Cake's outer robe.
"What's going on?" Rozenbach asked in surprise.
"Sunset!" Queen Yuuko yelled out, her eyes glaring fiercely at the small river.
The water surface rippled and a very young girl exposed her head out of the water. Her eyes were filled with fear and guilt.
"I'm sorry! I don't mean to do it." Her voice seemed like music itself and it was extremely pleasant to the ear.
"It's you!" Rozenbach exclaimed in surprise. It was the young girl swimming in the water that had helped him out when he was lost the day before.
Sunset quickly dunked the lower half of her face back under the water surface, as if shy to see Rozenbach. Rozenbach squinted and managed to spot an emerald green fishtail below her human torso. This world was where fantasies actually existed!
Queen Ruyi sighed as she removed the completely soaked fur scarves around her neck. "This young mermaid splashed a large amount of water onto us. Your little maid is wise to use her robe to repel the water, but the direction it repelled was towards our direction."
"Tea Cake is wrong! I'm sorry!" Tea Cake repeatedly apologized again.
"No matter. You did that to protect your mistress," Queen Ruyi said understandingly.
"So a mermaid splashed water on us. But..." Rozenbach stared at Tea Cake's robe, where water droplets were still smoothly gliding down from the robe and onto the floor, leaving the robe completely dry.
"This robe is waterproof! Miss Rozie, ah no! Master Rozen gave it to me!" Luckily, no one thought twice about Tea Cake's slip.
"I'm here because of you, Queen Yuuko!" The young mermaid named Sunset exclaimed when she finally remembered her purpose.
Queen Yuuko stared down at Sunset with a raised eyebrow. "Me?"
"Lord Cookie is in trouble!"
"What kind of trouble?" Queen Yuuko asked sharply, her eyes flashing with murderous intent, her annoyance at getting wet was immediately forgotten.
"Paul tried to kidnap Lord Cookie!"
Queen Yuuko quickly dashed away after hearing that, ignoring Sunset's call for her to come back.
"Ah! I haven't finished speaking yet! Countess Kuu and Princess Ruri are there too!"
"Let's go then!" Tea Cake said to the mermaid.
"Go?"
"Chase after Queen Yuuko of course! You still haven't told her everything! It might be dangerous for her to try and save Lord Cookie without knowing the details!"
Sunset's eyes brightened as she was enlightened! "You are right!"
"Lead the way, Sunset!"
"Follow me!" Sunset quickly swam away with her bright emerald green tail visible under the clear water.
"Come on Mistress! We must help Queen Yuuko save Lord Cookie!" Tea Cake dragged Rozenbach, who could not resist Tea Cake's inhuman strength, and followed the mermaid.
Little Tea Cake, I'm not blind, you know?! You are just being a busybody!!!
Sunset was extremely fast in the water and it was only thanks to Tea Cake's sharp senses that they managed to follow the little mermaid.
"Wait up!" Queen Yuuko suddenly appeared beside them, easily keeping pace.
"What the... aren't you supposed to be in front of us?" Rozenbach asked, his cheeks flushed red from running.
"I got lost."
There was no exchange of words after that as they were busy trying not to lose sight of Sunset! When they heard sounds of people yelling, they knew they had reached the right place!
Rozenbach first spotted Princess Ruri, who was holding a long, thin dagger as she exchanged blows with a lady holding a pair of deadly-looking curved daggers. His sight was then dragged to a large purple octopus with its tentacles wrapped around Lord Cookie. Rozenbach could have sworn he spotted some of the tentacles even slipping under Lord Cookie's clothes!
"Yuuko... save me," Lord Cookie's eyes brightened slightly as he pleaded weakly when he saw his beloved fiancee. His body had already turned weak from the octopus' perverted assault. In contrast to the dull expression on Lord Cookie, the octopus looked extremely happy, as it kept on making 'Hue Hue Hue' sounds with a visibly red blush on its cheeks!
