An Author and Protagonist Got a Happy Ending [Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Pei Qiuyue thought she had misheard.

She stared at the Princess for a long while. The Princess still wore that same indifferent, cold expression—like a secluded lotus on a mountain peak, bright and moving to look at, yet dangerous, icy, and unreachable.

She didn’t look like an imposter, nor did she seem to have suddenly lost her mind. But she didn’t look like she was joking, either.

The Princess seemed completely unaware of what a thunderbolt her words were, leaving everyone present unable to recover their wits. How did the topic jump from “execution” to “marrying her”?

“Princess, you…” Pei Qiuyue’s voice was strained, even carrying a slight tremor. “Could you say that again?”

“I am going to marry her.”

The five words were pronounced clearly and forcefully; there was absolutely no possibility of a mishearing.

The kind of “marry” where you hold a wedding and sleep together? Pei Qiuyue desperately wanted to press for details.

The old Emperor was considered an open-minded father. He had always said the Princess could choose the person she liked. For instance, no matter how much he fretted lately, as long as the Princess didn’t like a suitor, he would never force her.

But she feared that his definition of “the person she liked” definitely did not include a woman. Especially not a woman who had tried to murder her.

What kind of business was it for one woman to marry another?

The customs of the Xuefu Kingdom were relatively open, and it wasn’t extremely rare for same-sex lovers to be together, but such a grand, formal marriage was unheard of. Furthermore, within the royal family—it was simply unprecedented and beyond imagination.

“If His Majesty finds out, he will never agree to this,” Pei Qiuyue urged.

The Princess simply replied, “I will be the one to speak to Imperial Father.”

Pei Qiuyue fell silent for a moment. The Princess showed no sign of changing her mind—which was to be expected. Once the Princess made a decision, there was almost no room for change. Still, Pei Qiuyue had hoped for a miracle.

Clearly, no miracle was coming.

“…Understood.” Pei Qiuyue packed away her shock and worry. “I will go interrogate the Temple maid first.”

The Princess nodded and waved for the others to withdraw.

Once she confirmed there was no turning back on the Princess’s intent, Pei Qiuyue didn’t offer another word of persuasion. She quietly accepted the order and led the servants away. Once she stepped out of that door, without the Princess’s command, she would not reveal a single detail of what happened inside—not even to the old Emperor.

The Princess’s deep trust and reliance on her were not without reason. Pei Qiuyue knew exactly when she could advise the Princess and when she could not.

Soon, only the unconscious woman, the Princess, and Doctor Shen remained in the inner chamber. Doctor Shen was still dazed, unable to snap out of it until the Princess spoke to remind her: “Please treat her well, Doctor. If there is anything I can do to help, do not hesitate to speak.”

Her voice was remarkably gentle, even hiding a hint of worry and urgency.

When her gaze returned to the person lying on the bed, Doctor Shen’s heart was full of questions—what magic did this Saintess possess to make the Princess change her mind with just one look, to the point of ignoring a murder attempt?

It couldn’t possibly be true love, could it? Doctor Shen shook her head, thinking she was overthinking things.

When Xiao Muyu regained consciousness, she felt as if all the moisture in her body had been burned away. Her throat stung with a fiery pain.

She rasped in a low murmur, “Water…”

Very quickly, a cup of water was brought to her lips. The water was a bit cold, as if ice had been added, making her shiver. But her survival instinct took over; she didn’t care if this was a dream or another reality. She swallowed several gulps haphazardly, nearly choking, which triggered a coughing fit that sent dull pains through her chest.

However, the dry agony in her throat subsided slightly. Her groggy brain slowly began to function again.

Her body still felt painful and stiff, but it was much better than the day she first transmigrated. Her fingertips twitched, and strength slowly returned to her hands. Opening her eyes, she saw the bed curtains and the layout of an unfamiliar room. It was an exceptionally simple arrangement, yet it felt far more lived-in than the hollow rooms of the Temple.

Did I transmigrate again?

Otherwise, there was no way the Princess would save her while knowing she intended to cause her harm. That would be OOC (Out of Character) to the extreme. Xiao Muyu had no doubt that with the Princess’s capabilities, she would have known exactly what the vial was for the moment it was found.

She just hoped she hadn’t died too hideously in that other world. Even if it didn’t ruin the scenery, scaring the flowers and grass would be a sin.

Xiao Muyu’s mind wandered aimlessly as she tried to use her palms to prop herself up and sit. And that kind person who just gave her water…

Xiao Muyu’s movements froze. She blinked, realizing something belatedly as her body slowly turned rigid.

“You’re awake?” A voice carrying a natural chill rang out beside her. “Do you feel discomfort anywhere?”

Everywhere, Xiao Muyu almost blurted out.

However, turning her head to see the Princess’s cold face, she immediately swallowed the words and gave a vague “Mm.”

“I’m… alright.”

“Go fetch Doctor Shen.”

Doctor Shen had been temporarily stationed in the palace by the Princess to prevent any relapses. Hearing that the Saintess was awake, she hurried over. After checking her pulse and performing an examination, the doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

“The Saintess is out of danger for now, but she still needs a good period of quiet rest.”

