A Tipsy Confession

The venue is set in the lobby in the center of the palace. Once you enter here, Mingqian’s identity becomes known to everyone.

They passed all the way and no one dared to stop them.

Upon arriving at the venue, Aile spotted Chris from a distance.

Chris was gazing in their direction with an expectant expression, but the moment her eyes landed on the Duke’s figure, she swiftly averted her gaze, feigning an air of disinterest.

Her hair was the same golden hue as Aile’s.

Aile took immense pride in her hair, for it was the very same hair her teacher had once personally styled and praised.

In this regard, Aile was confident she would yield to no one; not only did she consider Chris’s short hair inferior, but she also believed her own long tresses were in no way lacking compared to Noyu’s.

For this occasion, Aile served as the Duke’s guard, while Chris was assigned to Noyu.

Though powerful, Noyu was renowned primarily for her swordsmanship, her magical abilities remaining a secret to the world.

“Chris.”

At the sound of Mingqian’s voice, Chris darted towards the Duke, moving with the eager speed of a small puppy.

“Master!”

“You, you have no idea how long it’s been since I last saw you!”

During the preparations for this ceremony, she had gone a full three days without seeing Mingqian.

Only then did Noyu slowly follow, trailing behind Chris as they approached.

Pressing a hand to her forehead, Noyu let out a slow sigh.

“Please, make her quiet down,” she pleaded. “You simply can’t imagine what these past three days have been like for me.”

Given the unique nature of their guard duties, escorts typically had to remain inseparable from their charges.

When with Mingqian, Chris usually concealed herself in nearby shadows or even within his own shadow, careful not to disturb his thoughts.

However, when accompanying Noyu, she was markedly less reserved; indeed, Chris was, at heart, an adorable girl with a touch of haughty charm.

“Today, every hour she would exclaim, ‘Princess! Please let me go back! It’s been three days, ten hours, five minutes, and twenty seconds since I last saw Master!'”

“I even woke up in the middle of the night to find her whispering in my ear.”

Noyu herself was rendered somewhat speechless.

Chris turned her head away.

“Objection! It was three days, fifteen hours, five minutes, and twenty seconds!”

“Ugh, you’re so loud!”

Noyu gently, yet firmly, patted Chris on the back.

“I get it! I get it! Quickly, take her away… Give me Aile instead; Aile is much cuter.”

Noyu felt as though her mind was on the verge of being overrun by something utterly bizarre if this continued.

While she, too, yearned to see Mingqian, she considered herself a great woman, capable of enduring loneliness.

Simply hearing his voice or feeling his warmth on occasion was enough to satisfy her.

Yet, there were times when even she craved a tiny bit of encouragement!

Noyu clenched her fist, silently justifying her feelings to herself.

“Me?”

Aile looked at Mingqian, unable to make a decision without the Duke’s explicit command.

Moreover, the Duke had stated earlier that day that he wished for her to accompany him for the entire day.

Having never witnessed the Duke with such a solemn expression, she couldn’t help but feel that something significant was about to unfold.

“Chris, don’t be willful. You can return tonight.”

“Hmph!”

Chris pouted with dissatisfaction, turning her head away.

“Master always favors Aile.”

“Anyway, Chris is just a stray dog by the roadside, called and dismissed at a whim…”

She let out soft, aggrieved whimpers, simultaneously placing a hand to the back of the other, feigning tears.

In truth, she wasn’t sad at all… well, maybe just a little bit!

The previous night, Chris had chatted with Noyu, something they hadn’t done in a long while.

‘Ever since Aile arrived, Master had been constantly doting on her.’

‘Honestly!’

Having finished her ablutions, Noyu sat on the edge of the bed, sipping red wine, her gaze idly tracing Chris’s expressions.

Noyu found Chris’s expressions truly amusing; compared to Eliza’s inscrutable face, Chris’s easily readable emotions were far more endearing.

Chris was a girl whose feelings were plainly etched upon her face, and this was precisely where her charm lay.

“Chris? What’s wrong? You look utterly disgruntled.”

Noyu propped her chin in her hand, embodying the image of a haughty princess, as if bathed in moonlight; the slight tipsiness loosened her tongue, making her more talkative.

“Princess…”

“It’s Master, of course… Ever since Aile arrived, my standing has plummeted.”

“Chris, you’re the older sister, aren’t you?”

“Sister! Sister! Always ‘sister’!” Chris grew annoyed. While Aile was indeed slightly younger, by how much could it truly be?

Both Master and Eliza would invariably say, ‘Because you’re the older sister, you should yield to Aile.’

But she had no desire to yield, especially not to a scoundrel who had stolen her Master’s attention.

Seeing her fall silent, Noyu already knew the answer in her heart.

“Are you happy with him?”

Noyu rose and poured Chris a glass of wine, a cunning smile playing on her lips.

When this Princess displayed such an expression, it usually boded no good.

“Of course! Is that even a question? As long as I’m with Master, I’m happy no matter what.”

“Just seeing his face captivates me beyond measure; merely catching his scent makes every cell in my body sing; and simply being touched by his hand makes me not want to wash my hair for three days, ehehehe…”

Whenever Mingqian was mentioned, Chris’s face would transform; not only would her cheeks bloom with a smile, but her eyes would also mist over unconsciously.

This display momentarily stunned even Noyu; she had never imagined anyone could express their feelings so openly, though she had to admit, she too had entertained such thoughts.

However, as a princess, she could not so easily expose her emotions; thinking this, she found herself feeling a touch of envy towards Chris.

“Then, have you ever considered…” Noyu raised her wine glass, gesturing for Chris to clink glasses with her.

Chris hesitated.

Master had instructed her not to drink anything from others, especially alcohol, when out.

But Noyu was both Master’s fiancée and someone Chris knew well…

Noyu seemed to sense her apprehension and promptly drained the red wine from her own glass.

“It’s just grape juice, see? I’m perfectly fine.”

Noyu chuckled, “Or are you afraid to even drink a glass of juice?”

“Who, who’s afraid!”

Chris’s face flushed slightly as she picked up the glass and examined it.

Though it resembled red wine, it carried a pleasant aroma. Since Noyu claimed it was grape juice, it must be grape juice.

After all, Noyu wouldn’t gain anything by deceiving her.

With a resolute gulp, she drank the beverage.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Noyu added slyly, “this ‘grape juice’ makes you younger the more you drink.”

But Chris had already completely succumbed to a different state.

“Honestly! Why Aile and not me! Honestly! Master is a big dummy! A big dummy!”

Her face flushed crimson, she slurred her words.

Indeed, Chris couldn’t handle even a drop of alcohol.

Mingqian was aware of this, which was why he strictly forbade her from touching any spirits.

And Noyu, knowing this very fact, had deliberately urged her to drink.

In this state, Chris was easily “led astray,” losing her usual proud judgment.

“Do you want to know how to ‘take him down’?”

“I, I do! I want to so badly, I dream about it!” Her cheeks burned with heat.

“Heh heh, really? Come on, call me ‘Teacher,’ let me hear it.”

“Teacher! Please, teach me!”