I can cradle a little chestnut-haired angel to sleep, and Miss Shiya’s sleep quality has clearly improved quite a bit.
She slept soundly until morning.
The thick fog outside the window had dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the flowering trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
“Good morning, little Ilya.”
Shiya covered her mouth as she yawned, her gaze gentle as she looked at Ilya in her arms.
Ilya, still half-asleep, rubbed her eyes and saw Sister Shiya lying on her side, propping her head up with one hand.
Her pretty face looked languid and lazy, her pink lips slightly pursed, offering her a faint, leisurely smile.
Dewdrops slid along drooping flower branches and fell onto the lake’s surface.
At that moment, Ilya reached out and put her hand on Shiya’s shoulder.
Her small body leaned forward, and she buried her face in the girl’s cheek, planting a kiss.
Then, like a dragonfly skimming the water, she pulled away, leaving only the ripples stirred by a girl’s first awakening of love.
Shiya was completely stunned.
The graceful, reclining posture she’d held gave way as her body went limp, and she embarrassingly flopped back onto the bed.
She met Elena’s cold, scrutinizing gaze.
“So Shiya prefers a smaller, more petite figure?”
“Even though Miss Ilya has turned eighteen, isn’t it utterly despicable to coax and tempt an innocent girl into kissing you?”
Sensing that Elena’s gaze was growing increasingly dangerous, Shiya quickly propped herself up with her hands on the bedding and sat upright.
“Sister Elena, what in the world are you talking about? Little Ilya, you need to explain yourself.”
Shiya’s words trailed off as she turned her head, only to see that the small figure had already slipped off the bed and scurried to the room’s door.
“Um, Sister Elena, Sister Shiya, last night, under the blessing of the Flower God’s fog, those flowers can be used for breakfast. I’ll go pick some.”
The girl’s eyes darted away.
After fastening her dress, she closed the door with a click.
“Ilya, don’t abandon your Sister Shiya!”
Her hand, suspended in midair, eventually fell limp.
Shiya turned her head and touched her cheek, still feeling the lingering warmth of the damp spot.
“Well… Elena, that was just little Ilya’s little joke. You think so too, right?”
Shiya guiltily covered her face with the back of her hand, wiping away tears that weren’t even there.
Her Highness the Princess didn’t say a word.
Instead, she raised her hand, curled her fingers, and flicked Shiya’s forehead.
Shiya winced in pain, letting out a soft whimper as she covered her smooth forehead with her hand.
It hurt a little, but that was all.
Shiya opened her pale golden eyes and cautiously looked at Elena.
But she found that Elena had already rolled out of bed, bent over with her back to her, picking up the clothes scattered on the floor.
Her legs slid into crisp black trousers, she put on a white shirt, and buttoned up a black corset vest.
Right in front of Shiya, bathed in the warm light streaming in from outside, Elena slowly and perfectly covered her fair, delicate skin with her clothing.
“Shiya, you need to keep some distance from other girls from now on. After all…”
Her Highness the Princess finally draped a wine-red student council blazer over herself.
Her pale blue eyes fixed on Shiya’s face—a face that needed no makeup to be considered stunningly beautiful.
“Sometimes, it’s not just boys. Some girls who seem harmless might also take liberties with you.”
Her Highness almost mentioned Leonora but swallowed the words at the last moment.
Shiya probably wouldn’t like it if she badmouthed that Celestine family member.
Then, she furrowed her beautiful brows, propped one hand on the mattress, and leaned down, bringing her face close to the girl.
Those pale blue eyes grew deep, as if hidden undercurrents were churning violently within.
Shiya didn’t understand and instinctively shrank back, only to find that Her Highness had pressed a hand against her nape, leaving no room for escape.
“What happened to the two blue ribbons I gave you?”
“I used them to tie Ilya’s hair.”
Shiya turned her head away, a flush spreading across her cheeks.
She simply couldn’t stand being this close, face-to-face with someone.
Instinctively, she placed her hands on Her Highness the Princess’s shoulders and gave a gentle push.
Her Highness didn’t budge an inch.
Instead, she raised an eyebrow, finding the girl’s utterly feeble resistance somewhat amusing.
Shiya pursed her lips.
She was already fed up with her own frail and delicate body.
Elena let out a soft sigh.
She didn’t have any extra blue ribbons on her now.
But then, a thought struck Her Highness.
She reached into the inner placket of her own clothes and, with a slight movement, pulled out a thin, cream-white string.
It was the drawstring she used to secure the looseness of her shirt.
Of course, it was more of a decorative touch, not like the undergarments that completely held her form in place and kept it from swaying as she moved.
Then she raised her hand and loosely gathered Shiya’s snow-white long hair, tying it into a neat, clean ponytail.
“There.”
Under Elena’s careful styling, Shiya, who had originally seemed delicate and reserved, instantly gained the aura of a sporty girl.
Her Highness the Princess took a look and was quite satisfied.
But it would have been even better if Shiya had a bit more caution and put her dress on first, instead of staring at the spot where she’d just pulled the string, her face inexplicably burning.
But since only the two of them were in the room, it didn’t really matter.
However, this quiet, intimate atmosphere was abruptly shattered by Ilya’s scream.
By the time Shiya had also changed into her dress and hurriedly followed Elena out of the house,
they saw a male corpse hanging from the beam outside the door.
Creak, creak—
The hemp rope swayed gently in the wind.
The corpse on the beam turned, staring with unseeing, wide-open eyes, a hideous expression on its face.
