I have a date with the devil

Chapter 7

　The whole day she came back, Ye Miao did not step out of her room, and her interest in going to the library to kill time was completely destroyed - the horrible numb eyes that peeped at her through the cracks in the bookcase left an indelible nightmare in the depths of her memory. Like a coiled vermin, every time she closed her eyes, a stream of them would emerge from the shadows, laughing and staring at her.

The hand of the clock is turning especially fast in doing nothing, and soon it is twilight. The air was covered with a layer of hazy water mist, dark shadows creeping up the eaves. Ye Miao asked Margo and Shana to light all the lights in advance. The room was illuminated as brightly as daylight. In addition to this, Ye Miao asked Margo to stay at night and sleep with her in the same bed as she did when she was a child.

She thought that her highness was in a trance because she had been stranded last night and was frightened, so she uncharacteristically wanted to sleep with a light and company, so she agreed and comforted her. I don't know, the comfort that does not hit the focal point of the disease is simply useless.

That night, Margot consciously lay down on the side of the bed by the door. This bed is very wide, somersault may be a little forced, lying two or three people absolutely no problem. The master and servant each sleep a quilt, turning in the middle of the night, will not disturb each other. It didn't take long for Margot to fall asleep and let out a slight snore.

Ye Miao leaned on the head of the bed, leaning against a large pillow, bent legs, slightly distracted looking at the book pressed against the pillow. She wanted to do a little of what she would normally do, soothing her frayed nerves with the habits she had developed over the years, reminding herself that she was back on a normal track. However, after more than ten pages, Ye Miao's brain was still in turmoil, unable to read a few lines, so she sighed, pressed the book back under the pillow, and went under the covers.

The light is a strong agent to dispel uncertainty and anxiety. The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what you are getting into. Before sleep rushed over her eyelids, she also vaguely thought that the strange thing that appeared in the library must not dare to come under this gesture.

The oil lamp burned long and hissed. This night nothing strange happened, even the old kind of panic feeling of being spied on in sleep has completely disappeared. Ye Miao had a good sleep for the first time in a long time, even the toes are lazily relaxed.

Remember that the monster said that the scent He left behind could save her from something nuisance. But Ye Miao was actually not sure whether the imprint left by the monster acted as a shield, or whether the light that filled the room and the warmth and popularity of the company at her side protected her.

A few days of comfort passed in this way. The memory of that horror, like ink stains poured by rain, is gradually fading. Although recalling the details of that life-threatening, still can not help but be scared, but at the very least, Ye Miao is no longer every moment as scared as a bird of prey fear.

Also changing is the odd mark on her body ...... like a blood eclipse hickey that is fading, planted when how repeatedly sucked, but also can not beat the body's ability to recover.

Five days later, Abil ushered in the Grand Prince's twentieth birthday. In the continent of Ripass, twenty years old is a sign of manhood, symbolizing leaving parents and living independently. If there is no accident, the eldest prince will soon move out of the palace and move to live in a luxurious palace outside the palace.

For this reason, the queen held a special dinner party and invited noble ministers to attend. Nominally to celebrate the coming of age of the first prince, but in fact also includes the purpose of choosing a concubine.

The system of succession to the throne of Abil was very simple. The first born of all the king's descendants, regardless of their origin, was the crown prince. If the king left no heir, or if the child was less than thirteen years old, then the throne was inherited by the king's younger brother or sister. The first prince, as the crown prince, has many favorite concubines, but no serious marriage has been agreed upon. This dinner is the most appropriate time to finalize the choice of the princess.

Ye Miao as a foreign ambassador is also among the invited. I heard that this time, all the age-appropriate noble maidens in Fram Eaton will attend, and everyone is eager to make a splash, it will be an unprecedented event. When dressing up, Shana suggested that Ye Miao put a little jam on her hair and skin so that she wouldn't look "too out of date" in the group of noble ladies.

Once again, she refused to follow a trend she couldn't understand, and finally picked a simple, elegant aqua blue dress with a pearl-encrusted silver ornament to hold her hair up.

Shana pouted: "Your Highness, this is not your usual dress."

"Isn't this quite good, the usual." Ye Miao smiled unconcernedly: "Well, let's go."

The banquet is not suitable to bring too many attendants, this time Ye Miao only brought Shana, who is more familiar with the royal palace, to go with him. As soon as she approached the door of the palace, she found that the Queen and the Grand Prince and other main characters had not yet arrived, and there were only some unfamiliar nobles talking inside. Ye Miao thought about it behind the corridor pillars and decided to stroll around the courtyard first and wait for the banquet to almost start before going in, so that she would be more comfortable.

