A New World and a Royal Kiss

With the two maids’ explanations, Jiu Hui gained a comprehensive understanding of her current world. It was, by all accounts, far more captivating than the rather mundane one she had left behind.

The number of intelligent races in this world vastly surpassed those of her previous one. Beyond humans, there were also the Winged-folk, the Elves, the Beastmen, and the Dragons. Each of these formidable races, along with humanity, laid claim to a distinct territory, collectively forming the Five Great Nations of this realm!

For eons, these Five Great Nations had waged ceaseless wars, each driven by the singular ambition to reign supreme and assert their race as the most formidable in existence.

To this very day, the world remained a tapestry woven from five distinct territories, each claimed by one of these formidable nations. Humanity, the weakest, found refuge in the north; their lands, though the smallest, had remained impregnable thanks to formidable natural defenses. The reclusive Elves, averse to strife, dwelled in the temperate south; their pleasant climate and formidable, albeit peaceful, might rendered them a force to be reckoned with, respected and feared by all. The ambitious and robust Winged-folk and Beastmen carved out the eastern and western domains respectively, their gazes perpetually fixed on the human territories to the north. Dominating the central region were the Dragons, the undisputed strongest of all; despite being encircled by the other four races, their sheer power ensured none dared provoke them.

As the maids spoke, a cold sweat bloomed on Jiu Hui’s forehead. It dawned on her that the stunning girl with the scarlet hair was, in fact, one of the five paramount figures who stood at the zenith of this world’s power. She shuddered, recalling her brazen attitude towards her, the countless times she had openly displayed her displeasure. How had she not only survived such insolence but also become her personal maid? It seemed nothing short of a miracle.

‘Perhaps I should light some incense and offer thanks for my sheer luck?’ she mused.

Still, it made sense now why she had introduced herself as a human during their first encounter; Jiu Hui had been perplexed at the time. This world, it seemed, harbored far more intrigue than she could have imagined.

‘Come to think of it,’ she pondered, ‘as a transmigrator, shouldn’t I have acquired heaven-defying power, swept aside all other races, wed the Queen, and ascended to the peak of existence? Why, instead, did I arrive only to find my gender had been altered, and I was now relegated to the role of the Queen’s personal maid?’

‘Though, being a personal maid isn’t entirely without its perks,’ she conceded.

Ahem!

“Jiu Hui-sama?” one of the maids inquired, observing Jiu Hui’s features shift from a pale shock to a wistful longing, then finally to a look of utter vexation. The maid could not help but speak.

“Ah?” Jiu Hui startled, roused from her reverie. She offered a reassuring smile to the maid, whose face was clouded with concern. “I’m quite alright. On a different note, what are your names?”

The maid with lake-green hair, relieved to see Jiu Hui regain her composure, offered a gentle smile. “Xiao Lan and I were taken in by Her Majesty. We don’t have given names; the Queen has always simply called us Xiao Lü and Xiao Lan. Jiu Hui-sama, you can call us that as well.”

“Xiao Lü and Xiao Lan, then,” Jiu Hui repeated, her gaze sweeping over the two maids with their distinctive lake-green and sky-blue hair. She let out a rather forced chuckle.

‘How straightforward,’ she thought with a wry amusement.

“Alright, Jiu Hui-sama,” Xiao Lü announced, glancing at a clock before offering a pleasant smile. “It’s getting quite late; we should proceed to dinner.”

Upon hearing this, Jiu Hui cast her gaze outwards. The sky was already deepening into twilight, a clear indication that the two maids had indeed spent a significant portion of the day acquainting her with this new world.

‘Dinner, then?’

‘I wonder what the cuisine of this world is like,’ she mused, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

A wave of anticipation washed over Jiu Hui as she considered this, but just as swiftly, her expression crumpled.

“Um, can I change my shoes?”

Jiu Hui blinked at Xiao Lü, her face contorting into an utterly pathetic plea.

“Oh, no, you cannot,” Xiao Lü replied, her smile unwavering. “These were personally designed by Her Majesty herself, an integral part of your maid uniform. Therefore, they cannot be exchanged.”

Xiao Lü’s smile remained fixed, yet to Jiu Hui, it morphed into the malevolent grin of a demon.

Gazing down at the exquisite, yet clearly impractical, shoes adorning her feet, Jiu Hui’s expression soured.

