The sky had dimmed again. Candlelight flickered within the cave, and the fire crackled softly. Ji Zhaoxi sat on the bed, earnestly polishing a gem, while Celeste held her in his arms, combing her hair.
Her body sank softly into his embrace. Through the thin fabric, Celeste could feel the warmth radiating from her. In the past, he would have awkwardly distanced himself from her.
The sound of the comb’s teeth echoed clearly in the cave. A few strands of hair playfully tangled between his fingers before slipping away with the comb. Celeste’s breathing began to grow uneven.
He tilted his head slowly, bringing the strand of hair to the tip of his nose. Gently closing his eyes, he let the scent of her hair seep into his heart with every breath.
The candlelight cast their shadows on the cave walls. Ji Zhaoxi’s shadow had completely vanished, swallowed entirely by Celeste’s dark silhouette as he pressed her tightly against his chest, leaving no gap between them.
After Ji Zhaoxi fell asleep, Celeste finally left the cave.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw the new servant standing by the doghouse, staring at him with hostility in his eyes.
Celeste had no idea where this hostility came from. He and Ji Zhaoxi slept together in the cave, while the new servant slept in the doghouse. He could brush her hair and soothe her desires, yet the new servant couldn’t even get close to her.
There was simply no comparison.
“Sir, allow me to escort you away now,” Celeste said earnestly. “Your country needs you.”
The new servant fumed. “Why should I leave? The witch chose me as the princess’s servant, and I’m not leaving.”
Celeste said nothing. Since the man refused to leave, he would find an opportunity to kindly send him off—just to spare him any unrealistic fantasies.
Aside from handling state affairs, Celeste continuously sent people to collect rare gems.
The glass slippers were already made. Once he finished his tasks, he would take everything back with him.
The soldiers held Celeste in great respect. They noticed that after dealing with daily matters, he would personally patrol the forest, sometimes not returning all night.
This was what a truly responsible prince looked like.
After the king passed away, their kingdom would march toward a glorious and youthful future.
Meanwhile, Ji Zhaoxi was once again sitting by the river washing gems. Celeste brought her so many every day that she felt she’d soon develop tendinitis from scrubbing them.
“Master, let me help you wash them,” the new servant said, having watched her for a long time before stepping forward.
Ji Zhaoxi’s heart tensed with caution. She forced a faint smile. “No need. I’ll do it myself.”
Suddenly, she felt a dislike for the new servant. She sensed a lack of boundaries in him.
He kept staring intently at her gems—it was like watching someone enter a payment password; instead of looking away, he’d fix his eyes on the digits.
The new servant murmured, “Master, do you prefer the old servant? Why can he go into the cave?”
And he stayed in there all night. It hadn’t occurred to him that their troubles had already begun—the first challenge being the intrusion of a third party.
“Because he’s thick-skinned!” Ji Zhaoxi said angrily, scrubbing the gems furiously.
Boldly entering the cave, brazenly tidying it for her, shamelessly brushing her hair.
Ji Zhaoxi wanted to say more, but a mocking voice cut through.
“Ji Zhaoxi, this is the new servant you captured? That’s it?”
Ji Zhaoxi recognized the voice instantly.
“I thought you’d grabbed some impressive prince. A prince of a fifty-person kingdom?” Lorian’s face was full of scorn.
Ji Zhaoxi stared at her in shock. How did Lorian know more about the new servant’s identity than she did?
Hearing this, the new servant’s face flushed red with anger. “Miss, please have some manners! A kingdom of fifty people is fine. When I marry Miss Dragon, our kingdom will grow stronger and better!”
“Who said anything about marrying you?!” Ji Zhaoxi was so startled she dropped the gem. “Stop adding drama to yourself!”
She nearly fainted from his words.
The new servant looked aggrieved. “Master, but isn’t that the purpose of a dragon’s servant…”
Everyone knew dragons were notoriously romantic.
Lorian watched the scene with amusement. “Ji Zhaoxi, don’t tell me you actually thought a dragon’s servant was just a servant? Tsk, tsk, your judgment.”
Ji Zhaoxi’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion. She bluffed stubbornly, “Of course I know a servant is more than just a servant! He’s not my servant!”
The new servant staggered back in disbelief.
Just then, Celeste appeared on horseback, frowning at the scene, his eyes unreadable.
Ji Zhaoxi quickly pulled him off the horse. “He’s my servant! Celeste is my servant!”
She refused to lose face in front of Lorian.
Celeste carried gems in his arms and looked down at her.
Her face turned crimson as she rambled, “We’ve already done everything. Don’t you dare look down on me, Lorian.”
Lorian’s eyes narrowed with doubt. “You defeated Celeste?”
Ji Zhaoxi nodded seriously. “That’s right.”
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi all flushed and flustered, Lorian let out a snort.
If Ji Zhaoxi actually understood what she’d just said, her name would be spelled backward.
But that wasn’t why she’d come this time.
“Mother’s birthday party—you’re not allowed to go.” Lorian’s tone was domineering.
Ji Zhaoxi’s lips twitched. She hadn’t planned on going anyway.
And even if she wanted to, she couldn’t—only the dragons with the top combat skills could attend.
The one time she’d been invited by her eldest sister as a child, she found out that Mother Dragon’s birthday was basically a fight.
Mother Dragon would sit on her throne, watching the dragons below battle; their fighting strength was her birthday gift.
Ji Zhaoxi never wanted to go again.
Lorian didn’t believe for a second that Ji Zhaoxi didn’t want to go. Every dragon craved an invitation to Mother Dragon’s banquet. She suspected Ji Zhaoxi would try some sneaky method to slip in, so she would assign people to keep an eye on her.
Lorian was the one who respected Ji Zhaoxi the most—because she always thought Ji Zhaoxi was both dumb and full of mischief.
Thus, the new servant was fired, and Celeste personally escorted him away.
Ji Zhaoxi didn’t want a servant who embarrassed her.
And he talked nonsense on top of it—absolutely unacceptable.
In the tenth kingdom north of the cave, the Frog Prince was being warmly entertained.
Unexpectedly, after switching to a different country, he had finally found his ideal princess.
In another room, the princess wept softly. “Mother, that frog keeps clinging to me. I’m so scared. I shouldn’t have taken that glowing ball.”
The queen comforted her. “Don’t be afraid. Let Mother handle this.”
Whatever “cursed prince” the witch had mentioned—just treat him like an ordinary frog.
At that moment, the frog was eating heartily at the dining table, while the maidservant nearby felt disgusted by his voracious gobbling.
The queen and the princess had returned.
The frog was already drunk, his gaze hazy as he looked at the princess—his princess was truly beautiful.
The princess barely suppressed her nausea and whispered, "Prince, have you eaten your fill?"
The frog felt himself being gently lifted by the princess, and he couldn't help rubbing against her hand.
The next second, the princess threw him straight into the boiling soup. The queen quickly pressed the lid down tight.
The frog's agonized cries kept coming from inside. The queen and the princess were so terrified that cold sweat kept pouring down.
The maid immediately lit a fire. When the sounds inside had completely died down, they opened the lid.
A cooked frog had merged into the sweet-smelling soup, its body already decomposed by the heat.
The princess used a ladle to scoop the frog out and tossed it onto the ground. The soldiers brought over a dog, which didn't even leave the bones behind.
The frog had vanished completely.
