“Princess Elena doesn’t look too well. Would you like some wine to relax?”
With the deal settled, the old village chief seemed to have shed some burden, his tone becoming more casual.
But Elena slowly lowered her head, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly.
“Village Chief Edwin, cancel all previous proposals.”
“I cannot sell a girl I consider my own sister like merchandise.”
Shiya’s every smile, the way she ate so carefully, the way her eyes curved into crescent moons when she received a gift, her cheeks tinted with a faint blush—these scenes kept flowing through Elena’s mind.
But the more she thought, the more her head ached, and the more her vision blurred before her eyes.
This sudden change of heart immediately caused the two men present to change expressions.
The old village chief’s wrinkles squeezed together, his voice laced with gnashing teeth.
“Princess Elena, you change your mind just like that. Are you playing with an old man like me?”
“Do you really think that with just those people from the student council, you can throw your weight around Flower God Village?”
Elena clenched her teeth and lifted her head sharply.
“I can negotiate on other conditions, but Shiya is off-limits!”
Karlen stood up abruptly and firmly pressed down on Elena’s shoulder, signaling her to calm down.
“Village Chief Edwin, this is all a misunderstanding. I will discuss this in detail with Princess Elena later.”
The old village chief gave a cold snort.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, young Mr. Karlen.”
Not until they left the village chief’s house and walked a good distance did Elena finally lose her restraint.
She grabbed Karlen’s arm and pulled him to an open space beside a forest clearing filled with a sea of flowers.
“Mr. Karlen, I can’t agree to those terms. How is that any different from abandoning Shiya?”
Faced with the princess’s urgency, Karlen straightened his suit collar, appearing very calm.
“Elena, was there anything wrong with what the old village chief said? Isn’t Miss Shiya just an ordinary girl who belongs in a small village like this?”
“But…”
Elena’s light blue eyes flickered uneasily, her gaze wandering over the dazzling sea of flowers, her voice turning hoarse.
Karlen sighed and patted the back of her hand.
“Besides, when did I ever say we were leaving Miss Shiya here forever?”
But just then, the man stumbled over his words, and the smile on his face froze.
Because Elena seemed to realize something.
She released his arm and even took an awkward step back.
“I was too forward just now, Mr. Karlen.”
The princess seemed very concerned about close physical contact with men, always deliberately keeping her distance.
Karlen waved his hand and continued.
“As long as the Flower God Festival goes smoothly this time, and in the future we use Flower God Village’s resources and manpower to successfully ascend the throne,”
“we can immediately dispatch a large force to station here and bring Miss Shiya back.”
Karlen finished laying out his full plan.
Elena, who had been anxious and panicked just moments ago, suddenly relaxed.
Joy overflowed from her expression, and she even teased Karlen.
“So that’s how it is. Then I’ll have to trouble the future Chancellor Karlen to command and coordinate all this.”
As long as Shiya could return to her side by then, Elena would do everything in her power to make it up to her.
Karlen couldn’t help but laugh heartily, pointing at Elena.
“Then you, the future Empress, should first go explain this clearly to Miss Shiya. Then we’ll head back immediately to prepare the Flower God Festival.”
The man’s fingers gently brushed across his arm, as if the warmth of the girl’s grip still lingered there.
As long as Shiya was alone, his room for manipulation would be ample.
If anything went wrong, he could pin all the blame on Flower God Village.
“I believe Miss Shiya will gladly agree for your sake.”
With that exchange, it really looked like a fine tableau of a ruler and minister in perfect harmony, sharing confidences.
Inside the spacious wooden cabin,
Shiya sat by the burning fireplace, gazing absentmindedly at the scenery outside the window.
“Sister Shiya, have something warm to drink first.”
Ilya handed her a cup of hot cocoa.
“Thank you very much.”
Shiya thanked her automatically, took the cup, and took a sip.
But she was scalded and let out a hiss, sticking out her tongue and fanning it with her hand.
Ilya, a few years younger than her, watched this scene.
She found the white-haired sister adorably dazed, and couldn’t help covering her mouth with both hands, snickering quietly.
“Hehe, ouch!”
Seeing the little one’s sly look, Shiya curled her finger and gently tapped her on the forehead.
Ilya complained, covering her forehead, but then couldn’t help asking curiously,
“Sister Shiya, you’ve been staring out the window. Are you waiting for someone?”
Shiya hesitated for a moment, then finally hummed in agreement.
“She promised to come take me home.”
Ilya quietly watched the girl, who sat hugging her knees, resting her cheek on them.
A sorrow that didn’t belong to her age flickered in her light blue eyes, as if this scene had played out countless times before Ilya.
“What’s that?”
Shiya suddenly pointed at the thickening fog rising outside the window.
Ilya answered casually,
“Every night when the Flower God comes, He bestows this blessing. In just one night, all the seeds planted in the village will quickly bloom.”
But Ilya’s answer received no response from Shiya.
The girl lifted her eyes and watched the golden-haired figure approaching outside the window.
For a moment, a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, but it quickly faded into dead stillness.
Actually, the village woman who brought Shiya here had instructed her not to let Shiya go outside, to prevent the girl from escaping.
But Ilya wasn’t worried, because the process might differ, but the result was always the same.
Every time, the Flower God took the virginity of each girl without exception, and resistance was not tolerated.
“Elena!”
Shiya pushed open the wooden cabin door and trotted toward the princess.
But when the girl saw Elena’s indifferent expression, she instinctively stopped, feeling a little embarrassed.
‘Was I too rash? Not ladylike enough?’
But Shiya’s heart was fluttering, because Elena had come to keep her promise.
In that brief moment, Elena felt that Shiya was like a wife waiting for her husband to come home.
When was the last time the girl greeted her so eagerly?
‘I’m sorry…’
‘Once this filthy transaction is done, when I come to take you back, I’ll grant you any request.’
‘Including… myself…’
Elena suddenly bent over in pain, clutching her inexplicably cramped stomach, gasping for breath, and then slowly spoke.
With a knife called betrayal, she pierced the girl’s heart, even her soul.
“Shiya, for my sake… no, for the future of the empire, can you willingly sacrifice yourself and become the bride serving the Flower God?”
The golden pupils froze abruptly.
Shiya clutched her collar, unable to believe that Elena could say such a thing.
“You… didn’t you come to take me home?”
“Hadn’t we already agreed?”