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In the corridor, darkness prevails. The girls proceed one after the other. In this darkness, no one speaks. Mengdie can even feel that they are suppressing their breathing. Mengdie, unaware of the etiquette of a royal maid, doesn't dare to speak in such an atmosphere. She can only hold Nia's hand tightly and move forward.

Finally...

"!!!"

Around a corner, suddenly, a strong sunlight makes it hard for Mengdie to open her eyes. Once accustomed to the light, the scene that comes into view astonishes her.

This is a genuine royal garden. No, it's more accurate to call it a sea of flowers! Various flowers, both known and unknown, are clustered in this vast square. The sweet fragrance of flowers is overwhelming, enchanting anyone who smells it.

Surrounding this vast sea of flowers is a wall. Mengdie and the others have just entered through an opening in the wall. The flower sea is shrouded in a thin mist. Looking left and right, the left wall extends far into the distance, becoming blurry. To the right, the base of the wall is the edge of a huge castle. Due to the distance, Mengdie can't see clearly, but she can distinguish the castle's outline through the mist. The opposite wall... is invisible.

There are four marble pathways in the garden, extending from the east, south, west, and north, converging in the middle. At the center of the flower sea is a pavilion-like structure, small and exquisite compared to the vast flower sea. The flower sculptures on the marble are lifelike, and the white construction gives the pavilion a sacred feel.

Looking up, the sky is still blue, with white clouds and the sun. However, Mengdie notices that the sunlight here is not as scorching as outside. The position of the sun seems a bit off, and there are slightly more clouds than the cloudless sky outside. According to a plump maid, the royal garden's ceiling is covered with a magical barrier, projecting images of wind and sunshine. Thus, even in bad weather, the royal family can enjoy the afternoon sun of spring.

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At the moment, Sasha seems not to have arrived yet. The maids around Mengdie have already started to get busy. They hurriedly walk to the path leading to the castle, standing on both sides. Seeing this, Nia also moves forward to line up. However, Mengdie pulls her back.

"What's wrong?" Nia asks, puzzled.

Mengdie puts a finger to her lips, signaling silence. Then, she looks left and right and, seizing a moment when the plump maid is not looking, grabs Nia and jumps into the nearby flower bed. When the plump maid comes to find them, they are nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe they've already gone to line up?"

The plump maid doesn't think much of it and hurries to stand by the road, quietly waiting for the princess.

2:45...

2:50...

2:55...

Time passes by the second, and the entire royal garden falls into silence. The maids standing on both sides of the marble path are utterly quiet, standing there with excellent manners.

In the flower bed—

"Mengdie sister... these flowers... they're making me itchy."

"Shh, be quiet."

Mengdie covers Nia's mouth, lays down her tail, and waits quietly in the flowers...

"Dong... Dong... Dong..."

From afar, three bell tolls are heard. As the third bell tolls end, Mengdie's ears suddenly perk up! She hears footsteps coming slowly from a distance.

These are light footsteps, moving gracefully and dignifiedly. Just from the sound of the footsteps, Mengdie's lips curl into a smile. She knows that the person she's been waiting for has finally arrived.

The footsteps get closer and, eventually, the owner of the footsteps slowly walks into the pavilion in the middle of the garden. Then, a voice familiar to Mengdie floats from the pavilion.

"You all may leave."

"Yes, Princess."

Over a hundred maids respond in unison. Although there are many of them, there is no chaos! Mengdie sneakily raises her head, seeing the maids walking towards the castle in orderly steps. The plump maid mentioned earlier that after welcoming Sasha, they were to head to the castle for afternoon cleaning.

In less than a quarter of an hour, all the maids leave. In the flower-scented garden, only two young maids silently stand outside the pavilion. Sasha sits alone in the pavilion, sipping tea, enjoying the flowers.

Compared to their last meeting, Sasha is wearing a magnificent court dress today. The silver sparkling powder on her dress highlights her silver hair tied up beautifully. Her white skin, as always, and pointed ears signify her elven lineage. Silver earrings and a necklace blend seamlessly with the princess. Anyone who sees her would immediately think of "nobility" and "elegance."

The air is filled with the scent of flowers, and the quietness is soothing. A few birds fly by, chirping contentedly at Sasha's feet, adding tranquility to the serene scene.

But...

Sasha's expression seems not very good.

The princess looks at the endless sea of flowers, sips her tea, and then places the cup on her lap, sighing softly...

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