An Author and Protagonist Got a Happy Ending [Transmigration] - Chapter 4

For Pei Qiuyue to be this anxious, the situation had already become dire.

It was no secret that the Saintess had come to apologize to the Princess today. If she collapsed without warning and teetered on the brink of death mid-conversation, no one would believe the Princess’s camp was innocent, no matter how hard they tried to distance themselves. If she actually died on the Princess’s turf, the trouble would be astronomical.

Pei Qiuyue had calculated everything to avoid provoking the Temple, but she hadn’t expected the other side to pull such a ruthless move. Was this really just an accident? she wondered.

But the immediate priority was saving the Saintess’s life.

“Doctor Shen says the Saintess has been struck by a strange poison. She has a persistent high fever, and it’s as if lava is surging through her veins—the heat is terrifying. The doctor has no immediate cure and can only ask the Princess to try a treatment.”

The Princess had a naturally cold constitution, and the cultivation techniques she had practiced since childhood were like polar frost—chilly from head to toe. Doctor Shen speculated that this might neutralize the “Fire Poison” in the Saintess, stabilizing her so she wouldn’t die in the palace. As for a permanent cure, that wasn’t their concern.

Pei Qiuyue hurried along, and though the Princess was reluctant, she followed closely. Soon, they reached the room where the Saintess had been temporarily placed.

Pei Qiuyue lifted the curtain and urged the Princess inside. It was a guest room in a corner of the side hall, long unused and turned into a storage space. It was dusty, but there was a bed; after a quick dusting, it sufficed for a patient.

The Saintess’s eyes were tightly shut, her brow furrowed, and sweat had soaked her hair. She looked to be in immense agony. Doctor Shen was still taking her pulse, her own brow creased as if something new had developed.

A maid whispered “Princess,” and Doctor Shen snapped out of it, bowed, and got straight to the point. “Aside from this strange poison, the Saintess somehow has several external injuries, as well as internal damage and old ailments. The combination caused the sudden collapse.”

The Princess and Pei Qiuyue both saw the injuries—whip marks stretching from her neck down past her collarbone, red and swollen against her pale skin. These were the marks left by the Noble Consort a few days ago. Doctor Shen, being elderly and detached from court gossip, didn’t know the context.

The external wounds were minor; the real dangers were the strange poison and the old ailments.

The Princess spoke bluntly: “Doctor Shen, just tell us what needs to be done.”

“Please, Princess, try to quell the Fire Poison in her body first. Also, Second Miss, please ask the Temple people what medicine the Saintess usually takes. A prescription or the actual medicine would be best so we can treat her properly.”

“I’ll have someone bring the Temple staff here,” Pei Qiuyue agreed. After a moment’s thought, she pulled the small porcelain vial from her robe and handed it to Doctor Shen. “The Saintess dropped this before she fainted. It looks like a medicine bottle. Please see if it belongs to her.”

Doctor Shen opened the vial to find a single pill. She signaled her apprentice to test its components. The apprentice took the vial and stepped outside with Pei Qiuyue—one to test the drug, the other to summon people.

At the corner of the corridor, Pei Qiuyue stopped the apprentice and whispered a few instructions. Once the apprentice nodded, Pei Qiuyue sent someone to the Temple and headed elsewhere herself.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Doctor Shen had the maids close the door and stand guard. She then asked the Princess to sit by the bed.

The Princess suppressed her impatience and moved closer, her gaze flickering over the woman on the bed before quickly darting away. Doctor Shen seemed oblivious to the Princess’s resistance. “Please, move closer, Highness.”

The Princess took another step, nearly bumping into the bedframe. Since everyone in the room was female, there was no need for excessive modesty. Doctor Shen slightly pulled back the Saintess’s collar, pointing to a spot just above her heart.

“The source of the heat seems to be coming from here. I wonder if it’s related to this wound. It’s quite deep. I heard the Saintess was pampered in the Temple; how could she have such a severe scar? Could the Temple be…”

Doctor Shen, possessing a healer’s heart, felt pity seeing such a young girl covered in scars.

She brought it on herself, the Princess thought privately. She originally assumed the marks were just the Consort’s whip—after all, who else would dare touch the Saintess? But as her eyes brushed against the pale skin, she froze.

As if struck by a bolt of lightning, the Princess went rigid.

The red, swollen whip marks ended just below the collarbone, far from the heart. Below them was a distinct, years-old scar. Though healed, the faint mark was enough to show how deep the wound had once been. It was only a fraction away from her heart.

No one was bold enough to assassinate a Saintess, especially since killing a mere “mascot” served no political purpose. Even if it were a frame-up, word would have leaked out. The Princess was certain she had never heard of an assassination attempt on the Saintess.

On the contrary… that scar looked familiar.

A hazy, ethereal dream resurfaced in her mind. She recalled the first time she saw that beautiful woman in her dream; she had been dumped in a wasteland with a knife sticking out of her chest. The Princess had thought she was a goner and lost interest, but the strange “play” wouldn’t let her leave the theater, so she had to watch.