Shiya immediately shielded Ilya, who had collapsed onto the ground, trembling, and whispered to comfort her:
“It’s okay.”
Elena lowered the body and inspected it briefly.
Then her pale blue eyes swept over the gathered student council members who had already rushed over at the commotion.
“Does anyone know what happened last night?”
The student council members looked at each other, all wearing dazed, just-woken-up expressions.
But Elena keenly noticed that two or three members mixed in the crowd wore unnatural, even terrified, looks on their faces.
Elena was about to question them sharply.
Just then, footsteps sounded from afar.
The old village chief arrived with some people from Flower God Village.
The able-bodied men among them carried pitchforks, hatchets, and the like—blades sharpened, gleaming coldly.
“Old Village Chief, what is the meaning of this?”
Elena’s face showed confusion, but her heart had already sunk.
Village Chief Edwin did not answer.
Instead, a plump woman beside him collapsed, kneeling on the ground and wailing loudly.
“Village Chief Edwin, you must get justice for me!”
She pointed a finger at three student council members in the crowd, whose faces showed shock and anger.
“Last night, my husband kindly let these three beasts stay in our home”.
We never expected that, while we were asleep, they would break into the room and violate me.
Then they threw a sum of money at us and told my husband to shut up, saying the Princess was their backing and not to court death.
“I… my husband couldn’t bear the humiliation. He went out later that night and never came back. I didn’t think… I didn’t think!”
With that, the plump woman finally lost control of her emotions and covered her face, sobbing loudly.
“You heard that, didn’t you, Princess Elena?”
The old village chief tilted his head and asked in a deep voice.
Elena rubbed her temples with a headache.
Then she precisely called out the names of those three student council members.
Her voice was extremely soft, extremely gentle.
But when it landed on those three student council members, it was like a boulder weighing a thousand pounds, crushing and shattering their spirits.
“President Elena, we were just momentarily foolish.”
The tone of the three was extremely earnest, but their feet didn’t move an inch.
Elena didn’t mind.
She strolled slowly up to them.
And, without missing a beat, she drew a sword from Karlen’s side.
A flash of light appeared and fell.
Blood sprayed.
Three severed arms flew into the air.
“Aaaaaaah!”
The three student council members let out a blood-curdling shriek, clutching their wounds as they rolled and writhed in the mud.
Elena turned her head and stared directly at the old village chief.
“Is this enough?”
But the old man refused to accept it.
He sneered, “Can three arms make up for a single life?”
Elena fell silent.
She weighed the iron sword in her hand, her gaze shifting to the three pathetic student council members on the ground.
Just then, Karlen stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Let me talk to Village Chief Edwin.”
The man’s tone was gentle.
“Three arms are naturally not enough, but everything must follow the Empire’s law. Once we return to the Imperial Capital, we will hand over these three beasts to the trial court.”
The villagers behind Village Chief Edwin immediately erupted in a dissatisfied outcry.
“To hell with the Empire! You killed someone from our village, and you have to pay with your life!”
“Flower God, please inflict punishment upon these sinners.”
The old village chief mimicked Karlen’s earlier gesture and spread his hands.
“Kid, you see, everyone’s not too satisfied with this outcome.”
“Matters in Flower God Village should be settled by the people of Flower God Village themselves.”
Elena also looked uncertainly at Karlen.
“These people deserve what’s coming to them anyway. Why don’t we just go along with the old village chief’s intentions?”
Karlen shook his head and lowered his voice.
“These guys’ fathers are all nobles with connections; they’ve never skimped on sponsoring the student council”.
A severed arm can still be reattached by the Holy Light physicians of the church.
If we toss them to the Empire’s trial court, with a little maneuvering, they can walk away scot-free.
“We can’t let these moneybags’ precious sons get into trouble in Flower God Village.”
Then the man turned to Village Chief Edwin.
His voice was calm, but his words were shocking.
“Village Chief Edwin, we’ve already made a big concession. You need to understand—”
Karlen lightly kicked the male corpse beside him with his toe.
“He hanged himself. What does that have to do with our student council members?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene erupted in an uproar.
Even the usually composed Village Chief Edwin was stunned by this remark.
Then he practically roared at him, “So are we causing trouble for no reason here?”
At this, Karlen laughed, looking rather relaxed.
“Now, now, Old Village Chief, that’s not how you put it. Sure, our people were in the wrong first, but haven’t I offered the best solution?You’re the one who’s been stubbornly refusing to accept it.”
Elena also flicked the sword, and droplets of blood splashed carelessly at the villagers’ feet.
“Village Chief Edwin, the student council can do everything in its power to compensate this lady who lost her husband.”
The old village chief’s murky, sinister eyes fixed on Elena.
“If you don’t hand over the culprits, don’t even think about holding the Flower God Festival.”
Elena’s body stiffened slightly.
It was clear that she was about to soften her stance.
Karlen stepped in front of her, also blocking Shiya, preventing Village Chief Edwin’s gaze from falling on the girl.
“Since the old village chief is being so aggressive, we’ll be taking the Flower God’s chosen bride back to the Imperial Capital as well.”
Then this spirited young man gave an order to the bespectacled student council member who was manipulating a communication magic tool.
“Have you made contact with the Imperial Capital yet?”
But that bespectacled student council member shook his head and lightly spat out the words that would completely reverse the situation.
“Mr. Karlen, it can’t be done. Although the thick fog has receded, we still cannot contact the outside world.”