Chapter 5: Palace Adventures

There was no need to overthink it; she wasn't going to spout anything good anyway.

Liang Di put down her quill, propped her head up on her elbow, and said to Liang Lin, "Well... not necessarily~"

"Hmm?"

"It's nothing. I just got back. Duke Auston will probably worry I haven't rested well and won't take me."

"Oh..."

Liang Lin touched her nose, blinked knowingly, feeling something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

She just believed her like that? She gave such a lame excuse. How stupid.

Liang Di felt a painful urge to laugh but couldn't.

The next morning. Liang Di sat by the window, gently stroking the red velvet curtains, expressionless, watching the carriage outside.

Duke Auston was helping Miranda into the carriage, while Liang Lin followed sleepily behind, dragging her head without any regard for her image as a noble lady.

"Pfft."

That's so typical of her.

Half-asleep, Liang Lin looked around but didn't see the silver-haired girl in the wheelchair.

She scratched her head in confusion and asked Auston, "Father, where's Liang Di?"

"Ah..."

Auston was clearly taken aback, his hand supporting Miranda pausing.

"Liang Di just got home. She's been traveling for so long, she must be tired. Going to the palace today wasn't anything serious, so I thought I'd let her rest."

Auston gave a fake smile, raising his hand to touch Liang Lin's head.

Liang Lin instantly snapped out of her drowsiness, dodging his hand.

She frowned, scrutinizing Auston from head to toe, her disdain undisguised.

"I don't like people touching my head." 

Auston's hand froze in mid-air, the atmosphere becoming awkward.

To ease the tension, and to ease his own embarrassment, Auston coughed and began praising Liang Lin.

"Sigh, Liang Lin is such a good older sister, so heartbroken for her younger sister. I'm relieved that you and Liang Di get along so well."

Liang Lin smiled slightly, glancing at Edwin, who was already seated in the carriage.

"I think I can get along well with anyone, as long as they're not an idiot." 

Auston turned around, looking at his youngest son who was fussing for milk, and suddenly felt like his blood vessels had been clogged.

It seemed... he couldn't refute Liang Lin's words.

"Let's go, let's go, don't keep Her Majesty the Queen waiting."

Auston raised his hand, wanting to help Liang Lin into the carriage.

Liang Lin ignored the offered hand, lifted her skirt, and got into the carriage herself.

Tsk.

Auston's face was grim, but he said nothing, silently thinking that his adopted daughter was still useful; he shouldn't anger her now, he'd deal with her after they arrived at the palace.

The carriage ride took over an hour, and Edwin had been making a ruckus for over an hour.

Liang Lin felt like she had two heads. 

Duke Auston was present, and Miranda, having overheard her hitting her precious son, tightly shielded him in her arms, giving her no chance.

Sigh, she thought, "Just a little longer." 

Liang Lin clenched her fists, the veins bulging. Just wait. Once she dealt with Liang Di, either by controlling or killing her, then she'd kill Auston and Miranda. As for why she left Edwin until the end, it wasn't out of any shred of pitiful empathy; she simply wanted to see the boy's panicked, desperate eexpression

Finally, the carriage stopped.

Liang Lin breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to leave this noisy place. 

The moment the carriage door opened, she lifted her skirt and jumped out, completely disregarding her high heels. 

"Miss Liang Lin, this is the palace. Watch your behavior. Don't embarrass the Langwendi family," Miranda sneered, her tone sarcastic, as she pulled her son down from the carriage. 

Liang Lin chuckled. “Is there any possibility… that your very existence itself is a disgrace to the Langwendi family, you whor… oh wait, I mean, former lady-in-waiting?”

Auston’s face changed drastically. He looked left and right in a panic, and only after confirming that no guards or servants were looking at them did he breathe a sigh of relief and gestured for Liang Lin to shut up.

“Liang Lin, I won’t say anything to you in the palace. Come to my study when you get home.”

Lady Miranda was also green-faced, but being in the palace, she couldn’t vent her anger.

She could only suppress her rage, take her husband’s arm, and then give Edwin a wink.

The child immediately released her hand, went to Auston’s side, and obsequiously called him “Daddy,” while grasping Duke Auston’s hand.

Good, good, what a loving family of three!

Liang Lin couldn’t be happier; she didn’t want to be seen with Auston at all.

Miranda glanced smugly at Liang Lin, hoping to find a look of disappointment and suppressed emotion on Liang Lin's face, just like before, when she would always end up crying in her room. But what she saw was a cold smile and a disdainful expression from Liang Lin. 

When Liang Lin saw Miranda turn to look at her, she scoffed and made an international hand gesture.

Miranda: "?"

Huh?!

Thankfully, someone appeared, interrupting the tension.

"Duke Auston, my mother is waiting for you in the back garden. Come with me." 

A deep male voice suddenly rang out. 

Liang Lin looked in the direction of the voice, but before she could even see the person's face clearly, Duke Auston shoved her forward.

Before her was a handsome face, with golden hair and sea-blue eyes, like a prince straight out of a fairy tale. His demeanor was elegant and refined, exuding confidence and composure. 

Liang Lin: dead_fish_eyes.jpg

"This is His Highness the Prince, Liang Lin, hurry..."

Huh?

Damn it, how do women curtsy again? 

Now it was Liang Lin's turn to be sweating profusely. She frantically searched her memory of courtesy, and finally, she recalled a little.

"Your Highness."

Liang Lin slightly bowed like a stiff marionette.

"It's alright, beautiful lady, you don't need to be so polite with me," he replied with a voice that had a hint of bubbly tone. "I've long heard of your beauty, and seeing you today, it's indeed true. You're a truly lovely lady." 

Liang Lin: "?" 

Ugh...

In an instant, her once bright and sunny face turned deathly pale.

No, she felt like throwing up.

She hadn't eaten much that morning, and now her stomach was cramping, feeling like she was about to vomit.

The man even wore what he thought was a very handsome smile.

Liang Lin: "..."

Stiffly turning around, she staggered back behind Auston.

Duke Auston chuckled ingratiatingly, "My daughter is just easily embarrassed."

"That's normal, the other young ladies react the same way when they see me." 

Liang Lin's face turned even paler; upon hearing this self-praise, her complexion became even more ashen.