Chapter 14: Bay of Amonkhet

When Qin Yu opened her drowsy eyes, it was already three in the afternoon.  

She struggled to sit up straight and looked out the window.  

Outside was no longer fields and mountains, but the vast sea.

The carriage was moving west to east along the road, with the sea on its left and towering mountains on the right.  

“Finally awake?” Luo Shangyu teased from beside her.

“Princess Qin, weren’t you not sleepy? How come you’re sleeping so soundly?”  

“I’m just taking a strategic rest to recharge, not because I’m sleepy!” Qin Yu protested vehemently.  

A completely unconvincing lie.  

Luo Shangyu didn’t expose her but instead told her what had happened while she was asleep.

“We’ve already crossed the mountain ranges north of the Imperial Capital and arrived at the seaside.”  

“Are we really moving that fast?” Qin Yu was surprised.

Though the Imperial Capital was only about four hundred kilometers from the Northern Sea of the Empire, no carriage could have covered that distance so quickly under normal circumstances!  

“The horses are magically enhanced, their speed reaching over a hundred kilometers per hour. We’ve been racing along, so naturally, we’re moving fast.”  

That explained it.

Qin Yu thought silently: ‘Though this world lacked advanced technology, it did possess powerful magic.’  

The carriage traveled along the mountainside, gradually slowing down as more vehicles joined on the road.

They were now approaching their destination—the Bay of Amonkhet.  

“We’ll be going to the Amonkhet Resort Hotel later, where we’ll put down our luggage. After that, we can go watch the sunset,” Luo Shangyu explained their itinerary.  

The Bay of Amonkhet, located in the northern part of the Empire, was a famous tourist resort.

In summer, because it lay on the Southern Continent, the weather could reach nearly forty degrees Celsius.

In winter, monsoon winds brought the freezing cold air from the Cold Plains, causing the bay to freeze over with immense ice sheets.

Right now was the last suitable time for vacationing; many travelers seized this final window to enjoy the year’s last moments on the beach.  

The road veered away from the mountains and stretched toward the coast.

They had arrived at Amonkhet Bay.  

Qin Yu was the first to step off the carriage, basking in the afternoon sun—bright but not hot.

Wearing light travel boots, she walked carefully on the sand, the soles rubbing against the fine white grains, making a soft rustling sound.  

She took cautious steps, afraid sand might sneak into her boots.

Today, she wore a white silk dress—light and cool.  

While Qin Yu tiptoed cautiously along the beach, Luo Shangyu strode forward boldly, paying no mind to anything getting inside her shoes.

Qin Yu looked closely and realized Luo Shangyu had taken off her boots and socks, walking barefoot on the warm sand.

Her fair feet sank into the white sand, only her instep showing; when she lifted her foot, a trail of footprints was left behind.  

“Are you not afraid of crabs in the sand?” Qin Yu asked.  

“I can sense beneath the sand with magic and avoid them. Barefoot walking feels very comfortable; you should try it too!” Luo Shangyu explained.  

Qin Yu bit her lip, resolutely refusing, “I think walking with shoes on is better.”  

“At your pace, how long do you think it’ll take us to get there?”  

“…”  

Qin Yu said nothing and just continued to shuffle forward slowly.  

Seeing Qin Yu’s turtle-like speed, Luo Shangyu grew impatient, rushed behind her, placed her right hand under Qin Yu’s thigh and left hand under her back, and lifted her into a princess carry.  

The sudden loss of weight startled Qin Yu, and she screamed loudly, “Luo Shangyu, what are you doing?”  

Qin Yu had never experienced anything like this before.

Once lifted, she froze, forgetting to keep complaining or struggle, instead staring blankly as Luo Shangyu held her.  

She tilted her head back to look at Luo Shangyu’s face.

From this angle, she could only see the curve of her chin and long eyelashes.

She felt the warmth of Luo Shangyu’s arms through the thin fabric against her back—warm and sincere.  

Her dress hung down, gently lifted by the salty sea breeze, brushing against her smooth thighs and bringing a ticklish sensation.

This new perspective and posture made Qin Yu a little uneasy.

She instinctively struggled, but Luo Shangyu’s grip was strong, revealing an undeniable possessiveness.  

“Scared?” Luo Shangyu whispered close to her ear.

Her breath, warm with her body heat, brushed Qin Yu’s cheek, making her face flush.  

‘So embarrassing (ー_ー)!!’ Qin Yu’s face burned red; she refused to answer Luo Shangyu’s question.  

Finally, they reached the resort hotel.

Luo Shangyu carefully set Qin Yu down.

Qin Yu was relieved to be back on solid ground, though her cheeks still glowed red.  

“Still scared?” Luo Shangyu asked with concern.  

“No… it’s just… your face was so close just now…”  

“Is that why? That’s perfectly normal! Princess Qin, you’re so easy to embarrass.”  