Queen Yuuko gasped in shock, "Cookie!" She dashed straight towards the octopus and with a flick of her hand, a whip appeared, made of what looked like... potato roots??
"No! Don't hurt Paul!" Princess Ruri cried out, as she tried to stop Queen Yuuko. However, the lady with double curved daggers stopped her with a fierce swing aimed right at Ruri's head. Luckily, Ruri's reflexes were fast enough and managed to avoid it.
"Don't stop me, Kuu!"
"Then you shouldn't have stopped me from saving my cousin!"
Kuu? That must be Lord Cookie's cousin, Countess Kuu!
"Paul means no harm!" Princess Ruri insisted and tried to sidestep past Countess Kuu, but Kuu was one of the strongest fighters under Queen Yuuko's command. It would not be easy for Princess Ruri to get past her!
"Order that octopus to let go of my cousin!"
"Paul won't listen to me!" Princess Ruri complained, her eyes filling with tears. Paul had always normally been obedient to her words, but whenever it saw Lord Cookie, Paul would change into a completely different personality and endlessly cling onto Lord Cookie!
Princess Ruri truly regretted setting Paul into the river to get some fresh air! When she saw Lord Cookie's dashing figure, she was too happy and forgot about Paul's amorous infatuation!
Queen Yuuko did not hold back and lashed out with her full strength at the octopus! Seeing her beloved Lord Cookie in the hands of that perverted octopus enraged her! Her Cookie had already been traumatized once from it's harassment and was now still only slowly recovering. Yet this octopus was here and again bullying her Cookie!
"This time I will turn you into fried octopus and feed you to my dragon!"
She whipped the octopus without holding back until it finally dropped Lord Cookie into the water. Paul whined loudly seemingly to complain about it being in pain.
"Come and get fried," Queen Yuuko said icily, and with a snap of her fingers, her palm was engulfed with intense roaring flames.
Seeing that Lord Cookie had not moved to swim to shore, Rozenbach and Tea Cake quickly helped to drag Lord Cookie out of the river.
"No! Stop, Yuuko!" Princess Ruri cried out in panic.
The octopus immediately went silent in fear when it saw the flames that were slowly growing larger. It tried to run away but it was suddenly sent flying out of the water by an emerald green fishtail!
"Take this, you slimy pervert!" Sunset yelled as the others watched the octopus drop back into the water a far distance away. Princess Ruri, whose hand was already filled with glitter dust to throw at Countess Kuu, released her grip in shock.
Seeing the dust traveling right towards her direction thanks to the wind, Countess Kuu was filled with panic. She remembered how deadly the dust was and her body reflexively jumped to the side to avoid it. Countess Kuu suddenly broke out in cold sweat when she realized how fortunate it was that Princess Ruri had traded blows with her using blades instead of her glitter dust.
Princess Ruri let out an anguished wail and ran towards the octopus, "Paul!"
Seeing the octopus being punted away, Queen Yuuko's rage cooled slightly. She quickly went towards Lord Cookie.
"Miss Rozie, I will be leaving first with Cookie," Queen Yuuko said when she realized Lord Cookie was not responsive at all.
"Alright," Rozenbach nodded in acknowledgment. He was worried for Lord Cookie, whose eyes seemed to have lost their usual liveliness, staring blankly at nothing in particular.
Queen Yuuko quickly left with Lord Cookie in her arms. Countess Kuu stared at Rozenbach curiously before jogging away to follow Queen Yuuko.
"That was a rather quick resolution," Tea Cake commented, but she could not hide the disappointment from her voice.
It is good to resolve fights quickly so that the bystanders don't get hit!!! Q.Q
Behind the Scene!
Choco: Paul will be Ruri's pet, is it okay?
Rozen: Mmh it's fine. pats
Choco: purrs. It will only like Cookie.
Rozen: Wahahahah troll.
Choco: Poor Cookie.
Rozen: Yes poor Cookie.