.....
This.... man brought me to the palace after the long silence between us.
I can't possibly guess what he is thinking. Im just a small and innocent girl to begin with,right?
We walk down the path of the front gate and was greeted by alot of servant. Woahhhh! This thing is getting real. Maybe i can just run back at home?
Judging from the appearance of several bulky royal guards posted at the gate compared to my petite 5 year old self I may or may not walk out alive if i choose to run back like madman. And im not taking any chances now.
Maybe going here will brought me some luck..hmm? Or maybe not?
My mother is sooooooo going to kill me. I can not take the things childishly now. The person infront of me is definitely a prince or a high official. A high chance for the former to be the correct one. The way the servants bow to him and the familiarity of his presence is a big evidence.
Also..... that face definitely belongs to a prince. His prominent jawline,deep and black phoenix eyes, aquiline nose, thick eyebrows,and that juicy kissable red lips hides nothing but his handsomeness.
Maybe i look like child curiously peeking underneath my lashes to this man. Well, who could not stare at his dream-like appearance by the way? Too handsome ah.
This is a face that can cause a calamity. Good thing he is wearing a mask or i am the one dead from death glares of the my same sex. Vinegar will be everywhere.
Momma, i wanna go home and drink some hot chocolate milk. Huhuhu.
"I wanna go home. Sayonara~" I accidentally use another popular language back in Earth in front of this prince.
Owwww gosh!
"What did you just say?" That judging eyes and frowning eyebrows gives off the feeling that i am nothing but a small fry being interrogated so i have no choice but to comply with this body's instinct.
I started to wail loudly.
"Mommy! I want my mommy! Bring me home! Bring me home!" Using my most spoiled or maybe pitiful voice i convince him or more like myself that this is just an acting and not really what i wanna do. After all im just a 5year-old child here. Right?
Well, that eyes are indeed intimidating and calculative. And now that he walks freely without a mask,i am easily baffled with my speeches.
Too handsome. Too handsome ah.
The supposedly prince is about to open to say something to maybe console me? I don't really know 'cauz he didn't have the chance to do so because a pleasant and a bright voice rings and greeted this one beside me.
"Xiao Yi, what's the noise all about? Are you scaring a child again? Throw your frown away!"
A mature lady compared to the man beside me came. She has the appearance of a cheerful person with a youthful aura around her.
But i am inside a palace and dare not to be careless. Everyone here is not simple after all.
"Empress Dowager this wangye greets you." he bowed slightly and a sweet little me is left standing with my mouth gaping like a fish.
This woman is... empress dowager? She looks younger than she should be! She is more likely to be mistaken as the mother of this prince than his grandma. Damn this genes.
Too many beautiful people.
Im turning blind.
Daddyyyyy, fetch meeeee already! This daughter is regretting!
If i remember correctly from this bodies scarce memories. I always hear a rumors from some idling servants about almost everything and then ignore but this new soul inside won't.
Who doesn't want to hear something juicy anyway? I am.
This lady in front of me never leave her residence and if she did, she always wear a veil. Her youthful aura and fresh looks contends with her age. So bless. She's not wrinkly at all.
Well, not that jealous since i still have this baby skin with me. Keke.
"And who is this cute little baby in front of me Xiao Yi?!? What a cute lil thing! Come come,this lady will give you sweets and dolls."
Her smile is too bright and blinding. She so has this aura that makes you comfortable. Feeling like hypnotized i slowly smile and held her hands to personally go to the kitchen and choose the sweets and tea to eat.
"Grandma, that's---" he was cut off before he finish. Poor him.
"Shut your trap. Can't you see that this poor little thing is hungry?! Why didn't you bring her anything to eat when you first came? So unlikable of you. At Least be a gentleman." She rapidly shoots him with words while holding his ear like she is scolding a naughty little child and not an almost grown up man.
I giggled and they stopped and looked at me for a second.
I feel so tensed and don't know what to do. Did i do anything wrong. God, i may have offended the empress dowager and this prince.
I am so dead.
Why did i even laughed at a royalty anyway?
...
"Child,child,slowdown no one taking that away from you." Like i didn't hear anything i continue to eat the sweets in front of me. This food are unique. Imperial chef is really something. I half expect that ancient foods are bland and not that tasty but here i am.
Munching like my life is at stake.
Since the day i came in this word porridge and congee became my daily meal and barely sweets. Now i feel like im halfway to heaven. So delicious. This pudding,candied fruits,cake and suchs is well made and tasty.
"Look what you have done? You make this child starve so much that she doesn't care anymore. You are soo getting a beating!" She also continue to reprimand her grandson like their so tomorrow.
Well, i doesn't really care much as long as i have these sweets in front of me.
As of what happened earlier. This will explain everything.
After the long silence, Empress Dowager smiled and lightly tap my head.
"What a lovely child. Her eyes are pure and clear. So rare. Come, come, call this lady grandma,okay?"she intimately smoothen my hair while saying the exact line.
I shyly smile and reluctantly nodded my head.
She smiled again and brought me where the food is.
"What is your name again,child?"
"I-i'm Ling Xi." I stammered but still continue.
She pat my head lightly and then sips at the tea infront of her.
