Julius watched frozen as Zhi Rui fell on the ground. snapping back to reality, he threw the skin parchment in the ground and held her in his chest and ran towards the entrance. Shizu saw Julius with a never before seen anxious expression and immediately took hold of her sword, but contrary to expectation, he stood in front of her flustered

"I-I, we-we were standing there she suddenly f-fell w-what do I do?!"

Shizu stood dumbfounded, she stared intensely at him, she saw as he grew angry each second she did not answer.

Shizu calmed herself and said "First of all prince, lay her on the ground. Let me examine her."

Julius like a child, slowly put Zhi Rui on the ground, when Shizu tried to pry it with her energy, something slapped her sense away, she jumped back from the backlash. She stared at the unconscious Zhi Rui.

Julius got even more anxious, then a voice came in his ear

(Boy, Ethereal lily, feed her ethereal lily and she'll live.)

"W-What who!?" he looked around but did not saw anyone else , he looked at the terrified Shizu and decided to follow the voice.

"Shizu, grab her, come with me to the palace!"

Shizu was still out of it

"Shizu!" Julius called

"Y-yes!" she picked Zhi Rui and ran behind the prince.

-----------------

Zhi Rui woke up to a luxurious ceiling with gold colors.

She propped herself up with her elbows and looked around, she was inside an enormous bedroom with gold and comfort all around.

She laid down again and remembered what just happened to her.

The feeling of being invaded as well as her struggle before falling unconscious. 'It's the second time in two days that I lost conscience.

how lucky can I get?'

Her green eyes went stern as she closed them and examined her core.

she did not find anything, yet she clearly remembered something slipping inside.

Zhi Rui sighed and got up, 'whatever it is, this place is not the pace to investigate it.'

She got up she stopped right before the door, she looked at the plate of fruits to her left and took it with her. She walked while eating. it's been two whole days since she has eaten.

She did not meet Prince Julius or Shizu, She did not want to either, it's better if they don't appear then she can quickly go back to her bedroom.

She greeted the maids on the way trying to find the exit.

As she started to see light at the end of a long corridor she heard a commotion from another path that entered the corridor she was in.

wearing a golden elegant robe Prince Robert the crown prince came before her with his subordinated behind him.

Zhi Rui looked at the man with a sleazy lazy smile as he walked towards her.

"Miss Zhi seems tired, why the hurry to leave?"

"Things to do." She answered bluntly. And resumed walking.

Robert was amused at the girl's defensive answer.

"Then let me accompany you until the exit, I'm going for a walk myself.

"Haaa" Zhi Rui audibly sighed.

The people behind Robert wore extremely bothered expressions.

He lazily raised his hands signaling the people behind him, to not react.

They were almost by the end of the corridor at this point.

Robert when Robert opened his mouth, Zhi Rui simply told goodbye and went her own way.

Now, as the crown prince it doesn't matter how much somebody acted nonchalant with him, all of them had business with him, but she just went away. he frowned at it because everyone who directly showed indifference in this way proved to be difficult to deal with.

Prince Rober observed as Zhi Rui entered the carriage that awaited her the whole morning.

then his vision went upwards at a shadow a block away from the palace.

It looked at him With it's glowing Golden eyes.

Prince Robert stopped in before going out. He looked at his subordinates and went back the corridor, without turning back he said: "Let her in."

The soldiers were confused, then a shadow dropped in their midst. With golden feline eyes, she followed the prince inside the corridor.

---------------

Zhi Rui was trembling in cold inside the carriage. She did not know how, but the crack on her core closed almost completely.

But a coldness started from her stomach making her extremities numb, she was freezing.

As soon as she entered her home She saw Zhin Zhin and commanded her to fill her tub with hot water.

Zhin Zhin saw the young lady bizarre situation and immediately Gathered other maids to help.

Zhi Rui covered herself with furs and coats, but the cold wouldn't disappear, her teeth were trembling.

'What the hell is happening!?' she thought.

Zhi Rui saw the maids coming through with buckets of boiling water.

They filled the tub, Zhin Zhin came in with two buckets of cold water to balance the temperature but Zhi Rui stopped her.

She took all her clothes off, and in front of the maids, jumped in the tub with boiling water.

They all screamed and tried to hold her but once inside Zhi Rui groaned in pleasure. her skin went red, and she started to feel her extremities again.

She looked at the maids standing around apprehensively and waved her hand in dismissal. speechless they went away.

(It's been a while since I saw such a nice body.)

Zhi Rui jumped up and looked around, seeing nothing and feeling the breeze on her upper body she lied down again. Zhi Rui took a deep breath and composed herself in seconds.

She spoke aloud "You're the thing that came out of that beast hide right?"

(keke, you're quick to adapt, I'm a guiding spirit to help you with you amb-)

"Cut the crap, will you? you tried to take over my body." Zhi Rui cut him off.

(Oh, you remembered it then, hmmm well that make it more straightforward then. Girl the only way for me to get out of this body is to either transfer me into another body or for you to die and I take over. So you better help me.)

"Am I supposed to take your word for it?" Zhi Rui questioned.

(I see so you don't know, keke. You're dying girl, whoever you are, Whatever you did to this body broke the spirit in it. The spirit is the essence of the soul, Now that it's in shambles it'll slowly break this body, until eventually destroying itself. that's why I couldn't take over, my spell required a healthy spirit to possess. This one is damaged so I jumped on the crack to your core. Now, girl. Either you follow my words and try to survive or you let this core crack and crack until this body is reduced to nothing.)

Zhi Rui closed her eyes, seeing the crack on her core slowly but steadily expand, she bit her lips until drawing blood.

----------------

You're saying to me that, the general of an empire composed of three nations cannot control his daughter and that she's the one who stole the slaves and used her father as cover. And that she's currently prostituing them to the nobles to eventually get them all to lower their guard to her?

Hilda standing in front of Prince Robert, nodded.

The steward behind the prince looked at her with an absurd face he looked at his prince.

Robert looked at his steward and saw the confusion in his eyes

'He probably can't believe that somebody could try to tell a lie like that, so he's in doubt.'

Prince Robert smiled "Send a letter for the general asking about his daughter, we'll see his reaction and then we'll know for sure.

"And while we wait let's talk about your interests, hummm.."

"Hilda, My name is Hilda." she nodded.

Prince Robert smiled.