It is a big hall with rounded arches, snow-white corridors, surrounded by tall palm trees and dark green bushes, with flowing water and beautiful scenery, just like a plant labyrinth. Ye Miao turned to the wall under a large tree, accidentally stepped on a cracked stone, wrapped around the ankle, decorated with pearls shoes thin belt was stuck in the gap.

Neither ripped out, nor is it possible to take off bare feet to go to the banquet, Ye Miao had no choice but to let Shana immediately turn back and find a new pair of shoes for her.

At the root of the tree rises a flat boulder, Ye Miao swept the dust on it with his hand, sat down and waited bored for Shana to return.

As she was fiddling with the grass on the ground, her ears suddenly caught the sound of light footsteps. Curiously, she inclined her head and saw a servant with his face covered walking furtively towards the wall under the tree, stopping on the other side of the trunk, seemingly waiting for someone.

The tree trunk between the two was very thick, and Ye Miao was surrounded by thick bushes, plus it was dark, if Ye Miao did not make a sound, no one would have seen her.

As expected, not long after, from another direction came another person. The sound of low conversation came from behind the tree.

"Why call me out at this time, what if I'm seen?"

Another person's voice came vaguely, "My lord asked me to convey to you that 'that' will be done tonight."

......

The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what you're getting into. The evening breeze is wrapped in the low sound of conversation, and not a word is missed downwind. Although eavesdropping was not her intention, but this situation, she did not dare to make a sound, so she had to keep quiet.

Until the sound of footsteps far away, Ye Miao did not see the faces of these two people, only know that the master's instructions to convey is a man. The one who arrived later was a woman with a rather soft and flaky voice.

She straightened up, slowly puffed out the breath pressed into her chest, and frowned slightly.

What was the "thing" they were talking about? It also said "tonight" ...... could it be that something unexpected would happen in the middle of the party tonight?

Failing to think about it, Shana came back with new shoes. Time so delayed, the party guests have almost arrived. Ye Miao just entered the field and sat down shortly, the queen and the first prince, the second prince came to the scene.

Tonight is really a concubine event, hundreds of rich and luxurious lights will be reflected here as a fairyland. As far as the eye can see, the ring is fat and thin, fragrant clothes Luo Cui, all styles of beauty. From their meticulous hair bun emitted sweet and creamy fragrance, in the closed hall dense fermentation, close your eyes, as if falling into a cave of molten syrup.

The queen's mood today is obviously very good, the corners of her mouth has been holding a pleasant smile.

Ye Miao glanced again at the main character of the banquet - the Grand Prince. He finally shaved clean tonight, with the Queen's beautiful genes to support the bottom, and then with the noble robes, looks like a man, but also quite the aura of the Crown Prince. But he hardly looked at the noble ladies underneath, except for talking with the queen, or having the two favorite concubines accompanying him to pour wine, a look of disinterest. Whenever the two of them were cold, the refined second prince would come out to round up the situation and act as a good boy lubricant for his brother and mother.

If you draw a food chain in the mother and son, the second prince is undoubtedly the bottom one ...... is always caught between the mother and brother to warm up the scene, but also at every turn by the brother to throw the face, Ye Miao thought this temper is too good.

This dinner, in fact, the vast majority of people are just coming to go through the scene. The queen has already made an assessment and has a preferred candidate in her heart. In the second half of the dinner, she directly announced the choice of the crown princess - the chancellor's youngest daughter. In the surrounding bursts of applause and congratulations, the chancellor is full of joy - after all, if there is no accident, his daughter is the future queen.

Ye Miao watched the fun while gulping down plum wine. I don't know if it was an illusion, but compared to the ecstatic chancellor, his youngest daughter's face was steeply pale, and her smile seemed slightly forced.

Everyone focused on the chancellor's father and daughter, but Ye Miao looked at the high stage without thinking. The reaction of the first prince was very calm, while the second prince was looking at the queen sitting on the throne, and his expression seemed a bit odd. Half a long time later, he lowered his eyes, not knowing what he was thinking.

The banquet proceeded to the second half, the crowd moved around. Ye Miao's nose itchy, wretched sneeze a few, finally can not withstand the noble lady's "fragrant attack", fled also like to the courtyard to breathe.

Like a dehydrated fish back in the water, Ye Miao took a big step deeper into the courtyard and took a deep breath of the fresh, cold air. When she tilted her head, she saw a bright moon in the sky, and a soft feeling of sadness suddenly welled up in the bottom of her heart.

Her parents and brother, what were they doing in Kardan now?

