The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 12

The roar of rushing water was deafening. Ice-cold and overwhelming, it instantly swallowed their bodies.

When water gets into your ears, it brings a wave of fear—like the return of some buried nightmare. Wei Zhao’s body tensed. She felt a soft touch on her back, as if someone was trying to comfort her.

Very quickly, all sound became muffled. Only the cold remained, wrapping itself around Wei Zhao.

She knew then—they were underwater.

Wei Zhao couldn’t help but think of her childhood. As the eldest princess, she had no older sisters, only an older brother and a group of younger siblings.

Her mother, the Empress, was strikingly handsome, emotionally distant, and notoriously unfaithful. The palace was filled with both men and women, so naturally there were many children. Wei Zhao’s own mother had died young, and the Empress had always treated her with a vague, hard-to-explain sort of hostility. And as is often the case in royal households, that attitude trickled down. Her bl00d relatives turned on her like wolves catching the scent of bl00d.

After being pushed into a pond as a child, she developed a deep fear of water. The sensation of being submerged and unable to breathe had been too terrifying.

But Wei Zhao couldn’t allow herself to have weaknesses.

She forced herself to push down the fear, practicing every day to hold her breath. Again and again, she dunked her head into a basin of water, pulling herself out of the panic each time.

She never told anyone about it.

Now, underwater again, she opened her eyes.

Dawn was breaking. The bottom of the river was starting to glow faintly. She was being held in someone’s arms. The current was strong, but thankfully, the water was deep enough that there were no rocks smashing into them.

Her slave was swimming—surprisingly well. She had long limbs, and moved like the mermaids in storybooks. One arm held Wei Zhao close while the other cut through the water, guiding them along with the current.

Wei Zhao looked up. She couldn’t see much, only the sharp curve of the slave’s jaw. The girl’s cheeks were puffed out, looking a little silly, maybe even a little cute—so different from how she usually was.

Then a streak of red drifted past Wei Zhao’s eyes before dissolving into the water. Bl00d.

She reached out and tapped the slave’s chest.

The girl looked down at her.

Those green eyes matched the river’s color almost perfectly. She looked like a creature meant to live in the water—strange and otherworldly.

Maybe they really had pulled some inhuman thing out of the sea that day, Wei Zhao thought, dazed.

The slave blinked.

Then her eyes lit up like she had just figured something out. She leaned toward Wei Zhao. Wei Zhao’s eyes widened, and she tried to pull away, but the girl’s hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, holding her still. Then their lips met—her mouth forced open by the other’s tongue.

Air flowed from the slave’s mouth into hers.

She’s giving me air, Wei Zhao realized.

Before she could even think of how to respond, the girl had pulled back, looking at her.

Wei Zhao stared at her in shock.

Such innocent-looking eyes.

The slave’s gaze was full of concern. She reached up and pinched Wei Zhao’s cheeks lightly. Wei Zhao turned her face away, refusing to meet her eyes. Her cheeks felt hot. The warmth was quickly washed away by the cold water, but it came back even stronger in the next moment—oddly enough, it actually made her feel a little warmer.

So bold! She should be dragged out and executed in public!

Wei Zhao fumed. Even if she were just a pretty boy meant to warm my bed— She paused, frowning as those dazzling green eyes flashed in her mind again. Well… even for a consort, she’d certainly be good-looking enough. And more capable than most, too.

As her thoughts drifted wildly, the slave began to float upward. They broke the surface together. The current was still rushing fast, and they’d already been swept far away. The distant firelight flickered behind them, slowly fading with the flow of the river.

“It’s getting wider,” the slave said. “The river.”

Wei Zhao looked around.

The sky was pale blue, and far in the distance, the first hints of white light were appearing. The river roared around them. The water made people feel lighter—so light that the slave could support Wei Zhao easily with one arm. Kicking her legs, she moved them toward the riverbank. Her tone sounded a bit more relaxed now. “Take the rope from around my waist. The current’s too fast—we won’t be able to climb out easily.”

