Volume 1 Chapter 83

Volume 1 + Chapter 83: A Young Girl’s Secret Thoughts

When Qianzhi woke up, she looked around somewhat dazed.

She froze—she had actually fallen asleep last night…

Just like that, lying on the sofa, drifting into a watery, tender sleep?

Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, and the nightdress on her body that clearly did not belong to her, Qianzhi was momentarily bewildered.

Originally, she had thought of pretending to fall asleep at Miss Eve’s house. Even if she couldn’t manage to sneak into the same bed as Miss Eve, at the very least she might get away with a princess carry.

But Qianzhi didn’t know whether she had been too tired or what, for in her drowsiness, she really had fallen asleep.

Normally, Qianzhi’s quality of sleep was very poor. Even if she did fall asleep, it would take her a long time, and once asleep, the slightest sound would be enough to wake her instantly.

But last night had been the most comfortable night’s sleep she’d had in a long time.

A dreamless night, and when she opened her eyes again, it was already a bright, sunny morning.

Qianzhi climbed out of bed. She couldn’t find her white stockings anywhere, so her clean, bare little feet clumsily slipped into the pair of neatly placed pink bunny slippers at the side of the bed.

Rubbing her still-drowsy eyes, she stepped out of the room, and indeed, she was still inside Miss Eve’s home.

But Eve herself was nowhere to be seen, most likely having already set off for the palace.

After all, last night even people sent by Her Majesty the Empress had come to make things clear. When serving Their Majesties, naturally one had to put in more effort.

Only, not being able to see Miss Eve in the morning left a faint trace of disappointment in Qianzhi’s heart.

“But it doesn’t matter anyway. After all, I’m not wearing my white stockings.”

Thinking this, Qianzhi lowered her head and looked at her smooth, jade-like toes. Watching them curl slightly, it almost seemed to reflect the reserved, delicate thoughts of a young girl.

At this moment, the dining table was already set with steaming hot breakfast.

Millet porridge, boiled eggs, and also small steamed buns and shumai that Miss Eve had personally made, bearing her clear and pretty fingerprints on them, as if adding an extra touch of charm to the breakfast.

Staying by Eve’s side always came with unexpected surprises, such as this novel breakfast she had never seen before.

And those fingerprints, symbolizing Miss Eve’s deep affection—eating them felt almost as if placing Miss Eve’s soft little hand into her mouth to savor.

Dong, dong, dong, dong…

A rush of footsteps sounded.

Just as Qianzhi was staring at the breakfast and starting to drift into a fantasy, Leah hurried out of the room next door. It was as if she hadn’t even noticed Qianzhi standing in the living room, as she dashed straight into the bathroom.

Her cheeks even seemed to be tinged with a flush…

Seeing Leah in such a rush left Qianzhi momentarily confused.

“Is little sister Leah having an emergency?”

Unable to make sense of it, Qianzhi didn’t think further. She turned toward the balcony, intending to stretch her body in the morning sunlight.

After all, it had been so long since she last slept so soundly.

Lifting her head, she saw several of Eve’s clothes hanging to dry on the balcony, and those eye-catching, beautiful undergarments. At once, she seemed to forget all about the morning sunlight. In her eyes now, there was only the sight of the pretty underwear hanging from the drying rack.

As she stared, Qianzhi suddenly realized something was wrong…

She instinctively lowered her head to glance at the nightdress she was wearing, and instantly came to a sudden realization.

“My clothes…”

Qianzhi hurried back into the bedroom. At that moment, Leah, her face still faintly red, had just come out of the bathroom.

Before she had time to feel guilty about having once again dirtied her undergarments because of a naughty dream, she saw Qianzhi-nee dashing back into the adjacent bedroom.

Watching Qianzhi in such a hurry left Leah momentarily bewildered.

“What’s going on with Qianzhi-nee?”

Without bothering to greet Leah, who had just come out of the bathroom, Qianzhi rushed back into the room she had slept in.

