An Author and Protagonist Got a Happy Ending [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Crr-eak—

The door was suddenly pushed open. Inside the room, Xiao Muyu, with a piece of hawthorn cake still hanging from her mouth, looked up and met the gaze of the person at the door.

Pei Qiuyue scanned the room from left to right. The room was empty; the maids assigned to the small courtyard were nowhere to be seen. Aside from the occupant, there wasn’t a trace of a second person.

“Where is everyone?”

Xiao Muyu swallowed the hawthorn cake, feeling a hint of bitterness at the back of her tongue. She blinked and replied vaguely, “I don’t know.”

She didn’t know if Pei Qiuyue was asking about the maids or a certain Great Villain who had just departed. Regardless of which question it was, she couldn’t provide a real answer, so she simply shut her mouth.

Pei Qiuyue felt uneasy, but she didn’t expect this “mascot” to give her any useful information. The Princess followed behind her, her expression calm and devoid of surprise.

“You all may withdraw for now.”

“Princess?”

“It’s getting late. I should spend some time ‘cultivating feelings’ with the Saintess.”

“…” Pei Qiuyue felt there was something inherently wrong with that sentence.

She still wanted to urge the Princess to remain calm. Although they hadn’t caught anyone red-handed, an outsider had undoubtedly been here. The fact that someone could slip in and out undetected was an extremely dangerous signal.

But before she could open her mouth, the Princess shot her a look full of unwavering determination. The Princess seemed dead set on “cultivating feelings” with the Saintess in private. Pei Qiuyue had no choice but to swallow her spoilsport words.

Watching Pei Qiuyue lead the others away, Xiao Muyu didn’t even notice the remaining half of her hawthorn cake falling from her hand. Within the span of fifteen minutes, she was back to worrying again.

The Princess poured herself a cup of tea and sat by the table, gazing at the scenery outside while she drank. Outside, the setting sun cast an orange glow on the fallen leaves, adding to the bleakness of the scene. However, beneath the thin snow, a few weeds and wildflowers could still be seen—a touch of life against the vast icy backdrop.

She had never paused to look at these weeds and flowers before, assuming they were mundane. But sitting here now, she found herself appreciating the beauty of their vitality. Perhaps it was a case of “loving the house and its crows” (loving everything associated with the person).

The Princess turned her face, finally turning her gaze fully onto the other person. Xiao Muyu sat opposite her, appearing as if she could only see the plate in front of her, head down and focused on eating. Her intention wasn’t hunger; she just wanted to avoid the Princess’s gaze. She chewed stiffly, bit by tiny bit, while her mind drifted far away.

Seeing her well-behaved appearance, the Princess couldn’t help but feel a flicker of doubt—is she really the same person I saw in my dream?

Compared to that intensely burning flame, the beautiful woman currently shrinking into a corner of this small room was a bit too quiet. It was no wonder Pei Qiuyue never suspected this person had already been replaced. Outwardly, the Saintess was no different than usual.

The Princess quickly dismissed her doubts. She trusted her intuition and refused to let go of even the slightest possibility. Even if this wasn’t the person she thought, keeping a “useless person” was no big deal.

However, the room was a bit too desolate. The Princess looked around and reached that conclusion.

She hadn’t personally seen to the cleaning of the courtyard, leaving it to the servants. While no one was outright rude to the Saintess, no one was close enough to know her preferences either. Most followed the philosophy of “less trouble is better than more”—if the Saintess didn’t ask, they were happy to do the bare minimum.

And this “replaced” Saintess had a level of desire for material comfort so low it was appalling. Combined with her wariness of the place, she naturally made no requests. The result was a courtyard that was not only bleak but a bedroom that was practically empty—just a bed, a table, and a few stools. The only things that could be called “decorations” were the vase on the table and that plate of hawthorn cakes.

The Princess made up her mind, set down her tea, and asked the person across from her: “I will have people renovate this place tomorrow. Is there anything you want?”

Compared to her usual tone, this was practically gentle. But Xiao Muyu couldn’t tell the difference right now.

