"Yue'er, could you possibly have feelings for Lord Xu Ran?"
Yao Yue's face, which brimmed with the flush of spring, was an unmistakable giveaway. Even those who had never experienced the matters of love could see it clearly.
"You've seen through it, Sister. I don't believe you don't have any thoughts about Lord Xu Ran either," Yue'er said bashfully.
"What does it matter if my heart flutters? Any normal woman would feel the same towards such a being. But we and Lord Xu Ran are from two different worlds," Yao Ye sighed.
"What's wrong with being from two different worlds? Nalan Yanran and those from the Xiao Family are with Lord Xu Ran now, aren't they? We're not any worse than them," Yue'er said, not convinced. She always felt that her luck was too bad. She had been in Gama Holy City all along, but Xu Ran hardly ever visited the place, so she didn't even have the chance to see him.
Conversely, those in Wu Tan City, a small place where the Xiao Family was located, could often be with Xu Ran.
Every time she thought about it, she felt so angry.
And there were Lin Fei and Xue Mei, whose talents as Alchemists were not even as good as hers. It was said that they were now learning Alchemy by Lord Xu Ran's side. Given time, they might even surpass Dan King Gu He.
The thought of two people less talented than her possibly achieving much greater success in the future made her furious.
"Giggle. Who would have thought Yue'er has really taken a liking to someone she's never even met. But that's good. Our royal household really needs to find a way to get Lord Xu Ran's help. If Yue'er ends up with Lord Xu Ran, the crisis of our royal household will be easily solved," Yao Ye joked. She also greatly admired the legendary figure, especially when she saw Xu Ran defeat those powerful people with a wave of his hand and save the Jia Ma Empire from crisis, her heart stirred even more.
However, that stirring was more about admiration, and she was quite self-aware.
She wouldn't harbor deep fantasies about unrealistic things like a young girl. At most, she might hope to become a one-night lover of Lord Xu Ran's, but to obtain his affection was nearly impossible.
"The crisis of the royal household? What happened?" Yue'er was taken aback.
"The Empire is now fraught with crisis. Not to mention the Yunlan Sect, even the status of the Mittel Family within the Jia Ma Empire is now almost on par with our royal household. If our royal household doesn't find something to rely on, it will be difficult to continue holding sway in the Empire."
Originally, the balance of power between the royal household, the Mittel Family, and the Yunlan Sect was maintained. Although the Yunlan Sect was stronger, the Empire had troops, so it wasn't completely suppressed by the Yunlan Sect. But with the Mittel Family and the Yunlan Sect now under Xu Ran's protection, and the emergence of Ya Fei, Yun Yun, and Nalan Yanran, these variables made things uncertain. Following Xu Ran, who knows how powerful they would become. Eventually, the royal household would be left far behind by these two major forces.
"So that's it. I hadn't thought of that," Yue'er exclaimed in shock. The political situation of the Empire was changing too rapidly, and ordinary people hadn't expected such significant changes in such a short period. Most of the Empire hadn't caught up yet, but in another year or two, the royal household's deterrent power would be greatly diminished compared to before.
"That's why, if you happen to meet Lord Xu Ran, you should perform well. I think Lord Xu Ran might take to someone like you, Yue'er. It seems like he hasn't encountered someone with your figure yet, and you are also a Third Tier Alchemist. Even if there's no chance for love, you might still be able to take him as your master," Yao Ye contemplated as she began to size up Yue'er. Honestly, Yue'er was still very young, with a tender age and even more petite figure, which could be very tempting to certain people with unique preferences. Plus, she could be a potential talent to groom and grow gradually.
Most importantly, she was a Third Tier Alchemist. Even if she were to be a mere herbal apprentice, that would be an option. A pleasing-to-the-eye apprentice with talent, Lord Xu Ran would probably be interested.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Yue'er felt quite embarrassed being stared at by Yao Ye, yet she envied her. If only she had Yao Yue's figure, she would have mustered up the courage to approach Xu Ran already.
"No reason. Just thinking how my Yue'er is becoming more and more beautiful. Perhaps the future of our royal family rests in your hands. If you meet Lord Xu Ran, you should cling to him stubbornly. Even being an herbal apprentice by his side would be worth it," Yao Ye began to scheme.
Yue'er nodded in agreement. Being an herbal apprentice might have more prospects than being a Princess, after all, it would allow her to observe the esteemed Alchemist closely, which could improve her own skills in Alchemy over time.
"Oh? Isn't this Princess Yao Yue? We meet again?" Xu Ran approached the two beautiful girls, one big and one small, with a smile.
"You again? I haven't even settled the score with you for making fun of me last time! You're dead!" On hearing that all-too-familiar voice, Yue'er whirled around to see Xu Ran and trembled with anger.
How dare this man show his face in front of her again? And to be so arrogant even after knowing she was a Princess? That was just outrageous!
But how did he get in here? With the Mitter Family's security, it was impossible for outsiders to slip in so easily. Could his identity be extraordinary?
"How did you get in here?" Yue'er suppressed her rage, hands on her hips, staring with wide eyes. She had been about to explode, but considering this was the Mitter Family's territory, causing trouble here wouldn't look good, and might even affect the Mitter Family's impression of her.
"Of course, I came in with the two Princesses. I said I'm a friend of both Princesses, and they let me in," Xu Ran chuckled, entertained by Yue'er's puffed-up, kittenish fury.
Yue'er, a Third Tier Alchemist, was indeed far more formidable than Xue Mei and the others. Even without great fortune, the future her could possibly become a Sixth Grade Alchemist like Gu He.
"What? You've got some nerve!" Both Yue'er and Yao Yue were dumbfounded. However, Yao Yue always felt something was off. The man before them had an extraordinary air, and his appearance was particularly outstanding; such a person should be no ordinary individual. Regarding Yue'er's previous descriptions, she had a nagging feeling that Yue'er might have been too angry and exaggerated the account. Besides, the Mitter Family wouldn't typically let someone in without questioning them first.
"What's wrong? I didn't really lie, did I?"
"Besides, doesn't the Princess want to marry me? I've agreed to it, so I'm now your betrothed, and that does make our relationship special, doesn't it?"
"Marry you, my foot! When did I ever say that?" Yue'er was beside herself with fury, utterly irrational. Despite her young age, Yue'er had already reached Dou Spirit "Cultivation Level".