017 Innocence

I trailed behind Li Yexuan and Yun Heng, bored out of my mind. Fiddling with the cuff of my sleeve, I realized there was still a paper bag full of sunflower seeds I'd casually asked for when I spotted some with Wanchun. Quietly, I took them out and began cracking them open.

What was so interesting about that man, anyway? I had no desire to listen in, but no matter how uninterested I was, I couldn’t shut my ears. Inevitably, I caught snippets of their conversation.

“This little maid of Yun’s is quite amusing.”
“Just a stray he picked up by the roadside, I suppose.”

A sunflower seed nearly choked me; I ended up swallowing it uncracked. Thankfully, it wasn’t too big.

“Heh. Perhaps one day I’ll pick one up myself.”
“What does Brother Li think of the Crown Prince?”
“He’s adequate. Surely you don’t believe there’s a better choice?”
“The Crown Prince is, after all, the Son of Heaven.”
“It’s rare to venture out, Brother Yun—why trouble yourself with affairs of state?”
“...”

All that brotherly talk was just empty words—utterly tedious. In the end, it was nothing more than a veiled discussion over who should seize the throne.

“You’re actually eating sunflower seeds—what kind of maid does that?” Li Yexuan sounded almost shocked. That would have been fine, but he’d startled me into spilling my seeds all over the ground. My heart ached at the loss.

“Your Highness, those were my seeds...” I looked at Li Yexuan with pitiful eyes, curious to see how he’d handle this. Yun Heng, meanwhile, was trying hard not to laugh.

Li Yexuan’s expression darkened. Inwardly, I was roaring with laughter—serves you right for bullying me and making me lose my snack.

“I’ll take you to buy something to eat,” he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the crowd. By the time I looked back, Yun Heng had already disappeared into the throng.

“Hey, let go of me!” His grip hurt my wrist.

“What do you want to eat?” Finally, he released me. I quickly rubbed my sore wrist and looked up, surprised to see so many food stalls.

“Can I really eat anything I want?” He nodded.

“As much as I like?” He nodded again.

He was like a big child.

I wasted no time and dove in, eating with abandon. Never mind that I’d already had dinner—if I could take advantage of Li Yexuan, I’d stuff myself all over again. With food in my hands and my eyes on the stalls, he eventually took pity and helped me carry some.

Yet something felt off.

“Your Highness...”

“Call me ‘Young Master’ when we’re out.”

“Young Master, I feel like someone’s watching us,” I said, glancing meaningfully at a distant figure. That person seemed to be lurking about, looking decidedly suspicious—not the sort you’d want to meet.

“It’s nothing, just eat.” He soothed me with a couple of words, and I let the thought go, losing myself in the food.

In the Kingdom of Lingyun, my mother kept me on a tight leash, and I rarely had the chance to taste street snacks. Suddenly, I spotted some chestnuts at a street stall. I seemed to recall trying them once before—they’d been delicious.

“Young Master, I want some chestnuts.” I expected him to buy them for me, but he simply stared at the stall without moving.

Strange. Didn’t he eat chestnuts?

“Young Master?”

“Let’s head back, you’ve eaten enough for one day. Your waist is going to get fat.”

“You... Fine.”

As a maid, I had no choice but to obey my master’s every command. Reluctantly clutching the food in my hands, I walked back with Li Yexuan.

We walked in silence until, out of nowhere, he said, “You really are hopelessly naïve. I have to warn you—not to be so trusting.”

Naïve? Did he really see me that way?