An Author and Protagonist Got a Happy Ending [Transmigration] - Chapter 12

Is she not simply relying on the fact that the Princess likes her?

The Old National Preceptor had always wanted to kill the Princess, but it was no easy feat; otherwise, he wouldn’t have resorted to the idea of leaving the Saintess behind as an undercover mole.

Now, even though Xiao Muyu had run away once, the Princess hadn’t grown angry. This was enough to prove how much the Princess cared about her. Whether or not it was truly “love at first sight,” the Princess’s determination to keep the Saintess by her side was plain for all to see.

The more this was the case, the more the National Preceptor was loath to kill her—provided he had the means to force the Saintess to be obedient.

The National Preceptor suddenly let go.

Xiao Muyu tumbled back to the ground, instinctively curling her body tighter as the pain intensified.

“Ngh—” She bit her tongue. The metallic tang of blood spreading in her mouth cleared her head slightly, allowing her to endure and listen to the National Preceptor’s long-winded threats.

Silencing curses, Gu poisons, and various other messy incantations.

She had no way of speaking to others about the National Preceptor’s affairs, and the National Preceptor was unaware of the details of her escape; otherwise, with his current attitude, he absolutely would have intercepted her the moment she fled.

In other words, if Xiao Muyu actually managed to get out, the National Preceptor wouldn’t be able to find her immediately.

But he could make her die instantly.

His most prized method was the Gu poison inside the Saintess. Once it flared up, the pain was secondary; the victim would slowly lose their reason, their soul would dissipate, until they completely lost all self-awareness. Perhaps the original owner had become that soul-less string puppet precisely through these repeated experiments.

The Gu poison the National Preceptor had researched for years was no easy thing to crack. In his own view, it was simply impossible. He was quite proud of this and had no worries about the Saintess betraying him. She had spent years being submissive and yielding; now, the Princess alone couldn’t save her. Aside from being obedient, she had no second choice.

Xiao Muyu felt like laughing. She recalled a fragment of the plot: the Princess could cure that poison.

After all, the essence of a “face-slapping” power-up novel is to have the protagonist achieve something the villain deems impossible. However, that poison was originally used on the Old Emperor, and it wasn’t mentioned until the latter half of the story.

When neighboring small nations invaded, the Princess personally took to the battlefield but was ambushed. Besieged on all sides, she had a miraculous encounter at death’s door, turning disaster into a blessing by gaining a new cultivation technique. Not only did her power increase exponentially, but she also gained the ability to detoxify. Before the villain could use the Old Emperor to threaten her, she had already resolved the crisis.

The war against the villain followed after that. But that was for later.

Given the current situation, Xiao Muyu could only choose to stay. She could see a lot of hope in the Princess. That was good news. It meant her stunt hadn’t been in vain.

“If you try to escape next time, the punishment won’t be this simple,” the National Preceptor threatened. “If you want to live comfortably, be smarter. Only good children get candy.”

Xiao Muyu gave a muffled “Mm,” sounding as though she had compromised.

Satisfied, the National Preceptor gave a light huff and turned to leave. A gust of chilly wind blew, and the figure before her vanished.

Xiao Muyu felt as if a hand had been suddenly removed from her throat. She sprawled on the ground, covering her mouth and coughing. Soon, the lights in the room flickered on. The maids, hearing the commotion, rushed in to check on the Saintess.

Amidst the sound of footsteps and inquiries, the room became lively. No one noticed that in a corner of the garden, the Princess was standing silently. Her hair was loose, and she wore only a spacious outer robe, as if she had just stepped out of bed.

No one noticed her presence, and naturally, no one knew exactly when she had arrived. She had no intention of letting the people in the courtyard know she was there. She looked toward the direction the National Preceptor had left, her cold eyes sinking bit by bit.

She looked at her own hand; the air her fingertips touched was covered in a layer of frost. She moved her fingers, and the frost shattered like an ice sheet, turning into a thin white mist that quickly dissipated into the air.

I’m still a bit lacking right now. But soon.

Inside, the maids were still making a fuss. Some had already run out to find Pei Qiuyue—the Princess had recently ordered that all matters regarding the Saintess be reported to her. With Pei Qiuyue there, there was no need to worry.

The Princess glanced into the room, just in time to see Xiao Muyu being helped up by a maid. She covered her mouth and coughed, blood seeping through her fingers. The Princess paused for a moment, then turned and left before another maid could run out to call for a doctor.

