Sheng Qianmo had dismounted his horse, looked calmly down at the girl at his feet and uttered in a low voice, “Will you be my slave?”
Shu Nuan had been so stunned! She hadn’t even had the thought to shed tears of joy, nor had she had any words to reply with.
However, Sheng Qianmo hadn’t had the patience to wait for her reply. Seeing him leave, Shu Nuan had recklessly blocked his steed’s path, and she had cried out with a trembling voice backed by a touch of vigor.
“Nuan is willing!”
Sheng Qianmo had quietly looked down at the petite girl again. An indifferent voice had come out of his thin lips, asking, “Will you do anything I say?”
” I-I will…”
The corners of his mouth had turned up a little at her reply. His gentle voice had rang out, unhindered by the billowing wind.
“Can I sleep with you?”
Shu Nuan’s lips trembled as she had first hesitated, but she’d had no other choice, “Y-You can…”
The momentary glint in the Prince’s eyes had betrayed his satisfaction, and he had said nothing more.
Then, Shu Nuan had been taken to a carriage.
Yet she was uncertain. Had she escaped the pan entirely or fallen into the fire? She knew nothing about what kind of a person the rider was.
Shu Nuan had slept in the carriage for a full day, and no one had come with food or water. Her status as a prisoner left her helpless, so she had soon fainted again, cold and hungry.
When Shu Nuan had woken up again, she had found herself lying on a warm bed, with a clean cyan gauze dress skirt adorning her petite frame.
In contrast to the beautiful clothing, her hands and feet had remained shackled, a cold reminder of her true status.
The war among the Beigou, Qing, and Nanchao kingdoms had lasted for a year. Now, the Beigou had wiped out the Qing’s army in one fell stroke, annexing the lands and enslaving the citizens. Shu Nuan was the daughter of an unloved imperial concubine with the name of Zi. Although she had barely ever met the King, she was still a member of the Imperial family. It wasn’t thus surprising that she had found herself being escorted to the Beigou Kingdom along with the rest of the Imperial family.
Yet, in a twist of fate, she had been taken away by a prince of the Beigou Kingdom.
Shu Nuan dragged herself out of bed despite the shackles hindering her movement. But just as she approached the door, she saw it open. Shu Nuan stopped motionless in her tracks.
A servant girl came in to find the thin girl awake and standing in front of the door. She nonchalantly placed Shu Nuan’s meal nearby, and said, “Finish the meal quickly. Then get working.”
Shu Nuan opened her mouth several times before she found her voice.
“Where is… the Prince?”
The servant girl replied with a sneer, “Little girl, there is no lack of people who would run through fire to climb the Prince’s bed . Remember your new identity. You are now just a slave from a kingdom that no longer exists.”
Shu Nuan glanced at her without saying anything before sitting down to fill her empty stomach.
After Shu Nuan was done, the servant girl led her to the backyard. She told her that this was Sheng He Palace, and that in the future, she would have to finish her work daily before she would be allowed to rest. Just like the other servants.
Shu Nuan stood listening with her head down and before long was led to an embroidering room. The servant girl turned to look at her with a sharp look.
“Do you know how to embroider?”
She looked at the expansive room and the figures busying inside, then nodded.
“A little.”
The servant girl’s look eased very slightly. She led Shu Nuan to a corner and pointed to the satin lying there: “Finish these by the end of the day. Ask the elder sisters in the room if you don’t understand something.”
Shu Nuan nodded.
The people inside the room were busy, so no one had the time to bother with her. Only a little girl cared to look at her. However, when the girl saw Shu Nuan’s shackled limbs, she scoffed, seeming to have guessed at her identity.