The doctor then wrote a prescription and handed it to a nearby maid, instructing her on how to decoct the medicine. The maid left to obey, and for a moment, the cold hall felt a bit more lively.

Seeing this setup, Xiao Muyu understood that the Princess had saved her. She reached toward her robes, only to realize the poison vial couldn’t possibly still be on her.

Did Pei Qiuyue not find it? Xiao Muyu felt that given Pei Qiuyue’s meticulousness, such a thing was impossible. But there was no other explanation.

Yet even if she hadn’t found it, why was the Princess personally watching over her? The last time they met, she wanted to behead her. Could it be she was waiting for everyone else to leave so she could kill her in secret?

Xiao Muyu shivered, banishing that terrible thought from her mind.

“Are you cold?” the Princess asked.

Xiao Muyu instinctively turned toward the speaker, only to have her heart nearly stop at the face inches away. The Princess had stopped right in front of her, studying her complexion. It seemed like a gesture of concern, but the distance was far too close—a fraction of an inch more and their noses would touch. The shimmer in her eyes and her long lashes were clearly visible.

Just sitting there, she was like a piercing frost, carrying a chill, yet she emitted a scent as crisp and clear as spring water. Beautiful, cold—a literal “flower on a high ridge.”

In any other situation, Xiao Muyu wouldn’t have been able to help praising how breathtakingly beautiful the woman was, but right now, she wasn’t in the mood for jokes.

Xiao Muyu instinctively backed away, her arm hitting the headboard with a dull “thud” that snapped her back to her senses. Unnoticed by her, everyone else in the room had withdrawn, leaving just her and the Princess.

The Princess continued to stare directly at her face, as if looking at some rare and precious treasure.

Expecting a cold, taciturn person to voluntarily explain the situation was clearly impossible. Xiao Muyu secretly rubbed her bruised arm, hesitated for a moment, and asked: “…Why am I here?”

“You were injured and unconscious. Doctor Shen said you needed a quiet place to recover.”

“…”

“This is the Hanmo Pavilion of my palace. It’s near the gardens, a secluded courtyard. No one will disturb you here,” the Princess continued to explain.

“…”

In the long silence, Xiao Muyu endured the Princess’s gaze and finally realized the other woman didn’t seem to understand the real question she wanted to ask. She had to steel herself and continue: “And regarding the Temple…”

The Princess’s expression cooled slightly, though Xiao Muyu didn’t notice. “From now on, you live here. There is no need to go back.”

Xiao Muyu froze and blinked. No need to go back to the Temple? Although she truly didn’t want to go back (given the black-hearted villain lurking there), staying here with the Princess also made her uneasy.

The other’s attitude had changed too fast and too strangely. If it weren’t for the dull ache of her wounds, she would have thought she had transmigrated into a parallel world.

Xiao Muyu tested the waters: “This… seems inappropriate.”

The Princess replied flatly, “There is nothing inappropriate. Once we are married, you will naturally live with me.”

“Oh, marr—” Xiao Muyu suddenly went rigid, her eyes widening as she looked at the Princess. “Married?!”

The Princess shot her a glance. “You aren’t happy?”

Xiao Muyu’s brain was still in a “system crash” state: “I… I…”

The Princess’s lips curved slightly, which Xiao Muyu interpreted as a mocking smile. She leaned closer again, her icy fingers lifting Xiao Muyu’s chin, forcing her to look into her eyes.

“Do you think I am not good-looking?”

The chilly voice sounded like it was saying, ‘If you dare say I’m not good-looking, I’ll stab you right now.’

There was no room for negotiation. Xiao Muyu had no second choice; her survival instinct went into overdrive. “G-good-looking! You are absolutely the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life!”

This wasn’t a lie. Among everyone Xiao Muyu had seen in her life, this Princess’s beauty was indeed at the top.

The smile on the Princess’s lips deepened, and the pressure on her hand loosened slightly as she returned the praise softly: “Not as much as you.”

Immediately after, she asked: “Do you think my status is not high enough?”

Xiao Muyu shook her head frantically. “I wouldn’t dare. It’s high enough.”

This was the future Empress who would rule the world; how could a tiny Temple mascot dare to say her status wasn’t high enough?

“Then do you think I have a bad temper?”

“…” Xiao Muyu fell silent for a moment, then painfully swallowed the negative. “…No, it’s good.”

“Then is there anything else you are unsatisfied with?” The Princess looked at Xiao Muyu from the corner of her eye.

“…No.” And I wouldn’t dare be.

The Princess let go, the smile on her face becoming more genuine. She was clearly satisfied with Xiao Muyu’s answers.

“The tenth of next month is an auspicious day; I will marry you into the family then. Until then, recover well. You may order the maids in the courtyard as you wish.” The Princess looked at her. “You shouldn’t have any objections, right?”

This was not the attitude of someone seeking an opinion.

Xiao Muyu took a deep breath, and then… very cowardly nodded her head.

“No objections.”

The wise man knows when to submit.