Yuan Dong pointed at Er Ya, a stern look on her face. "How dare you not greet the Princess!?"
Embarrassment colored Er Ya's dark cheeks. For a moment, she was too stunned to respond, stammering, "Ai, ai…"
A hint of displeasure flickered across Duan Xinghui's face as he saw the girl he cared for being scolded. He pressed his lips together, clearly unhappy, before cupping his fist and addressing Ning Shu with a salute. "Princess, Er Ya is from the countryside and doesn't fully understand etiquette. Honorable Princess, please be tolerant of her shortcomings."
Ning Shu bristled at this implication. So if she didn't show tolerance, it meant she wasn't magnanimous? It felt like an ethical coercion. Her expression turned cold, and the imposing aura around her thickened.
"General, you should quickly head to the palace to report to His Majesty," she said mildly.
"Thank you for your concern, Princess." Duan Xinghui bowed again, wrapping his arms around Er Ya as he did so.
With his handsome features and usually indifferent demeanor, Duan Xinghui projected an earnest and reliable vibe. If Er Ya had been a beauty, it would have been a perfect scene of hero and heroine. But standing next to him, Er Ya's appearance was decidedly lackluster, creating a discordant image.
"Princess, how can you tolerate that lowly woman being so rude?" Yuan Dong complained, glaring at Er Ya.
Ning Shu absentmindedly stroked the little gray ball in her hands, observing Yuan Dong's agitated and jealous expression.
"Yuan Dong, mind your status," Ning Shu replied mildly.
Yuan Dong's heart skipped a beat, her embarrassment palpable as she shot a sideways glare at Er Ya.
"Princess, what's that in your arms?" Er Ya asked, her tone surprised as she noticed the little gray ball.
Ning Shu smiled, realizing she understood Er Ya's personality better now. The girl had the unsophisticated simplicity and innocence of someone from the countryside, mingled with a hint of inferiority that often comes from lower social status.
So this was the type of girl Duan Xinghui liked. The original host's personality was the exact opposite of Er Ya's. Jiahui, the proud princess, was as arrogant as a phoenix soaring in the heavens—an inferiority complex was simply not in her nature.
It was clear that Princess Jiahui wasn't Duan Xinghui's type at all. She just hoped Er Ya could retain her genuine personality and remain the untainted light in Duan Xinghui's heart as she navigated life in the bustling capital.
Embarrassment washed over Er Ya once more, silencing her. Ning Shu's smile, though kind, only intensified her feelings of inferiority, making her think the princess was mocking her.
After saving Duan Xinghui from life-threatening danger, Er Ya had unwittingly fallen for him. He exuded a noble aura, hinting at his complex character from the start.
But her expectations crumbled when she learned who he truly was—a general of Great Yong.
Er Ya had watched from her small courtyard as the army marched into her village, flags billowing in the wind to fetch Duan Xinghui. She'd been struck by how he seemed to grow taller and larger, while she felt increasingly small and insignificant in comparison.
To her surprise, Duan Xinghui had taken her with him. Deeply in love, she had left her family and hometown to step into the unknown of the capital.
Yet before she could even enter the city, she encountered the princess. If the princess was a tree peony, Er Ya felt like a cattail weed—there was a stark difference between the clouds in the sky and the mud on the ground.