Please Put a Pig to Guard the Fairy Orchard

That noon, the two women lay on the ground, rubbing their bellies in satisfaction and belching contentedly after a hearty meal...

...

Leon Zane and Evan Xiao arrived, and this was the scene they walked in on.

Leon had actually dragged Evan here just to watch the fun.

But what he saw instead was Blackie's skin laid out to the side, and the two women burping with satisfaction.

"Ah! My Blackie! My Blackie!" Leon cried out in disbelief at the dog skin. "How could you... How could you..."

He suddenly turned and glared at them: "You actually ate my Blackie!"

Rina Chu rolled up and sat: "So that dog was yours, guarding the Fairy Orchard?"

Leon’s eyes flickered: "So what if it was? The Fairy Orchard’s been hit by thieves lately! I just put Blackie there to guard the place!"

"Who’s the thief? Who’s the thief?" Rina Chu pointed at him and snapped. "It was the Dragon Steward Chief who allowed us to pick one magical fruit a day to fill our bellies! Otherwise, this lousy place wouldn’t even have food, and we’d starve!"

"And you think you're in the right?" Leon Zane rolled up his sleeves, ready to hit her. "You really think I'll—"

Rina Chu flashed her whip.

He immediately dropped his sleeves, returning to his dashing Young Master Drake persona, then tried to reason with them: "If you couldn't pick the magical fruits, you could've just told me or His Highness! But killing my dog? That's crossing the line!"

"Sorry, Young Master Drake," Rina Chu apologized sincerely. "Next time, just put a pig to guard the Fairy Orchard!"

"What?" Leon Zane was confused.

"We're craving pork!"

Leon Zane: "You!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Rina Chu burst out laughing arrogantly. "Leon Zane, you idiot! If you ever mess with the Fairy Orchard again, this is what happens to your Blackie! I won't mind skinning you next—roast some dragon meat!"

"You... You're driving me crazy! Your Highness, look at them—wait, where's His Highness?" Leon turned to seek backup, only to find Evan Xiao gone.

"So unreliable! How could you just run off!" Leon shot Rina Chu a resentful look, then another sad look at his Blackie... and walked away.

He chased all the way to Radiant Hall, complaining, "Your Highness, how could you be so unreliable? Blackie died a heroic death, and you didn't even say a word!"

"I told you, that idea you got in exchange for the Jade Spire wasn’t a good one."

"Jade Spire? Oh, my Jade Spire! That damned Ian Zhu totally scammed me! Not only did I lose my treasure, I lost my Blackie too! I’m going to settle this with him!"

With that, he dashed off like the wind.

...

That night, Grace went to the Celestial Empress’s palace to officially begin treatment.

Vivian Xiao was there too.

"Greetings to the Celestial Empress, greetings to the Princess," Grace said respectfully.

"No need for formalities," the Celestial Empress replied kindly. "You’re here to treat me, which makes you my benefactor! From now on, you don’t need to be so formal when you visit."

"Healing is a healer’s duty," Grace said. "Etiquette mustn’t be neglected."

The Celestial Empress saw her humility and grace, and liked her even more.

Vivian Xiao asked with a complicated look, "Can you really cure my mother’s illness?"

"Yes, Princess," Grace replied.

"And if you can't?" she pressed, sounding a bit confrontational.