Chapter 50: I Am Serious
“I won’t go; I have other, more important things to do.”
“Okay, I’ll wait… Wait, what did you say?”
Cherillian instinctively opened her mouth but suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence. She couldn’t believe that as the Empress of the Empire, she had invited Yifu to dinner, and such an honor was brushed aside without hesitation by Yifu.
“I say I am honored by Your Majesty’s invitation, but I have other more important things to do, so… I’m sorry.”
Yifu’s words left Cherillian frozen in place. This was the first time she had been rejected, and it felt like bravely confessing her feelings to White Moonlight.
Pretending to be casual, but feeling immense disappointment and trying to maintain composure after getting rejected.
“Your Majesty, Miss Yifu is very busy.”
Alice stepped in to smooth things over for Yifu. Although she really wanted to initiate a scene of forcibly pinning Yifu under the table for something different, she wouldn’t actually do that since Yifu was unwilling. Alice held Yifu in high regard and, despite her many fantasies, she would still seek Yifu’s opinion first.
Unless Yifu acted like a piece of wood and didn’t respond, Alice wouldn’t force her.
“I see, I apologize for overstepping.”
Though being rejected made Cherillian feel somewhat uncomfortable, considering the draft paper she had tucked away, Yifu’s value far exceeded that piece of paper.
Why had such a precious asset in the Empire not been discovered sooner?
Since that witch was executed by the Church, the Empire’s magic studies had stagnated for over two years without her assistance.
It truly proved the saying: only after the tide recedes do you discover who was swimming naked.
Now that Cherillian had finally seen hope, she definitely wouldn’t let it slip away easily.
“Then let’s arrange for next time. Miss Yifu, thank you for coming to the palace to play with my daughter. To be honest, she’s quite a solitary child, and if there’s a chance, you are welcome to come often.”
Cherillian smiled gently, not saying much else to keep her. After a brief exchange, she turned and left.
At that moment, her mind was entirely occupied with the draft paper in her hand. It could be said that Yifu’s casually written words had kept this married lady, who already had a daughter, tossing and turning for several nights.
She even repeated to herself, “Hmm~ I miss her… I miss her, I want her to… write a little more for me, ah ah ah!”
Once she saw her mother finally leave, Alice let out a subtle sigh of relief. She instinctively leaned into Yifu’s embrace, but having learned from past experiences, she didn’t dare to be so reckless anymore.
She simply leaned weakly and gently against Yifu, like a spoiled little girlfriend, saying “sister cuddle” while nuzzling against Yifu.
“What are you up to tonight?”
Alice asked curiously.
“Tomorrow is the Graduation Ceremony at the Church Academy, and I need to go back to make a dress for my daughter to wear.”
“She has suffered a lot in the Academy these past two years. For this Graduation Ceremony, I must ensure she has a glorious ending to her painful memories.”
Yifu’s words deeply moved Alice.
“You can make dresses?”
“Just a little bit, I probably won’t make it too well.”
Yifu hesitated; discussing dresses in front of an Imperial Princess seemed somewhat inappropriate.
Even Alice’s current outfit was designed with great care, something that even nobility with titles would never have access to in their lifetime.
“If you say so, then I’m a bit excited.”
“Excited?”
“Yes, I will also attend tomorrow’s Graduation Ceremony. One reason is to prevent you from being bullied, and the other… there will be a ball at the ceremony. I wonder if you would like to… dance a piece with me?”
Alice lowered her head slightly. Despite usually staring unflinchingly at Yifu’s skirt, she now appeared inexplicably shy.
The girl’s delicate and beautiful face was tinged with a hint of red, and mustering all her courage made her too timid to even look at Yifu.
Fearing that Yifu might reject her…
“I…”
Before Yifu could speak, Alice took her hand and placed it on her chest.
Feeling the softness and fullness with a somewhat rapid heartbeat beneath, Yifu momentarily lost focus.
“This is my first time inviting someone to dance with me, so… please don’t reject me, okay?”
For an unmarried girl, inviting someone to dance on significant occasions carried great meaning—it went without saying.
This was a serious matter, especially considering Alice’s rapid heartbeat, which already conveyed everything.
“When you usually lift my skirt, you seem quite skilled. Why are you so shy now?”
“Stop it! Don’t tease me at a time like this! I’m serious right now!”
Alice, flustered by Yifu’s teasing, blushed so deeply that her neck turned red. Her petite feet, wrapped in white stockings, kept kicking at Yifu’s calf, but she truly feared hurting Yifu, so it ended up turning into somewhat flirtatious rubbing.
“Alright, no more teasing. We’ll meet at the ball, Your Highness.”
Yifu agreed to Alice, and seeing Yifu’s serious expression, Alice felt as though a spring breeze had brushed her face.
“Mm!”
