The moment Sheng Anlan stepped into the great hall, she saw a female caste in blue palace robes seated on a chair, with golden hair and strikingly handsome features, looking shrewd and capable.
Seeing her enter, the woman quickly rose and bowed: “Greetings, Princess, Royal Husband.”
Sheng Anlan gave a slight nod and took her seat at the head of the hall.
Solans watched the visitor with a smile at the corner of his mouth and greeted her: “It’s been a while, Lord. How have you been lately?”
Greta nodded, apparently quite familiar with Solans, and replied, “Thanks to the Queen’s blessings, I’ve been doing fairly well.”
With that, she waved a hand behind her, and an attendant dressed in green palace robes with rabbit ears came forward carrying a tray.
Grete smiled at Sheng Anlan and said, “Princess, this is a new garment the Queen has sent you.”
Sheng Anlan glanced at the tray. On it lay a robe made of golden thread, treated with some unknown technique so that it shimmered with golden light even from a distance—clearly extraordinary.
Gold was the exclusive color of the royal family; only the Queen and princesses of the direct bloodline could wear it. Although Sheng Anlan held the title of Eldest Princess, she was not born of Queen Kaka, so she normally could not wear golden garments.
Now the Queen had suddenly sent a golden palace robe, and for a moment she couldn’t guess what this gesture meant.
She instinctively looked toward Solans, who gave her a small nod.
She had only recently transmigrated here and was still unfamiliar with her surroundings, so it was best to be cautious in everything.
As her Beast-husband, Solans stood on the same side as her regarding the Queen—that was why Sheng Anlan had looked to him.
Seeing that his expression showed no concern, Sheng Anlan gave a glance to the Antelope-Horned Attendant nearby, then said with a smile, “I like this garment very much. My thanks to the Queen.”
Grete smiled faintly. “I’m glad the Princess likes it. I heard the Queen was deeply worried when she learned the Princess was injured. Is the Princess feeling any better now?”
“I’m sorry to have worried the Queen. I’m perfectly fine.”
Grete looked Sheng Anlan up and down, then said with a smile, “In that case, the Queen can rest assured. May I ask which Beast-husband harmed you? By the Queen’s command, the Beast-husband will be dealt with by the Imperial Household Agency.”
Sheng Anlan laughed at this. “You jest, Lord. No Beast-husband harmed me. I simply wasn’t careful and accidentally took the wrong medicine.”
The moment Sheng Anlan’s words fell, both people present showed a trace of surprise.
Greta hadn’t expected Sheng Anlan to protect her Beast-husbands. But after a moment, her expression returned to normal—perhaps the Eldest Princess simply disliked others meddling in the affairs of her palace.
After all, she had always been domineering.
The other one who was stunned was Solans. He had imagined Sheng Anlan might hand over one of them, her Beast-husbands, but he had never imagined she would admit it was her own mistake and shield them all.
Whether or not her fainting that day was caused by her own drinking of the medicine, in the royal family—especially for a Female Master—everything would be blamed on those around her for failing to look after her properly, and the first to bear the brunt would naturally be them, her Beast-husbands.
In an ordinary household, if a Female Master fell unconscious, the Female Care Association would come to the door and take the Beast-husbands of the household away for discipline and punishment.
The royal family, for the sake of appearances, left such matters to the Imperial Household Agency instead.
This was why he had followed the Princess inside—with him present, he had hoped to intervene a little, or take the blame for the lapse upon himself.
Yet unexpectedly, the Princess had claimed responsibility for the matter herself.
Females were born noble and never lightly admitted their mistakes. Even for a Beast-husband they doted on most, offering him Mental Power treatment was already considered treating him very well.
And yet the Princess had admitted to it just like that.
Solans was somewhat stunned, but at the same time a trace of warmth surged in his heart.
The Princess was truly different now.
Disciplining a Beast-husband was, after all, a private matter within the Princess’s quarters—even the Queen would find it inconvenient to interfere.
The reason such an edict had been issued this time was because the Princess’s life had been threatened. But now that the Eldest Princess refused to acknowledge it, the matter could hardly be pursued further.
“Since the Beast-husband is not at fault, then this was a misunderstanding on our part. I will explain the situation to the Queen.”
With that, she raised her hand slightly, and the figures dressed uniformly in blue palace robes, standing tall and straight, immediately withdrew from the hall.
After a moment’s thought, Grete smiled at Sheng Anlan. “May I ask whether the Princess’s Mental Power has been affected?”
Hearing this, Sheng Anlan inwardly shook her head—it seemed this Eldest Princess was not so easy a position to hold after all.
She had genuinely believed before that the Queen doted greatly on the original owner; after all, she had even granted the title of Eldest Princess to her younger sister’s female child.
Now it appeared things were not so simple.
At the very least, it was probably out of regard for her S3 Mental Power that they were being so courteous to her.
Sheng Anlan was pondering how best to reply when a gentle voice sounded beside her ear, answering on her behalf: “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The Princess is perfectly well. She has just administered Mental Power to Royal Husband Zuo, and he is currently resting in the confinement room.”
At these words, Sheng Anlan looked toward Solans, who gave her a faint smile, signaling her not to worry.
Hearing this, Grete’s face visibly brightened. “Since the Princess is unharmed, I shall take my leave.”
Sheng Anlan gave a slight nod.
Solans then called over an attendant nearby and gave an instruction.
Before long, an Antelope-Horned Attendant came over carrying a box.
Solans pointed at the box and said, “This is a gift the Princess has prepared for the Queen. We ask that you, Lord, deliver it on her behalf.”
Hearing this, Sheng Anlan glanced to the side—a square box sat squarely upon a tray, and she had no idea what it contained.
She had never instructed Solans to prepare a gift, nor had she known Grete would be visiting the residence today, yet this gift could be produced at just this moment.
Clearly, the item had been prepared by Solans, and he had planned ahead.
Recalling what Fu Junyao had said before—that he was in charge of all affairs within the residence—Sheng Anlan’s fondness for Solans rose a little further. He was a man who attended to every detail.
Grete nodded. “I shall deliver it on her behalf.”
Solans rose and made a gesture. “Allow me to see you off, Lord.”
Grete had someone take the gift box and said politely, “You are too kind, Consort Suo. Please stay.”
Even so, Solans still escorted her out.
But Grete did not let him go far—after all, he was the Princess’s side-husband, and at the entrance of the great hall she had Solans stop.
Solans did not insist further. After watching her leave, he turned back to look at Sheng Anlan, seated on the blue ice-crystal chair.
A trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth, he said, “The Princess seems somewhat different from before.”
Sheng Anlan met the other’s probing gaze with an open, candid expression. “Is that so? Perhaps it’s because I survived a near-death experience—I want to live differently.”
Lans felt ashamed. “It was I who was narrow-minded.”
Sheng Anlan’s tone was calm. “There’s no need for that. I only did what a Female Master should do—after all, they are my Beast-husbands.”
Sheng Anlan didn’t mind everyone seeing that she had changed, that she was different from before.
After all, she had transmigrated into this body. No matter how cautiously she acted, she could never match the original owner. It was better to follow her own nature and let it seem that her temperament had simply changed.
Thanks to the original owner, she had always been a changeable person. Even if she was different now, no one could fault her for it.
This was far less likely to expose flaws than trying to imitate her former self in every detail of daily life.
Beast-husbands?
Solans gazed at the white figure in the distance, a faint smile curving his lips. “They are indeed her Beast-husbands.”