“N-no need,” Xiao Muyu declined cautiously. “It’s fine the way it is.”

“This place is too small. That wall can be knocked through to connect to the garden,” the Princess continued as if she hadn’t heard the refusal. “We can put coral and porcelain on the shelves. As for the courtyard outside, let’s plant some flowers and greenery. What flowers do you like?”

Xiao Muyu hesitated. Before she could think of a reply, the Princess decided for her.

“We can plant some cold-resistant evergreens. A few days ago, an envoy sent some flower seeds; I heard they are exceptionally vibrant when they bloom. We’ll plant some here so you have something to do in your spare time.”

Xiao Muyu: “…” Are you even listening to me?

Sensing Xiao Muyu’s dissatisfaction, the Princess’s gaze fell on her. “Are you unhappy with this arrangement?”

Xiao Muyu paused, forcing a fake smile. “…I’m happy.” Like hell I am.

The Princess’s lips curved slightly; her mood had subtly turned more pleasant. After only a few sips of tea, she set the cup down, glanced out the window, and said to Xiao Muyu, “Come for a walk with me.”

The “outside” in question was nothing more than the adjacent small garden. Still, it was better than being trapped in a narrow, empty room all day.

When she saw the flowers in the garden, Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but let out a small smile. She was someone who was easily satisfied. Even in a situation where her life was uncertain, small things could brighten her mood.

By the time Xiao Muyu realized the “Great Threat” was still right beside her, the Princess’s face was already very close. The sun had set, and a few stray stars were visible in the sky. Under the hazy moonlight, the other woman’s features were vividly clear due to the proximity. Her fair skin was flawless, yet her temperature was icy, always carrying a chilling aura.

But in certain moments, such a distinct presence was impossible to ignore.

Xiao Muyu instinctively took a step back, her spine hitting the wall. With nowhere left to retreat, the Princess’s face occupied her entire field of vision. Eyes slightly downcast, lashes trembling, pale lips—she looked like a moonlit elf.

Xiao Muyu’s heart skipped a beat. She always seemed to realize the other’s beauty at these ill-timed, delicate moments.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Xiao Muyu swallowed hard, her eyes darting around as she tried to find an escape route. The situation was getting a bit too “delicate.” Is the Princess planning to…

Kill me and bury the body?

Xiao Muyu’s thoughts took a dark turn. Glancing at the overgrown weeds at her feet, she felt that this possibility wasn’t entirely out of the question.

The Princess took a step forward, the chill following her. Xiao Muyu took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Please leave me an intact corpse.”

Princess: “…”

After a long silence, Xiao Muyu peeked through a tiny slit in her eyelids. She felt the expression on the Princess’s face was the look one gives a complete moron.

A hand reached out. Icy fingertips poked her cheek, then pinched a handful of soft flesh.

It reminded Xiao Muyu of the first time she saw a rubber duck toy as a child; she had pinched it incessantly, never tiring of that mindless, squeaky sound. The only difference was that the current Xiao Muyu didn’t squeak.

Though, perhaps her slightly terrified expression provided similar entertainment value.

The smile on the Princess’s face was more genuine than usual, finally showing a hint of the playfulness befitting her age.

“Warm… she’s real…”

The Princess murmured something in a low voice that Xiao Muyu didn’t catch. Xiao Muyu just felt that things were becoming very, very “not good.”

Ever since that “private cultivation of feelings” with the Saintess, the Princess had been in a fairly good mood for a long time. Pei Qiuyue, who was closest to her and knew her best, was quite amazed; making the Princess laugh was no easy feat, and for the effect to last this long was even more impressive.

But at the same time, she harbored hidden worries. What kind of love potion did the Saintess give her? She worried it might be some heterodox sorcery causing harm.

Pei Qiuyue was torn; on one hand, the Princess acted normally—even more sharp and rational than usual—in all other matters. On the other hand, the relationship between her and the Saintess was sliding in an unpredictable direction.

Before she could decide how to handle the matter, a maid rushed in looking terrified, bringing some rather unpleasant news.

“Something is wrong! The Saintess has disappeared!”