Chapter 2 Why Reward Her

Just as Tina was rapidly trying to think of an excuse to explain, the princess behind her added,

“Hmm… I’m a bit tired now. I want to rest for a while.”

Upon hearing this, the Earl’s expression relaxed a little, but then suddenly grew serious again.

“Tina, did you hear that? Take Princess Lia upstairs to rest.”

“Yes, Father.”

Tina secretly sighed in relief and dashed off as soon as she stood up.

Was the princess helping her get out of trouble?

Or was she planning to find a private place to get revenge later?

She couldn’t tell—really couldn’t tell.

***

Upstairs, Tina found the most luxurious guest room, no longer the servant’s quarters she had used before.

The white-haired girl entered naturally, smiling warmly at her, making Tina’s heart race slightly.

If this princess wasn’t a little scheming, she wouldn’t believe it.

“Miss Tina, don’t you have anything you want to do?” Lia sat on the edge of the bed, swinging her slender calves.

“Do? Do what?” Tina was puzzled.

“Really? I thought you’d make me continue being a servant. After all, you don’t seem to have enjoyed it enough yet.”

“Ahahaha…”

Why did that make her sound like a villainous noblewoman?

“It was all an accident, Your Highness. From now on, I’m your servant. If you ask me to go east, I’ll never go west.”

“Good. Since that’s the case, come help me wash my feet.”

“R-Really?”

Tina’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“No special reason, really. Before crossing over, I liked playing in boats and rivers.”

“Of course! Just kidding. I’m not that kind of person.”

“Well… alright then…”

For some reason, when Lia said that, Tina clearly caught a flicker of regret flash in her eyes.

Was it pity for not being able to make up for her previous rudeness? Probably, right?

“Miss Tina, what I said downstairs earlier was sincere. After fleeing for two years, I never expected a family would accept me and be willing to support me on my road to reclaiming my kingdom, even though it’s fraught with danger.

“Just that alone moves me deeply, truly.”

The girl propped her chin on her hands, head slightly bowed, her hair falling over her face.

She hadn’t felt such comfort and safety for a long time.

“Your Highness, rest assured. I, along with the Aiverson Family, will trust you unconditionally and be the blade in your hand.”

Tina leaned closer, sincerity radiating from her. This was the first step in building trust with the princess.

“Unconditional trust, huh… I really didn’t expect those words to come from the lips of the proud Miss Tina.”

“I won’t let you down. So, Miss Tina, could you please let go of my foot while you’re talking?”

Seeing Lia’s faintly furrowed brow, Tina released her grip.

“All right, Your Highness.”

Such a pity—she only got to touch it for a little while.

Lia’s feet were small and fragrant. Despite the long journey, their overall feel was still pleasant—not soft and mushy, nor muscular and strong, but perfectly balanced in size and shape.

Truly irresistible.

Knock knock

Just then, several knocks came from outside, accompanied by chaotic footsteps wandering the corridor.

“Miss, are you inside? We are the Royal City Guard. Please open the door and cooperate.”

“The Royal Guard? Lia, this is…”

Tina glanced at Lia and saw the white-haired girl biting her lip tightly, eyes sharp and alert—like a frightened wild animal.

“They’ve caught up to us.”

“People.”

“This is bad. They’re willing to break into our home just to find you?”

Tina looked around. This room was brand new, with no secret passages. All cabinets were empty—there was nowhere to hide.

If they searched thoroughly, they’d definitely find something.

“If it doesn’t work, I’ll just jump out the window.”

“But there are people outside.” Through the glass, Tina saw soldiers being held back by nobles below. Still, jumping out the window would draw too much attention.

“Then… should I knock them unconscious? No, that would put everyone here in danger.” Lia was conflicted, anxiety gnawing at her.

What to do?

Knock knock knock — “Miss, are you inside? If no one answers, we’ll break the door!”

As panic set in, Tina noticed something.

Today she was wearing an extremely wide long skirt, with enough space underneath to…

“Your Highness, I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

Bang — The wooden door was slammed open forcefully. Several armored soldiers stormed in.

“Miss Tina, aren’t you in there? Why didn’t you open the door?” The captain sneered, utterly rude.

“Oh, sorry. I was just moving something heavy, so I didn’t have time to answer.”

“Heh, well, we trust you, Miss. But recently a criminal fled to the border, and per the city’s orders, we must thoroughly search all residences nearby. Please understand.”

“Of course, happy to cooperate.”

The captain gave a signal, and the soldiers began searching every inch of the room, leaving no space unchecked.

But even after five minutes of thorough searching, there was no sign of anything.

“Well? Is the criminal you’re looking for here?” Tina folded her arms, smiling.

“Heh, thanks for cooperating. Sorry to bother you.” The captain snorted and left with the others.

Before they left, Tina caught a faint whisper.

“Boss, didn’t they say the suspect was last seen nearby?”

“Damn it, don’t ask me—I’m curious where she went too.”

Only one soldier seemed to deliberately slow down, slipping a note inside before closing the door.

“Hmph. Your Highness, you can come out now.”

Once they were gone, Tina lifted her skirt. The white-haired girl crawled out slowly, trembling.

The moment she fully emerged, she felt saved.

Lia admitted those five minutes of waiting during the search were the most agonizing of her life—no contest.

She had to hold a strange half-squatting position without making a sound, neither facing forward nor backward.

Her face flushed—not from stuffiness, but because…

“Miss, don’t you think today feels unusually cool?”

“Really? Now that you mention it, yes. Maybe it’s because it’s the first time wearing a long skirt. I’ve never felt this relaxed before.”

Tina felt completely unrestrained under the skirt, as if she’d let herself go—free.

Hiss—

Wait.

Recalling the morning’s events, Tina’s proud smile froze and slowly turned into an unstoppable blush.

She had just entered the simulation this morning, feeling dizzy, so before leaving her room, she only put on a simple long skirt—nothing else.

In other words—

“What nonsense! I haven’t even seen myself yet!”