The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 1

“A Xian, do you see anything you like here?”

It was a scorching summer day. The sun blazed relentlessly, and the heat rising from the ground carried a strange smell of dirt that filled the air.

The odor was filthy, unpleasant.

Wei Zhao lowered her head. She was still very young, small and delicate, with pale, timid fingers curling slightly as if in fear. She saw the edge of her white dress brushing the dusty ground, revealing a bit of her pink shoe tip against the yellow dirt. The wind blew, and dust settled on her shoes. She carefully pulled her foot back.

Hearing the question, Wei Zhao instinctively licked her lips, tasting a slight saltiness—perhaps sweat, or something else.

She lifted her gaze. Around her stood many adults. At the forefront was a woman who lowered her head to look at her. The woman’s face showed no expression; her light brown eyes were cold, though her lips carried a faint smile, like a warm mask. This was Wei Zhao’s mother.

Wei Zhao stared at her for a moment. The woman didn’t seem angry, and her voice remained gentle as she repeated the question: “Look over there. Do you see anything you like?”

Wei Zhao obediently followed the direction of her mother’s pointing finger.

There, kneeling, slumped, or lying, was a group of people from another tribe.

Some had black, curly hair and long, muscular bodies. Others had golden or red hair, tall and robust men and women alike.

Among them was a small girl surrounded by the group, her figure hard to make out, but she held her head high, standing out from the others.

Wei Zhao glanced at her, and when their blue-green eyes met, she lost interest and looked away. The girl was skinny, not much flesh on her—a poor choice for a slave.

“I… I want someone strong who can help me, protect me,” Wei Zhao murmured softly.

The woman laughed, her voice overpowering Wei Zhao’s timid one.

“Then, let’s choose that girl. She’s about the same age as you, and she can be your playmate.”

“No, I… I don’t want…”

Wei Zhao whispered urgently, trying to refuse.

But it was useless. The woman had already straightened up, and Wei Zhao’s kitten-like protests were nothing more than whispers lost to the wind.

The woman gestured to a eunuch nearby, nodding toward the smallest, weakest girl in the group of foreign slaves. She didn’t even bother to point with her hand, using the tip of her whip instead, as though pointing directly would sully her.

“It’s you. To be a slave for my eldest daughter, a gift from me—you should be grateful.”

The girl was pulled from the group. A brief commotion arose, perhaps out of concern or fear. But most of the others simply moved aside indifferently.

The girl didn’t resist or make a sound.

Wei Zhao saw the proud girl, head held high, suddenly forced down by a servant pressing firmly on her head. There was a loud slap as her face hit the ground. Wei Zhao shut her eyes in fright.

That must hurt.

Tentatively, she peeked through her lashes. The girl’s face was pressed into the gritty dirt, her cheek scraped raw, leaving red streaks of bl00d trickling down. Wei Zhao stared, frozen—she’d never seen someone bleed before. The sight filled her with discomfort and a strange, piercing pain.

“Learn to be grateful, little one,” the woman said coldly, turning to Wei Zhao. “Don’t you agree, A Xian?”

Wei Zhao trembled again. She felt the weight of her mother’s hand on her shoulder, heavy and oppressive. She dared not resist and instead lowered her head, speaking in a soft, submissive tone to please her mother: “Thank you, Empress Mother, for the gift.”

“Ha ha ha!”

Wei Zhao heard her mother laugh, delighted and amused by her daughter’s display of submission.

“Good girl, such a good child…”

Wei Zhao didn’t dare move. She kept her head bowed, her frightened eyes darting around. That’s when she saw the red-haired girl. Her hair gleamed like flames in the sunlight as she lifted her head to meet Wei Zhao’s gaze.

The girl’s green eyes glinted with defiance, and her lips moved silently, shaping two words:

“Coward.”

Wei Zhao stiffened.

At the same time, she heard a voice.

“Your Highness, Princess, it’s time to wake up.”

The voice was slightly slurred, carrying a strange accent. It made Wei Zhao uncomfortable. Instinctively, she swatted at the sound, and with a sharp smack, her hand connected. Her eyes opened.

In front of her was the woman, her face turned away. A red mark bloomed on her cheek—evidence of Wei Zhao’s unconscious strike. Wei Zhao shrank back, her palm stinging from the force she’d used.

The woman turned her face back calmly, touching her cheek as her green eyes lingered on Wei Zhao. Her gaze felt dangerous, as though she were considering where to strike back.

“How dare you!”

Wei Zhao jumped up, but her foot slipped, sending her tumbling forward. The woman moved quickly, catching her with ease. Her arms slid under Wei Zhao’s, effortlessly steadying her.

“Be careful, Your Highness,” the woman said softly.

Wei Zhao looked up at her, catching a fleeting glimmer of amusement in those green eyes.

Not wanting to dwell on it, Wei Zhao pulled away.

Now grounded on the damp forest floor, she steadied herself, surrounded by the humid, earthy scent of the woods.

Ah, yes. She was no longer in the palace.

She, the esteemed Princess of the Great Zhou, had fallen from grace.

And her only companion was the slave she despised most.