The Dragon's Flower: Severity Grey: The Dragon's Flower, #6

By Choco Lily

When the enchanting heroine and the dashing hero finalized the date of their wedding, Xiao Hua looked forward to witnessing an ancient wedding ritual for the first time!

 

Marriage is a big and life-changing event. That must explain why the heroine decided to go wild before she got tied down, even if her actions would destroy their homeland. The heroine's to-do list consists of crossdressing, capturing new supporting male leads, doing new business that's borderline illegal, and face slapping more cannon fodders. 

 

Heroine, aren't you tired? Why don't you take a break? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Choco Lily
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201071790

Choco Lily

Choco Lily is a pseudonym of a shy Malaysian author that enjoys writing down stories that take over most of the space in her brain during her free time. She mostly writes romance with fantasy elements to add some spice into her stories, all in the name of keeping things interesting. When she takes a break from writing and real-life responsibilities, she could be found sitting at a corner of her room, reading fiction novels. Web novels and manga are her current form of entertainment and sometimes inspiration for her current and upcoming stories.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The shame was shared equally

The palace was especially noisy lately, with everyone busy preparing for the Second Prince's wedding that would happen in one week’s time.

The Second Prince had his own manor outside the palace, but the Emperor wanted to hold a ceremony to offer goods to God before Liu Chu Chu's sedan entered the Second Prince's gate. The Emperor decided to hold a grand ceremony but it was the palace servants that need to suffer in making sure the preparations goes well.  

In contrast to the noisy atmosphere, there was a guest courtyard unaffected by the quick paced atmosphere and remained calm and peaceful. That courtyard was given to a very important guest to stay as long as they wished. That important guest was currently sipping tea after partaking in his simple lunch, accompanied by his apprentice and adopted daughter. 

Duan Xi Ying was the only servant around as the other maidservants of the Third Prince had disappeared to complete their assigned tasks. Doctor Bai did not have any servants accompanying him, preferring to do everything by himself.

As for Tian Zi, once the Third Prince had passed on a word that Tian Chi should be returning these days, she immediately requested to stay at the Third Prince's manor with the excuse of helping the steward oversee the management. Like a cheetah, she sprinted back to the Third Prince's manor as soon as she had gotten permission. 

The two girls might have two years of an age gap between them, but they acted more like twins, where they would feel uncomfortable if they were separated for more than a day. The girls had gotten close during their enslavement camp period and both were lucky to be picked by the Third Prince. 

Normally, Xiao Hua would try to ask where they were from before they were forced to be slaves. But after being told off by Doctor Bai about respecting people's privacy, she admitted that there were things she did not need to know just to satisfy her curiosity. 

Did Tian Zi not know that Tian Chi would come here when she returns? Xiao Hua had asked Duan Xi Ying once she heard the news of Tian Zi leaving. The ‘here’ she had spoken was the courtyard given for Doctor Bai to stay inside the palace.

Duan Xi Ying smiled in a gleeful manner. Tian Zi will remember soon.

The Third Prince had treated this courtyard as his second home since the day he returned, with the excuse of spending more time with his Teacher until the day he would return to his land. He also had a hidden motive, which was to spend more time with Xiao Hua.

After that night of debauchery, he no longer touched her inappropriately, acting like a perfect gentleman. Not even a kiss was given to her and the number of hugs had noticeably decreased. But his eyes could not hide his yearning and Xiao Hua often had to check if she had accidentally flashed her skin when she saw that pair of hungry eyes.

Doctor Bai had agreed to stay until after the Second Prince's wedding and it was the first time Long Zhu wished Long Shan to stay safe until his wedding day.

The closer to the Second Prince's date of marriage, the more rumours of young misses trying their last chance to grab the attention of the Second Prince were spread like wildfire all over the capital. Most ladies aimed for the first wife title but they also did not mind being his concubine, much to some of their noble, high ranked fathers' horror.

That rumour must be the truth since the Second Prince had barred guests from coming over to his manor until the wedding date. 

Among the rumors, there was one that caught Xiao Hua's interest. Seeing his little flower's head tilted nearer to the gossip provider Duan Xi Ying, Long Zhu asked, You've met Minister Wan's daughter?

She shook her head in denial. Not at all. I'm just a little surprised at how bold she is.

Unlike the other ladies that expressed their interest subtly, this Minister Wan's daughter bluntly expressed her love to him when Liu Chu Chu was standing right beside him.

What happened after that? Xiao Hua asked and in her distraction, her hands slowed down in peeling the skin of mandarin oranges. 

Earlier, An Jing had dropped a basket filled with freshly plucked mandarin oranges from Third Prince's manor before disappearing somewhere. Coincidentally, The Third Prince wanted to eat some mandarin oranges today. 

By now, Xiao Hua had already gotten used to how magnificent An Jing as a maid was. She must be the most dedicated maid of the Third Prince to be able to anticipate when her master wanted to eat mandarin oranges. But it might also be due to the mandarin orange being her master's favourite fruit. 

Doctor Bai glanced at his apprentice that suddenly became more cheerful. The reason was that Xiao Hua had automatically reached out for an orange to peel its skin before placing it on an empty plate for the Third Prince.