Im feeling so lucky today! My real grandma died when i was little and this body's grandma also passed away. Having this pretty lady as one seems to be not that bad. I have another person to spoil me. Hihihi
After fulfilling my cravings and stuffing my small stomach i remember something important.
Hmmmm.... won't my parents look for me? I look up at the sky and saw that its already dark. I didn't notice the time why playing and eating here and i know that my mother will most likely worried to death. So asmy father.
I am contemplating whether to tell it to grandma since she's busy talking to the Crown Prince. I confirmed my suspicions of hik being a prince when i overheard them talking.
Im shocked silly but quickly gain my conposure and continue playing. This thing doesn't have to do anything with me so better not make things difficult for myself. At most, i could need to keep my distance to him.
After i saw them finished talking, i slowly creep my feet closer and weakly tug the sleeves of grandma Empress Dowager.
"G-grandma,can i go home already?" My voice quiver for a second and then smiled a little.
Empress Dowager smiled widely and pinch my cheeks.
"Don't you want to accompany,grandma?" she teasingly said and i shooked my head fiercely.
"No, no,its not like that but my mommy and daddy will look for me everywhere and will be so worried if i don't go back home now. I promise to go back here later. Will that be okay,grandma?" I use my most persuasive speech i have so that she won't feel bad.
I just got a grandma and upsetting her is not in my vocabolary.
She crisply laugh and pinch my cheeks again.
"This lady is joking but its too dark now to travel back. How about i send a letter to your manor and send you tomorrow morning? You like that?" she lower down her body and make our heights the same by doing so. Just like consoling a child which i amright now.
I think for a while then slowly nod my head for approval.
She smiled once more and call a servant to go to the Prime Minister's Manor to inform that im here.
....
"Come Xiao Xi,i'll take you to your room." Empress Dowager escorted me herself to my room and the moment my eyes landed to my room my eyes almost bulged out.
For the small amount of time she told the servant to ready a room of me,she presents me a luxurious and cute room. It is full of toys and as big as a playground. The wallpaper is purple and comforting to one's eyes. It brightens the whole room and make it look more welcoming.
"Do you like it?" she again smoothens my hair and pat it lightly.
"I love it,grammy. Thank you!" I lightly pull her sleeves indicating for her lower her head.
When she did i smooch her cheeks and run merrily inside the room.
....
Empress Dowager smiled brightly and look at the person beside her.
"Ready the papers. I want to legally adopt this child." the servant beside her is shocked silly but then politely bowed and leaved.
"You found a precious thing,grandson. I wish for her to not be tainted. What a cute little thing she is." she seriously stated and then say her farewell. After that,she silently walk away.
The Crown Prince is also shocked by her grandma's first statement and knock by the compliment back in reality. He nodded his head and continue gazing and the soon to be adopted granddaughter of her grandma.
He know inside that his grandma is fascinated by such an innocent thing. Usually,people in the capital regardless of their age carry schemes behind their backs all the time and its rare to find someone with this naivety and someone overflowing with loveliness. Her family did their job keeping her untainted and Empress Dowager also wanted to do some oart of it.
Interesting. You caught the interest of a high positioned person,huh?
He lightly chuckled and his servant beside him is spooked. Its almost impossible to see emotions to his master at all but after meeting this child alot of emotions is seen at his face.
He lower down his head and don't say anything that may cause his life.
....
In the Prime Minister's Manor everything is unorganized and everyone is panicking.
The moment they notice the disappearance of young lady,their master and mistress is so stressed out and almost use their connections to command a battalions of personal guards and soldiers to comb the whole imperial city but at the last minute choose not to.
It may cause a sensation and bad people around will take this chance to look for their child first before them and they are not taking any chances. They are silently conducting the search.
After hours of looking in vain,the pair of masterand mistress are exhaustedly sitting in a chair raking their brains where would they daughter go but found nothing.
That child never leave the residence like forever. Which may highly cause of her not finding her way back or be lost.
The mistress is now crying again and master is consoling his beloved. While doing so they heard an announcement of arrival of an old eunuch from Empress Dowager's Manor.
This servant is one of the most trusted aide of the said person which baffled them.
What might be the purpose of a palace's servant by coming over?
"Empress Dowager comands this servant to tell th Prime Minister's Manor not to be worried by their daughter because she's currently residing inside the residence of her highness."
The pair and the servants are shocked silly and gaping their mouth like a fish. They look exactly the same when Xi Er did the same back then.
The servant chuckled in his heart. They all look cute. But he continue to use his neutral look and continue.
"The young mistress will be escorted back tommorow morning. Thats all and this servant bids his farewell." he politely bow and then turn his back.
The pair is still shocked and forgot to let him in and offer some tea. But the news is just so much to take.
What does their daughter doing inside that dangerous palace?
Could it be that she's kidnapped? Tortured?
Alot of nasty things cimes to Prime Minister's people but decides to not voice it out.
It will sound as slandering a royalty and the consequences can be one's head.
After this encounter, the husband and wife became more agitated to the point that they can't sleep at all worrying for their daughter's circumstances.
My child.
Oh,my poor child.
Their mind continue to wander 'til the next morning.