‘Am I truly destined to navigate the world in these shoes from now on?’ she despaired.

Beside them, Xiao Lan, witnessing Jiu Hui’s woebegone plight, felt a pang of sympathy.

“Jiu Hui-sama,” Xiao Lan offered gently, “if you proceed slowly, one step at a time, you’ll find yourself adapting to these shoes quite rapidly.”

Jiu Hui merely sighed in response.

“I understand,” she admitted, “but the period of adjustment will be agonizing.”

Though she anticipated some discomfort, the day’s tumultuous events had already left Jiu Hui utterly drained, and her stomach was now staging a loud protest. With no other recourse, Jiu Hui reluctantly dismounted the bed, beginning her slow, deliberate journey out, one careful step after another.

Xiao Lü and Xiao Lan trailed closely behind Jiu Hui, both guiding her path and vigilantly guarding against any potential stumbles.

Before long, the trio arrived in a spacious hall. Lisa Kael was already seated at the head of a long table, the surrounding chairs conspicuously empty. Observing Jiu Hui’s tentative approach, her gaze fixed on her cumbersome footwear, Lisa Kael let out a soft, amused chuckle. She then gestured towards the vacant seat directly beside her.

“Come, Jiu Hui,” she beckoned, “sit here.”

At the sound of Lisa Kael’s voice, Jiu Hui lifted her head, and a flicker of breathtaking admiration sparked in her eyes.

Lisa Kael was no longer clad in her practical soft armor. Instead, she had donned an exquisite pale purple formal gown. Its tightly cinched waist meticulously sculpted her flawless figure, while her long legs, encased in sheer black stockings, were casually crossed, betraying an alluring hint of languid grace.

Jiu Hui carefully made her way to Lisa Kael’s side and settled into the seat. A newfound timidity now clung to her. Having discovered the true identity of the crimson-haired beauty before her, Jiu Hui no longer dared to behave with her previous impudence. What if this formidable individual, in a moment of displeasure, decided to ‘snip’ her out of existence? Her entire journey to this world would have been utterly in vain.

Lisa Kael observed Jiu Hui, who sat beside her with a slightly bowed head. She easily surmised the situation: Jiu Hui had undoubtedly learned of her true identity from the two maids, reacting with a similar blend of awe and apprehension as they had. Lisa Kael’s elegant brows furrowed almost imperceptibly as she cast a brief glance at the two maids standing behind Jiu Hui, yet she harbored no intention of reproaching them. Jiu Hui was destined to discover the truth eventually; it had simply occurred a little sooner than Lisa Kael had expected.

“What, are you finally afraid now?” Lisa Kael asked with a soft, teasing laugh.

Lisa Kael let out a soft, amused chuckle as she spoke, then deftly sliced a piece of steak on her plate and brought it to her lips.

Jiu Hui’s heart gave a faint tremble at Lisa Kael’s words, their meaning unsettlingly vague.

‘She’s not going to settle accounts later, is she?’ she fretted.

‘Surely not,’ she reasoned. ‘All I did was glare at her a few times in displeasure, show a bit of attitude, nothing more, right?’

Lisa Kael watched as Jiu Hui’s face steadily drained of color, and the subtle smile on her own lips gradually vanished.

“Never mind,” she stated flatly. “Let’s eat first.”

With that cool pronouncement, Lisa Kael dismissed Jiu Hui from her thoughts, turning her attention instead to slowly savoring the steak on her plate.

Jiu Hui stole a furtive glance at Lisa Kael. Her expression remained utterly serene, making it impossible for Jiu Hui to discern her thoughts. Yet, the undeniable rumble of her ravenous stomach quickly overshadowed her apprehension. Jiu Hui picked up her knife and fork and began to eat. In the grand scheme of things, eating was paramount; whatever Lisa Kael was plotting could wait.

The cuisine of this world, however, proved remarkably similar to her previous one: steak, a fresh fruit salad, and a glass of red wine.

And so, Jiu Hui’s inaugural meal in this new world drew to a close, shrouded in a subtly oppressive atmosphere.

Once dinner was concluded, Lisa Kael gracefully wiped her lips.

“You may return to your room first,” she instructed. “I still have some matters to attend to. We will discuss our arrangement later tonight.”

