"Oh my, what is wrong with your face, dear?" Si Yan asks, picking up the cup little Cao had dropped, "Sister… you look scary." He mutters, grabbing his mother's robe and hiding in her chest.
Yi Hua awkwardly smiles and covers her face, 'I wanted to look ugly but scary? No wonder the looks I am receiving now.' Yi Hua thinks to herself, embarrassed, she covers her face again.
'It's just for my own benefit.' She remembers, accepting the weird gaze and looks from everyone, "So, you are Princess Yi. Not that I expected such a grand introduction but I am Luo Yan, you supposed groom." Luo Yan speaks, catching Yi Hua's attention.
She looks up, wanting to see him clearly, she raises her veil but she gasps, letting the veil down, 'This man! I met him before… is he the demon king?!' She questions herself, baffled.
"She must be startled, haha." Hu Ying speaks on her daughter's behalf, she wouldn't want her daughter to receive punishment for disrespecting the demon king.
"I can see that." Luo Yan says, smirking as he grabs the glass and sips the drink poured for him, 'No wonder he is so arrogant. He is good-looking, I mean more than just average but still, that doesn't mean I should marry him.' Yi Hua speaks to herself.
"Your Highness, you were supposed to look for your own bride, instead of looking out of the palace… why don't you choose between the two princesses." Shi Lian speaks, patting Tao Tao back and giving her a tight smile, nudging her to smile back.
Tao Tao awkwardly smiles as she looks away, embarrassed and troubled, the king clenches his fist at how the woman he made his queen was running her mouth not minding his reputation and his presence.
"Ahem." The king mutters, Shi Lian goes stiff and pulls her hand away from her daughter, showing her teeth as neither could she smile nor could she go blank.
"This is just a casual meeting so we could get to know each other. Let the King decide for himself." Yi Yongxi says, "I am." Luo Yan says, chuckling as his eyes roam across Yi Hua.
"Shall I leave?" Yi Hua asks, wanting to escape from there, "Eat." The king speaks, Yi Hua bites her lips and she grabs the bowl with rice and her chopstick with her trembling hands, eating carefully with the veil over her face.
Tao Tao, as forced, tried to flirt with Luo Yan which didn't go unnoticed by him, this was what made him hate women and this was exactly how he portrayed women to be behaving.
Especially with him, when he was so undeniably attractive to anyone. How boastful and proud of himself, no wonder he would get his ego hurt from her.
Maybe her ignorance towards him got him more tempted to have her on his knees, who knows what was going on inside his head as he ate silently, eyeing Yi Hua and wanting to have a talk, alone.
The meal for Yi Hua went painfully long and awkward, oh she wished to vanish from here and go back to her room, Yi Hua looks back and sees Lin Yi standing with Lu Yang Yang in her arms, watching her.
As their eyes meet, Lu Yang Yang tilts his head, Yi Hua chuckles and looks ahead, and Luo Yan who has been patiently observing Yi Hua notices the small interaction between them.
His eyes found the little fox which gave him the same surge of energy, he frowns, 'Why is it in a fox? What is it?' He asks himself, amusingly looking back at Yi Hua, 'What power do you hold, woman? You don't even mind me.'
Luo Yan was growing more and more invested in her, more obsessed.
"So, why is it that for the first time in centuries, the demon king himself decided to be bound with the human world?" Yi Yongxi asks, looking at Luo Yan as they were now done with the meal.
Luo Yan smirks and meets the king's gaze, "Because… I always prefer being different? And why not?" Luo Yan says, smugly while Yi Yongxi forces out a smile despite the rage within.
"Now that we are over with the meal, do you like to visit the human world or just stay back?" Yi Yongxi asks, wiping his mouth with a piece of cloth and looking at Luo Yan.
"I did plan on looking around but now that Princess Yi is sick, I wonder if she still wants to take me around." Luo Yan says, smirking while Yi Hua widens her eyes, 'What is this demon doing? He is supposed to be disgusted by me.'
Yi Hua gulps as her face contorts with an expression hidden by the veil, she blinks her eyes, "If you want Tao Tao can tour you around." Shi Lian speaks, chuckling while she stops when the king glares at her.
"Maybe I can just go back to my room? Tao Tao can surely do that." Yi Hua says, chuckling, "Also, it wouldn't be nice of me walking around with this face. What if it is transferable?" Yi Hua adds, hoping for them to buy it.
"Y-Yeah, My King. I can help you around. It's better if she stays back in her room." Tao Tao says, Luo Yan raises a brow, puckering his lips in annoyance as he stands up.
"It's fine, we can go around some other day." He says, standing up straight and dusting off his robe and straightening it, Tao Tao widens her eyes and stands up along with the others.
"Okay, then… Tao Tao helps him to his room." Shi Lian speaks, Luo Yan scoffs and walks away and Tao Tao follows Luo Yan and Yi Hua takes in a deep breath of relief, calming herself.
"You did a great job." Hu Ying mutters, close to her ear, Yi Hua grins and nods her head, "Hua." Yi Yongxi calls out, Yi Hua stiffens and faces her dad, "Yes, dad." She says.
"I want your face cured, if you cannot make him like you then you will be sent as his maid. Don't try to fool me and make sure he wants to marry you!" Yi Yongxi shouts in rage, clenching his fist, hating how he was selling his daughter but he had a role to play, a king.
Yi Hua stands stiff, shocked, and a drop of tear rolls down her eyes, she feels abandoned and hurt.
Did she deserve to be sold off?
Disappointed was the least she felt at that moment, were dads supposed to be so cold and distant?