The whole thing was done due to the habit of serving the Third Prince as his personal maid. If she was still in the manor, she would have brought out their best taste with her cheat skill before plucking them for the Third Prince's enjoyment. 

She refused to sing love songs for plucked mandarin oranges in front of anybody!

Liu Chu Chu ignored her and the Second Prince told her off publicly for being shameless and uneducated. She won't have good marriage after this~

With a palm to cover her parted mouth, Xiao Hua felt a tinge of sympathy for the other girl. It must be very embarrassing for her. Those that had witnessed it would gossip about her and spread it to everyone in no time. She would have a hard time showing her face after this.

Ladies are taught to act proper and not to embarrass their family name. What she had done showed that her etiquette is poor, the Third Prince pointed out. In his opinion, that young lady was asking to be scolded and deserved to be chastised for her unrestrained actions. 

Xiao Hua quickly nodded to agree with his words as she pushed the memories of those shameless and bold fangirls of her boss away from the front of her mind. Their actions were indeed scorned by others, but when so many ladies did the same thing, the shame was shared equally.

Bai Chuan! Let's go out. Long Yuen stepped into the room without knocking since the door was wide open for fresh air to enter. Eunuch Lau Liu was following behind him with a wide smile that revealed crow's feet near his eyes.

Where will we be going? Doctor Bai asked, but he had stood up with the intention to follow his friend out. 

Moonlight Lake Pavilion. Long Zhu is the owner, so we can play to our heart's content without needing to worry.

Long Zhu sighed but did not say a word of protest or deny the fact that he was the owner of Moonlight Lake Pavilion. He was not surprised that his Imperial grandfather would find out about this with his remaining contacts still lying around. 

Doctor Bai turned to the youngsters. If that's the case, then don't wait for us tonight.

Xiao Hua's originally interested expression dimmed when she realized she would not be joining them. She vaguely remembered that Long Lian had mentioned Moonlight Lake Pavilion during their outing to the market, but she had not bothered to remember it. Now she could only feel regret after knowing Long Zhu built that place.

The Third Prince rubbed her head. If you want to go, I can bring you there next time.

...Why not today?!

She could only sadly watch as the two elderly men went out without bringing her along. Could it be they were going to have super wild fun that only eighteen and above can participate?

Moonlight Lake Pavilion is not a high-class entertainment place, right?!

I remember you said that arranged marriage is rare in your world and everyone decided on their own marriage partner by themselves?

Xiao Hua turned away from the door reluctantly. Actually most would do the right thing by seeking their parent's permission first before they marry.

But she did not speak about special cases where children and parents were in a bad relationship or if they were orphans. There were also plenty of stories where parents did not agree with their child's choice, and thus, the children would secretly get married. Not to mention, it seemed to be a common occurrence for pregnancy to happen first before picking up the speed to marry. 

What do people in that world do during their meetings with each other before their marriage? the Third Prince asked curiously. 

Even if he disliked his parents arranging any marriage for him, that did not mean he did not see the benefit from it. Parents have a wide connection and know plenty of respectable families. They would never choose a bad marriage partner for their children where their child would be put at a disadvantage.

Previously, Long Zhu that was uninterested in females was fortunate that the Crown Prince was still single, easing him from being pressured to get married. In fact, he was still thankful for it because it gave him the time to meet Xiao Hua and finally have his little flower promised to him. 

We call those meetings between the couple as dates. The couple would go and watch plays, have meals together, sightseeing places or just spend time together privately. They would also exchange gifts to show their... appreciation for each other. 

The Third Prince nodded. That's similar to how we get to know of arranged partner as well. Do they bring chaperones to their date as well?

No. They don't. Xiao Hua laughed. To us, having a parent or relatives to tag along their date is super awkward.

Long Zhu also dislike having extra people in the same room while he was enjoying his time with Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua, why don't we go on a date?

Huh?

Xi Ying, help Xiao Hua change into those clothes.

Yes, Master~

Before Xiao Hua could inject even a word in, Duan Xi Ying had spirited her to the bedroom to dress her up for their date.

Chapter 2

I feel like a cow

The Third Prince must have planned this outing beforehand because when Xiao Hua entered her room, there was already clothing for today's outing waiting for her.  

Duan Xi Ying's movement was quick and smooth like her true form as she helped Xiao Hua change into a light pink attire made of thinner cloth, matched with plain dark pink shoes that were made thicker for long walks. Next, her hair was tied into double side plaits, just like a countryside girl. There were bells tied at the end of the plaits which let out a tiny sound whenever she moved. 

Xi Ying, let's not use the bells, okay? Xiao Hua asked with an awkward 'haha'. She could tolerate the double pigtails, but not the bells!

Master specially choose these lovely bells for Xiao Hua~

I feel like a cow ah.

But she no longer complained about it since the Third Prince insisted on it. Duan Xi Ying steered Xiao Hua out of the room and to the entrance of the courtyard, where the Third Prince was already waiting. 

