Yulilian shifted closer to the corner of the wall, pouting as her lips sank inward, her finger tracing circles on the wall.
“It’s fine. Let her eat it. She’s a guest from afar, and it’s our fault if she’s not full at a banquet.”
Yulilian’s ears twitched sharply, surprised and staring straight at Lin Nuo, who she thought would scold her.
But to everyone’s surprise, even the famously stingy and difficult Lin Nuo called over a few maids and the head chef to bring out the exquisite desserts that had been on the platter—delicious, rare treats Yulilian had been too shy to eat earlier.
After setting those down, Lin Nuo approached her with a smile that looked like he was about to kidnap a child.
“What… what are you going to do?”
“Nothing. Just wanted to chat.” Lin Nuo’s words seemed straightforward.
“I don’t believe you.”
Yulilian tightly guarded the two sunny-side-up eggs in front of her, her eyes darting suspiciously.
“I’m telling you, I still have three whole months before I become an adult!”
“…”
Lin Nuo said nothing, setting down the Magic Book and taking the platter respectfully handed over by the head chef.
He flipped open the cover, revealing an intricately crafted cocoa bean and strawberry cake that immediately released a tempting aroma—exactly the flavor the little girl loved most.
Yulilian wrinkled her nose, conflicted as she bit her finger and rubbed her unruly, now rumbling stomach.
“Even if you want to make me give in with delicious food… can’t you just wait until I’m an adult?”
“I’m really just inviting you to eat and have a casual chat.”
“Well, I still won’t talk about myself!”
Yulilian clenched her tiny fists, making a small concession but not much—after all, a great Red Dragon like her couldn’t be easily swayed by worldly temptations!
Ahem!
Her will was the strongest of all!
Yet when Lin Nuo smiled again and pulled out what was said to melt on the tongue—a mulberry-glazed jelly so delicious the little girl swallowed hard several times—Yulilian couldn’t help but hug the treat and bite in with a satisfied “Mmm.”
With her cheeks puffed full from eating, Yulilian still managed to mumble to Lin Nuo that he should just ask whatever he wanted quickly, because no matter how strong and great her will was, it couldn’t fill her stomach!
“If you won’t talk about yourself, that leaves a lot less to discuss.”
Lin Nuo tapped the cover of the book and lightly pulled at it, finally revealing the true purpose of his long pursuit: “Then… can you talk to me about your sister?”
“Huh~?”
***
“The silver bow is like a crescent moon, the arrow like a shooting star!”
“I—I’m ready to shoot!!”
Snap!
“Ah! I can’t pull it back!”
After eating her fill, Yulilian lay on the bed hugging the exquisitely curved silver bow shaped like a crescent moon, examining the translucent bowstring that looked like ice crystal.
Her short legs kicked lightly in the air.
Not even close to hitting the target and unable to fully draw the bowstring, Yulilian clearly didn’t understand the elven bow and arrow—let alone how her sister was so flexible she could pull the bowstring with her foot, a feat far beyond Yulilian’s reach.
“Sis, I brought you a whole fruit mille-feuille, the best kind. Make sure you eat it.”
“I saw it, thank you, Yulilian.”
Sitting at her desk, Princess Amidina spoke softly, “But next time, don’t wander around at night. You made progress tonight; if you get lost, ask a Maid to bring you back. Otherwise, if you hide away sneaking food again, I’ll come find you and your little butt will get a good scolding.”
“…”
“Uh, actually this time… Lin Nuo caught me and ordered the Maid to help me find my way back.”
Yulilian added, “Sister, Lin Nuo said he wants to chat with me about you. I suspect he’s trying to gather information about you!”
“Hmm, so…”
Amidina paused, putting down the quill that had been scribbling on the full notebook and opened to a fresh page, her gaze steady on the book: “Dear little Yulilian, did you reveal your sister’s secrets too easily, or did you reveal them too easily?”
“Umm!”
Yulilian scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
She had initially refused Lin Nuo quite firmly.
Her sister was her beloved kin, her closest companion!
How could the bond of sisters from childhood be betrayed for the sake of some cake?
But… rubbing her round belly, cheeks puffed out, Yulilian thought Lin Nuo was just too mean!
He pulled out so many delicious foods, tempting a girl with no resistance to sweets.
There was no choice, and besides, Lin Nuo didn’t seem like the really bad guy everyone said he was.
He never complained when she mistakenly called him a male servant… and who could be that bad if they feed you plenty of little cakes?
“I only chatted with him about simple things, nothing secret.”
Yulilian recalled, “Like, he comforted me about getting lost and said Claremont Manor was huge. Especially the castle I’m in—he said even the witch’s rats might not find their way right away. Over the years, among so many Maids, only the Priestess at the Chapel didn’t need an escort on her first day and still knew the way clearly.”
“I told him he was wrong because my sister acts like she knows the place well. I’ve gotten lost twice just today, and you found me both times.”
Yulilian continued, “He asked why, the first time he saw you two, when you held him close, I blurted out that he must be a male servant you found… Maybe Lin Nuo thought I said that because you often go looking for male servants, but that was just something I said casually. He’s definitely overthinking.”
“I told him the truth—that elves are the purest, and even I don’t know why my sister’s been going out so often these past two years, but it’s definitely not to find that kind of thing…”
“Also, I kind of forgot what else we talked about that night. After saying this, we changed the topic.”
Amidina’s long curled eyelashes trembled slightly, and the quill that had momentarily stopped soon began moving again.
“Hmm, anything else?”
“Nope.”
Yulilian rubbed her cheek.
“Later, the lady who often smiled and chatted with Sister came over to urge Lin Nuo to go wash up.”
“But I didn’t leave right away. I secretly followed him for a while!”
Her eyes rolled around as she smiled smugly.
“I heard him say something when he was alone… that he hoped Sister would wear less tonight, or else it would be hard for him to strip her down and find whatever it was he was looking for.”
“Oh, and when he said that, he was holding a book with a silver floral pattern on the cover.”
Amidina stopped writing, the quill pausing for a long moment after those words.
“When he spoke, he looked rather melancholy, and the book he held was very exquisite… it reminded me of your Sacred Relic!”
“But unfortunately, he casually put that book on the floor as a cushion, so I didn’t dare look too closely…”
“By the way, Sister, where did you put that Natural Magic Book? I’ve always wondered. It looks pretty ordinary, but when you pick it up, it feels as light as a feather. Could it be blown away by just a gust of wind magic…”
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