“Alright… everyone, let’s make a decision,” the Captain sat cross-legged on a rock, his fingernails idly scratching at Xiao Shi’s chin. “Newcomer, what do you think?”
All eyes turned toward her. The ears on top of Phil’s head shot up instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, then hurriedly lowered her head.
“I—I don’t know, don’t ask me! Someone like me, what good ideas could I possibly have?”
If you want to stay in a squad like this, you can’t just randomly stick your neck out! Phil understood this all too well; she had always pretended to be oblivious.
Truth be told, she didn’t know much about this small squad that called themselves the Rebels. Although the Captain and the other members seemed gentle enough, because of her own position, Phil never felt entirely at ease here.
At that moment, a weary old voice sounded.
“Don’t make things difficult for the child. Let me say a few words.”
The one speaking was the Old Doctor who had treated Phil the other day—Blitz. He stroked his white-streaked beard, sweeping his gaze over everyone.
“Zuo Shan’s analysis makes sense, but to immediately trust a member from within the Blood Clan is too risky. Rather than forming an alliance, I think cooperation might be more appropriate.”
“Cooperation?” The Captain tilted his head slightly, signaling for Blitz to continue.
“Yes. We can look at this matter from another angle.”
“Instead of directly allying with the Blood Clan, we use the connection with Princess Nori to gather more information.”
Once he said this, everyone fell into stunned silence, all turning to stare at him in astonishment.
Blitz’s proposal was bold, but everyone knew well that there were significant risks hidden behind it.
“So, you mean… we should establish contact with Nori?” The Captain fixed Blitz with a serious look, hoping to glean more useful information from his eyes.
Blitz, however, only shook his head slightly.
“Perhaps that’s possible. But now isn’t the time,” he said. “A Shan went to great lengths to get this letter into our hands—he must have put a lot of thought into it. If we send the Night Courier back immediately, it might alert him and spoil everything.”
“Y-yes, that’s true…”
“For now, our priority is to protect ourselves as much as possible,” Blitz continued. “Since the Royal Capital is already in chaos, it won’t be long before even greater conflicts erupt within the Blood Clan. When that time comes, it won’t be too late for the Rebels to act.”
The Old Doctor’s steady and calm demeanor, together with his deeply resonant voice, compelled everyone present to heed his words. Blitz was the most respected elder in this group; his words carried significant weight.
“Alright, then it’s settled.” The Captain stood up, glancing around at everyone. “Everyone, though the road ahead is fraught with uncertainty, at least we now have more options. From here on out, we must proceed with greater caution, and be ready for any unexpected changes.”
“Yes, Captain!” everyone responded in unison, the atmosphere growing tense again, yet also filled with renewed anticipation.
The Captain gave the letter in his hand one last look, then carefully tucked it away into his coat.
He knew that this contest with the Blood Clan had only just begun.
The winter in the Royal Capital crept in without anyone noticing.
Late autumn had passed; the chill of winter quietly settled over the land.
Pointed rooftops pierced the horizon, reaching up to the gray-blue sky. On top of the city walls, the weathered stone gleamed faintly cold beneath the winter sun. Now and then, a few dry and withered vines poked their heads out from between the rocks, swaying east and west in the cold wind.
Within the Castle, on an open patch of ground, rows of freshly laundered clothes fluttered gently. Two maids stood in the morning sun, securing bedsheets to the drying lines.
“It’s freezing—!” Ka Qiu hugged her arms, shivering in the wind. “Why are this year’s winter clothes so late? I’m nearly frozen to death!”
“There’s nothing to be done,” Su Ling replied, adjusting the drying rack and wringing out a corner of the bedsheet. “They say the Castle’s finances are in the red; everyone has to tighten their belts and save where they can.”
Having gotten up early today, the water had become especially cold. After only a short while washing clothes, Su Ling’s hands were already bright red from the chill.
“Ugh, they say that every year… My ears are going to get frostbite.”
“They said the same thing last year.”
“They say it every year! Oh, winter is just too miserable.”
Ka Qiu furrowed her brow, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction. As she picked up another piece of clothing, her hand brushed against her face, and a jolt of pain followed.
There were already several fine, red cracks on her cheeks—marks left by the biting wind.
“Su Ling, look—my skin is almost like bark now.” Ka Qiu yanked Su Ling over, pointing at her own neck. “But your skin’s perfectly fine! Come on, tell me, how do you keep your face so smooth?”
“Eh? Me… I…”
Su Ling touched her own face. Just as Ka Qiu had said, her skin was smooth and unblemished, unaffected by the cold wind at all.
“Well… maybe it’s just using more water? Or putting some oil on your face beforehand?”
“I do all that too!”
“Then… I don’t know, maybe it’s because I’m a Blood Clan member, and our constitution is different.”
With no other explanation, Su Ling could only offer a guess. She didn’t quite understand why girls cared so much about their skin—after all, they were only a few little cracks.
Ka Qiu grumbled softly, still dissatisfied with the answer, but couldn’t find any argument, so she could only mutter to herself.
What a troublesome Head Maid.
Su Ling raised her hands, exhaled a cloud of white breath, and her eyes showed a trace of helplessness.
After they finished hanging the laundry, the two began to make their way back. The ground beneath their feet was already frozen hard, and each step rang out with a crisp sound.
Suddenly, a petite figure flashed into view—it was Princess Nori, dressed in her adorable western-style lantern pants, her short hair gathered into a tiny bun in front.
The three came face to face. Ka Qiu hurriedly stopped, bowed, and with a respectful tone said, “Your Highness Nori… It’s so cold outside, what brings you here alone?”
The corners of Nori’s mouth lifted into a sly smile as she replied brightly, “Of course I’m going to see Sister Clis!”
“But Your Highness, the weather is so harsh today. If the Queen finds out, you’ll be scolded again. Maybe you’d better stay inside…”
Ka Qiu forced a smile, trying her best to persuade her gently.
Earlier, Queen Clis had told her as Head Maid to pay extra attention to Nori, but Ka Qiu was never able to do it well, always ending up blamed by the Queen. So this time, she had no choice but to muster her courage and step forward.
“Out of my way. I said I’m going to see Sister!” Sure enough, Nori’s face changed instantly. The smile from moments before vanished, replaced by a dark scowl. “Don’t get in my way!”
“Yes, yes.”
Ka Qiu lowered her head, not daring to say more.
“Well, then, we’ll take our leave.”
Everyone knew Princess Nori’s moods were ever-changing. If she had already decided on something, it was best not to try to stop her, or you’d only invite unnecessary trouble. She shot Su Ling a look, and Su Ling quickly bowed her head, curtsied, and the two of them slowly backed away, preparing to leave.
“Wait.”
Just then, as if she’d noticed something, Nori’s eyes lit up.
The two maids halted at once, turning back to look at the little princess.
“The useless maid can leave. But you, stay. I have something to say to you.”
That little hand pointed straight at Su Ling.
And along with it came Nori’s sly, renewed smile.