The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 2

Wei Zhao’s servant ran swiftly, moving as gracefully as a highland horse. Her pace was steady, and her footsteps landed rhythmically, making only a faint rustling sound as she dashed through the grass, not even startling the nearby hares.

When did my servant become this skilled? Wei Zhao wondered.

In her memory, her servant had always been like a shadow, following her closely like a little tail. A tail wasn’t worth paying attention to, was it? Naturally, Wei Zhao hadn’t paid much attention to her either.

Eventually, the servant stopped by a small river and set Wei Zhao down. Feeling the pebbles under her feet, Wei Zhao complained, “These stones are poking my feet.”

“Hmm…” The servant crouched down, cupping Wei Zhao’s foot in her hands. Wei Zhao, following her strength, lifted her foot slightly, only to have the servant gently cradle it on her bent knee.

The servant curled her fingers, pressing the knuckles against the sole of the shoe. The sensation passed through the soft insole to the arch of Wei Zhao’s foot, making her squirm and exclaim in frustration, “It tickles! What are you doing?”

“The soles of your shoes are too soft,” the servant replied, lowering Wei Zhao’s foot. She then walked to the water’s edge and began cleaning a rabbit carcass. “We don’t have extra shoes right now, and I doubt you’d be willing to tie animal fur on your feet.”

Wei Zhao huffed, listening as her servant spoke in that peculiar accent, calm and measured, “Then you’ll just have to endure it.”

“I won’t endure it. You must come up with a solution!” Wei Zhao raised her chin.

The servant paused her task, turned to look at Wei Zhao, and appeared visibly troubled. Seeing this rare expression on her servant’s usually calm face, Wei Zhao felt a hidden thrill of satisfaction.

Watching her servant struggle or feel awkward had once been Wei Zhao’s favorite pastime. After all, this infuriating woman was a gift from the Empress herself—an officially decreed “companion.” Wei Zhao had to tolerate her constant presence, unable to harm or mistreat her without offending the Empress. Tricking and teasing her servant had been Wei Zhao’s only outlet.

But as Wei Zhao grew older, she had lost interest in such games. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen her servant wear this expression. This moment, however, brought her genuine joy—the most she’d felt since their misfortune began.

“Then you’ll have to stay on my back,” the servant finally said, her green eyes fixed on Wei Zhao. If one looked closely, the green seemed to shimmer with hints of blue, like a finely cut gemstone. But Wei Zhao was in no mood to admire them; instead, she grew angry.

The servant seemed unaffected and began explaining matter-of-factly, “You’re light, and I can carry you. If you’re afraid of slipping off, I can twist a rope from that vine over there to tie you securely.”

Wei Zhao followed her gaze.

It was indeed a sturdy vine, deep green with a tough-looking surface, though patches of moss had grown on it due to the weather.

“That… that thing… You want to use that to tie me—me, a princess!” Wei Zhao’s body trembled with rage. “I’ll have you executed! This is an insult!”

“Well, what else can we do?” The servant’s gaze was calm as she looked at her master. “If I die, no one will carry you, and no one will find food for you. Besides, you can’t even kill a rabbit, let alone me.”

The servant’s logic was irrefutable. Wei Zhao’s face flushed red. She started to realize that things couldn’t go on like this; perhaps it was time to rethink her relationship with her servant.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the nearby bushes. Wei Zhao let out a startled yelp and clung to her servant. Moments later, she heard the flapping of wings as a few birds, startled, took off into the sky.

“What were those?” Wei Zhao asked, her voice trembling.

“Cuckoos,” the servant replied, her green eyes shifting back to Wei Zhao. “So, do you still want to execute me, Master?”

Wei Zhao: “…”

Can’t she tell I was trying to change the subject just now?!

“Stupid barbarian!” Wei Zhao snapped. She leapt back from the servant, but her shoes, too soft and delicate, failed to protect her from the hard stones. She winced, her eyes welling up with tears. “It hurts…”

The servant sighed, walked back to Wei Zhao, and knelt down to hold her ankle once more.

Feeling her foot held for the second time that day—only the second time in her life—Wei Zhao glanced down, noticing the servant’s thick red hair. Under the sunlight, it resembled a blazing flame.

“Where are we now?” Wei Zhao asked, regaining her composure. Before their carriage was attacked, she had always been informed about their location, as it was the guards’ duty to keep her updated.

“We were ambushed at the border between Qiongzhou and Ganzhou,” the servant answered as she cut pieces of cloth from her own clothes and placed them inside Wei Zhao’s shoes as padding.

Satisfied with her work, the servant slipped Wei Zhao’s foot back into the shoe and even gave her delicate foot an approving squeeze. “Soft and small.”

“What are you doing?!” Wei Zhao pulled her foot back, glaring.

“Your foot is small,” the servant replied sincerely, smiling. “Very cute.”

“…” Wei Zhao took a deep breath and reminded herself: This is my chosen servant. I cannot be angry. Sternly, she added, “Don’t do that again! In the Zhou Empire, women’s feet are not to be seen or touched so casually. It’s improper!”

The servant hesitated briefly before pointing out, “Then what about the other foot? Should I leave it without padding? Etiquette seems more important to you.”

Wei Zhao inhaled sharply again.

This is my chosen servant…

Gritting her teeth, she placed her other foot in the servant’s hands. “You are a servant, not a person. You belong to me.”

The servant made a sound of acknowledgment, showing no dissatisfaction. Efficiently, she padded the other shoe, put it back on, and nodded in satisfaction. “All done! Now, where are we headed?”

That was indeed a good question.

Wei Zhao frowned. “Our original destination was Haizhou. For now, we’ll find a place with people. At a county office, we can use my royal token to summon guards to escort us.”

The servant cheerfully replied, “Alright! Which way?”

Wei Zhao hesitated. Without a map or sense of direction, how was she supposed to know?

The servant sat cross-legged on the ground, looking at Wei Zhao with her head tilted in quiet anticipation. Unlike Wei Zhao’s elegant posture, the servants was casual, her clothing plain and unrefined in the eyes of the Zhou Empire’s princess.

Finally, the servant’s green eyes gleamed mischievously. “I know! Let’s follow the river. People always need water.”

Wei Zhao coughed to cover her embarrassment. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

The servant sprang up with renewed energy and turned around. “Alright, hop on.”

Wei Zhao pursed her lips. Being carried was convenient but jarring. The servant added, “You should hurry. Remember, we’re still being hunted.”

Sighing, Wei Zhao gracefully climbed onto the servant’s back. Despite her efforts to remain poised, the servant’s steady but firm grip on her startled her into squirming.

“Stop moving, or you’ll fall,” the servant warned with a light pat.

Who’s the one moving?!

Wei Zhao grumbled under her breath, “When we get back… I swear…” But as the servant broke into a run, Wei Zhao bit her tongue and begrudgingly stayed quiet.