The Woman

Afternoon. 

The sun hung at a slant in the sky, partially obscured by a few white clouds drifting in from who knows where, casting down soft beams of light that shimmered with a faint golden hue, illuminating the entire palace with an increasingly resplendent glow. 

Sebastian had been diligently attending to a multitude of previously accumulated memorials in the imperial study. He lifted his gaze to the window, set down his brush, and prepared to rise to check on the little mermaid— 

After all, he had indeed promised to introduce Lu to the Empress Dowager, and he genuinely intended for her to meet the elder. 

It was impractical for him to remain by her side in the Yining Palace at all times, and having the Empress Dowager present would provide her with some protection. 

However, just as Sebastian stepped out of the study, he was swiftly intercepted by a small eunuch who had rushed in, his forehead glistening with sweat from his hurried pace. 

"Your Majesty, please hold!" the eunuch implored. "The officials who accompanied you on your voyage and did not return have been found by the canal, looking exceedingly disheveled. Some of the servants have already been settled outside the palace, and the officials have been brought inside; they should arrive here within the next quarter-hour." 

"Which officials?" Sebastian halted, glancing at the pale-faced eunuch, raising an eyebrow. "All those who went missing have returned?" 

He had inquired yesterday whether those who had accompanied him on the sea journey had returned— 

Logically, those individuals, having been taken by the marine creatures, should have returned to the capital faster than he did. 

Yet he had received a negative response. 

"Ah, this… I am not certain," the eunuch replied, lowering his head in contemplation. "However, I did hear that two of them were quite bruised and found it difficult to move, yet they kept cursing something about a giant octopus." 

The eunuch suspected that those two might have gone mad after their ordeal at sea, but in the spirit of transparency, he relayed the information to his sovereign. 

Strangely enough— 

Despite all having faced the same maritime disaster, while the others were in such disarray, the Emperor had returned unscathed, accompanied by a beauty, which surely must be a stroke of good fortune! 

"I understand. You may leave now." 

"...A giant octopus, you say?" Sebastian narrowed his phoenix eyes, turning back with a contemplative stride towards the study. 

It was likely related to that girl; however, he had not anticipated that everyone would be returned safely— 

Those few with rather unsavory dispositions among his subordinates were not above being bribed to join the voyage. Initially, he had thought it reasonable for them to go missing in the disaster, but now he would have to consider how to deal with the situation. 

Meanwhile, on the other side, 

Lu groggily awoke from the soft embrace of the large bed, clutching a bundle of blankets. The light filtering through the window was somewhat blinding, yet not entirely intolerable. 

She ran her fingers through her tousled hair, blinking her bright blue eyes as she surveyed her surroundings— 

It felt both strange and familiar. 

Oh, right! She seemed to have followed the handsome human back to his castle... the palace. 

Lu buried her face in the soft blankets and then tilted her head, pondering that she could not simply laze about in bed all day. 

After all, aside from the Yining Palace where she currently resided, she had yet to explore any other places! 

With that thought, Lu promptly tossed aside the blankets and rose from the bed without hesitation. 

"Now… where should I go? I seem to recall there being a garden nearby?" she mused, recalling the palace maid's description from yesterday. 

But while she remembered its existence, where precisely was the garden?? 

The little mermaid glanced around, realizing that she had previously dismissed all those palace maids as excessive and had sent them away. 

Lu frowned in resignation; it seemed she would have to find it on her own. 

The Imperial Garden. The pavilion. 

"...Oh dear, where did this little girl come from, looking so delicate?" A woman, surprised at the sudden appearance of the girl from the nearby bushes, smiled warmly and even reached out to remove a couple of leaves that had become entangled in Lu's dark blue hair. 

"How did you find your way out of there?" 

Lu blinked in surprise, gazing at the smiling woman before instinctively glancing back at the difficult-to-reach spot she had just managed to find, her eyes

Lu was momentarily taken aback as she gazed at the smiling woman before instinctively turning her head to look outside, where she had finally found a respectable place. Her eyes brightened. "I apologize for the interruption. Is this... a garden?"

Having ventured out several times before, each time to palaces that were either opulent or desolate, she had finally found the right spot!

"Yes," the woman replied, her beautiful phoenix eyes lifting slightly as she extended a hand toward Lu, who was half-hidden in the bushes. She bent down slightly and said, "Though the palace attendants regularly trim and tidy these bushes, they are still rather unkempt. Won't you come out?"

Lu glanced at the woman's fair hand, then down at her own dusty attire. She blinked her blue eyes and offered an awkward smile. "...I think I'd better not. I wouldn't want to soil your hand; I can manage to come out on my own."

With that, she pushed against the nearby bushes, attempting to step out, but her long skirt hindered her movement, causing her to get tangled in the branches.

Lu: ???

What was happening? She had just said she could come out herself, so why couldn't she get free?!

Seeing her predicament, the woman retracted her hand and continued to watch Lu's struggles with an amused smile.

As she observed, she leisurely remarked, "Ah, you young people are so full of vitality; it's quite delightful."

She thought it was a stark contrast to her own son, who spent his days wearing a forced smile or ignoring her entirely, his demeanor utterly insincere. Just the sight of him made her want to give him a good thrashing.

Indeed, a lively spirit was much better!

Lu shot her a disgruntled glance, nearly snapping a branch that was entangled in her skirt, and muttered under her breath, "...If I hadn't gotten lost earlier, I wouldn't be stuck in this bush."

Moreover, she had thought that even if she couldn't find her way out, at least she could chat with a small animal to pass the time—

Little did she know, there were hardly any birds around, let alone soft, furry creatures!

After wandering for quite a while, she ended up covered in dust, all to avoid damaging a perfectly fine little tree…

If only she had known, she wouldn't have crawled in here!!