The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 47

“Boss Zhu, please come this way.”

The maid gently guided Judith forward, and she politely thanked her. The maid glanced at her, feeling a bit curious. The prosperity of the Great Zhou was well-known, and outsiders who came to the Great Zhou were always filled with admiration. Their clothing, mannerisms, and even speech patterns gradually aligned with the local customs. But Judith was different. She had been traveling between the Great Zhou and foreign lands, a regular guest at Master Jin’s, for two years now. Yet, throughout these two years, Judith still wore the same long coat… Of course, it wasn’t that the coat was bad; Judith looked quite stylish in it. But this determination was something the maid had rarely seen.

Judith looked around. The guards in the courtyard seemed to have increased since the last time she was here. She could often feel eyes on her, only for them to quickly look away as if nothing had happened. Judith lightly tapped her fingers on her belt. Her sword had been handed over upon entering the mansion, and she was feeling a little uncomfortable without it.

At the entrance stood the young girl, A Zong, whom she had seen before. She had changed into a new outfit, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, with a deep blue headband on her forehead. Her sharp eyes looked at Judith in a very businesslike manner.

“Sorry, Boss Zhu, I need to search you,” she said, her expression serious and determined.

Judith raised an eyebrow but calmly extended her arms and smiled, “This isn’t how you greet a friend.”

But the once-shy girl didn’t show any signs of hesitation. Judith shrugged regretfully, letting the girl thoroughly search her. Judith held back a laugh, glancing at the girl’s fair face and said, “You’re being so thorough—have you fallen for me?”

The young girl expressionlessly pulled a sharp little knife from Judith’s belt buckle. She looked up at Judith, and Judith smiled. “Life is hard; we all need a little tool here and there. I’m sure you understand.”

Then the young girl took a gleaming dagger out of Judith’s boot.

Judith sighed and gave A Zong an earnest look. “Believe me, I have no ill intentions. If I did, I would have used it to tear your clothes. After all, you’re so beautiful, don’t you think?”

A Zong lowered her head, her hair tied high. Judith noticed her ears turning red, so she used a long, almost singsong tone to say, “I think you’re getting cuter.”

“I think you’re getting more unreliable,” A Zong replied flatly, then stepped aside.

Judith shrugged and pushed open the door, just as Wei Zhao’s voice rang out.

“See? Some people are just this unreliable. You shouldn’t trust people so easily.”

Judith: “…”

Do you really want to cooperate, or are you trying to push me toward the enemy?

But Judith soon lost her words. Her attention was drawn to the woman standing beside Wei Zhao. She was tall and strong, with tanned skin and green eyes. If not for the black hair… Judith narrowed her eyes and stepped forward. However, before she could get close to Fa Yilian, she was silently stopped by A Zong.

Judith paused, sizing up Fa Yilian through A Zong. After a long while, she called out Fa Yilian’s name in a language unfamiliar to Wei Zhao.

Fa Yilian turned her head, looking at Judith silently for a moment before asking, “Who are you?”

Wei Zhao remained still, quietly gripping the armrest beside her. She kept her eyes locked on Fa Yilian, fearing to see any hint of recognition or memories on her face. Thankfully, Fa Yilian remained calm, but Wei Zhao couldn’t help feeling that her calmness was too perfect, almost as if she was hiding something.

It was an uncomfortable feeling.

As Wei Zhao thought this, she subtly bit her lip. Just then, Fa Yilian turned her gaze back to her. There was a look in her eyes that seemed to say something between a smile and something else, as if she had seen through something. But even if she had, it didn’t matter. Wei Zhao stood tall and straightened her chest, completely at ease.

Judith paused for a moment, then asked, “Have you dyed your hair? Is it red?”

Fa Yilian glanced at Wei Zhao before returning her gaze to Judith. “Yes, but I’m neither your sister, nor your mother, nor your daughter.”

The last line was somewhat confusing. Was she implying Judith was old? Everyone in the room fell silent for a moment. However, Wei Zhao couldn’t help but smirk. In a way, she knew Fa Yilian well. Fa Yilian only used this sarcastic tone when she was upset and wanted to distance herself from Judith quickly.

Wei Zhao smiled, her heart settling back into place, much calmer and more composed.

Judith fell silent for a moment. She stared at Fa Yilian, about to say something, but Fa Yilian smiled and interrupted her. “What business do you have with my master?”

