Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Maria and Nemesis remained in the room for so long that it became unsettling.

The sound of shattering glass even drifted out from within.

Xu Duoyi almost couldn’t stop herself from knocking on the door, but Tu Nan held her back.

“Let’s wait a bit longer.”

They both waited for a while until even Tu Nan found it hard to stay still and decided to go investigate the situation.

Just as she reached the door, it swung open.

Maria stepped out of the small hut. Though her complexion was slightly paler than before, she appeared to be unharmed.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” She offered a small smile to Tu Nan and Xu Duoyi.

Was that it?

Xu Duoyi glanced at Tu Nan.

“Monica, come in,” Nemesis called out from inside the room.

Xu Duoyi blinked in surprise, then obediently walked inside, leaving only Tu Nan and Maria in the courtyard.

Maria walked over to Mimi and stroked its head. Mimi squinted comfortably and licked her hand.

“Are you alright?” Tu Nan asked, walking over to her side.

“She won’t kill me,” Maria said, standing up with a composed posture. “Though she doesn’t trust me either.”

“Nemesis seemed to absolutely loathe you. What on earth did you say to her?” Tu Nan couldn’t help but ask.

“You want to know?” Maria glanced at her.

Tu Nan nodded.

“Alright, for the sake of the apples,” Maria said casually. “I lived here for a period of time once. By chance, I discovered that Nemesis has been looking for someone.”

“Someone?” Tu Nan asked, surprised. “She’s a Witch. Can she really not find a single person?”

“The person she’s looking for is also a Witch,” Maria smiled. “That’s why she has searched for so long but could never find her.”

“Do you know where that person is?”

Maria looked up at the apples on the Tree. “I only have a suspicion. I’m not entirely certain.”

“And Nemesis let you go just because of a suspicion?”

Maria looked at her with a beaming smile. “Of course, I couldn’t tell her it was just a suspicion.”

“Aren’t you afraid of what will happen when she finds out the truth…”

“Even if it’s just my suspicion, I’m seventy to eighty percent sure. That’s enough for me to take the risk.” Maria’s expression was calm. “If you want to get what you want, you always have to take some risks.”

Just as she finished speaking, Xu Duoyi finally emerged from the small hut.

She walked over to Tu Nan, her expression looking a bit strange.

“Teacher wants me to go with you.”

Tu Nan raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced at Maria.

Maria flashed a smile and patted Xu Duoyi on the shoulder. “Thank you for your hard work.”

It seemed this was something Nemesis and Maria had already agreed upon.

What was Nemesis’s goal? Was she sending Xu Duoyi to keep an eye on Maria?

“You may leave now,” Nemesis said as she also stepped out of the hut. “Those people outside are wandering aimlessly through the forest, looking everywhere for you.”

Maria nodded. “We’ve been gone for a long time. It is indeed time to leave.”

She looked up at Nemesis and smiled faintly. “Nemesis, I look forward to our next meeting.”

Nemesis looked at her coldly, her tone harsh. “Do not forget what you promised me.”

*

The three of them quickly left the Witch’s hut and encountered Tracy on the road, who was searching for them.

When Tracy saw the three of them, the anxiety on his face finally gave way to a look of relief.

“God, where have you been?” He hurried toward them. “I’ve been looking everywhere and couldn’t find you.”
“I was just wandering around aimlessly,” Maria said casually. “Perhaps we simply missed each other.”

“By the way,” she gestured toward Xu Duoyi beside her, “the more I spoke with Miss Monica, the more we found ourselves on the same wavelength. So, I’ve made a last-minute decision to invite her to stay at the Royal Palace as a guest.”

“That’s wonderful,” Tracy said with a smile. “It’s getting late, and it’s time to head back. I’ll have them prepare for our departure immediately.”

*

News that Maria had invited a commoner girl to stay at the Royal Palace quickly reached the ears of the King and Queen.

The Queen’s attitude toward Xu Duoyi was quite gentle; she arranged a room for her and instructed the maids to take good care of her. The King, however, was somewhat dissatisfied.

“You are a princess. How can you associate with such a commoner?” the King coughed at the dinner table, his face pale. “You don’t act like a princess at all.”

Fortunately, with Xu Duoyi’s status, she was not qualified to eat at the same table as them. Her dinner was brought directly to her room by a maid, so she did not have to hear the King’s biting remarks.

“I only invited her as a guest,” Maria said in a flat tone. “This Miss Maria also saved Brother Dennis and Judy. I wanted to thank her properly.”

Having said that, she looked at Dennis, who sat directly across from her, and asked with a smile, “Isn’t that right, Brother?”

Dennis had endured too much that day and, for once, did not contradict Maria. Perhaps he also wanted to show off in front of Tu Nan, as he nodded and said, “Indeed. Miss Judy and I were lost in the forest, and it was thanks to Miss Monica that we found our way out.”

“Lost?” The Queen’s hand, which had been cutting her steak, paused. She immediately set down her knife and fork and asked with concern, “How could you get lost? Weren’t you only staying on the outskirts of the forest?”

“This was all my fault,” Tu Nan said softly. “The Prince invited me for a walk, and we were so engrossed in our conversation that we inadvertently wandered too far and couldn’t find our way back.”

Dennis glanced at Tu Nan with surprise, feeling a bit more satisfied with her in his heart.

The Queen smiled and did not blame her. “It’s fine as long as everyone is safe. It’s just… why would a young girl be living in the forest?”

“Monica lives in the forest and is very familiar with it,” Maria said, looking at the Queen. “Fortunately so, otherwise Brother Dennis and Judy would have been in great danger.”

The Queen’s expression became somewhat subtle.

“Living in the forest?” She paused. “I originally thought she was just an ordinary commoner… but if she lives in the forest, isn’t that a bit unsafe? You know nothing of her origins. If she has ulterior motives…”

“Mother, are you trying to ask if she is a Witch?” Maria asked with a smile.

The Queen’s expression changed slightly, and she narrowed her eyes at her.

“Don’t worry, Mother. She is just an ordinary girl.”

The Queen smiled. “I am only considering everyone’s safety. Witches are evil and full of schemes. It would be terrible if one were to infiltrate the Royal Palace.”

“Mother, you worry too much,” Eugene sneered, sounding quite dismissive. “No matter what a Witch is, she is still just a woman. The Royal Palace is heavily guarded; she couldn’t possibly stir up any trouble.”

Tu Nan glanced at Eugene.

She had noticed yesterday that Eugene’s attitude toward the Queen was extremely poor.

Although she was the Stepmother Queen, both Maria and Dennis maintained a facade of peace with her. Only Eugene seemed unwilling to even pretend to maintain such surface-level civility.