Commoner Queen: Falling in Love with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince - Chapter 11

Murong Ziying finally regained consciousness, only to see a man’s hands all over her. Startled, she immediately sat up and, without a second thought, slapped him across the face.

“You—what are you doing?!” she snapped.

Then she noticed her disheveled clothing and grew even more alarmed.

“You shameless scoundrel!” she yelled.

Yi Han was stunned. No one had ever dared to hit him before—let alone slap him across the face and call him shameless.

“How dare you?!” Xiao Zhuzi bellowed. Was she tired of living? “You’re being outrageous! How could you—”

“Enough!” Yi Han cut him off sharply. He didn’t want his identity revealed.

“But Master, she’s too rude! This damages—”

“The only rude ones here are you two!” Murong Ziying trembled with anger. “How dare you harass a woman in broad daylight? Do you have no regard for the law?!”

Yi Han held back his temper and tried to explain, “Miss, you misunderstand. I was only trying to save you.”

“Save me? I was perfectly fine! What did I need saving for? …Wait, I remember now! It was you two reckless fools who knocked me into the water!”

She had just been reminiscing about modern swimming pools. But since this was ancient times, ladies had to act properly. Still, she couldn’t resist the cool water and had secretly gone to a secluded spot to dip her feet in. Just as she was about to step in, someone crashed into her from behind, and since she couldn’t swim, she had swallowed a lot of water. The rest was a blur. Ugh! These ancient people—what a mess!

“Watch your mouth! Reckless fools? Do you even know who you’re talking to?” Xiao Zhuzi fumed.

“And who do you think you are? If you weren’t so careless, I wouldn’t have fallen in!” she shot back.

“You still dare to argue? Master, I say we execute her!” Xiao Zhuzi was livid. This girl had no idea who she was dealing with! Insulting the Crown Prince repeatedly—she must have a death wish!

“Stand down!” Yi Han ordered in a low voice. He didn’t want to frighten her. Turning back to Murong Ziying, he asked, “Miss, why were you trying to take your own life?”

Just then, Ling’er caught up to them and overheard the question. She immediately burst into tears.

“Take your own life? Oh no! Miss, you weren’t really trying to drown yourself, were you? Please don’t! It’s not your fault that Young Master passed away—it was just his bad fate! You mustn’t think this way!”

“You… just lost your husband?” Yi Han’s gaze fell on her red bridal gown. Had she been widowed right after marriage? No wonder she seemed so devastated. A strange sense of sympathy welled up in his heart.

Murong Ziying turned to Linger, completely mortified. “What nonsense are you spouting?! I wasn’t trying to kill myself!” she hissed.

Unbelievable! How had things gotten so out of hand? She had only wanted to soak her feet! This misunderstanding was outrageous.

“But we saw you take off your shoes and step toward the water,” Xiao Zhuzi said, confused.

“I was just… just cooling my feet,” she admitted, blushing. Given the strict etiquette of ancient times, it was hardly appropriate behavior for a lady. No wonder it had caused such a fuss. But if they hadn’t interfered, she wouldn’t be in this humiliating mess!

“I see. It was my mistake, then.” Yi Han struggled to keep a straight face. So she had simply wanted to dip her feet in the water? In broad daylight? This girl was certainly bold—utterly unconventional.

Seeing his amused expression, Murong Ziying grew even angrier. “Go ahead and laugh! This is all your fault!” She gestured furiously at her soaked clothes. He might be handsome, but he was utterly insufferable!

Yi Han suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

“My apologies, Miss,” he said, offering a polite bow.