C13 Provocation(2)

The two women listened to her sighing and muttering for a long time. They exchanged a glance, each seeing the confusion in the other's eyes. When they turned back to look at Liyuv, their eyes were filled with a touch of pity. Poor thing, they thought, maybe she's been locked up so long that she's lost her mind.

Just as this thought crossed their minds, they felt a slight prick on their necks. Before they could say a word, everything went black, and they collapsed unconscious.

Liyuv pulled the embroidery needles from their necks and glanced at the two women lying on the ground. Clicking her tongue, she said, "Tsk, this new body isn't as nimble. My aim was a bit off."

"Oh well, at least it worked. They might have a few side effects, but I need to find something to eat. I'm starving."

After finally finding the kitchen and eating her fill, she returned to find the two women gone. An inexplicable tension hung in the air of the secluded little courtyard.

With an embroidery needle between her teeth, Liyuv strolled leisurely into the courtyard. She saw the two women kneeling on the ground, faces full of fear. In front of them sat a delicate and beautiful woman, her expression dark and brooding, casting a shadow over her pretty face and making her seem unapproachable.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, every eye turned to her. There was disdain, hatred, and malice in those gazes—none of them welcoming.

“Well, where has our dear Third Miss been? Mother did say you couldn’t leave the courtyard without her permission,” Bai Mengci remarked, setting down her teacup with a tone dripping in sarcasm. The way she said "Third Miss" was as if she had swallowed something unpleasant.

Bai Liyuv picked at her teeth and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? I must have forgotten. But I’m neither a servant nor a prisoner, so why can’t I leave the courtyard? I’m the legitimate Third Miss of this household. I can understand not leaving the estate, but why can’t I even step out of the courtyard? Dear sister, what’s the logic in that?” Her voice was sickly sweet, almost cloying, and even she felt a shiver of disgust at her own act. Judging by the way Bai Mengci’s face soured even more, it had the intended effect.

“Third Miss!” Madam Zhou, standing behind Bai Mengci, stepped forward with a stern expression. “Please mind your words and actions. The lady forbids you from leaving the courtyard for your own good. Even if you don’t appreciate her intentions, questioning and defaming the mistress is a serious offense!”

Bai Liyuv looked her up and down, then let out a chuckle. "When did I ever speak ill of the lady of the house? The princess is of such high status, how could I dare? But you, you don't even bother to greet me, let alone address me as Miss." She glanced at Nanny Zhou with a half-smile. "Could it be that I'm not a young lady of the manor? Or has Nanny Zhou decided I'm not the lord's daughter? If that's the case, I might just have to have a word with him."

Nanny Zhou's face twitched. No one knew better than her whether the Third Miss was truly the lord's daughter. But the princess never allowed anyone to mention this Third Miss, and she knew exactly why. The lord never involved himself in household matters, showing affection only to the eldest daughter. Over time, everyone in the manor seemed to accept that she was merely the third girl, not the Third Miss.