Chapter 3
The prince still acted unruffled, but I could see his jaw clenching and his face turning livid.
I was about to speak when Yumo stopped me. “Hua Nu, don’t talk nonsense!”
“His Highness would never hurt me!”
At her defense of him, the man’s brow smoothed. He became that elegant, charming prince with rather limited stamina in bed again.
“Exactly, Yumo. How could I hurt you? Once you’re His Majesty’s favorite, you’ll be thanking me.”
Yumo shrank a little.
“Your Highness, am I going to the palace t-tonight?”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“I…”
He merely smiled at her hesitation.
Meanwhile, the palace gates drew steadily closer.
Yumo grew uneasy. Too afraid to resist, she could only curl into a little ball.
The carriage rolled on. A little farther along the imperial road, and we would enter the palace. Just before I decided to leave on my own, she spoke in a small voice.
“Your Highness, I—I need to relieve myself.”
Naturally, he urged her to wait, unwilling to risk complications. But this submissive woman was uncharacteristically firm. “It’s my first time before His Majesty. I’m afraid I might disgrace myself… It would be terrible if he took his anger out on you.”
That finally touched a nerve. After considerable thought, the prince nodded.
“Yumo, my dear Yumo, if all you need is to relieve yourself, why be so frightened?”
He ordered the carriage stopped and let her go to a secluded corner.
But after a moment’s hesitation, Yumo caught my arm again.
“Hua Nu, come with me.”
On my own, this run would have been easy. All I had to do was seize the prince as a hostage, take a horse, and escape the imperial city.
But Yumo clung to me and tremblingly pulled me into the shadows.
I was genuinely curious—
Faced with life and death, what would she choose?
She stared at me wide-eyed in the dark. “What are we going to do?”
“The prince knows I’ll die in the palace, and he’s still sending me to be tortured by the emperor. Am I not a human being?”
“Hua Nu, I don’t want to die. I really don’t want to die!”
Standing in the tall grass, I was as silent as an iron tower.
This world had reset countless times. Yet this was the only time she had ever turned to me in tears.
“If I die, you’re only a maid. Sooner or later, you’ll die too… Never mind. Go.”
“Who says I’m going to die?”
Seeing my unconcern, Yumo sighed. “Don’t be stubborn. What could you possibly do?”
I flexed my burly arms. “Don’t forget. I’m double-door.”
Confusion crossed her little face. “…What’s double-door?”
Before I could answer, the guards called from nearby.
“Miss Yumo, please hurry.”
I lowered my voice, looking at her tear-streaked face. “If I save you, you’ll lose all those fine clothes and delicacies. Can you accept that?”
She stared. “Hua Nu, what are you going to do?”
When no answer came, the guards’ uneven footsteps began to approach.
“Miss Yumo?”
Before they reached us, I scooped her onto my shoulder.
“We’re going!”
In a flash, I had Yumo slung over my shoulder and leaped onto the palace wall.
The wind tore at our eyes. The guards behind us rapidly dwindled to sesame-sized specks. Hanging over my shoulder, the woman kept crying out.
“Hua Nu, your shoulders are so broad! So strong!”
“So this is double-door?”
“You’re incredible! I love it!”