“You can’t brainwash me. I’m Ivan, a human—not some Wei Yue.”

“But you just admitted it yourself.” Vivian pulled a strange stone from her pocket and played a scene on it.

It was a recording of Wei Yue admitting her name herself.

It was the equivalent of a public execution.

“Oh, my. Even after hearing it ten thousand times, my daughter’s voice is still so lovely.”

Shame surged through Wei Yue in an instant.

“What are you talking about? Where’s my original body? Give it back!”

“Your original body? Let me think… I tossed it in a fish tank to feed the fish. Why don’t you come back to the palace with me and help me find that fish?”

“?”

Who kept fish in the palace?

Did she think Yue was some stupid little girl she could fool with a lie like that?

“I don’t believe you. Then where did this body I have now come from?”

“Why, I gave birth to you, of course.”

“Huh?”

“Hehe, did I get you? The truth is, your original body had reached the end of its life. Your only options were to be remade into an immortal undead or become one of my kin.”

“The Blood Clan sure has a wild way of having children.”

“No, we can conceive the normal way. But I don’t like men, so I used some special methods instead. Of course, I can’t tell you about that just yet. Anyway, the fact that you’re my daughter now is beyond dispute.”

Vivian paused. “I won’t interfere too much with your choices. If you think you can return to the human kingdom with my face and find people willing to accept you, then you’re welcome to try.”

“……”

Those words struck Wei Yue right where it hurt.

Could she really go back?

She absolutely couldn’t let herself be taken in by Vivian’s sweet talk.

A voice stirred in Wei Yue’s mind. It sounded like her little sister, Yiyou?

Was she hearing things?

“Um, I want to go back and see my little sister. That should be all right, shouldn’t it?”

“I'm afraid you won’t be able to see her.”

“Huh? She didn’t…” Wei Yue imagined the worst. Had Freya killed Yiyou? If she had, Wei Yue wouldn’t hesitate to risk blowing her cover and fight Freya to the death.

“She’s safe for now. I’ve already sent people to protect her in secret. But she’s very emotionally unstable right now. If you go, you’ll only upset her.”

“Oh. You’re actually pretty nice.”

Wei Yue lowered her head. Hearing that Yiyou was safe lifted her spirits quite a bit.

If she could just endure things a little longer, maybe she’d get to see Yiyou again.

“Of course a parent should care about her daughter’s mental health. But…” Vivian flashed a mischievous grin.

“What?” Wei Yue looked up, puzzled.

“You don’t look like a princess at all right now. A princess of this country can’t go around behaving so improperly. So your etiquette lessons start tomorrow, and the maid you dismissed will go back to looking after you, too.”

“!”

Wei Yue’s face darkened. She’d barely praised Vivian, and now Vivian was picking on her.

She really was a nasty woman!

“You look like you’re not happy about this. In that case, I’ll add math lessons, too.”

“Why would the Blood Clan need to study math?”

“So you finally admit you’re Blood Clan, my good daughter. Since you care so much, I’ll let you off math lessons.”

Oh no. She’d walked right into it.

Wei Yue was left with a bitter pill to swallow and no way to complain.

Faced with the Blood Clan Queen’s demand that she take extra lessons, Wei Yue chose to…

Keep enduring!

……

“Your Highness, this is your breakfast. I know I didn’t make a good first impression, but I went back and gave it a lot of thought. Please give me another chance.”

Ella folded her hands in front of her and bowed deeply to Wei Yue.

She was so sincere that Wei Yue couldn’t find anything to criticize. Besides, she hadn’t been angry with Ella personally last time. Since her escape plan was on hold, she might as well let Ella stay for now.

She didn’t look like the sort of person who’d stab someone in the back, either.

Wei Yue had been betrayed so many times that she didn’t dare trust people easily anymore.

She looked Ella over again, then asked, puzzled:

“Why’s your hair blue? Did you dye it?”

“Um… I… I…” Ella hesitated for a moment, then answered honestly:

“I’m sort of half Blood Clan, but my mother’s from the Sea Clan in the east. They often call me a half-breed. It was Her Majesty the Queen who pardoned me. Otherwise, I’d still be washing the nobles’ clothes day and night.”

“A half-breed? There’s no such thing as a half-breed to me. Get up. From now on, if anyone calls you that, tell me and I’ll deal with them.”

Ella looked a little overwhelmed. It seemed all her hard work these past few days hadn’t been for nothing.

“Does this mean Your Highness accepts me?”

“More or less. Have you had breakfast?”

“No.”

Wei Yue handed Ella the bread from her plate.

“I can’t eat Your Highness’s food. Thank you, but I really can’t.”

“Just sneak a bite. It’s fine. I won’t tell if you don’t. Who’ll know?”

Wei Yue’s almost-beguiling voice whispered in Ella’s ear, stirring up a desire to commit a crime. Could she really eat the princess’s breakfast? If she did, what would the princess eat?

Maybe she could just have a tiny bite?

Come to think of it, she’d never tasted the princess’s breakfast before.

“Are you going to eat it or not?”

“I am! I am!” Ella tore off a small piece of bread and popped it into her mouth. A delicious aroma bloomed across her tongue.

I-It was so good!

“You can have the rest. I don’t have much of an appetite anyway. One slice is enough for me.” Wei Yue took a bite of her bread, while the piece Ella had torn off still sat untouched on the plate.

“Isn’t that a bit much? Didn’t you say I could only have a tiny bit?”

“One slice counts as a tiny bit. Or are you saying you want to disobey me?”

“I wouldn’t dare. Your Highness is really starting to feel more and more like a queen. It’s wonderful. I’ll work even harder to serve you well.”

For some reason, hearing that made Wei Yue feel a little gloomy.

It was all Vivian’s fault. Those etiquette lessons had been putting her through the wringer.

She was a grown man, for crying out loud. Why did she have to learn to talk like a proper young lady?

Wei Yue had tried to fight back, but her etiquette teacher wasn’t a pushover. She’d gone straight to Vivian to complain—and then Vivian herself became the etiquette teacher.

And Vivian was even harsher. The moment Wei Yue disobeyed, she made her relive that unforgettable night in the dungeon.

A few times, Wei Yue had nearly thrown herself at Vivian’s feet, begging her to stop.

How could a woman be so cruel?

“Your Highness, um… there’s something I’d like to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“We might have to cancel dessert time this afternoon.” Ella spoke very softly. She could tell Her Highness really enjoyed relaxing over afternoon tea.

“Is something going on?”

“Someone from another country is coming to visit the Blood Clan. The Queen says you have to go with her.”

“Hmm… Ugh, I feel really sick. Maybe Mother—maybe she should go by herself.”

Wei Yue waved her hand. She was only playing Vivian’s daughter for a few days. Was Vivian really planning to repeat the lie a thousand times until the whole world believed it?

“But the Queen said that if you don’t go, she’ll add more etiquette lessons to help you pass the time. But Your Highness feeling unwell is important, too. I’ll go explain things to Her Majesty right away.”

“N-No, don’t! I suddenly feel much better.”

Wei Yue’s body gave an involuntary shudder.

Were etiquette lessons really supposed to help her pass the time?

They were practically Qing dynasty torture!