Xiao Hua was taken aback when she took in what the Third Prince was wearing. The royal blue robes with plain patterns displayed his tall height and figure well. His hair was completely tied up into a high horse tail style but what surprised Xiao Hua was the silver mask that covered the top part of his face. The right part of the mask has a longer length than the left with a bell hanging at the end of it, alike to those that were tied around her hair.

It was a weird mask, but if it was supposed to act as a disguise to hide his pretty face, he failed! Everyone would be attracted to his sharp and strong chin, along with his white long neck teased by his ponytail at every move.

Even this young lady wants to remove the mask when I already know what's beneath it!

The Third Prince smiled fondly at Xiao Hua, his eyes taking in her new attire. Xiao Hua looks adorable.

Thank you for the outfit.

He reached out and tug one of her plaits lightly. I am just indulging one of my own desire.

What kind of desire are you talking about...?

Sadly, the Third Prince had no intention of explaining it. Only Da Liu will come along. The rest of you, stay behind. 

Will Sir Da Liu be enough? Xiao Hua asked, concerned. They were talking about the Third Prince's safety after all. No matter how strong he was, the attacker might use dirty tricks or overwhelm him with large numbers. 

If I'm not strong enough to protect my fiancé, I’m not a worthy husband-to-be.

Xiao Hua blushed and no longer wanted to argue with him. How could he easily say such sappy things without getting embarrassed?

They would be travelling using a small and plain carriage, but the interior was as luxurious as the other Third Prince's carriage. Even if they were travelling incognito, they still had to travel in comfort.

By now, Xiao Hua knew better than peeking out of the window. After An Jing had explained why she should not do so, Xiao Hua felt like an ignorant kid. 

To show her face to everyone, what if someone recognized her as the Third Prince's maidservant? Such manner was undisciplined and invited danger. In contrast, Third Prince was just worried that she would accidentally drop out of the window. 

That's just ridiculous! I'm not baby size!

Where are we going? She was curious about what dates consisted of in this time era. In most Chinese novels she had read, most of the dates were usually unknown by others because they happened during the night when the hero would slip into the heroine's bedroom. 

Fortunately, the Third Prince was a gentleman and would never commit such a shameless thing.

We just had our afternoon meal, so we shall go and walk around to visit some shops.

Xiao Hua nodded. Speaking of shops, it reminded her about the heroine. Third Prince, do you know anything about an information exchange shop? It's new but its fame is slowly rising.

Long Zhu decided to put away his little flower's disuse of his name for now and focused on her question. Does Xiao Hua want to know about something? You can just ask me to find out about it.

No, that's not it, Xiao Hua hurried to explain. I remember that the heroine wanted to start up a special information gathering business around this time right before her wedding. It is a secret base, hidden under the disguise of a pawn shop.

Le Xiao Ting did not even bother remembering the name of the shop or whatever description of its location written in the novel. It was a normal habit of hers to skip lengthy descriptions about places she had no interest in.

"If I'm able to recall correctly, ‘A pair of genuine eye’ is the name of the pawn shop under Long Shan's name. That should be the place. Do you want to go and take a look?"

No! Don't even go there! They will find us suspicious and then kill us!

The Third Prince was amused. You think too much. We are just looking around as customers, they will not kill us.

His words did nothing to calm her anxiousness. But not if they found out who you are. The hero will immediately think you are planning against him and then the heroine will encourage him to stop you. They might plan small in the beginning, but emotions would make them go overboard. They are also petty, so don't get close to them.

Previously, when Le Xiao Ting was still a fan of the hero and heroine, she was blind to their faults and praise them for moving first before the enemy does. But now that they were enemies, she was suddenly able to point out plenty of their flaws. 

If you are worried about it, then we won't go. I will have Duke Heng go and look around instead. He can visit in the pretence of pawning some of his treasure.

Passing the death trap to Duke Heng... I feel pity for you, handsome duke!

Da Liu stopped the carriage at an empty alley and the occupants stepped out, accompanied by the tinkling of bells.

Her blush renewed when the Third Prince grabbed onto her hand and entwined it. W-What are you doing?

Holding hands. It would be bad if we got separated.

She remembered that she had held hands with An Jing and Long Lian in the past as well when they walked around the crowded street. Yes, that would be bad.

They stepped out of the alley and Da Liu disappeared from view to secretly follow them. 

Xiao Hua had fully expected that everyone would stare at Third Prince, but strangely, no one gave him a second glance.

Is it normal for one to wear such a strange mask?

Da Liu had dropped them at the street with shops that sells higher quality and definitely more expensive products. Familiar with the habit of window shopping, Xiao Hua admired all the lovely hairpins, accessories, and clothes as they passed by. 

But what she failed to account for was that the first time the Third Prince caught her expression of admiration, he nearly brought the item that caught her eyes if she did not stop him in time.

Just because I like it does not mean I need to buy it, Xiao Hua explained and felt a sense of nostalgia when he gave her a pitying gaze. 

Fudge! This is called saving money, you rich prince!

It did not help when those flattering shopkeepers praised them to encourage them to buy their products.

This young master, this butterfly hairpin would look great on your beautiful wife's hair!

You two are such a perfect couple! Matching with these gold bracelets, the two of you will look even more matching!

Xiao Hua had to pull the Third Prince's arm