Wei Zhao dipped her head, but the water made it hard to see. She had to move closer, wrapping one arm around the slave’s neck, the other hand searching down along her body. She felt a bump, then a dip—not the right spot. Her hand slid slowly over the girl’s waist.

Then she touched something strange.

Suddenly, both of them sank a bit deeper into the water.

Wei Zhao dipped lower. Water filled her mouth.

Startled, she threw both arms around the slave’s neck. “What are you doing?!”

“I should be asking you that, Master,” the slave replied, voice close to her ear, sounding almost… hurt?

That was definitely unexpected.

“Don’t change the subject! I touched your wound!” Wei Zhao shouted. The slave was holding her firmly, looking as calm and relaxed as ever. If she hadn’t felt it with her own hand, she’d think she was imagining the injury. She frowned. “Your swimming skills are ridiculous.”

“We were pirates before we were brought to the palace.”

The slave gave her head a shake, completely unfazed by revealing her past. She turned her attention back to the riverbank, trying to figure out where to land.

Wei Zhao was caught off guard by the answer.

But thinking it through, it made sense. Slaves in the Great Zhou came from all kinds of places. Some were captured from the New World by slave ships; others were spoils of war. Those with good looks and strong bodies were chosen for the nobles. The rest… who knew what became of them?

Still, Wei Zhao hadn’t expected her slave to have been a pirate.

“Did you find the rope?” the slave asked again.

Wei Zhao snapped out of her thoughts and reached down. She had already searched this area once, so it didn’t take long to find it. She pulled the rope loose. The slave had made it by hand while they were escaping. It looked rough and fragile, but Wei Zhao knew it was stronger than it appeared.

The slave steadied herself and instructed her, “Tie a slipknot. The current’s too strong—we need to secure it to a rock.”

This wasn’t something Wei Zhao was good at. But when your life is on the line, all that pride goes out the window. Besides…

She glanced at the slave again, trying not to make it obvious. The water was no longer stained with bl00d, but the girl’s lips had gone pale. Bl00d loss would make her cold faster, and the river was freezing. They still didn’t know what lay ahead. Wei Zhao couldn’t afford to lose her.

Like it or not, this slave—once hated and resented—had proven to be far too reliable.

She was Wei Zhao’s best chance of surviving whatever came next.

Wei Zhao handed her the soaked rope. Her own hands were freezing, but the moment they touched, she still felt a trace of warmth. She glanced again at the girl. Her face was pale, almost scary white, but her eyes still burned with life, like a teenager in the prime of youth.

The slave spotted a large rock near the shore. The current was pushing them fast. She had to steer them carefully, keeping an eye on the rocks ahead. If they got too close, they might smash into one and get badly hurt.

The rope spun in the air, looping once and landing perfectly around a tall rock.

Not even a single miss.

Incredible, Wei Zhao thought.

The slave took a deep breath and tied the rope around Wei Zhao’s waist. “I’ll stay behind you and keep you steady. You pull us in.”

They were already level with the rock as she spoke.

Wei Zhao didn’t say anything. She had a bad feeling in her chest, but she gritted her teeth and pulled the rope, slowly dragging them toward the stone. The water surged past them, pushing hard. Her hands hurt badly from the strain.

Probably swollen. Maybe even cut.

She clenched her jaw and didn’t let go.

“My belt has medicine… and a knife,” the slave murmured near her ear. “We’re not far from shore now. Once you’re on land, follow the riverbank. You should… you should be able to find help…”

Wei Zhao could hear her voice rambling on and on.

“Shut up! You’re so annoying!” she suddenly yelled.

The river crashed against the shore, but her voice rose above it, loud and clear.

The slave immediately went quiet. Wei Zhao felt a bit of relief. They were almost at the rock. But then, the hands supporting her suddenly let go.

Wei Zhao spun around and grabbed the slave by the collar. The girl looked up at her and smiled faintly. “Let go. I don’t have any strength left.”

“Bull—bullsh*t!” Wei Zhao shouted. For the first time in her life, the Great Zhou’s Princess Wei Zhao cursed out loud. “Fa Yilian! If you’re going to die, you damn well better die on land!”