“Do you really think it’s normal? Weren’t we way too close? I could even feel your breath!”  

“Feel my breath?” Luo Shangyu pondered the meaning behind those words.  

“Yes, the warm air from your nose…”  

‘Is that what ‘my breath’ feels like?’ Luo Shangyu thought quietly.  

***

With the help of the maids, the group finally checked into the resort.

There were six of them but only three rooms left in the inn.  

“Looks like I have to sleep with Luo Shangyu tonight,” Qin Yu said as she pushed open the door to the room assigned to her and Luo Shangyu.

The room was small, dominated by a narrow single bed barely over a meter wide.  

“As Crown Princess of the Empire, Princess Qin has it rough even when staying in a hotel?” Luo Shangyu teased mischievously.  

“If I reveal my identity, I could get a better room, but that would make the hotel and the displaced guests uncomfortable…” Qin Yu explained weakly, as if she’d done something wrong.  

Seeing Qin Yu’s aggrieved expression, Luo Shangyu hurriedly said, “I didn’t mean to blame you…”  

“Just teasing me, right?” Qin Yu asked suspiciously.  

“Haha, well…” Luo Shangyu was caught off guard, not knowing how to evade the question.  

“Hmph!” Qin Yu slapped Luo Shangyu’s pert rear playfully.

“Don’t think you can tease me next time. That’s your punishment!”  

The ‘punishment’ was barely painful for Luo Shangyu—more like a reward.

She feigned sincerity, “Princess, I won’t dare do it again.”  

***

Qin Yu took off her heavy travel boots and put on the slippers provided by the hotel.

Together with Luo Shangyu, she walked out the hotel doors and onto the beach.  

The hotel sat at the edge of the beach, far from the shoreline.

The two walked side by side toward the sea.

Fine sand sifted into their shoes, settling between Qin Yu’s toes and on the soles of her feet.

Heated by the daytime sun, the sand was warm, and Qin Yu’s feet felt cozy immersed in it.  

A sea breeze blew in, carrying a salty scent and occasional waves of warm air.

Qin Yu gazed far into the distance where the sea met the sky.  

Logically, the Northern Continent should be visible across the sea from the northern tip of the Southern Continent’s Bay of Amonkhet.

However, due to the ocean’s vast distance and frequent fog and storms, the Northern Continent was invisible.  

The waves gently lapped the shore, washing over the sand near Qin Yu’s feet.

She lifted the hem of her dress and cautiously stepped into the water.

The icy seawater covered her instep, spreading a cool sensation through her body, washing away the heat.  

Qin Yu tried to hold her dress with her right hand, standing on one leg and bending over to remove her shoes.  

Taking off shoes without letting the dress touch the water was no easy task.

She struggled to keep her balance and reached down to her ankle.

Just then, a strong arm wrapped around her, steadying her and preventing her from falling.  

“Luo Shangyu, I can manage on my own…” Qin Yu said, but her leg had begun to cramp uncontrollably, silently contradicting her words.  

Luo Shangyu grinned, “Oh? Your leg doesn’t seem to agree.”  

Caught so thoroughly by Luo Shangyu—naked to the core—Qin Yu could only blush.

She hastened her movements, slipped off her shoes and held them in her hands, then freed herself from Luo Shangyu’s arm and waded deeper into the water.  

Behind her, Luo Shangyu deliberately spoke loudly enough for Qin Yu to hear, “Looks like you need to work on your coordination!”  

Qin Yu didn’t look back and kept walking.

Luo Shangyu could only quicken her pace to keep up.  

The seawater had risen past Qin Yu’s calves when they stopped going deeper and instead strolled along the shoreline.  

A sudden burst of laughter and shouts caught their attention.

Four people were playing beach volleyball, hitting the ball back and forth energetically.  

“There’s a beach volleyball tournament tomorrow. Can you play?” Luo Shangyu asked Qin Yu.  

Qin Yu had only briefly encountered volleyball during physical education classes in her previous world and could barely keep the ball up twice in a row.

After thinking for a moment, she answered, “I only know a little…”  

“I used to play volleyball before. We should try out the tournament tomorrow. I heard the winner gets a beach lounge chair as a prize.”  

“Already looking forward to the prize? You seem pretty confident about the competition!”  

“Of course! I used to be really good!” Luo Shangyu patted her chest confidently.

“You’ll definitely be the champion tomorrow!”  

“‘Used to’? That must have been hundreds of years ago!” Qin Yu pointed out sharply, catching the wording.  

“Don’t pay attention to those details! We’ll definitely win!” Luo Shangyu remained optimistic.  

The two chatted about tactics for tomorrow’s beach volleyball match as they strolled.

Qin Yu couldn’t help but feel excited about the competition ahead.  

“Tomorrow, we must win,” Qin Yu silently resolved.