There, the clothes she had worn yesterday had been neatly folded by Miss Eve and placed in a prominent spot at the foot of the bed.

She rushed over and began rummaging through the pockets.

Her outfit only had two tiny pockets. She searched again and again, but could not find that cherished piece of black lace-trimmed fabric she had treasured.

At once, Qianzhi’s mind went completely blank.

It was gone… truly gone!

If it couldn’t be found, then where else could it have gone? Surely Eve had discovered it and put it away.

Oh no—would she misunderstand something?

No, it wasn’t just possible—she was definitely going to misunderstand!

After all, finding a piece of her black lace-trimmed fabric hidden in Qianzhi’s pocket—it was really hard not to imagine something indecent.

“Oh no, I’m going to become the bad child in Miss Eve’s eyes.”

This level of embarrassment felt just like secretly hiding an unspeakable little toy, thinking you had concealed it flawlessly.

But before you had time to feel smug, your mom found it while casually cleaning your room, and even washed it for you.

Just imagining it made Qianzhi wish she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

Her delicate face at this moment was like a ripe red apple, as countless possibilities tumbled out of her mind all at once.

Qianzhi felt dizzy…

Was it even possible that, because of this, Miss Eve might come to dislike her?

That was absolutely unacceptable—no way!

But now what was done was done, and there was nothing she could do. This was truly a loss on all fronts.

Even if Miss Eve came to dislike her, at the very least she had to get back that black lace-trimmed piece first!

Walking to the bed in despair, Qianzhi looked at the blinding sunlight outside the window, yet felt as though her whole life had turned dark.

Looking down at the bustling crowd below, she couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Her heart brimmed with regret. Her feelings at this moment were tangled and complicated. If only she had known…

“If only I’d had the courage to lift it to my nose and smell it last night.”

Thinking this, Qianzhi couldn’t help but want to slap herself.

Why hadn’t she dared to? And now—now she couldn’t smell it at all, could she?

“Sigh.”

Qianzhi’s mood was complicated. She let out a faint sigh and pulled her gaze back inside.

By chance, from the corner of her eye, she inadvertently glimpsed a miserable-looking figure, one that seemed somewhat familiar.

This made Qianzhi look more closely…

“A beggar?”

Leaning on the bedside, Qianzhi curiously stared out at the crowd. Amidst all the well-dressed people, that destitute figure stood out all the more, with passersby even deliberately keeping their distance from him.

His clothes were filthy, wrinkled, and worn, and he looked utterly dispirited.

Even just taking a step forward seemed extremely difficult for him.

How strange—why would there be a beggar in the imperial capital?

Qianzhi couldn’t understand. It wasn’t that the empire was especially prosperous, but rather that there were officials specifically in charge of such matters.

Even if beggars did appear in the capital, they would be forcibly expelled.

And besides, that beggar looked a little familiar. That figure—she seemed to have seen it at the Church Academy.

“Forget it, it’s not my problem.”

Qianzhi shook her head. Clearly, her own troubles were much more serious right now.

No matter what, when Miss Eve returned, she should apologize to her first.

But an apology had to be sincere. If that was the case, then she should give something of herself to Miss Eve.

Thinking this, Qianzhi left the bedroom and sat down at the dining table.

No matter what, Miss Eve’s fingerprints—no, the breakfast she had worked so hard to prepare—was something she had to taste.

Sitting at the table, Qianzhi recalled the nearly perfect height-to-weight ratio that Miss Eve had written down on the apartment administrator’s application form. Then she looked at her own slightly plump, fair little legs.

Her hand trembled slightly as she picked up a bun, but only slightly.

“Good morning, Qianzhi-nee.”

“Ah, morning.”

Leah and Qianzhi exchanged a simple greeting, and then the dining table sank into silence.

Both girls were preoccupied with their own thoughts, and neither had the heart to chat.

Qianzhi was deeply worried about secretly taking Miss Eve’s black lace trim, terrified that Eve might dislike her because of it.

