"What about the prince?" Hua Jing asked, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and irritation.
Her mind flitted back to the encounter earlier, and just the thought of Zhao Yan—the way he carried himself, his sharp tongue, and that infuriating mask—made her blood boil. Her fingers itched, and she had the sudden urge to kick something. How can someone be so insufferable in just one meeting?
"What kind of man is he?" she pressed, crossing her arms.
The maid glanced up at her hesitantly. "I… I don't know, Young Madam. The prince is one of the most mysterious figures in the kingdom."
Hua Jing narrowed her eyes. "Mysterious? How?"
The maid lowered her voice, as if afraid someone might overhear. "His Highness, the First Prince Zhao Yan, has been sickly since he was a child. Even though he is the eldest and heir to the throne, most people believe he will never ascend to the position of king. They think his health will prevent it."
"Sickly?" Hua Jing frowned, tilting her head. Her mind raced to the man she had met earlier. He didn't look sickly. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and radiated an intimidating aura. Nothing about him seemed frail or weak. "He didn't look sickly when I saw him."
The maid sighed. "That's because his illness went away a few years ago, but… there are rumors."
"Rumors?" Hua Jing raised an eyebrow. "What kind of rumors?"
The maid hesitated, then continued in a low tone. "They say that while the sickness left his body, it didn't leave him unscathed. It left a terrible scar on his face. That's why he wears the mask."
Hua Jing blinked, the image of the prince's mask flashing in her mind. Her lips twitched. "So, he's hiding a scar?"
The maid nodded. "That's what they say, Young Madam. No one outside the palace has seen his face since he recovered. And even inside the palace, only a handful of people have been allowed to look upon him without the mask."
Hua Jing leaned back, her expression thoughtful. "I see," she murmured.
This felt heavily suspicious. When she saw Zhao Yan earlier, even though he had his mask, you could still quite tell that he was very good looking.
A scar?
That did not seem possible.
As a member of royalty and with how sinister palace politics could be, Hua Jing thought that this may have been just a rumor started by someone who wanted to bring Zhao Yan down!
Her thoughts shifted to Chen Li, her stepmother in this world. Cold, calculating Chen Li. This marriage had to be her doing. The woman had likely seen Zhao Yan's situation as the perfect opportunity to humiliate her—betrothing the illegitimate daughter to a supposedly disfigured, undesirable prince.
Hua Jing's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Typical Chen Li," she muttered under her breath.
"Young Madam?" the maid asked, tilting her head.
"Nothing," Hua Jing said quickly, brushing it off. But her mind didn't let it go. She thought about the Chen Li from her original world—the same cold, manipulative woman who had made her life miserable. If this world's Chen Li was anything like her, then Hua Jing had no doubt that this marriage was just another way to get rid of her.
She turned to the maid. "What about you?" she asked suddenly.
"Me?" The maid blinked in confusion.
"Yes, you," Hua Jing said, gesturing vaguely. "What's your name?"
The maid froze, her expression shifting to one of shock and then hurt. "Young Madam," she said, her voice trembling slightly, "I have been serving you for so many years. Even though you've lost your memories, I thought… I thought maybe you would still remember me."
Hua Jing's gaze softened, but she said nothing.
"You even remembered those who treated you so poorly," the maid continued, her tone carrying a tinge of resentment. "Like Lady Chen Li and Miss Hua Ling. Yet, you can't remember me?"
Hua Jing felt a pang of guilt. In her original life, she had never met this woman.
With all the information she had gathered in this short amount of time after she woke upz she knew that things were not exactly the same as the other world.
She had no idea what kind of relationship they had shared or how close they might have been. Still, the maid's obvious pain made her uncomfortable.
"I…" Hua Jing hesitated, searching for the right words. "I'm sorry. Truly. My memory is… scattered right now. I can't seem to piece everything together."
The maid's expression softened slightly, though her disappointment lingered. "My name is Xia Lin," she said quietly. "I've been with you since I was ten. You were the only one in the household who treated me kindly. I thought… I thought you would remember me, even if you forgot everything else."
Xia Lin was feeling betrayed. She had been with the Young madam for all these years yet she had actually forgotten about her!
This was unacceptable!
Lady Hua Jing had been the only person who ever treated her well. She also felt a strong sense of protection over her since they had been together ever since they were kids.
Hua Jing's chest tightened. She didn't know this girl, didn't know their shared history, but she could see the sincerity in Xia Lin's eyes. And for the first time since waking up in this strange world, she felt a twinge of responsibility.
"Xia Lin," Hua Jing said slowly, testing the name on her tongue. "Alright. I'll remember your name."
Her voice was low and laced with honesty. Xia Lin quickly believed her.
Xia Lin smiled faintly, but before she could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside the room.
Both women turned toward the door, and Hua Jing's pulse quickened.
"Who's that?" Hua Jing whispered, her eyes narrowing.
The door swung open before Xia Lin could answer, and a figure stepped inside.
The two women looked at each other, horror visible in their eyes...