She watched until the person she thought was dead struggled to her feet.

Blazing flames like flowers erupted from her body—not as a death knell, but as power. The young woman had bowed her head to treat her own wounds, gasping in pain, while the flames swirled around her like obedient pets. Her glass-like eyes reflected the fire, looking more beautiful than any gem the Princess had ever seen.

Later, after watching for a long time, the Princess learned that this was a special ability humans awakened in desperate life-or-death situations—called a “superpower” by the people of that world.

The Princess remembered the eyes in the fire most vividly, but the wound on the chest was so gruesome that even years later, its remnant told of the narrow escape. The Princess had gradually memorized that too.

The scar on the Saintess was identical to the one on the woman in the dream.

And—

Before the Princess realized it, her hand had touched the Saintess’s collarbone. The fire-like heat made her hand jerk back, snapping her out of her daze.

Doctor Shen urged, “Now is not the time for questions—look at my old habits acting up again. Please, Princess, try to channel some spiritual energy into the wound.”

The Princess stared at the area above the heart, her voice trailing off. “When did that flower…”

“What flower?” Doctor Shen asked, puzzled. She looked down but saw nothing.

“Just…” The Princess paused, then retracted her words. “No, nothing. My eyes played tricks on me.”

But her gaze remained nailed to the spot—just below the collarbone, a red lotus mark had quietly emerged, etched into her vision.

Outside the hall, Doctor Shen’s apprentice ran back, looking panicked. Pei Qiuyue happened to catch her in the corridor and asked softly, “What is it?”

The apprentice looked at her as if she were a savior, holding the vial and stammering, “P-p-poison! This is poison!”

Pei Qiuyue stiffened, her brow knitting. “What do you mean? Could it be a medicine for a specific use?”

The apprentice, calmed by Pei Qiuyue’s composure, stopped stuttering. “Second Miss, this isn’t medicine. If dissolved in water, it’s a lethal poison that kills instantly upon contact with blood. It’s impossible to use as medicine.”

“Unless she was looking to reincarnate early,” the apprentice added.

The purpose of the drug was now clear. Pei Qiuyue made an instant decision: “Follow me inside!”

She barked an order to the maids and charged into the room. The loud bang of the door startled everyone inside.

“Miss Pei, what is the meaning of this?” even Doctor Shen trembled.

“Forgive me, Doctor,” Pei Qiuyue bowed slightly. “It’s cold outside; please return and rest early.”

“What does this mean?” the doctor asked, confused.

“It means there’s no need to treat her.” Pei Qiuyue signaled the palace guards, her usual gentleness replaced by a cold frost. “The Saintess intended to murder the Princess. With both physical evidence and witnesses, drag her to the Great Dungeon immediately!”

Doctor Shen was aghast. “What?!”

Pei Qiuyue explained: “The maid the Temple sent with her has already confessed. The Saintess came here harboring resentment over the Noble Consort’s punishment and intended to take revenge on the Princess. The poison she carried proves it. There is no mistake!”

Her voice flared with anger. She had originally been worried that if Doctor Shen couldn’t cure her, the Temple would blame the Princess—so she had looked for a “way out” to have a counter-argument. She never expected that “way out” to be a dead end: the truth was the Saintess intended to commit murder.

Surface-level peace was worthless compared to the Princess’s life. As for why the maid confessed so easily or why the Saintess fainted, Pei Qiuyue had her own suspicions, but she would never use them to exonerate the Saintess. The Temple was nothing to her; even if the Saintess was just a scapegoat, she wouldn’t soften her heart.

The Princess was the sister she grew up with and the future ruler of the nation. She was Pei Qiuyue’s bottom line.

“Guards! Take the Saintess away. Once I report to His Majesty, she shall be executed!”

“Wait.”

The trained guards had barely taken a step before they froze at the Princess’s voice.

Pei Qiuyue suppressed her rage and looked at her. “Does the Princess have other instructions?”

She assumed the Princess would, if not clap in approval, at least not stop her. The Princess hated complicated schemes; she wasn’t ignorant of them, she just couldn’t be bothered with the details and usually left them to Pei Qiuyue. Furthermore, three days ago, it was the Princess herself who said “drag her away and behead her.”

“If you feel this punishment is too light—”

The Princess interrupted her. “Keep a close eye on that maid; don’t let her die. As for the Saintess… I pronounce her innocent.”

Pei Qiuyue turned anxious. “She tried to murder you! How can you leave such a threat alive? If you pardon her now, what about the future—”

“Then I will keep her by my side to monitor her,” the Princess said.

Pei Qiuyue froze, rarely feeling so unable to keep up with the Princess’s train of thought. She took a breath, calmed herself, and asked: “Then, what is your intention, Princess?”

“I’m going to marry her.”

Author’s Note:

Pei Qiuyue: ???