Leah, on the other hand, was still lingering on the strange dream she had last night, and the intimate garment she had hidden in the laundry basket this morning.

This was already the second time. The scariest part was that the last intimate garment she had hidden in the laundry basket had already been washed clean by Eve and hung out on the balcony.

As long as Eve wasn’t blind, she would surely have noticed the obvious stains on that intimate garment.

If Eve had asked her about it, Leah might still have been able to make up an excuse. But Eve hadn’t asked—she had just quietly washed it for her.

And that was what left Leah so uneasy.

“Miss Eve went out, right?”

“Ah… mm, last night Qianzhi-nee fell asleep, so Mother let you stay here for the night. She said she’d be going to the palace this morning.”

Leah also had things to do today, she planned to go take a look at the little courtyard she fancied.

And perhaps bargain with the landlord a little, so she could secure it as soon as possible.

However, land in the imperial capital is extremely expensive, and Leah wasn’t sure whether she could succeed.

But no matter what, she had to give it a try.

Lately, she always had an inexplicable sixth sense, feeling that someone else might also be trying to compete for that courtyard.

“I see, sorry for the trouble we’ve caused.”

Qianzhi lowered her head embarrassedly. This was her first time spending the night at someone else’s home.

Although she had had a little scheming intention last night, she hadn’t expected herself to be so unresisting and had fallen asleep immediately.

“It’s okay. Mother said that if you like, you can come stay over at our house anytime. That room is reserved just for you.”

Leah smiled. She had always had a high regard for Qianzhi, treating her like an older sister.

After all, when she had been bullied at school, and someone insulted Eve, she had gotten angry and fought back. Back then, Qianzhi, as the student council president, didn’t hesitate to intervene to help her, even at the risk of getting herself into trouble.

Otherwise, Leah wouldn’t have been able to leave the Church Academy gates unscathed after fighting.

“I see, that’s really very kind of you. Um… which room do you sleep in at night, Leah?”

Qianzhi held her spoon, idly stirring the golden millet porridge in her bowl.

“Me? I usually sleep with Mother.”

“Mm?”

Catching that keyword, Qianzhi’s body suddenly trembled.

“You mean… you sleep with Miss Eve at night?”

“Yes. Mother said if I’m afraid of the dark, I can come find her at night. She doesn’t lock the door while she sleeps.”

Leah was simple-minded, with no tricks up her sleeve. She treated Qianzhi like family, so naturally, she was willing to tell her everything.

Of course… The fact that she sometimes had strange dreams when sleeping with Mother at night was something Leah couldn’t say.

“Sleeping together, huh.”

Qianzhi instinctively turned her head. From the dining room, she could see the room, which contained a bed that wasn’t very large.

If three people were to sleep on it, it might be a bit cramped.

But maybe, with a little squeezing, it could work!

…………

“Sigh…”

Eve leaned against the corridor outside Her Majesty the Empress’ bedroom and let out a long sigh.

At this moment, she was filled with anxiety, looking at the soft measuring tape she had hurriedly bought, unsure whether it would accurately measure Their Majesties’ real body size.

Her anxiety grew the longer she waited.

One had to say, Their Majesties really were particular, who else slept until ten in the morning without waking up?

After all, they were Their Majesties. Even though Eve had always regarded them as dignified and noble, in small details, they were exactly like Alice.

After all, they were mother and daughter…

“Miss Eve, Her Majesty the Empress have woken up. Thank you for waiting. Please follow me.”

Just as Eve was beginning to feel like she had been waiting forever, a young maid suddenly pushed open the bedroom door and stepped out.

“Oh, okay.”

Eve followed the young maid, carefully observing the surroundings. The place where Her Majesty the Empress slept was truly different—so spacious that a dozen carriages could fit at the same time.

The young maid led Eve through the maze-like corridors of the bedroom, twisting and turning so much that Eve felt a little dizzy, until finally they arrived in front of a screen.

