This Is My Spirit Pet

"No..." Louis Lin said. "The General ordered us: within three days, the Empress Dowager must revoke the marriage decree—or we’ll lose our heads!"

"So why are you looking for me?"

"After a lot of digging, we found out that Princess Olivia absolutely hates people who smell weird," Steward Qin whispered. "So, we wanted to ask you—how do you make someone stink?"

"What are you two up to?" Grace found it hilarious. "Don’t tell me you want your General to reek so badly that Princess Olivia runs away?"

"Exactly!" Both of them nodded eagerly.

Grace raised an eyebrow. Whether or not their plan would work, the information they’d uncovered seemed pretty solid.

Princess Olivia was fine in every way—except she absolutely couldn’t stand anyone with a strange smell.

In her previous life, Grace had heard that anyone serving near Princess Olivia in the palace would be locked in a room for seven days, forbidden from bathing or washing their face.

Then, stripped down, they’d have the most sensitive-nosed maid sniff them. If there was no odor, they could stay; if there was even a hint of smell, they’d be sent packing...

If Princess Olivia was really that sensitive to smells, then Steward Qin and Louis Lin’s plan—childish as it was—might actually work...

Huh? What was she thinking?

Why was she even wondering if their plan would work or not?

"Miss Grace?" Steward Qin looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Grace raised an eyebrow. "Making someone stink is easy. I’ve got a special medicine here—put it in the bathwater, let your General soak for half an hour, and he’ll smell like a sweaty fox!"

Louis Lin’s eyes instantly reddened. He turned to Steward Qin and said, "I told you! Coming to Miss Grace was absolutely right! She’s a miracle doctor—she’d definitely have a way!"

Steward Qin nodded over and over.

"But," Grace added, "that medicine smells absolutely awful. Are you sure he’ll be willing to use it? And even if he does, how will Princess Olivia in the palace catch a whiff?"

"We’ve already thought it through," Steward Qin said. "Trying to trick him would be suicide! So, after we get the medicine from you, we’ll tell him everything. He’ll definitely agree. As for Princess Olivia... The annual Autumn Hunt is in two days, and she always goes. We’ll make sure the General gets close to her then!"

"You really think he’ll agree to use my medicine?" Grace asked, eyebrow cocked.

"He’d do anything for you, Miss Grace. Risking his life is nothing—this is a piece of cake!"

A smile crept onto Grace’s lips. "Then, can I trouble you with something too?"

"Just say the word, Miss Grace!"

"Here’s the thing. Some stuff happened at our manor recently..." Grace explained the whole story. "So, I’d like you to ask the General to put in a good word with the Imperial Advisor. Maybe he can arrange for a bad omen when the time comes."

"No problem! I—" Louis Lin was about to thump his chest in promise when his expression suddenly changed and he clammed up.

From Grace’s pocket, their master’s little head poked out and shook at Louis Lin.

Grace noticed his gaze was fixed on her pocket.

She glanced down—her antlered snake had come out.

She smiled and picked it up. "This is my spirit pet. Don’t worry, it doesn’t bite."

"S-spirit pet?" Louis Lin stammered.