Chapter 3

After three years of cultivating patience,

I considered myself quite good-tempered today.

In the old days, had I heard people whispering about me behind my back and found myself ignored at my own banquet,

even a passing dog might have received a scolding.

But they seemed to have forgotten that I had been like this since childhood.

Someone simply had to push me.

“Your Highness, it’s my fault!”

“I didn’t know… I didn’t know you disliked rouge. If I’ve upset you, please punish me. Don’t take it out on Lord Pei…”

Meng Wantang began to cry.

Large tears rolled down her cheeks.

Pale-faced and helpless, she looked utterly pitiable.

But as she bowed her head to beg for mercy, I distinctly saw the flicker of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

No one else noticed that smile, of course.

Especially not Pei Yanli.

His face darkened further.

As though meeting me for the first time, he ground out, “Fine. Very fine indeed.”

“I never knew the Princess Royal had such a disposition.”

The Crown Prince pointed a finger at my nose. “Sister, what has Sister Meng done wrong?”

“You’re so overbearing! I’m going to tell Father and have him punish you severely!”

Punish me?

I nearly laughed in exasperation.

“Go ahead.”

“You’re the Crown Prince, yet you haven’t the slightest bearing of an heir to the throne. Sister Meng this, Brother Pei that.”

“Perhaps I’ll take the opportunity to ask Father when I acquired all these extra brothers and sisters.”

I turned to Pei Yanli.

“Have you forgotten that you’re betrothed to me?”

“Since you’re so fond of Miss Meng, why not ask my father to end our engagement? Then the two of you can enjoy the steadfast love you’ve secretly developed while I was away.”

“And you…”

I shifted my gaze to Meng Wantang, paused, and curled my lips.

“What are you smiling at? Do you think I’m a fool?”

“I may have a bad temper, but my eyes and ears work perfectly well. I never even touched your maid. Why did she stumble?”

“If you’re going to put on an act, at least make it convincing. Don’t assume I’m as stupid as everyone else here.”

By the time I finished, the Crown Prince was livid and Pei Yanli’s expression thunderous.

Meng Wantang’s face went from pale to red and back again.

Every face in the room looked ghastly.

I was used to it. I rolled my eyes and ignored them.

“Don’t worry. You won’t have to trouble yourselves. I’ll give Prime Minister Meng and the Marquis of Huai’an a full account of today’s events…”

“Actually, no. Tomorrow I’ll have a stage erected outside the palace gates, complete with gongs and drums, and have today’s scene reenacted in full.”

With that, I stopped looking at their abruptly changing expressions.

But as I turned to leave, I walked straight into a man coming through the door.

He was tall and unfamiliar.

He had a straight nose and striking, deep-set eyes.

A remarkably handsome man.

But I was in no mood to care whether a man was handsome.

“A good dog knows to stay out of the way,” I snapped.

“Are you blind? Move!”

The man’s face flushed instantly.

His eyes shone, suddenly bright enough to startle me.

I had never seen someone receive a scolding without getting angry.

I paused.

As I puzzled over it, someone tugged at my sleeve.

I turned to find my fourth sister wearing an ingratiating smile.

“Sis, just so we’re clear: once you’ve scolded other people, you can’t scold me too, all right?”

“And stop scolding this one for now.”

“He’s different. I think he actually enjoyed it.”