One had to admit, if an assassin truly wanted to target a member of the royal family, Eve felt it was highly unlikely they would succeed…

Here, the young maid dared not go further and stopped, bowing slightly to Eve.

“Her Majesty the Empress is just ahead. I cannot go further, so I can only bring you to this point. Well… I will take my leave now.”

Having said that, the young maid left without looking back, leaving Eve alone in this enormous bedroom.

Though called a bedroom, so far Eve hadn’t seen a single bed.

With a nervous heart, Eve stepped around the screen and walked a few steps forward. She suddenly saw a spacious and bright room. The huge floor-to-ceiling windows, enhanced with magic, created a one-way glass effect without making the room feel hazy.

Outside was the bustling scenery of the imperial capital, even with a beautiful small river in view.

Inside this room was a bed large enough for more than ten people to lie down. Light, luxurious gauze hung from the ceiling, draping over the bed. Behind the gauze lay a slender and graceful figure.

A thin silk quilt covered her body, light and elegant. Because of the figure’s excellent form, the graceful curves were faintly visible through the veil, fully revealed to Eve.

From that nearly perfect figure, Eve could immediately tell that the one lying on the bed was indeed Her Majesty the Empress.

“Thank you for your effort, Miss Eve.”

Sensing Eve’s arrival, Chancelianne slowly spoke.

She placed a hand on her slightly heavy chest and sat up on the bed. Her beautiful golden hair flowed like a waterfall around her. Eve didn’t know if it was a filter or some effect, but even unkempt, Her Majesty the Empress looked elegant and dignified.

This was a beauty invisible to most people.

Perhaps even the monarchs of the empire couldn’t see this side of Her Majesty the Empress.

“Thank you for coming here specially. If I could leave the palace at will, I would have visited your residence instead.”

Chancelianne’s voice carried a hint of softness, clearly just waking up, still slightly groggy.

This feeling was exactly like when Alice had just woken up.

As for how Eve knew what Alice looked like just waking…

She didn’t want to mention it—it was a matter of tears. And saying it aloud might cause trouble.

“Nonsense, Your Her Majesty the Empress, you are too polite.”

Eve nodded slightly, not daring to look directly at Her Majesty the Empress.

“Then let’s begin directly. If possible, I hope for a design leaning toward red tones, but not too flashy.”

“Also, I hope it can be made quickly, because in a few days I need to represent the empire at a very important event abroad.”

As Her Majesty the Empress spoke, they lifted the light gauze and stepped out.

With the veil removed, Eve realized how crucial that faint haze had been.

Her Majesty the Empress wore a lightweight, spaghetti-strap nightdress, with one strap slipping off the shoulder, revealing the curve of the chest. The exposed shoulders, along with the fair, delicate collarbones like jade, looked extremely…

One had to admit, when Eve first met Her Majesty the Empress, she had suspected the figure might have padding.

After all, in terms of size, shape, and lift, Her Majesty the Empress’ figure was world-class.

The type that was beautiful, nourishing, and never left a child hungry—truly a world-class scale.

But now it seemed Her Majesty the Empress were a bit conservative, the sort who thought the radical were too conservative for the conservative…

The luxurious skirts they usually wore seemed to have restrained their true form.

Apologies, Your Her Majesty the Empress, for not recognizing you earlier…

“What’s the matter? Something wrong?”

Chancelianne faced Eve without much pretense. After inviting her into the bedroom, she naturally treated Eve as one of her own.

Behind this screen lay a forbidden area even the most trusted maids were not allowed to enter.

In all these years since Chancelianne moved here, Eve was the first person to appear here.

“N-no, nothing… I just feel that Your Her Majesty the Empress truly lives up to the title. So flawless and perfect that I couldn’t help but look a few extra times. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Eve hurriedly lowered her head. Her words carried a touch of elegance and refinement, for after all, she certainly couldn’t say…

That she had been sneaking a look at Her Majesty the Empress’ chest, and had been momentarily distracted?