“Made for this Prince? How did you know this Prince hadn’t eaten?”
Prince Jin stared coldly at A Rao. Could it be that she had been inquiring about the Main Courtyard, knew he hadn’t had dinner, and came here to curry favor?
The man was already in a bad mood. Thinking of this possibility, he felt that even A Rao’s obedient face was no longer as endearing.
He looked at A Rao, who was like a quail, and was about to dismiss her with an unpredictable expression when A Rao’s voice came.
It was as gentle as ever, but this time it carried a hint of choked fear, as if she had been startled.
“Your Highness always has this servant get up at the second watch to make pastries every night…”
Prince Jin was startled, and then he remembered that he had indeed done such a thing a few times before to torment this little servant.
Embarrassment surged, and after a moment of silence in the room, the man’s voice, deliberately trying to save face, came, “After making them these few times, your skill should have improved. Bring them over; this Prince will taste them.”
“Yes.”
Prince Jin picked up a pastry and took a bite. The sweetness was just right, and the soft, sweet, and glutinous texture made the man’s eyes light up.
“These pastries suit this Prince’s taste. You are thoughtful.”
Although the little servant didn’t speak, Prince Jin saw her lips curl up slightly, and his mood improved considerably.
She was easily appeased.
It was already late at night, but Prince Jin felt no sleepiness. After eating the pastries, he turned to the desk and picked up a wolf-hair brush to practice calligraphy.
A Rao naturally had to accompany him, grinding ink intermittently.
“You say, do I treat her badly?”
A Rao perked up a bit and saw the man looking at the characters he was writing, his voice tinged with a hint of melancholy.
“Your Highness’s affection for the Princess Consort is known throughout the capital.”
“Exaggerating.”
Prince Jin glanced at A Rao.
“This servant is not exaggerating. Your Highness is handsome, learned, and skilled in martial arts; a hundred people cannot compare to Your Highness alone. Your Highness is also so devoted, loving only the Princess Consort. This servant has heard many people in the manor praise Your Highness; it cannot be false.”
Her expression was serious, and her earnest way of speaking was somewhat adorable.
The man’s attention had, at some point, shifted from the characters to the young woman beside him. Seeing her praise him so earnestly, that desire to tease her returned. He looked at her leisurely, “Is this Prince that good?”
“Your Highness is indeed an excellent person.”
“Then why are you unwilling to become this Prince’s woman?”
A Rao was about to speak when she suddenly realized the meaning of his words. Her face turned pale, and she immediately knelt on the ground, “This servant is of humble status; how dare I presume to be involved with Your Highness? This servant absolutely has no such thoughts!”
Prince Jin frowned, “Get up.”
A Rao shook her head, “This servant truly didn’t… Ah—”
Her wrist was gripped fiercely, and the force pulling her up was so strong that A Rao’s legs didn’t know where to land for a moment, and she fell straight onto the man’s body, her waist immediately seized.
A pleasant bamboo fragrance wafted through her nostrils. The candlelight flickered, outlining and elongating their intertwined figures.
The little servant was pressed against the desk by the man without resistance, her hands held above her head, trembling pitifully against the desk.
A slightly cool large palm gripped her chin, holding it somewhat tightly. The man leaned down to sniff the faint fragrance on A Rao’s body, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes, “You are unwilling to become this Prince’s woman, aren’t you? Then this Prince will force you, just this once.”
Such a refusal only reminded Prince Jin of the scene in the Main Courtyard where he was rejected by Gu Shui Rou. He couldn't touch the woman he loved, but could he not touch the servant in front of him?
At this moment, the man even felt a sense of revenge. Since Gu Shui Rou didn't cherish his unique love, then he would take it back. Any woman in this manor, he could enjoy!
“You are already this Prince’s concubine; serving this Prince is only natural.”
A cool kiss landed on A Rao’s neck, then moved downwards, carrying a hint of desire, but mostly the brutality of revenge.
This was not the best time for them to be intimate. Once Prince Jin touched her, she would only become a tool for the man’s debauchery after being rebuffed by Gu Shui Rou, without any cherishment, only a replacement.
She would only become a tool for venting desires.
Her hands struggled but were pressed down even harder by the man. A low plea for mercy came, eventually fading into silence.
Prince Jin initially intended to vent, but he couldn’t help but want more, until he heard soft sobs by his ear. He looked up, his eyes still tinged with crimson at the corners.
He saw the young woman’s cheeks wet with tears, her eyes closed in acceptance. She cried silently, but her tears fell like broken pearls, and her lips were bitten pale, making her appear even more pitiful.
Prince Jin regained some rationality and stared down at A Rao, “Why are you crying?”
The young woman didn’t answer. She shook her head, and more tears streamed down.
The man’s desire suddenly vanished. He expressionlessly withdrew his hand, letting the young woman slide to the ground, her clothes disheveled, a shoulder half-exposed.
“This Prince does not like to force. Get out.”
A Rao lowered her head to cover her torn clothes, supported herself on the desk to stand up, bowed to the man, and then fled from Study in a hurry.
Only the man remained standing in the shadows, his expression cold.
Back in her room, A Rao stared at herself in the bronze mirror. The ambiguous kiss marks on her neck were fully visible. She lightly traced the marks with her fingertips, her brows raising slightly.
......
“Are you stupid? Wearing a high-necked shirt in this hot weather.”
It was Cui Ping’s turn to be on duty today. She was naturally afraid of the heat, and seeing A Rao wearing a high-necked shirt that covered her entire neck, she felt hot and bothered.
A Rao ignored her, but she kept talking excitedly to herself.
Da Fu had been waiting for A Rao in the flower garden early in the morning, holding a large bouquet of wild daisies. When he saw A Rao approach, the smile on his face was uncontrollable, “A Rao, the flowers are ready for you.”
“Thank you, Da Fu. These flowers are truly beautiful.”
A Rao took the flowers, her smile sweet. “Once I dry these flowers, I’ll make you a mosquito repellent sachet, Da Fu? It’s near the water here, so there must be many mosquitoes at night.”
Da Fu hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise. He nodded repeatedly, his cheeks flushing again, “Thank you, A Rao. I’m a rough man; I’m not afraid of mosquito bites. How can I trouble A Rao?”
“It’s no trouble. I’m idle every day. Making sachets can also pass the time.”
After A Rao left, Da Fu watched her retreating figure, not turning his gaze for a long time.
The previous batch of flowers had already dried. A Rao made five mosquito repellent sachets that afternoon. She put four of them away and placed the remaining one on the table by the window, planning to work on it by lamplight in the evening.
Just after dinner, she saw Cui Ping looking at her with a resentful expression, saying irritably, “His Highness said you are still to serve him tonight.”
A Rao was startled, then nodded.
After A Rao left, Cui Ping immediately entered her room.
In such hot weather, A Rao was wearing such strange clothes; it must be unusual. Perhaps it was a mark left by some lover!
Unfortunately, after searching around and finding no suspicious items, Cui Ping frowned repeatedly. When she saw the sachet by the window, she kept it in mind.