Chapter 6

"Ohohoho."

Such clear water.

I gingerly kneeled and looked at myself.

"..."

Goodness, this reflection is...

"Ugly."

Now, let us wash.

It should take some time to clean up what I have put on my face, but that's fine. Why? This flawless face would be stained many times by me. Even if this body is not nurtured well, it must be the author's trick, as it is still beautiful, soft, and well-endowed. It's just that lately, this skin feels like it is not how it was like before.

I'm now Li Jia Ying and it is my priority to take care of this body.

Alright! I'm done!

Face reveal!

I excitedly look at my refle- "What the!"

I immediately clamped my mouth shut looking around.

Okay. No one's around.

Dang, it. Why am I seeing my face?!

To be exact, it's more enhanced without makeup. Should I say, an updated version of myself? My eyes are slightly bigger more prominent and have starlight I had almond-shaped eyes before, a slim nose, thin lips, lotus face. From oval shape to lotus huh?

"This..."

It's ethereal, but I am not cool with this!

We look alike, the thing is she is a natural beauty with a Villainess allure. That fierce and seductive face. Li Jia Ying's eyes have a brighter tint of amber than I am. Even her eyelashes are thick, rosy cheeks and, wow, the alignment of her white teeth is superb. No need for braces.

Overall, Li Jia Ying is the opposite of a soft and beautiful Female Fatale. She looks like a sinful seductress that can ruin an entire empire, an evil temptress, and I am not exaggerating. Even the way she smiled can be sultry! As a villainess, she is quite packed. My big sister, oh my, how blessed your two papayas are. I mean the boobs.

"Yet a fool."

Welp. That is all there is for now.

After admiring the beauty of Li Jia Ying and putting some dirt on my face, I followed the path going to my courtyard.

"I didn't even receive Li Jia Ying's memories."

So troublesome. Why do I have to be like this? Where is the dramatic background story when she was a kid? The heart-breaking and soul-piercing struggles she had endured? I am waiting online.

I wish I could have one, even if it's just a fragment maybe there is a hint or something that could help me. Come on! I am not familiar with these people's etiquette. I've regretted not paying attention in my history class. Well, I did, but it was mostly on war and politics, not on etiquette. I've only heard the teacher talking about four obedience. Was that four? Ugh. Is this the so-called karma?

*growl*

Not again.

I leaned on the wall, rubbing my belly. There are still servants lingering in this place.

Stomach, bear with it a little longer we will be back in our courtyard, okay?

*growl*

Ugh. My vision's becoming blurry, too. Could you just hang o—

"...ith some medicine. You shouldn't be reckless. The Great Grand Empress Dowager* will attend the banquet and she'll be expecting every son and daughter of the Emperor to be there."

"But she didn't appear in the Palace for twenty years!"

Hm. This voice belongs to the one who gave me the pigsty.

Just great, I fainted. Then let us listen to their conversation.

"The Great Grand Empress Dowager decided to come out after her years of seclusion. It's probably because words have traveled to her about the Emperor favoring the First Prince."

"Imperial Noble Consort Zhou Fei Fei's son? It seems the Great Grand Empress Dowager loathes Imperial Noble Consort, Zhou Fei Fei."

"That's not important right now. You have three days to take care of the princess's health. The Emperor ordered that she'll be moved to the Rose Courtyard."

"Isn't that the Third Princess Gu Mei Xiang's Courtyard?"

I've heard from the maids that she is highly favored by the Emperor.

"Princess Gu Mei Xiang has her manor outside the Palace and generously tells the Emperor that the First Princess can stay there while the Great Grand Empress Dowager is here."

This conversation makes me want to puke blood.

Generous? Who? That Second-Female Lead is generous of Li Jia Ying? Me? Isn't she just making a positive vibe around her to strengthen the fatherly affection the Emperor has for her and so as the people? In contrast, the Emperor would view me like a maggot whose unworthy of even stepping in her lovely daughter's abode?

That's some bvllshit Gu Mei Xiang.

"Then this servant will thoroughly clean and feed this pig. As if the Great Grand Empress Dowager would pay attention to her."

"Well, she is blessed with beauty. We don't know what the Great Grand Empress Dowager is thinking. More so, maybe the Emperor would use her as leverage, the First Princess is quite old."

"..."

Old? You call this nineteen-year-old girl or am I eighteen? Fudge, I've forgotten. Where was I? Oh. Me, this girl, old?! Amazing. Ojiisan°, let me enlighten you with my TED Talk.

"She's awake."

So the old man knows that I'm awake and still said that? Sheesh.

I slowly opened my eyes and dazedly stared at them.

Noted. Your faces are now deeply etched in my hippocampus^.