Are they doing well? When ...... would she be able to see them again?

At that moment, not far behind a clump of grass, there was a low "whimper" sound, like the sound of a person's mouth being covered. Mixed in the hall drifting out of the sound of music is extremely inconspicuous. Ye Miao was stunned, and initially thought he heard wrong. But soon, the sound of the grass "rustling" swayed, obviously someone struggling. Ye Miao hesitated less than half a second, decided to go over to see.

As soon as he turned the corner, an unexpected scene came into view - a man with a familiar back, was pressing a woman to the grass. One hand was holding down her wrists, and the other was covering her mouth.

Ye Miao froze. Isn't this man ...... the Grand Prince who just left the table? As for the person underneath that was fast breathing, face flushed with blue, well dead, is just slipped away to the toilet Shana!

As soon as he looked at Ye Miao, Shana's eyes suddenly burst into tears of distress, struggling more violently. Ye Miao snapped back to his senses, which is not a lust, is clearly murder. If you keep covering it, I'm afraid Shana will soon be unable to breathe and die of suffocation. She rushed up with an arrow step and pulled the big prince's hand, saying angrily: "Do you want to kill someone? She can't breathe anymore, let go!"

However, the Prince's brute strength was not something that Ye Miao could shake. He was probably so drunk that he didn't even hear her curses, not to mention the hand. The compartment Shana was already rolling her eyes, in a hurry, Ye Miao picked up an arm-thick branch of firewood, plucked up the courage and struck a vicious blow to the back of the prince's neck.

The firewood "clicked" and broke in half. The big prince fainted and fell to the ground. The terrified Shana desperately got out from underneath him and ran behind Ye Miao, terrified: "Is he ...... the Great Prince dead?"

"Not so easy to die, right. I leave the force, should not kill him." Ye Miao threw the "murder weapon" firewood to the haystack, and his heart was a little apprehensive.

Although it is important to save lives, but in Abil's territory, the crown prince of Abil knocked out ......

Ye Miao carefully squatted down to make sure he was still breathing and breathed a sigh of relief.

This guy is so drunk that he can't distinguish between human and animal, and when he wakes up tomorrow, he shouldn't remember what just happened, right?

The first time I saw him was at the barbaric prince's coming of age party. Just and the chancellor tied the in-laws, the banquet also did not disperse, the turn of the head outside the main hall bullying ...... if he just grabbed not a maid, but a certain noble lady, things a big, inevitably will be very ugly. Not only is the queen's face shameless, but also equivalent to slapping the chancellor and the future princess in the face ......

Suddenly, Ye Miao a meal, suddenly aware of a hint of incongruous strange place.

The wine at tonight's banquet is the plum wine from the Abilene court, and is not easy on the head. Even someone like her, who doesn't drink often, didn't feel dizzy when she poured one glass after another into her stomach.

The first time I met the first prince, he looked like he was unlucky after a hangover, but he was not a person who normally did not drink. He was also in good spirits at the beginning of the dinner. How could he be easily put down by these few glasses of plum wine?

Something is not right ......

Suddenly, a majestic voice came from the back, interrupting Ye Miao's thoughts: "What's going on?

Ye Miao was slightly startled and immediately turned his head. It turned out that the commotion just now had actually attracted the Queen who was walking in the garden, as well as the Second Prince and several attendants who were following her.

Seeing the big prince fall to the ground like a dead dog, the queen and the second prince both changed their faces and stepped forward. Several attendants helped the First Prince up and said repeatedly, "Your Highness, Your Highness? What happened to you?"

"His Highness seems to have fainted. Huh? Why is this place swollen with a bag?"

Ye Miao: "......"

"Which bold madman dared to attack His Highness!"

Ye Miao: "............"

The Queen's sharp gaze shot at Ye Miao and the trembling Shana, as if she was looking through their skin and flesh and into their bones, and her voice was quite stern: "What happened?"

Ye Miao was about to answer, but the second prince noticed something with a sharp eye and said offhandedly, "Princess, what happened to your wrist? Is it the king brother he ......"

Ye Miao then felt her wrist a little hot, look down, five hideous fingerprints twisted climbing on her wrist, presumably in the process of pushing and shoving, pinched red by the eldest prince.

The second prince's questioning came to an abrupt end, perhaps because he felt it was inappropriate to say the latter in public. But the people present know that the big prince is usually loose, a glance at each other, you know what the second prince wants to ask.

Ye Miao fixed his mind, received his wrist behind him, and explained: "Just now, Shana and I were blowing in the garden, and saw that the Prince was drunk and unsteady, so we went over to help him. Unfortunately, the strength was not enough and the Grand Prince still fell down."