“My master?” Judith froze, then turned to look at Wei Zhao. She pursed her lips and began tapping her leg absently. After a while, she stepped back a little, addressing Wei Zhao, “Miss, may we first discuss the main matter? Once we come to an agreement, could you give me some time to speak with… her privately?” She glanced at Fa Yilian.

“She is mine,” Wei Zhao replied, her tone relaxed and her posture composed, even with a touch of a smile. “She belongs to me. Since that’s the case, she has no privacy from me. Is there anything she can say that I shouldn’t hear?”

Judith’s face flickered with a hint of anger, and Fa Yilian’s compliant attitude made her look at her in disbelief.

“Of course, there’s nothing you can’t hear,” Fa Yilian said, addressing Wei Zhao as “my master” once again.

Judith stared at Fa Yilian in shock. “You… a descendant of the Sun, how could you say such a fallen thing!”

Fa Yilian crossed her arms, cold and indifferent. “That just means I’m not one of your people.”

Judith opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Fa Yilian’s determination, her words caught in her throat. Her corner of her eye twitched, and in the end, she said nothing. Only A Zong, standing by, silently shook her head.

The master and servant pair continued to display their affection in front of everyone. What kind of master and servant were they? Even in her past, when she was with Song Sisi, things were much more serious.

A Zong couldn’t bear to watch anymore, but she also knew that Judith, the so-called “Boss Zhu,” was a sly woman. So, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself and let the sly woman feel hurt.

Seeing Judith’s reaction, Wei Zhao wiped the smile from her face. “You’ve seen her, and I’ve kept my promise. Now it’s time for you to fulfill your promise.”

Judith, being a businesswoman, quickly regained her composure. She collected her thoughts, though her gaze once again drifted toward Fa Yilian. Fa Yilian seemed lost in thought, and when she felt Judith’s gaze, she looked over. Their eyes, so similar in color, met, and after a brief pause, Wei Zhao cleared her throat. Fa Yilian shifted her gaze away and stepped closer to Wei Zhao, gently pressing her hand on the back of Wei Zhao’s hand resting on the armrest.

Wei Zhao smiled, looking like she was being comforted by a little demon.

A Zong kept her face neutral.

Judith was thrown off. She had traveled the world, seen much, and couldn’t help but focus on the pair’s intertwined hands. In the end, she sighed deeply and said, “There are similarities in people, and sometimes names are reused. Perhaps I’ve made a mistake, and the person I’m searching for isn’t… someone like this.”

Fa Yilian slightly curled the corners of her lips, glancing at Judith without speaking.

Wei Zhao smiled. “Naturally, I can understand how eager Boss Zhu is to find the person you’re looking for.”

She said it in such a pleasant way. Had A Zong not seen her anxiety earlier, she might have believed it. But A Zong had learned not to be so naïve, realizing that these “free people” who played politics were all quite dirty.

“Tea!” Wei Zhao called out, and immediately, someone brought tea into the room.

Fa Yilian glanced at Wei Zhao, who nodded to her. Fa Yilian then gracefully began preparing the tea. Her movements were smooth and elegant, as she poured and adjusted the tea with a fluid grace, making it a pleasure to watch.

Judith’s gaze lingered once again on Fa Yilian. She was a foreigner, and though she had been traveling in the Great Zhou, she always maintained her own position in her heart, never believing she needed to change and always cautious of such change. But when she looked at Fa Yilian, aside from the hair color and eye color, Judith felt there was no difference between her and the people of the Great Zhou.

“Please.”

Fa Yilian placed the tea before Judith, who took the cup, gazing into the pale yellow liquid. She then lifted her eyes to see Fa Yilian offering tea to Wei Zhao. They shared a look, both smiling. The intimacy and subtle flirtation between them made it hard for anyone, even A Zong, to interrupt.

The tea was bitter.

Judith closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, calm now. She looked at Wei Zhao. “I’m a businesswoman, and I need to earn a living for those working under me. We certainly can’t work for free, so Miss Wei, what kind of profit can you offer us?”

Wei Zhao smiled at the question. It was always easier to talk business than emotions or family.

“Well, that depends on what information Boss Zhu can provide me with,” she replied.

With that, Fa Yilian clapped her hands, and the door to the room closed. The lights turned on, filling the room with brightness. And in the astonished gaze of Judith, Wei Zhao’s voice slowly began.

“Now, we can have a proper conversation.”