The two of them held their breath and waited quietly for a while, and finally, the main character appeared.
First, a little servant came in to announce, "The Prince has arrived."
Then, two maids came out of the room, each holding a lantern, and stood on either side.
After that, a woman dressed in plain clothes emerged.
From Grace’s peephole, the angle was just right to see the area from her shoulders down to her knees.
Though her face couldn’t be seen, the woman’s figure was graceful and her movements elegant. She wore a dazzling silver silk dress, which meant she must be Diana Su.
Maya’s peephole was a bit higher than Grace’s, so she should be able to see Diana Su’s face.
Judging from Maya’s increasingly sour expression, Diana Su’s looks must be truly stunning.
After a while, Diana Su called out, "Your Highness, you’re so late tonight! Did something hold you up?"
From Grace’s angle, she could see Diana Su reach out as if to take the newcomer’s hand.
But that hand, just as it reached out, suddenly froze, clenched into a fist, and withdrew.
There was a moment of strange silence outside, then Prince Cheng’s voice rang out: "Sister-in-law, sorry to keep you waiting."
Grace almost burst out laughing.
Sister-in-law?
What the heck?
Then Diana Su asked again, "Your Highness, is there any news about him?"
"There is!" said Prince Cheng. "Come on, let’s talk inside."
So the whole group silently went inside.
Outside, it was pitch black—nothing could be seen.
But they could still hear the voices talking inside.
Prince Cheng called Diana Su 'sister-in-law,' and their conversation was perfectly proper.
Everything they talked about revolved around someone called 'Jonathan King.'
From what was said, Jonathan King was Diana Su’s man. Since he couldn’t come himself, he asked Prince Cheng to rescue Diana Su from her life in the brothel.
"...Your Highness, after the New Year, you and Princess Maya will be getting married," Diana Su said. "I don’t have anything valuable to offer, so I’d like to make some outfits for you and the Princess. I hope you won’t mind!"
"Your embroidery skills come from the prestigious Su family of Jiangnan. They’re priceless masterpieces! If you say it like that, you make me feel embarrassed," replied Prince Cheng.
"In that case, could you tell me your measurements? The wedding is coming up, so I should start making them!"
"Sure, I’ll have someone send them to you later," said Prince Cheng.
"By the way, what kind of person is Princess Maya?" Diana Su asked Prince Cheng.
"She... she’s a wonderful woman," Prince Cheng replied, his tone suddenly softening. "Someday, I’ll introduce you two."
"That would be great! The Princess is lucky to be marrying such a man as you, Your Highness."
"You flatter me, sister-in-law..."
...
After a bit more conversation, Prince Cheng took his leave.
Grace, hiding in the vat, was left with a belly full of questions.
In her previous life, Prince Cheng and Diana Su were the scheming couple who ruined Aunt Maya’s life. So why is she 'sister-in-law' now?
Just as she was puzzling over it, someone grabbed her collar from behind—Maya whisked her out of the vat, and with a few leaps, they flew across the rooftops and out of the mansion.
Once they reached a deserted spot, Maya set Grace down.
Before Grace could say anything, Maya burst out excitedly, "Did you see that? Did you hear that? I knew it—he’s not that kind of person!"
Grace stayed silent.
She had no idea what to say.