Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me

Chapter 10: Rose, Walking Alone Toward Thorns

“Labu, she’s looking at you.”

“She’s clearly looking at Labi.”

The twins, Gelabu and Gelabi, were children born to the Emperor and the eldest daughter of the Oak Family’s head.

Despite it being a marriage alliance with a merchant family, the twins’ warm and lively personalities were quite popular in both families.

The two brothers grew up under the Oak Family’s upbringing, fundamentally cut off from any chance of inheriting the throne.

However, the Oak Family itself had risen from merchants, and as long as the royal power remained unbroken, their commerce would continue.

Two individuals tied to the royal family yet posing no threat to its rule were undoubtedly the best way for the family to protect itself.

For the sake of the family, the Emperor wouldn’t do anything to his own children; in fact, he might cherish them even more.

“This girl is so pretty. Who is she?”

“Labi, Mother said not to talk about someone in their presence.”

Though they quieted down, the two little ones couldn’t help but curiously size up the girl lying quietly on the grass, ignoring them as she rested.

Their hair inherited the Emperor’s gold, mixed with some of their mother’s reddish-brown, and their emerald-green eyes sparkled like the Oak Family’s amethyst crest.

All Loka wanted now was to lie there quietly, feeling the breeze, but these two had even tossed aside their crickets and were squatting there, staring at her curiously.

“Who are you? I don’t think we’ve seen you before.”

“Labi, Mother said to be polite.”

The two quickly stood up obediently, brushed off the dust from crawling through the grass, and introduced themselves with the serious air of little adults before reverting to their curious, mischievous selves.

Really, just find something to shoo them away with.

“I’m Loka. Look, there’s a little rabbit over there!”

“Where? Where?”

At the mention of a rabbit, the brothers’ earlier curiosity was instantly replaced, their eyes no longer holding interest in the girl but burning with a desire for the rabbit.

Just as they were about to leave, Loka suddenly thought of something and called out to them.

“Hey, you two, rabbits don’t like water. You’ll only catch it at the garden’s center!”

Though puzzled, seeing her serious expression, they nodded, then excitedly abandoned Loka and dove back into the grass, disappearing from sight.

In her past life, the Fourth and Fifth Princes died from poisoning not only because the poison was too potent but also because they were playing by an unattended lake, unable to receive timely rescue.

“Didn’t expect you to be so kind-hearted.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Loka’s expression relaxed.

She hooked her arm around the blonde girl behind her, affectionately rubbing her cheek, only to be pushed away with a cold face.

“I’m just thinking of Your Highness. They can’t die so soon.”

When Yiwen heard the Empress and the ladies mocking Loka, she had quietly followed her, only to unexpectedly encounter the twins and hide behind the bushes, silently observing.

“Good thing you kept your distance. If they tried to steal my person, I wouldn’t let them off.”

“I’m your person? Am I? Am I?”

“Get lost.”

Unable to shake off the little tail behind her, Yiwen simply led her slowly through the bushes to a quieter place.

A modest palace stood there.

Surrounding the palace were some small flowers and inconspicuous plants, but most prominent was a large patch of lush clover grass.

“This is my palace. No servants or stewards, so no one will find this place.”

Loka felt that saying she and Yiwen were the same kind was a bit self-flattering.

Though she was unloved, perhaps even forgotten by the Emperor, she was still a proper royal princess, after all.

While Loka was still lost in thought, Yiwen had already crouched among the clover grass, beckoning her over.

In her past life, it was because Yiwen had accidentally eaten clover grass that she was barely affected by the poison.

“Is there someone here you want to protect?”

“Why does Your Highness ask?”

Yiwen plucked a handful of clover grass and handed it to her, then took another handful for herself.

“You can take it to save your person. I won’t interfere.”

That day in the palace garden, Loka told Yiwen that clover grass was the antidote to this poisonous attack.

But this ordinary variety, barely different from weeds, only grew in neglected places like this within the palace.

Yiwen’s meaning was likely that if the beautiful woman got into trouble here, Loka’s survival in the Duke’s mansion would become even harder.

After all, on the surface, the beautiful woman was the one in charge of the Duke’s mansion.

If she were gone, Loka would be in danger too.

If she didn’t know that the Beautiful Woman and the Empress were the masterminds behind it, Loka might have thought Yiwen, the royal princess, was reborn too.

Phew, scaring herself.

“The only one I care about is Your Highness.”

Yiwen maintained her cold expression, only her pinky trembling slightly before quickly returning to normal.

Suddenly, a sharp scream came from nearby.

“Help! There are assassins!”

A group of masked black-clad figures suddenly emerged from a corner of the rear garden.

They didn’t actively attack the panicking crowd but threw glass bottles.

As the bottles shattered, gray poisonous mist began to spread throughout the rear garden.

The guards at the gate had already been taken down.

“Stay here and don’t wander. If you’re poisoned, eat that grass.”

Yiwen gripped the handful of clover grass and instructed Loka to hide.

This spot was far from the center of the poison, and with such a large patch of clover grass,

though some poison would still be inhaled, it was safer than for the princes and princesses closer to the source, practically breathing through a pipe.

According to their original plan, Yiwen would take the clover grass outside, letting the Emperor and doctors returning from outside discover its effect early.

With this achievement, Yiwen could smoothly enter the Emperor’s and other nobles’ sights.

Loka grabbed Yiwen’s hand, stuffing all her clover grass into it, then turned, smiling, and ran toward the center of the rear garden, now shrouded in poisonous mist.

If a neglected daughter suddenly claimed she found an antidote, the suspicious Emperor might have other thoughts.

But what if it was during an emotional breakdown.

“Are you really going to…”

Yiwen quickly understood what Loka intended to do but still hesitated, holding her hand.

After all, for her to risk her life like this.

“It’s all for our goal. Besides, I’m Your Highness’s person, aren’t I?”

“My life belongs to Your Highness too.”

Loka smiled, let go of Yiwen’s hand, and ran toward the rear garden without looking back, shouting as she went, briefly drawing the attention of the chaotic crowd.

“Help! Someone save me! It’s so scary here, my body hurts so much!”

Loka found a conspicuous corner in the rear garden, lay down, and began shouting for help.

The assassins’ figures had already vanished into the poisonous mist.

Her head started to ache, her body grew weak and powerless… so dizzy…

Your Highness, this time I’m really betting my life on you.

You won’t betray me again, will you?