Chapter 45: A Mother’s Embrace and a Hidden Curse

The following day, Su Mu, clad in his bathrobe, stepped onto the corridor and stretched languidly, greeting the early morning sun.

Waking up naturally felt truly wonderful. He felt invigorated, brimming with vitality. It seemed the adage from his previous life about early to bed and early to rise promoting good health truly held wisdom.

It was roughly between seven and nine in the morning, and the garden exuded the crisp freshness of dew.

Pine nut dew, sacred deer milk, and phoenix bird eggs comprised Su Mu’s simple, yet utterly satisfying breakfast.

With every taste of these peculiar, otherworldly delicacies, he was struck by the profound realization, ‘Ah, I truly have come to another world.’

Once Bai Ji had finished tidying up, they prepared to depart for Queen Furei’s bedchamber.

The little fox, perched on Su Mu’s shoulder, seemed incredibly eager. Despite having just met Furei yesterday, it still brimmed with anticipation and joy.

Upon arriving outside the Queen’s bedchamber, Su Mu immediately spotted the graceful lady within, meticulously admiring flowers. It appeared the rumors of the Queen’s fondness for flowers were indeed true.

Su Mu and his companions were quite noticeable. Their mere approach quickly drew Furei’s attention.

“Little Mu Mu~”

Furei greeted Su Mu with delight, ushering him in and instructing her maids to prepare refreshments.

Su Mu took a beautifully packaged floral tea from Bai Ji and presented it to Furei.

“Mother, I brought you some floral tea. I heard it has beautifying and anti-aging properties. You can drink this when you have time; it’s good for your health.”

Furei’s smile widened to her eyes. She accepted the floral tea from Su Mu as if it were a rare treasure, holding it with utmost care.

“Thank you, Little Mu Mu. You shouldn’t have gone to such trouble~”

“You’re too kind, Mother.”

Su Mu lowered his gaze, finding it difficult to meet the eyes of this exceedingly gentle woman. King Louis’s earlier words had served as a stark warning: in the palace, no one could be trusted except himself.

Yet, faced with such a kind and warm woman, he couldn’t help but feel an urge to rely on and trust her.

Su Mu subtly bit the tip of his tongue, forcing himself to calm down, and looked at Furei once more.

The woman was still lost in the joy of her child’s gift. It was merely a jade box containing floral tea, yet she cherished it as if it were an invaluable relic, unable to put it down.

A tremor ran through Su Mu’s heart once more. If his own mother were still alive, she would likely be just like this…

“Jiji—”

The little fox suddenly began to yelp softly, as if in a frenzy.

Furei’s gaze flickered towards it, seemingly by accident, as she caressed the smooth surface of the jade box. A smile played on her lips as she continued to chat with Su Mu about everyday matters.

She spoke of a new Western Regions flower recently brought into the palace, exceptionally beautiful yet emitting a foul odor. She also mentioned how long it had been since the King last visited her, adding that she would surely ‘punish’ him to rest well once he was free.

Such topics filled their conversation. Su Mu listened quietly, offering reassuring responses.

“Oh, that reminds me, Little Mu Mu,” Furei suddenly inquired, “I have a rather ill-tempered puppy that simply won’t listen. Do you have any ideas on how to make it obedient?”

Su Mu offered a knowing smile. “It’s just an animal. If it doesn’t listen, it means you’ve been too good to it. Tie it up with a rope for a few days, and it’ll behave.”

“Is that so? As expected of Little Mu Mu, you truly are knowledgeable.”

The morning tea prepared by the maids was served. Furei complained briefly about the slow service, then urged Su Mu, “Little Mu Mu, eat it while it’s hot. This is top-grade bird’s nest from the north. You’ve always been delicate since childhood, so you should nourish yourself more.”

“Of course, thank you, Mother.”

Su Mu savored the warmth of maternal affection, taking the small jade bowl and sipping slowly. Perhaps he hadn’t eaten enough for breakfast, or perhaps the bird’s nest was simply too delicious, awakening his appetite, for he ate three servings before finally stopping.

Furei only ate a little, instead watching Su Mu eat with a joyful smile. It seemed watching him eat brought her more happiness than eating herself.

“Mother, thank you for the refreshments. I won’t disturb your rest any longer. I’ll come visit you again when I have the chance.”

Su Mu prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a dark shadow seemed to fall upon his brow. Su Mu faltered, then lost consciousness, collapsing without warning.

Bai Ji sensed something was amiss and, with swift hands, immediately caught Su Mu.

“Your Highness!”

She cried out, a hint of panic in her voice.

Furei’s expression turned grave, and she frowned, taking Su Mu from Bai Ji’s arms. She gently pushed up Su Mu’s eyelids, revealing his eyeballs were an unnatural grayish-white.

“Your Majesty, what has happened to His Highness?” Bai Ji asked, concern etched on her face.

“A curse!” Furei’s voice held a trace of unease.

“A curse? How could this be?” Bai Ji’s face registered disbelief. As His Highness’s personal protector, she was certain he had never come into contact with any cursed items.

“It doesn’t seem man-made, but rather spontaneously generated by a vengeful spirit. Where have you two been recently? How did you encounter such a powerful vengeful spirit?”

Furei’s gaze sharpened as she looked at Bai Ji, her eyes filled with displeasure. “What were you doing?! How could you let my Little Mu Mu fall into such a predicament?!”

Bai Ji was also bewildered. Could it be the Lower City? Panic began to set in. Her own sensitivity to non-physical spirits was extremely poor. If Su Mu had indeed contracted a curse due to a vengeful spirit in the Lower City, she truly might not have detected it.

She looked at Furei, distraught, and quickly asked, “Your Majesty, do you have a solution? Please, you must save His Highness!”

The Queen hesitated, then slowly said, “There is a way, but it requires you to make some sacrifices.”

Bai Ji responded without hesitation, “I am willing! Whatever it takes, as long as it helps His Highness, I am willing to do it!”

Furei offered a relieved smile and explained, “Little Mu Mu collapsed because the curse power suddenly erupted, and his soul couldn’t bear it. Since there’s no time to address the source of the curse, the only thing we can do is to contract Little Mu Mu’s soul with someone else’s. Through this contract, the curse power can be shared, alleviating the pressure on Little Mu Mu’s soul.”

Bai Ji pondered, feeling a bit confused. “Your Majesty, do you mean…?”

Furei produced a familiar-looking silver chain and held it before Bai Ji. “This master-servant contract is the most effective means of contracting. It can distribute the curse power on Su Mu to the greatest extent. What do you think?”

Bai Ji understood Furei’s meaning and nodded without hesitation. “I am willing!” She glanced at the little fox beside them, who had also signed a contract with Su Mu.

The little fox was now resting with its eyes closed, its body trembling slightly, seemingly struggling to resist the curse power.

“Good, come here.”

Furei nodded with satisfaction. She placed the silver necklace around Bai Ji’s neck, saying, “Relax. Dizziness is normal. Do not resist, or all our efforts will be in vain.”

Bai Ji nodded firmly, enduring the searing, branding pain in her mind.

A quarter of an hour passed. A red rune flashed on Bai Ji’s forehead, then quickly vanished.

“Alright, the contract is complete.”

Both Furei and Bai Ji breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously. Bai Ji, enduring the throbbing pain in her mind, immediately went to check on Su Mu.

Indeed, the agonizing expression that had contorted Su Mu’s face during his unconsciousness slowly smoothed out. His tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and his long eyelashes fluttered, as if he were about to awaken.

“That’s wonderful…” Bai Ji exclaimed from the depths of her heart.

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