Who would have thought there was alcohol in the Interstellar Era? Sheng Anlan looked at the red liquid in front of her, picked it up, and took a few sips. It tasted pretty good, with a fruity aroma, but the flavor didn’t seem to come from fermented grapes—she had no idea what it was brewed from. It was sweet.
“Though the wine is delicious, Princess, you shouldn’t drink too much. Have some nutrient solution first to replenish your energy!”
Nutrient solution?
Seriously? Everything was arranged so beautifully, and she still had to drink nutrient solution?
Sheng Anlan instantly felt that whatever came next wasn’t worth eating either.
Solans had no idea what Sheng Anlan was thinking. He lifted the tray covering the nutrient solutions, picked up a green one, and handed it over. “This is a newly developed flavor. I wonder if the Princess will like it.”
Inside the round tube was an emerald-green liquid that looked just like the bitter melon juice she used to drink for detox back on Earth. Sheng Anlan felt a bit of disdain inside.
Still, she took it—she couldn’t very well make someone hold it out forever.
Sheng Anlan pulled out the stopper and took a sip. Honestly, it didn’t taste bad, and was even slightly sweet.
But even so, to Sheng Anlan, this stuff was watery—not as satisfying as carb-heavy food with oil and salt.
Eating it felt like completing a task. The ambiance of a meal was there, but when the lid was lifted, there was only nutrient solution, making the whole meal feel like fake refinement—or rather, like using something grand for something trivial.
“The Princess doesn’t seem to like it very much. Is the flavor wrong?”
She couldn’t exactly say she was missing Earth’s cuisine, so Sheng Anlan casually made up an excuse: “No, it tastes fine. I’m just a little tired.”
“The Princess used up quite a lot of Mental Power treating Qi’an, so it’s natural to feel tired. Would you like to sleep in the Rest Pod for a while?”
He said it so naturally, as if he had prepared it in advance. Sheng Anlan had no idea what a Rest Pod was.
Still, it was probably for restoring Mental Power.
She really was dizzy at the moment, so she didn’t refuse.
Solans opened the door of the Rest Pod, and Sheng Anlan lay down inside. At first she couldn’t quite fall asleep, but before long she heard a soothing piano melody. She peeked through the gap and saw outside—Solans was sitting at the piano, playing a piece.
With the music, she gradually closed her eyes and fell asleep.
When she woke again, it was to the sound of an argument.
Solans’s voice was still gentle, but the others sounded rather gruff.
She couldn’t hear the voices in the room very clearly, so Sheng Anlan got up and walked outside.
From across the corridor, she caught the conversation of the three men.
“That Evil Female gets along worst with me on a normal day, so I’d be the most convincing if I went. Let me go!” Li Luo looked at the other two, the picture of self-sacrificing courage.
“No need. Qi’an hasn’t woken up yet—you two go look after him. I’ll speak to the Queen myself.” Solans beckoned to the attendants and prepared to turn toward the main hall.
Fu Junyao stepped forward to block him. “You still have to manage the affairs of the Princess Mansion. This household can’t do without you. Let me go instead!”
What had happened? It didn’t sound like anything good, yet the three of them were competing over who would do it.
Evil Female?
The way Li Luo said it… it seemed like he was talking about her.
At that thought, Sheng Anlan beckoned an attendant over and asked, “What’s going on?”
The Antelope-Horned Beastman attendant bowed and replied, “Lord Greta has arrived, sent by the Queen to visit the Princess.”
Lord Greta?
Sheng Anlan seemed to recall having seen the name in the limited Princess records she’d reviewed—Greta was a Female-type, Queen Kaka’s personal secretary, handling all matters concerning the Queen.
It seemed the Queen had learned about her injury that day, and so had sent someone over.
But it was just a normal greeting—why did those three look like they were heading to the execution ground?
She pondered for a moment and asked, “Did only she come?”
The attendant replied, “There are also people from the Imperial Household Agency.”
The Imperial Household Agency was the department responsible for royal family affairs, including presiding over royal ceremonies, daily life, and the regulation and instruction of royal family members. And of course, the most important of its duties was punishing disrespectful behavior toward the Female Master.
So those three were fighting over who would go receive the punishment?
As the Female Master with the highest Mental Power in the Empire, and the future Crown Princess heir, her life was of vital importance. After what happened that day, the Queen naturally had to punish someone.
Sheng Anlan waved the attendant away, thought for a moment where she stood, then walked forward.
In the corridor, the three were locked in a standoff, neither yielding to the others.
“I said it first, so I have priority. Let me go.”
“About this matter…” Solans had just begun to speak when a crisp voice interrupted him before he could finish.
Sheng Anlan lifted her eyelids, glancing at Li Luo and Fu Junyao, and said in a deliberately snide tone, “What’s going on here? All scrambling to go—it looks rather fun.”
“Sheng Anlan, stop gloating!” Li Luo glared at her outright upon hearing this.
“Gloating? Who am I gloating over? Could it be that something happened that’s worth celebrating for me? Do tell—I’d love to be amused.” Though Sheng Anlan knew the reason behind it all, she had no intention of being cursed to her face.
Besides, she genuinely did want to rile up Li Luo a little.
It was true she had transmigrated into Sheng Anlan’s body, but that didn’t mean she had to endure others’ baseless accusations.
“What are you playing at? Don’t tell me you don’t know Lord Grete has arrived?”
“Oh, so Grete is here. Then I suppose I should think carefully about who exactly hurt me?” As she spoke, Sheng Anlan swept her gaze over Fu Junyao and Li Luo, a hint of “malicious intent” in her eyes.
When Fu Junyao met her gaze, he immediately turned his head aside, with an expression that suggested even one more look at her would dirty his eyes.
Sheng Anlan raised an eyebrow slightly. So he also had quite a grudge against the original owner.
She wondered—compared to what Zuo Qi’an had experienced, whose situation was worse?
“Just as I thought—you’re faking it, you Evil Female…” Li Luo met her eyes and went full force.
Although both of them despised her, Sheng Anlan still felt that when Li Luo got angry, with his raised deer ears, he was somewhat cuter.
She was just about to tease him further when a gentle voice interrupted, “The Princess is awake. Did you sleep well?” Solans smiled as he looked at Sheng Anlan.
Sheng Anlan sighed inwardly—Solans really was a gentle soul.
With him smiling so pleasantly, Sheng Anlan had no choice but to stop her teasing. She nodded at him. “Quite well, actually.”
Solans pressed his lips together, about to say something, when Sheng Anlan spoke directly: “Where is Greta?”
Solans was slightly taken aback. “Princess…”
Sheng Anlan shot a sidelong glance at Li Luo and Fu Junyao and said meaningfully, “The Queen has sent people. I ought to go take a look.”
Solans said solemnly, “Just leave this matter to me. There’s no need for you to worry about it, Princess.”
Sheng Anlan ignored him and ordered the attendant nearby, “Lead the way.”
The attendant walked ahead, and Solans’s expression darkened slightly. Seeing Sheng Anlan leave, he followed along. “Lans will accompany you, Your Highness.”
Sheng Anlan did not refuse him.
Watching the two departing figures, Li Luo frowned. “I wonder what trouble that Evil Female will stir up this time?”
Fu Junyao’s expression was also grim. “We just don’t know who she called out this time. I hope it’s me.”
Li Luo shook his head. “She deliberately glanced at me just now. It must be me.”