Baba and Ojiisan. Good. Good.

"Hanxie! Give this fool her food!"

Hm. So this baba is the head of the maids?

"Then this doctor will leave first."

The Head maid bowed.

Watching this old woman, even the way she bows, is stiff. No proper etiquette befitting as the servant of a Princess who is serving the royal family.

Yadda. Yadda.

My reputation is so low.

Truly saddening.

"Why should I even bother giving this retard a sumptuous food? Che."

"..."

Baba, just give me my food.

"Nubi¹ has it."

*Clang*

"Ah!"

"Not that!"

"Bu-"

"A 'real food' for the princess! The Great Grand Empress Dowager will come, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes!"

Wonderful.

"Nubi will get it."

"Make it quick."

The Head Maid glowered seeing her scampering appearance.

"Yes."

Suddenly the Head maid turned to me, grabbing my wrist made me winch in pain. Geez, mate! T'was so tight! Can't you see I'm malnourished?!

"To think that I'll clean you up again!"

Wow. Thanks for your concern.

"Yey. Wash. Play water. Water. Hehe."

"Fool."

Obviously, duh.

And just like that, I was thrown in a... Well?

The fudge?

*splash*

"Eh?!"

"Stay still!"

Baba², how can I stay still?! You are splashing me with a bucket of cold water! Can you just warm the water first?! We aren't playing Ice Bucket here!

*splash* *splash* *splash*

"..."

Wow.

Splendid.

I sat shivering. This well is just four meters. Can you even call this a 'well'? Moreover, it's so dry.

To think I'll be washing in this... "Ugh."

I'll prefer the rain.

"Climb up."

"..."

That's it?

"What are you staring at?!"

Fine.

"Hup!"

I literary pulled myself out like a kid. My other feet dangled before I went down.

"Look up."

Hm?

*splash*

"..."

This old granny just splashed a bucket of water on my face like throwing an arinola³ full of urine on the ground. Fantastic.

Seeing there were two pails, I grabbed the other one.

"Fool, what are you doing? Give it back!"

Biatch.

I, Jun Xue- no, Li Jia Ying will...

I gripped the pail in my hand. Do you think I won't throw it at you?

Jun Xue, nor Li Jia Ying won't be my name if I...

"..."

If I don't tolerate this.

Yes.

I'll.. I'll just...

I'll just tolerate this.

After all, I'm Jun Xue.

"Ehehehe."

Aiyo, I want to bash this on your face. Yet I must not do so!

I loosened my grip on the pail and tried to play it like a drum.

Bam.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

"Don't play with it!"

And just like that, this servant grabbed the bucket I was holding placing it far from my reach.

"So childish."

"..."

"Here's her food."

"Place it in front of her. For three days, she will eat these kinds of food. Make sure to properly take care of her skin in those remaining times."

"Yes."

"Hmph."

The maid who just gave me the food fearfully bowed like a meek lamb.

Just like that, the Head maid walked away from us.

"You fool! Quickly, eat it! Why should I even be called to give this to you?! Just go to the kitchen!"

After the clanging noise and her infantile revenge, she also departed.

"What a dork."

Good thing the meal wasn't thrown out. Chickens and spices huh? These people are enjoying these kinds of food that even I, the retard princess have not been endowed with.

"Itadakimasu."

While I was eating, I can't help but stare at the pail not far from my line of sight.

I do want to throw it in her face.

However, if I did that I'm the one at a loss.

She'll be stunned, after that, she'll be angry and would likely beat me. Not my face, but she could hide how she can punish me, she can even pull my hair. As much as I want a little revenge, there will be more loss for me. I am a retard, an unfavored one of the novel who'll be butchered into pieces.

And I don't have such confidence to act schemingly. This introvert cannot shed her skin so easily and change like any other person who got transmigrated to another world, or a novel, especially in an ancient setting with no support of magical affinities. My mask from the real world is superb but, being here I need to think twice. After all, this world is not liberated nor diplomatic.

If I was in a fantasy world, I would train hard, or fight back as early as I could. But alas, I am a mere mortal.

I need to bear with it.

Endure Jun Xue.

Isn't that what I'm good at?

Even I am annoyed and irritated with myself.

"Ha."

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*(Great) Grand Empress Dowager (tàihuáng tàihòu): The grandmother of the current ruling Emperor.

°The hippocampus is associated with declarative and episodic memory as well as recognition memory.

^Ojiisan: Japanese word for grandfather.

¹Baba (Japanese word): This is an insulting way to say, "Old lady." This ugly term is commonly used in Japanese anime and television shows just want to put it here too. XD

²nubi (nú bì): Slave servant.

³Arinola: chamber pots used as urinals.