With that, she departed without another word, leaving Jiu Hui to shiver uncontrollably in her wake.

‘So, the time for judgment is… tonight?’ she thought, a chill running down her spine.

Shortly after Lisa Kael’s departure, Jiu Hui shuffled towards her room, her face a mask of utter despair. Behind her, Xiao Lan regarded Jiu Hui’s despondent state with a bewildered expression, while Xiao Lü’s face was alight with a knowing smile.

“Xiao Lü, what’s wrong with Jiu Hui-sama?”

Xiao Lan leaned in, whispering conspiratorially into Xiao Lü’s ear.

Xiao Lü merely smiled, gently patting her own cheek.

“Xiao Lan,” Xiao Lü replied, “recall how Her Majesty treated us when we first arrived and discovered her true identity.”

At this, Xiao Lan’s face cleared with sudden understanding. She then shot a peculiar glance at Jiu Hui, who was still trudging ahead.

“I see.”

“Xiao Lü,” Jiu Hui’s voice suddenly echoed, startling them.

“Yes, Jiu Hui-sama?” Xiao Lü inquired softly, her smile unwavering.

Jiu Hui halted, paused for a moment in hesitant contemplation, then posed her question. “In this nation, what would be the consequence of glaring at the Queen?”

Xiao Lü tilted her head, her smile remaining perfectly serene. “You would be beheaded, Jiu Hui-sama.”

At this pronouncement, Jiu Hui’s face drained of all color. She then stammered, her voice trembling, “And… what if one were to show the Queen a displeased expression?”

Xiao Lü’s smile remained fixed. “You would be beheaded, Jiu Hui-sama.”

Upon hearing this, Jiu Hui’s legs turned to jelly beneath her. She stumbled precariously, then continued to totter unsteadily towards her room.

‘Heh-heh, heh-heh, it’s truly over,’ she muttered, a hollow laugh escaping her lips. ‘To think I, Jiu Hui the hacker, would meet my end in a foreign land.’

Behind her, Xiao Lü’s smile widened considerably as she observed Jiu Hui’s despair. Beside her, Xiao Lan subtly sidled away, casting a terrified glance at Xiao Lü.

Inside her room, Jiu Hui lay prone on the bed, her eyes vacant as she stared up at the ceiling.

Xiao Lü and Xiao Lan had long since departed. The sky outside had fully succumbed to night, and Jiu Hui lay there, adrift in a timeless void.

‘To think,’ she mused, ‘I escaped death in my original world, only to face it here, in this realm, and as a girl, no less.’

With a soft creak, the door swung open. Lisa Kael entered, gently rubbing her forehead, an air of weariness clinging to her.

Jiu Hui slightly lifted her head, then sank back down, speaking with a somber tone. “You’re here. I’m just lying here; do as you please.”

Lisa Kael, who had walked to the bedside and sat down, looked at Jiu Hui’s resigned posture, utterly bewildered. ‘What does she think I intend to do?’ she wondered.

Gracefully removing her shoes, Lisa Kael sat beside Jiu Hui, a wicked curve playing on her lips. She reached out, gently caressing Jiu Hui’s face.

‘Since you’ve said so,’ she thought, ‘I won’t hold back.’

Lowering her head, her long hair falling around her face, Lisa Kael leaned in. Her gaze fell upon Jiu Hui’s soft, pink lips, and she couldn’t resist a delicate lick before pressing her own lips against them.

“Mmph!”

Jiu Hui snapped back to reality, the soft sensation on her lips causing her mind to utterly seize. ‘What in the world is happening?’

As Jiu Hui remained stunned, a tongue had already pried open her teeth and slipped into her mouth.

“Mmph-mmph!”

‘What is this woman doing?!’ ‘Wasn’t I supposed to be executed? Wasn’t I supposed to be beheaded? What is this situation?’

Suddenly, one hand cradled the back of her head, while the other embraced her waist. The tongue within her mouth intertwined with her own, and in that instant, Jiu Hui’s body trembled slightly. A wave of tingling sensation swept through her, leaving her feeling utterly weak.

‘Damn it, this body is far too sensitive!’

Just as Jiu Hui believed there was no escape today, the world around her suddenly faded into a monochrome gray, and a cursor appeared before her eyes.

[Saving game…]

Immediately after, Jiu Hui’s vision plunged into darkness.