Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Princess Swan or Lady Jade?


    Long Xiurong straightened her back, not only to look proper in front of Princess Swan but also to maintain her dignity. Caring about her dignity was the only way for her not to show weakness in front of the rumored witch.


    "Good morning, Princess. Thank you for inviting me," Long Xiurong greeted as she drew near and sat at the table, facing the beautiful princess directly.


    "No, I should thank you for epting my invitation. I didn''t expect you to ept it, honestly," Swan said.


    "W-why would I say otherwise?"


    "Because I don''t know if you''d trust me enough," Swan giggled. "After all, you''ve spent more time with Lady Jade, so I thought you''d be on her side."


    "I-I don''t know what side you are talking about, Princess. Lady Jade and I aren''t


    "No need to feign ignorance," Swan interrupted as she grabbed the teapot and poured the tea into her cup. "We both know that Lady Jade is hostile towards me. So I thought she must''ve said stuff about me."


    Swan sipped her tea while keeping eye contact with Long Xiurong. As she put her teacup on the saucer, she said, "Please help yourself with a cup of tea. Don''t worry, this one is not poisoned, unlike yesterday."


    "W-what do you mean, Princess? Poisoned tea?"


    "Oh? Are you still feigning ignorance or genuinely clueless about what happened yesterday during our tea time with Lady Jade?" Swan acted surprised. "That tea we drank is poisonous."


    Long Xiurong held her breath. She felt something was amiss with Lady Jade yesterday because it was very rare of her to act unbridledly. But she never expected it to be poisonous.


    She also didn''t want to suspect Lady Jade of poisoning the tea as it would be such a cruel rumor.


    "Princess, please don''t spread such a terrible rumor. We drank tea with Lady Jade yesterday, and we are all fine, right? I don''t know your history with Lady Jade, but this is not right."


    Swan had pretty much expected everything so far, and she was relieved. It seemed like Long Xiurong was genuinely oblivious to the poisoned tea, therefore, she didn''t collude with Lady Jade.


    ''Which means she is on neither side. She''s just an innocent woman dragged into this mess by Lady Jade,'' Swan thought. ''I need to save her. At least warn her about the danger, before she gets harmed by that woman.''


    Swan knew that she couldn''t just say that Lady Jade was an evil bitch. Long Xiurong wouldn''t believe her at all.


    The only thing she could do was to steer the conversation until Long Xiurong realized it herself.


    "Is it really a rumor?"


    "Yes! We all drank it yesterday, and I feel fine afterwards!"


    "Mm, I suppose you''re right. But did you notice how I waited until Lady Jade did something with her tea before I drank mine?" Swan asked.


    "What are you on about..." Long Xiurong murmured, but then she remembered


    how Princess Swan waited until Lady Jade drank her tea first.


    "Get it? I want to make sure that the tea is safe before I can drink it myself."


    "Then it''s not poisoned, right?"


    "What do you think Lady Jade did before she drank her tea?"


    "Uh... she put a sugar cube in it?"


    "Correct, and I have to make sure that I get the sugar cube from HER side, that''s why I intentionally knocked my jar of sugar cubes over, and took two of the sugar cubes from her side," Swan exined.


    Long Xiurong didn''t understand what Princess Swan was trying to say. It seemed that she was trying to convince Long Xiurong that Lady Jade intended to poison them both, but it just didn''t make sense to her.


    "I don''t think that changes a thing, Princess. It''s just a sugar cube."


    "Oh, really? Do you remember her reaction when I told my maid to take the sugar cube from her side?" Swan asked.


    Long Xiurong recalled the event from yesterday and remembered how Lady Jade seemed to be reluctant even a little pissed-when Princess Swan demanded two sugar cubes from her side, which was suspicious in Long Xiurong''s eyes.


    Finally, Long Xiurong began to connect the dots, or at least the theory that Princess Swan was spouting right now.


    "Do you think that the sugar cube has some kind of antidote for the said poison inside the tea?" Long Xiruong asked and then shook her head before Swan could answer. "No, Princess, this is wrong. O Everything was just a theory, and you are using her without proof!"


    "I guess so, Swan sighed. "Though, I intentionally put one sugar cube for you because I want to save you Whether the poison is real or not, I still want to make sure that you''re safe. If that counts for something."


    "I"


    Long Xiurong was speechless for a long time. She stared at Princess Swan doubtfully, as she didn''t know whether to paint her as a good woman or a viiness.


    But, she made a good point.


    Whether the tea was poisoned or not, Princess Swan was still trying to give her


    the said antidote, just in case it would harm her.


    So, should Long Xiurong take that as a sign of goodwill from the beautiful Princess in front of her?


    She didn''t know either.


    Then again, trying to make friends wouldn''t hurt, right? It didn''t seem that


    Princess Swan nned to curse her with dark magic anytime soon.


    "Help yourself, Lady Long. If you think that you and I can be friends, then drinking


    the tea would be a good start to our conversation, right?"


    ...


    Long Xiurong gulped.


    She could feel the pressureing from Princess Swan in front of her. She was


    all smiles, and her smile was not cunning, or mysterious, unlike Lady Jade.


    But it was still scary how Princess Swan could pressure her with such a kind, almost innocent-like smile.


    "I-I never intend to take sides with any of you. I''m just here to be His Majesty''s bride," Long Xiurong stated.