The pitch-black corner was a blind spot for the moonlight; usually, no one would notice it. However, Xiao Muyu suddenly raised her head. While pulling back the maid who was about to call the doctor, she shot a glance toward that corner.

Of course, she saw nothing.

“Saintess?” the maid looked at her in confusion.

“…It’s nothing.” Xiao Muyu felt her throat itch, but she suppressed it. “No need to go. I’m fine.”

“But you’re coughing up blood.”

“I just accidentally bit my tongue.”

“…”

Pei Qiuyue arrived on the scene suppressing a belly full of rage. She lived nearby and had already fallen asleep when a maid reported trouble in the small courtyard. Recalling the Princess’s entrustment, she forced her anger down, dressed hurriedly, and rushed over.

Usually, she wasn’t someone who got angry easily. Everyone described her as extremely well-bred, tolerant, and magnanimous. It was truly just that this Saintess was too much.

The attempted murder of the Princess had already crossed her line, let alone the series of stunts before and after. She thought that since the Princess had specifically pardoned her for the escape, she would be quiet for a few days—who would have thought she’d cause trouble again so soon?

Pei Qiuyue even began to suspect if the Saintess was doing this on purpose to torment them. Or perhaps she was looking for another chance to run. Driven by this worry, she didn’t delay; she rushed over before even hearing the full story.

Upon entering the courtyard, the maids explained the situation. After the Saintess returned, she had fallen asleep quickly, only to wake up in the middle of the night coughing and seemingly in great pain. The maids were worried she was sick or injured, but also feared she was faking, so they sought out Pei Qiuyue first.

“Where is the doctor?”

“The Saintess stopped us,” the maid who met her explained in a low voice while leading her in. “She said she accidentally bit her tongue and the blood choked her throat, causing some discomfort.”

Inside, there was indeed a bloodstain by the corridor that a maid was currently cleaning. At least she wasn’t moaning over nothing.

Pei Qiuyue’s brow smoothed out slightly. She walked in a few steps, her gaze scanning the room before she realized the bundle on the corridor was actually the Saintess.

As the Saintess turned her head, Pei Qiuyue finally saw her clearly. The sweat on her forehead hadn’t dried, her hair was stuck to her cheeks in clumps, and her face was deathly pale under the moonlight. Whether she was cold or hot was hard to tell; she was wrapped in two quilts, her head buried beneath them. She remained sitting, one hand clutching the quilt, the other propping herself on the ground. Her legs were crossed haphazardly, her bare heels pressing against the corner of the quilt.

Pei Qiuyue’s brow, which had just relaxed, furrowed again. This posture was far too ungraceful for a girl of a decent family. Did no one in the Temple teach the Saintess etiquette?

She added another mark to the Saintess’s “black history” in her mind, but recalling the Princess’s attitude, she could only turn a blind eye. Shifting her gaze, she asked about the Saintess’s condition in a steady, gentle voice.

Xiao Muyu stuck to her story about biting her tongue. Pei Qiuyue didn’t believe it, but she didn’t truly care about the Saintess’s health either. Since the other woman insisted and didn’t seem to be in immediate danger, she turned a blind eye and didn’t pry.

Since she was already here, she decided to perform a routine inquiry into the Saintess’s recent well-being. Xiao Muyu stared at her for a while. The candlelight was dimmer than the moon, making the face of the person sitting inside look a bit dark.

In reality, Pei Qiuyue was too well-bred to ever show her true annoyance to someone’s face. Actually, Pei Qiuyue has a hard life, too.

Xiao Muyu’s stare made a chill run down Pei Qiuyue’s spine. She couldn’t help but ask, “What is the Saintess smiling at?”

“I’m happy,” Xiao Muyu replied briefly.

Immediately, she felt Pei Qiuyue grow several degrees more guarded. Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but laugh. “Second Miss, rest easy. I won’t run away again.” At least not until the poison is cured.

Pei Qiuyue’s gaze said, “Why on earth should I believe you?” But when she spoke, she was still tactful.

“Has the Saintess finally understood Her Highness’s painstaking kindness?”

“I said I fell in love with Her Highness at first sight.” Xiao Muyu looked Pei Qiuyue in the eye, her own gaze full of the word “sincerity.” “Do you believe me?”