The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 192: Hidden Guards (3)

"Thank you, thank you!" Eunuch Lu responded cheerfully, accepting the silver without hesitation as he climbed into his carriage.

After Eunuch Lu's carriage faded into the distance, Yun Qianyue stepped down from her own, her smile disappearing as her mind turned to the emperor's motives. Allowing her, and only her, to attend a martial event that even the empress and imperial consorts couldn't attend—it was indeed, as Eunuch Lu said, a significant honor. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Glancing at Yun Meng, she noticed his concerned expression and raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Meng, do you have any thoughts?"

Caught off guard, Yun Meng hesitated, nodding first, then shaking his head before finally sighing. "While this is indeed a great honor, I can't help but feel there's more behind it. The emperor must have another purpose. But tomorrow, both His Highness Prince Rong and our Heir will be there, so they will surely look after you. Miss, you needn't worry. Since the emperor sent Eunuch Lu personally, you can't refuse this summons."

Yun Qianyue nodded, recalling how Rongjing had warned her she only had two weeks. It seemed he was right—tomorrow's martial competition likely wouldn't be uneventful.

"Miss, perhaps you should visit Old Lord Yun. He might offer you some guidance," Yun Meng suggested.

Yun Qianyue huffed. "No way. That old rascal only knows how to bully me."

Yun Meng chuckled. "That's because he cares for you. He might give you a hard time, but if anyone else tried, he'd never let it slide! The other young ladies in the household would love to be on the receiving end of his 'bullying,' but he doesn't even give them a glance."

"And what about Rongjing? He bullies me too, but I've yet to see him defend me," Yun Qianyue grumbled.

"His Highness would never bully you, Miss! He treats you exceptionally well—I've seen it myself," Yun Meng said with a grin, urging her on. "Old Lord Yun is likely waiting for you now. Miss, you should go."

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes. Why didn't anyone see through Rongjing's dark side? Especially Yun Meng, who idolized him so much! Knowing her words wouldn't sway him, she sighed, assuming a martyred expression, and made her way into the mansion.

As she took a few steps forward, she encountered a woman. Though not young, she wore her hair in a maiden's style. Dressed in green, she moved gracefully, with an air of elegance that set her apart from the other ladies in the residence. Her beauty wasn't merely in her looks but in her refined aura. Compared to the consorts and concubines of her father, she was in a class of her own.

From afar, Yun Qianyue caught a faint whiff of ink and guessed who this woman was. During her lessons with Yun Muhan, he had listed her among the household names—her father's personal ink attendant, Lv Zhi. Such a refined woman, spending her days assisting him with calligraphy? Her father had quite the fortune!

"Greetings, Miss Qianyue. The Prince has requested your presence in his study," Lv Zhi said, stopping Yun Qianyue and bowing gracefully. Her voice was calm and respectful.

"What does Father need from me?" Yun Qianyue asked, nodding.

"The Prince didn't say, only that he sent me to personally escort you," Lv Zhi replied.

Yun Qianyue hesitated briefly. Though she felt no familial warmth toward the man, he was, after all, her father in this world. She sighed and nodded. "Very well. Lead the way."

"Of course, Miss Qianyue," Lv Zhi said, turning to guide her back down the hall.

Walking behind Lv Zhi, Yun Qianyue noted the woman's figure, slender and refined, trailing ink's subtle fragrance. The evening light cast shadows, adding a mysterious beauty to her presence. How someone like her ended up as a personal attendant to her frivolous father was beyond understanding.

When they reached the Prince's study, Lv Zhi stopped outside the door, bowing slightly. "The Prince is waiting inside for Miss Qianyue. You may enter directly."

Yun Qianyue noticed the lamplight illuminating her father's figure at the desk, apparently writing. She pushed open the door and stepped in.

The study wasn't large, and though it couldn't compare to Rongjing's thousand-book library, it was comfortably arranged, neat, and filled with a pleasant aroma of ink. A few pots of camellias adorned the windowsill. The desk was piled high with official documents, and her father was bent over, absorbed in his work.

Yun Qianyue paused, observing him with a distant look. Since the incident when he nearly had her punished on Concubine Feng's whim, no amount of kindness from him could make her feel the bond of father and daughter. She wondered how the original Yun Qianyue might feel about his recent change, but she knew she couldn't bring herself to treat him with the same warmth she had for Old Lord Yun.

"Back so soon?" her father looked up at the sound of the door, his gaze landing on her.

"Yes, I just returned," Yun Qianyue nodded.

"You've lost weight over these days. Has His Highness been assigning you particularly grueling tasks?" he asked, noting her more slender cheeks and the faint hollows beneath her eyes.

Yun Qianyue said nothing. How could she explain that the so-called "tasks" had been downright inhumane? Without the memories of the original Yun Qianyue, she doubted she'd have survived, much less made it through all those books in time.

"It's my fault for not fulfilling my duties as a father. If I'd made sure you could read earlier, you wouldn't have had to endure so much," her father sighed regretfully. Seeing her standing aloof and distant, he felt a pang of guilt but knew it was his years of neglect that had driven them apart. In a gentle tone, he continued, "How are your studies? Do you think you're ready to manage household affairs?"

Yun Qianyue thought to herself that she probably didn't need lessons to know how to manage a household. Her literacy deficiency had been an act, something the original Yun Qianyue had put on for reasons still unknown. Not wanting to say too much, she remained silent.

"You've only studied for a few days, so I suppose managing household matters is still difficult. I may have been too hasty," he said, mistaking her silence for doubt. "Take your time. There's no rush. If you haven't learned enough yet, you'll manage soon enough."