° Bing Shi observed the motivated girls, who all put their lives and trust in her, "You might not be remembered as the heroic soldiers on the fronts. But as the dirtiest, cheap, sluts that exist only to warm a man's bed. It's fine, let them think so. We can't allow anyone to fear us. People fight fear, and we don't want anyone to fight us."
° Their dignity and pride would be trampled upon, and she was preparing them for that.
° There was nothing wrong in asking a man for help.
° Women couldn't start a revolution as a lone gender.
° Some tried, and they ended up being burned alive, like during the Salem witch trials...
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Current time...
Finally inside of a carriage, Bing Shi's legs squirmed. Every step she made, there'd be this tingling pain in between her tights, constantly reminding her of someone, "We can depart."
Opposite Bing Shi sat Hasan and Gu Min. It would take three hours on a carriage until they arrive at His Highness' destination. Bing Shi decided to depart a few hours sooner. It would be fine and all, but...
Hasan scratched his bald head in confusion, "Why did we need to pack a whole wagon of reserves enough for a four-day trip?"
Bing Shi took a book out of her bag and started to read innocently, "You never know; it's better to be prepared than not."
'It's so unnecessary!' Hasan protested, "We're wasting money."
"We're not," Bing Shi looked up from the book, "What if something slows us down? Heavy rain could occur. Our carriages could break. Someone could get sick. The ins could overcrowd because of His Highness and troops returning. The shops could be sold o─"
"Alright, alright!" Hasan stopped her. Wasn't she worrying too much?!
When they arrived at the outskirts of the forest without any hassle, Bing Shi hopped down the carriage with a refreshed smile, "It's great that nothing happened... hehe."
"..." Hasan and Gu Min nodded silently, but inside, their eyes were rolling.
While Hasan left to take care of an additional present, a few soldiers escorted the twins inside Zhao Rong's tent. Saliva pooled in their mouth, and they were forced to swallow.
'This is what a man must feel like waiting to pounce a pair of twins,' the soldiers thought as they adjusted their pants.
Inside the tent, Zhao Rong, who was having a meal behind a round table, didn't forget to put on his mask before he let them inside.
He took a closer look at the bowing girls before him, "Rise."
Not seeing her in three months, she gained a little bit of weight in the right places. Surprisingly Zhao Rong recognized Tian Shi right away. It wasn't because she was adorned in more gold, nor her slightly darker skin.
It actually looked very pleasant to his eyes, soft, rich, and beautiful. The more he looked, the tipsier he felt, there was a slight burn in his throat, the sort when one sipped on a strong wine.
Accompanying Zhao Rong to lunch, Gu Min felt like a mousy bookworm in the corner. Of course, Tian Shi became more beautiful with all the care she put into herself. But it wasn't fair of His Highness to give attention to her sister only.
Bing Shi would offer her place to Gu Min with great enthusiasm. Being under the constant scrutiny of two men wasn't the most enjoyable thing in the world. To bore Zhao Rong out, she didn't engage in any conversations. However, no words were needed as his Highness seemed to enjoy observing her eating habits. He even picked up a few dishes for her!
"Eat more," he ordered and placed a piece of pork into her bowl.
'Eat it yourself, you psycho.'
After Bing Shi finished the meat, she apologized, "May Your Highness forgive this servant. This one is already full."
The meat between Zhao Rong's chopsticks dropped on the table, "Full?" The atmosphere became suffocating as he suddenly grabbed Bing Shi by the neck and raised her into the air, "If you can't eat anymore, then... don't put food inside your mouth ever again." His grip on her neck tightened.
Bing Shi's face turned a shade of green and red, "Your High-..." Covering her mouth, the content of her stomach pushed itself out.
The pungent and sour smell filled the air.
When the grip around her neck loosened, she dropped to the floor.
"The food is out..." Coughing and choking for air, she shook off the sickening feeling while trying to save the situation, "This lowly one... is not full anymore."
"..." She clearly avoided dirtying him, but in a subconscious gesture of disgust, his nose wrinkled, and he drew his head backward.
Zhao Rong left the tent and ordered his people to clean up the mess. He stopped staring at his hands and placed them in a water basin, not at all bothered that they almost ruined a very expensive courtesan.
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Gu Min watched the scene in shock, rooted on the spot; she didn't know what to do. When Zhao Rong returned to a clean tent, he asked her about Tian Shi's whereabouts.
"My... My sister went to take a bath," she answered, her voice shaking. Not daring to ask for anything, afraid she'd anger this demon. Now, she had a clear image of why His Highness killed all his wives.
Zhao Rong looked at the little scared mouse, "Leave."
Bowing down, Gu Min quickly left the tent, looking for her twin.
(Mr. Jelly): What happened? What are you hiding from me?
(Mrs. Jelly): The prince wanted to choke me to death, I think. Then I puked.
Bing Shi attempted to lighten the mood without hiding anything. After a servant led her to the showers, Kuro encircled her in a white cocoon, her adrenaline rush reducing.
She was about to take off her clothes when suddenly, a flash of memories entered her mind. She let out an empty scream, covering her mouth, she shook her head frantically. An image of somebody ruthlessly showing spoon after spoon of food into her mouth appeared, "No! Xuan Mu...mmpf!"
If Xuan Mu could see the man, he would've noticed the few similarities to Bing Shi's previous stalker. This time, he wasn't of mixed race. The man was a bit on the thinner side with an unkempt appearance. A lock of black hair stuck to his forehead like leeches to a leg. There were no distinct features of a native Australian.