“Stay by my side…”
Once again, someone had said such words to her.
The heavy words left behind by Su Ling echoed in Sista’s mind, even as she walked through the Sacred Veil Room. She felt somewhat unsettled.
As a member of the Royal Family, every princess had to perform the necessary rituals daily, but the time for prayers was not strictly fixed, and the process wasn’t particularly complicated.
Inside the room, not a sound could be heard. The tranquil light pouring in created a solemn atmosphere. Sista’s steady footsteps echoed through the serene hall, making the silence feel all the more pronounced.
This was the Sacred Veil Room within Sea Forest City, not especially large in scale. In the center, a tall altar stood with a religious statue placed atop it. Around the room, Candle Stands adorned the walls, and the surrounding space was embellished with religious murals. Through the Stained Glass Windows, colored light shone through the lattice, casting a pearl-like glow into the room.
Sista slowly walked down the Noblewoman’s Attire, passed between two rows of wooden benches, and stopped before the statue, bowing deeply.
“Most beloved Goddess of Deep Love in all the world…”
Stepping onto the soft velvet cushion, her figure seemed especially serene. Her long black hair flowed gently behind her shoulders, shimmering with a dark luster under the flickering candlelight.
Sista brought her hands together lightly, fingers interlaced and placed in front of her chest. Her eyes slowly closed, and her lips moved slightly, silently reciting the prayers.
She knew well that she should be fully focused during the prayer, but she just couldn’t help letting her mind wander—thinking of Su Ling.
Lately, this kind of distraction was happening more and more frequently, to the point she had to constantly remind herself not to lose focus again.
Before long, the routine ended. Sista opened her eyes and stood up. The sound of familiar footsteps echoed from behind her.
“Your Highness, forgive me for disturbing you at this hour… but it is almost lunchtime.” Perhaps it was the sacred atmosphere, but Su Ling stepped into the Sacred Veil Room one step at a time, her movements graceful and measured.
“No trouble at all, my prayers have just concluded.”
Sista’s gaze passed over her shoulder and landed on Su Ling’s face.
Bathed in the luminous glow, Su Ling’s gentle features seemed imbued with a divine aura. Her temperament was pure and graceful, untouched by the slightest blemish.
“Your Highness, today’s lunch includes fish salad and milk with Saint Maiden fruit…”
Her soft lips started to chatter on, but Sista didn’t hear a single word. She simply stared at Su Ling’s eyebrows as if admiring a work of art.
“The only reason I do all this… is because I want to stay by your side.” Just now, those pale lips spoke words that set a maiden’s heart racing, words that kept Sista awake through the night.
Her voice, her appearance, even her gentle demeanor—indeed, it was all so lovable.
The memory of that accidental kiss was still fresh, and, as if enchanted, Sista unconsciously leaned closer to Su Ling, gently placing her hands on Su Ling’s shoulders.
“Lunch will be served soon… Your Highness, are you all right?”
Su Ling seemed a little startled, her chatter ceasing instantly.
In the silence, the statue stood tall, the murals hung high, and light from the Stained Glass Windows cast shifting patterns, enveloping the two girls in a soft halo.
That girl was right before her, close enough to touch. Each time she drew near, the defenses in Sista’s heart weakened.
Sista lowered her forehead to rest lightly against Su Ling’s. The beautiful ruby-red of her gown seemed to meld with Su Ling, as if nothing else existed in the world.
“If only I could have more…” A voice echoed in her heart.
Unable to resist, she moved closer.
No longer just the fleeting touch of lips, nor a stolen, secret kiss while Su Ling was unguarded. This time, it was serious—she placed her lips directly upon the other’s.
“Mm!”
Su Ling was startled and instinctively pulled back, slipping her fingers free from Sista’s hand.
“Your Highness, you—what are you doing?” The girl stammered as she looked at Sista, her mind blank.
Sista suddenly snapped out of her daze. First she paused, then quickly turned away, unable to look at Su Ling.
“I—I did that… only because…”
Her mind was in turmoil, distressed and confused. She couldn’t find a single excuse.
“I have no other feelings for you…”
Such words carried no weight anymore. Sista’s face was pale as paper, and she knew she couldn’t keep pretending.
It wasn’t for service, nor to bully a servant—her expression revealed everything.
As a princess of the Blood Clan, she had, for the sake of love, kissed her own maid in the Sacred Veil Room.
Could there be anything more disgraceful than this?
She bit her lip so hard it nearly drew blood. Staggering back a couple of steps, she almost tripped on the end of a bench and immediately grabbed onto it for support.
“I… am not that kind of person…”
Su Ling stood quietly in place.
So that’s how it is.
Her thoughts grew steadily clearer.
Before her, the Blood Clan princess wore a conflicted and pained expression, lips trembling as if resisting something with all her might.
This resistance was likely not only a reluctance to accept Su Ling’s feelings, but also a deep unease at having crossed the boundaries of royal etiquette.
In a city as strict as Sea Forest City, Sista, the king’s second daughter, had been raised with rigorous discipline since childhood, never spending a day outside the layers of etiquette and constraint.
Perhaps it wasn’t shame or embarrassment that troubled her, but the fear of betraying her own heart and doing something unbefitting her status.
Sista had always carried this weight upon herself—perhaps that’s why her character had grown so reserved.
Seeing the dark-haired girl’s expression so pained, Su Ling couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
“You’re just a human maid… I…”
Sista still tried desperately to defend herself, when suddenly, a faint, cool fragrance wafted through the air. She turned instinctively toward its source.
The silver-haired maid before her stepped forward, lowering her head slightly.
Then, Su Ling gently placed her hand on Sista’s shoulder.
“Your Highness, you don’t need to explain. I understand,” Su Ling said quietly, meeting her eyes. “If anyone is at fault, it’s me. I was the one who touched you, the one who crossed the line.”
If Sista had always lived so heavily burdened, then perhaps she could be the one to help the girl in front of her find a bit of relief.
Su Ling’s words were gentle, without any other intent—just a simple, heartfelt reason.
“I have always abided by my role, never doing anything out of line. Please, rest assured.”
Sista froze in place, too stunned to speak. A moment later, a deep blush spread across her cheeks, from under her eyes down to her neck.
She turned her face away, no longer daring to look at Su Ling.
Just then, a faint breeze blew through, and the door of the Sacred Veil Room quietly opened a crack. Sunlight streamed in from outside, shining directly onto the face of a girl standing just beyond the threshold.
The girl wore a black and white maid’s uniform, her fiery red hair flowing down her back. Her eyes were wide and blank as she stared into the Sacred Veil Room, unable to look away.
Su…Su Ling?
Lily felt as if she had turned to stone, unable to utter a single word. Her mind was filled only with the image of the two just moments before. She felt like she was dreaming, but the scene before her was so real—so real it was almost unbearable.
Lily propped herself up against the doorframe, her body slowly sliding down until she was crouched on the cold, hard stone floor.