Chapter 443: You Said You Would Marry Me When You Were Young
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Feng Ling was only stunned for a second when she heard the High Priestess say that.
She lowered her eyes to hide the emotions in them and nodded. “Master, I understand.”
The High Priestess looked at her kindly and said, “Guardians are one of our shields and can protect us. If we use someone, we shouldn’t suspect them. If we suspect someone, we shouldn’t use them. Lan’er is your twin sister and she grew up with you. You should know her character better than any of us.”
“Mm.”
If she hadn’t experienced the next five months and the last strike, Feng Ling would have had the same thought as the High Priestess.
However, it was human nature to be greedy, especially those who had turned evil.
At the thought of this, Feng Ling suddenly remembered Feng Lan’s last words.
She wanted to replace her as the High Priestess and marry the king.
“Ling’er, are you listening?”
Feng Ling came back to her senses. “Master, I’m listening. Don’t worry. As long as Lan’er is loyal to me, I will dote on her forever.”
If she had a change of heart, that would be another story.
There was nothing wrong with what Feng Ling said. The High Priestess didn’t say anything else and continued to talk about when the sacrificial ceremony would be held.
“I calculated. The day after tomorrow is a good day. Go and discuss with the king later. The sacrificial ceremony will be held the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay, Master.”
Then, the two of them discussed for a while more before Feng Ling walked out of the High Priestess’s bedchamber.
Then, she went to the palace.
When the head butler saw her coming, he quickly welcomed her and said respectfully, “Priestess, His Majesty is in the imperial study discussing state affairs with the ministers. I will report your arrival immediately.”
Feng Ling stopped him and asked, “How long has His Majesty and the others been in there?”
“Almost four hours.”
Feng Ling nodded. “In that case, I’ll wait for him.”
“Okay. Priestess, please follow me to Jingxin Hall to wait for the king.”
Jingxin Hall was where the king rested after he was tired from dealing with the country’s affairs. Occasionally, he would meet the ministers alone there. Feng Ling nodded and followed him to Jingxin Hall.
The head butler got someone to deliver tea, snacks, and some books to Feng Ling before leaving.
This wasn’t the first time Feng Ling had come to Jingxin Hall. She picked up a book and sat there to read.
In the modern era, she was used to nesting on the sofa and reading. She was originally sitting upright, but as she read, she subconsciously took off her shoes and placed her feet on the wooden couch.
When the king entered, he saw Feng Ling, who was leaning against the wooden couch and reading a book with a content expression.
He deliberately walked over lightly.
Feng Ling only realized it when the king approached her. She looked up at him from the book. When she saw the king’s gaze, she realized that she had lost all her image and was about to sit properly.
However, the king sat down beside her and pressed her shoulder. “Don’t move. Just lean against it.”
The king added, “If you like to read so much, I’ll get someone to put some soft cushions on the wooden couch or make it into a soft couch.”
Feng Ling looked at him awkwardly and reminded him, “This is your place to rest.”
The king chuckled. “You can come here often in the future.”
“Who wants to come often?”
Feng Ling still sat up straight and said to him, “I’m here to discuss the spring ritual with you. Master said that the day after tomorrow is a good day. I’ll organize this ritual…”
Then, Feng Ling told him what preparations were required and what he and the officials needed to do.
The king listened seriously. After she finished speaking, he nodded. “Okay, I’ll send someone to prepare immediately.”
After saying that, he didn’t move but looked at her feet.
When Feng Ling realized his motive and wanted to retract her leg under her dress, the king’s large hand had already grabbed her leg.
His palm was warm. Even through the layer of socks, Feng Ling’s face turned red as if she had been scalded. She wanted to pull her leg back from his hand.
The king held it tightly and leaned over to say to her, “Little Ling’er, your feet are cold.”
“I’m wearing socks. It’s not cold.”
“It’s cold.”
With that, the king took off her socks.
Feng Ling’s feet were fair and tender, and especially good-looking. After the king took off her socks, he said, “It’s cold now.”
Feng Ling was simply speechless and could only look at him with a wooden face.
The king rubbed his thumb on her delicate and smooth foot a few times and said, “I often washed your feet when you were young. When you grow up, you won’t even let me look at it.”
Feng Ling opened her mouth and said after a while, “Men and women need to observe boundaries.”
“When you were young, you said that you would marry me when you grow up. This statement is not applicable to us.”
“…”
Feng Ling inexplicably recalled some childhood memories after hearing his words.