The reason why she said this is not only because she vaguely realized that this matter is not simple, but also to give everyone a stage - otherwise, she can't say that the eldest prince drunkenly made a move on the maid, and then was knocked out by her with a stick, right?

Sure enough, after hearing this explanation, the queen's expression eased a lot, with a hint of approval hidden in it, and turned her head and ordered, "Since His Highness is drunk, send him back to his room and let him rest well."

Soon, the attendants beside the Grand Prince and the two favorite ladies who had just been drinking with him rushed over. The attendants picked up the unconscious Grand Prince, and the two favorites whispered softly as they flanked him back to his bedchamber.

When the voice of one of the favorites drifted into his ears, Ye Miao's movements were slightly stalled without a trace - this voice was so familiar ...... is not exactly the two who met in secret behind the tree, the one who was "entrusted with the job "woman?

So she is the favorite girl of the Grand Prince ...... Could it be that the so-called "matter to be done tonight" that those two people spoke of is related to the Grand Prince's untimely scandal?

If it is not Shana who is involved in this matter tonight, but a certain noble lady ...... if she is not afraid of Shana suffocation, before calling for people to knock the big prince out, I am afraid that this matter will not be so easy to end.

Someone has planted someone around the Grand Prince to make a fool of him in full view of the public ...... Who is this person and what is his purpose?

After returning to the room that night, Ye Miao dealt with the red marks on the wrist, told Shana to also take off her clothes, so that Margo for her to apply medicine - just now the light is dim to see, in fact, Shana's neck has long been pinched out of a few bruises, but also broke the skin. Did not go to the scene of Margo listened to their narrative, is also amazed.

In the end, just a teenage girl, almost killed on the way back from the toilet, Shana until now have not returned to the soul, has been softly sobbing. Until the skin was stimulated by the potion, Shana came back to her senses, almost treating Ye Miao as her ancestor, a thousand kowtows.

Ye Miao smiled and comforted her: "No need to be like that. That situation, I can't just stand by and watch you suffocate."

"If you hadn't helped me, Your Highness, even if I hadn't died, I would probably have been given to the Great Prince by the Queen."

Margo said curiously, "Was she sent to be his concubine?"

"Yes." Shana shrank her shoulders and sniffed: "But if I really went to the side of the great prince, I don't know if I'd have the life to live past a month."

Ye Miao was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

There are some words, in fact, can not tell Ye Miao. But Shana now already treats Ye Miao as a life-saver like a regenerated parent. Since Ye Miao asked, she did a moment of psychological struggle, finally carefully said: "Your Highness, you do not know, in fact, in our royal palace, every month there will be one or two women suddenly disappeared, and, almost all are women in the palace of the Grand Prince, some are maids, some are favorites ...... "

As if a sensitive nerve was rattled hard, Ye Miao sat up straight and stared at her closely: "What did you say?"

"It is said that it is the unjust spirit of the previous queen who is haunting." Shana paused: "Your Highness, you know that our late king was sickened and died in the middle of the war, and left no heir, right?"

Ye Miao nodded her head.

"Actually ...... the previous king and the previous queen once had a prince."

Ye Miao was stunned, and his eyes widened slightly.

"My aunt was once the queen's maid of honor, and this is what she told me. In fact, the late king did not pass away on the battlefield. It was a time when the war was being repaired, and the pregnant queen was about to give birth, so the late king rushed back to Fram Eaton to visit the queen, but unfortunately brought the disease contracted on the battlefield back to the palace, and infected the queen. Finally ...... not only did the queen die in childbirth, but also the newly born prince was not saved. And the whole house to deliver the maid ah, servants ah ...... and the queen close contact with the people, also contracted the disease, within a month one after another died. Finally, the late king also passed away."

Ye Miao frowned: "What disease is so powerful?" This is comparable to the plague, right?

"I'm not sure. My aunt said that there is no record of this disease in the medical books. It comes quickly and disappears quickly. With the late king's illness and death, it also suddenly disappeared without a trace." Shana recalled, "After a few years of peace like that, rumors of 'Abil's monster' began to spread in the palace - of course, the head maid never let us talk about the legend. At first, there was only a legend of a monster, but there were no cases of cannibalism or disappearances. In the last few years, women started to disappear every month. After the first prince began to take concubines, almost all of the missing are women in his harem. If there really is a monster, it should not pick on the Crown Prince's women. So, some people are starting to say that it's the ghost of the previous queen who is at work, after all, she was also the Crown Prince's woman, and almost the mother of the next Crown Prince."