The Empress Wants You to Enter the Palace

"Huh? What did you say?" Grace asked, puzzled.

"The Palace Maiden Selection. Did someone talk to you about it?"

Besides that, he really couldn't think of anything else that would make this troublemaker suddenly turn into a sweet, considerate daughter.

Grace's heart skipped a beat. "What Palace Maiden Selection?"

"The Emperor has decided that maidens from families of second rank officials and above will be selected to enter the palace. Empress Wendy wants you to go," Minister Zhuo told her.

Grace sucked in a cold breath.

Selected as a palace maiden?

Was she having a nightmare?

Hidden in her sleeve, her right hand clenched into a fist, nails digging painfully into her palm.

That sharp pain reminded her all too clearly: even in this new life, some things were destined to come!

At this moment, the secret decree from the Vermilion Kingdom demanding the Crown Prince as a hostage had likely already reached Blue Moon Kingdom.

Because the Blue Moon Kingdom has a new emperor and no heir yet, the Vermilion Kingdom graciously gave them more time, waiting for the new emperor to name a Crown Prince before sending him over.

In her previous life, Wendy Zhu made her—pregnant at the time—the Imperial Noble Consort, and her son Ray the Crown Prince, then sent him straight to the Vermilion Kingdom.

Of course, the title of Crown Prince was just for show. Later, Ray "died" of illness.

But in this life, she wasn't pregnant. Instead, she got sent to the palace as a maiden!

She understood Wendy Zhu's intentions perfectly.

First of all, Wendy would never send her own son away.

She also didn't want any woman outside the Zhu family to gain such a high status and have her son named Crown Prince. That was way too risky.

So, in this life, Wendy Zhu picked her again.

She was beautiful.

She was a loser.

She was dumb, too! Always listening to whatever those two mother and daughter said!

With such an easy pushover, of course Wendy Zhu would think of her first...

"Who told you? Your grandmother?" Minister Zhuo asked her again.

Right now, only he and the Dowager Lady Evelyn Zhu knew about this.

Grace took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and said to Minister Zhuo, "Dad, I honestly didn't know anything about this! And I don't want to enter the palace!"

"You don't want to enter the palace?" Minister Zhuo was surprised. "Weren't you always making a fuss, claiming you'd only marry the Emperor? Now that you're being given the chance, you don't want it?"

"I was young and foolish back then," Grace said. "The Emperor is my brother-in-law now. Two sisters serving the same husband? Talk about awkward!"

"Awkward? What's awkward about that? In the royal family, that's perfectly normal!" Minister Zhuo said with a stern face. "Sisters supporting each other is considered a beautiful story! What's there to be embarrassed about?"

Grace bit her lip and said nothing.

"The Empress sent word back—since you're her real sister, you'll be made Imperial Noble Consort right away," Minister Zhuo said, his tone softening. "Don't worry, once you're in the palace, Wendy will protect you. No one will dare bully you!"

Grace thought for a moment and said, "Dad, I heard people say the Vermilion Kingdom wants every vassal state to send their Crown Prince as a hostage. I don't want my son to be sent away as one."

Minister Zhuo's face darkened. "What nonsense is that! Where did you hear such ridiculous talk?"

"I heard it from two travelers from the Vermilion Kingdom," Grace said. "Maybe it's true?"

Only a handful of royal family members knew about the hostage situation.

In her previous life, her father only found out when she was about to be sent away.

"Shut up!" Minister Zhuo snapped. "You were the one who insisted on marrying into the palace like your life depended on it! Now that it's actually happening, you're making trouble!"