She was only four years old when she was brought back by the High Priestess to be groomed as her successor. Having left her parents at such a young age, she would definitely miss home a lot.
One time, she secretly ran out, thinking that she could run home. For some reason, she ran into the palace, which was very close to the Priest Hall.
Moreover, she happened to meet the late emperor who had passed away. At the age of ten, he was already the king who held up the entire empire.
Little Feng Ling happened to be hiding in a concealed place crying when footsteps came from behind.
She turned around and looked at the boy standing there with a tense face. Even though he was only ten years old, he had already forgotten to cry.
“Little fellow, why are you hiding here and crying secretly?”
The prideful Little Feng Ling wiped her tears and said, “I’m not crying.”
Then, she remembered that she was the future High Priestess, whose power was equivalent to that of the king. She stood up and walked to the king with her short legs. She threatened him in a childish voice, “You’re not allowed to tell anyone. Otherwise… otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?”
The king looked at the tender Little Feng Ling, who had a tsundere expression. His frustration miraculously calmed down. He bent down and looked at her. “Who are you?”
Little Feng Ling immediately raised her chin. “I’m a priestess.”
“You are the next successor brought back by the High Priestess.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you here?”
Little Feng Ling was stunned by this question, but she remembered what she had threatened him with and said, “It’s none of your business. In any case, you’re not allowed to tell anyone that you’ve seen me.”
Her master, the High Priestess, had said that as her heir, she couldn’t cry casually. Little Feng Ling definitely didn’t want her master to know that she was crying secretly.
The king looked at the petite and tender little girl in front of him and picked her up.
“Ah, what are you doing?”
“Your face is filled with tears and snot. Once you go out, everyone will know that you’ve cried. How about I take you to wash it off?”
Little Feng Ling tilted her head and thought for a while before nodding. “Okay.”
The king brought Little Feng Ling back to his palace.
In the palace, the king washed Feng Ling’s face and fed her pastry.
Little Feng Ling was touched and would run over to play with the king from time to time thereafter.
One time, she heard someone discuss the king in private, saying that he didn’t acknowledge anyone at such a young age.
The Phoenix Skies Dynasty would definitely be ruined in his hands.
Such coldness was definitely the life of a jinx.
After hearing this, Feng Ling ran out to argue with the two ten-year-old children.
Those two children had never seen Feng Ling before and didn’t know that she was the successor of the High Priestess. They wanted to beat up Feng Ling, but they were coincidentally seen by the king who came to pick her up when Little Feng Ling was about to come.
That time, the young king flew into a rage for the first time in front of Little Feng Ling.
As for what happened to those two people, Little Feng Ling didn’t know, but for the first time, she felt the murderous aura emanating from the king’s body that didn’t match his age.
The king hugged her and told her as they walked towards his palace, “You are the most respected successor of the High Priestess. Whoever dares to be disrespectful to you will be killed without mercy.”
Little Feng Ling responded, not fully understanding.
When the king carried her to his palace, Feng Ling thought of what the two children had said and repeated, “They said that you were a jinx.”
After saying that, she touched his face like an adult and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m the future High Priestess. I’ll help you change your fate.”
When the king heard this, he laughed and deliberately asked her, “Do you know what a jinx is?”
Little Feng Ling definitely didn’t know at that time, so the king said to her, “A jinx is destined to be single forever.”
Then, he said, “You’re the heir to the High Priestess. You can help me a lot, but you can’t give me a wife.”
Little Feng Ling was indignant. She held his head and looked into his eyes seriously. “Who said I can’t? If you don’t have a wife in the future, I can be your wife.”
“Okay, it’s a deal.”
The young king took her words seriously.
Thus, Feng Ling betrayed herself just like that.
Feng Ling came back to her senses and met the king’s deep eyes.
“Do you remember?”
“No.”
Feng Ling quickly replied. In the next second, under the king’s playful eyes, she said with a straight face, “I was only four years old at that time. I didn’t know anything.”
“Are you going to go back on your word? But… I took it seriously.”
After saying that, the king put her feet under his clothes and pressed them against his chest.
Feng Ling’s face turned red. “You, you, you…”
“Your feet are cold. I’ll warm them for you. Didn’t I often warm your feet like this when we were young?”
“…”
Feng Ling looked at the king’s handsome face and suddenly had the urge to scratch it.
As if guessing her thoughts, the king finally took out her foot.
Feng Ling was about to put on her socks when the king took them first.
“Hey…”
“Don’t move. I’ll help you put it on.”
After saying that, the king took her feet and placed them on his lap before putting on her socks.