Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“We already kissed,” Lóng Wei said with a grin. “You kissed me first, Li Hua,” he added to not keep any confusion between them.

“That was an accident, Your Highness,” Li Hua opined and turned to peer at him. “Please forget about this. Such accidents should not be remembered,” she affirmed and was ready to stand up.

Lóng Wei clicked his tongue and drew her towards him by grasping her wrist. “Accidents are the cause of many outcomes,” Lóng Wei stated. “I can still feel that soft touch of your lips over mine.” His eyes glued to her lips once again.

“I am hungry, Your Highness. The Kitchen will be closed soon.” She changed the topic. Lóng Wei pulled her up along with him.

“A kiss has already sealed between us,” Lóng Wei teased her.

“That was not a kiss, Your Highness,” Li Hua stated.

.....

“I am not getting you. If two lips touch, then it is considered a kiss,” Lóng Wei stated. Li Hua opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. Was there any use to explaining him? It was an accident. A mere accident! She scrunched her brow and cursed herself internally to push him away.

“Why do you look so troubled?” He snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. “Do you want me to kiss you? Then, it will no longer be considered an accident,” Lóng Wei said huskily and leaned his face down to level up to her.

“No,” Li Hua said and turned away. She bit her lower lip and then ran out of his sight.

Li Hua stopped near the pavilion and gasped for the air. She rubbed her lips and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Li Hua!”

She turned and saw Ju Lin, who had a porcelain water jar in her hand. Li Hua smiled upon seeing her.

“I heard you were going to get punished,” Ju Lin said worriedly, and the two started to walk. “Is the Sixth Prince troubling you? No servant was appointed in his service ever,” Ju Lin stated.

Li Hua would not agree with Ju Lin. Lóng Wei didn’t trouble her. Instead, he defended her from getting punished. The way he stood for her and begged with the King for her life, it seemed he was not the type that everyone thought.

Wait! She was not supposed to think this way about him. She knitted her brows together.

“Why are you not speaking, Li Hua? His Highness didn’t hurt you, right?” Ju Lin looked at her hands.

“Ju Lin, His Highness didn’t hurt me,” Li Hua answered. “Do not worry about me.”

“I am glad. You are the only one with whom I can talk and share everything with,” Ju Lin stated. Both of them soon reached the Royal Kitchen, where a few servants could be seen. Many were retired to their respective rooms.

Li Hua and Ju Lin had their dinner together in the Servants’ Dining Hall. “Li Hua, does the Crown Prince like you? Strange rumors have spread about you,” Ju Lin said while eating the rice from the bowl.

“No. I never went near the Crown Prince. Don’t believe in such rumors,” stated Li Hua and picked the seaweed from the platter. She ate that and drank the soup later.

“Li Hua, how dare you to seduce the Princes?”

Li Hua and Ju Lin turned to look. They saw several maids with higher ranks than then. Li Hua stood up, leaving the food in the middle.

“I heard that you were even alone with the Crown Prince in his chamber.” One of them, dressed in a maroon Hanfu dress, walked to her.

Ju Lin also got up from her seat and glanced at Li Hua.

Li Hua decided to keep quiet and kept her head low. Ju Lin came forward to Li Hua’s rescue. “Senior Sister Nuo, Li Hua didn’t do anything. The Crown Prince has called her into the chamber. It is already late,” she tried to pacify the maidservant.

“Li Hua, did you touch the Sixth Prince’s hand when you clearly know it is not allowed?” Another maidservant asked her, who was the third rank servant in the Queen’s Manor.

“I didn’t mean to do that. I was too scared the moment hot water spilled on His Highness’s hand. That is why I touched His Highness’s hand out of the reflex,” Li Hua answered.

She felt a slap on her cheek, and she brought her hand to it.

“Keep your eyes low. You think that such a lie would work in front of me.” Senior Nuo scolded Li Hua in front of everyone. Ju Lin widened her eyes and looked at Li Hua.

“It was not a lie, Sister Nuo,” Li Hua said and looked into her eyes. Her cheek had turned red, and the marks of the fingers were visible on them. It was the first time someone slapped her. Her eyes turned misty, and her blood boiled with anger.

“You cannot glare into the eyes of Senior Sister Nuo.” Li Hua heard one of them, but she didn’t lower her eyes.

Li Hua gulped the anger inside her. Clutching the edges of her dress tightly, she lowered her eyes.

“Sister Nuo, she should be thrown in the dark room for a night.” Li Hua heard another voice. She was on the verge of crying, but she held back her tears.

“None of you can decide what my punishment will be! I belong to the Sixth Princes’ manor. So, His Highness is the one who will decide my punishment,” Li Hua gathered her courage and spoke. The matter had already ended, and no one had the right to decide on it.

“So, you are defying the rules of an ideal servant. You need to shut your mouth at your mistake,” Senior Nuo remarked and raised her hand to slap her again, but someone caught it in the middle of the air.

She turned her eyes to look and was shocked to see the person in front of her.

“Yo-your Highness,” Senior Nuo said in a trembling voice.

Every servant turned silent and lowered their heads upon seeing Lóng Wei in the servant dining hall.

Li Hua lifted her head and peered into the eyes of Lóng Wei, whose jaw clenched in anger as his eyes fell on her left cheek.

“Shall I kill her?” Lóng Wei asked Li Hua.

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