Transmigration: The Fate of the Villainess

Bai Hua and Bai Yue mannerly curtsied to her. Bai Yu nodded as an acknowledgment before walking forward, leading the two women dressed and decorated elegantly in the outfits she had prepared for them.

It had been almost seven days after her exchange with Bai Hua. Her half-sister seemed to have become more composed than before. Bai Yu did not know how Bai Hua managed to clear up her own emotion, though, since she had dedicated all her focus on training and preparing to launch the clothes she and Xu Luanle had been rushing to finish in time for Meihua Lady competition.

Today was the first time Bai Yu accepted an invitation, after her continued refusal without caring from who some invitations were from. Obviously, the reason she accepted was that the other person was her half-sister, the newly appointed royal consort of the rank De Fei.

“Miss Bai Yu, Miss Bai Hua, and Miss Bai Yue request an audience.”

A royal maid went inside the palace to report to her mistress with a loud but respectful voice. The three misses of Bai family were standing outside, maintaining their impeccable manner. However, after one ke had passed, there was yet a sound of reply.

“Say it again,” Bai Yu who had the highest rank among the three sisters calmly said. There was no particular emotion in her tone, but the maid suddenly felt goosebumps rising all over her body in response. Before they came, she was firmly ordered that she could notify her mistress only once, even though normally, she would have to repeat when there was no answer.

“Royal consort...”

.....

“The royal consort is playing chess. It is a game that requires a great amount of concentration. Misses please wait here for a little longer,” Bai Xue’s personal maid who had followed her into the palace came out and spoke with a haughty attitude. She did not even curtsy to Bai Yu who was clearly of higher status than her.

“Say it again.”

Bai Yu flatly ordered. She did not react to the words of Bai De Fei’s personal maid.

“Ro...royal consort, Miss Bai Yu, Miss Bai Hua, and Miss Bai Yue request an audience.”

“Royal consort is playing chess, misses please-”

“Ahhh!”

A scream from the woman inside drew the attention of everyone. Bai Xue’s personal maid who was going to repeat her words stopped, before hurriedly running into the building, forgetting even to close the door.

“Royal consort!”

A noble woman in an elegant light-colored dress appeared in the doorway, the hem of her long outer robe flaming. Her panicked expression as she shrieked out appeared fully to everyone in front of the palace. Her past image of a serene beauty was easily shattered by the scene.

“Ah! Fi...fire! Aaaahh!!”

“Ro...royal consort, please stay still...Ah!” A cloak in the hands of a well-intentioned servant suddenly caught on fire.

“Go get water.”

Bai Yu watched the state of the master and servant pair and felt that they might not be able to put out the fire by themselves. She calmly ordered other maids around them to bring water, not showing an ounce of alarm.

The royal maids promptly followed her order without realizing that they were made obedient by that tone of the young lady.

“What kind of water can put out your magic fire?” A soft whisper sounded behind her. Bai Yu knew without turning back that it was Bai Hua who recognized the cause of the fire because Bai Yue had run inside to her older half-sister and left Bai Yu and Bai Hua standing in the same spot.

“The water from my bleeding heart, of course.”

Bai Yu smiled as she looked at several buckets of water in the royal maids’ hands. They could put out the fire at any moment, but they all hesitated, for fear of angering the royal consort.

Bai Yu turned her palm up, pulling magic within Bai Xue’s body to fuel the flame and fanned it further until it almost reached the royal consort’s ankle.

Obviously, the magic fire was caused by her drawing out Bai Xue’s magic and turning it into the fire burning her cloak.

“Aaahh!! Bring me water! Put out this fire! Put out the fire for bengong!”

“Hurry!” As soon as Bai Xue screamed out, water from every direction splashed at her.

Splash!

“Ro...royal consort.”

Magic fire that had been deceiving everyone was extinguished. What was left was only the slender body whose soaked dress clung to her body. Her pinned hair that was decorated with intricate jade pins now became loose, wet strands obscured the royal consort’s face. Right now Bai Xue was wet from head to toe, and her face was especially dirtied by the cosmetics that were not waterproof.

“Bring a cloak for the royal consort.” It was Bai Yu again who ordered the maids, who quickly followed.

“Sister, no, royal consort, sit down first.” Bai Yue who was standing close by went to take the arm of her half-sister who now had no resemblance to the serene beauty Bai De Fei of the inner court.

“Tidy up everything.” Seeing that the situation had returned to normal, Bai Yu gave the final order before turning away to leave, not showing even the slightest intention to step closer to Bai Xue who was glaring at her.

“First sister!”

Bai Yu paused. She lifted her chin slightly before turning back to confront the royal consort who unconsciously called her the same way as she did when she was in Bai mansion.

“Royal consort has yet to forget our sister bond. I am honored.”

“You!” A dainty finger wearing a nail guard pointed straight at Bai Yu.

“Yes?” Bai Yu arched an eyebrow.

“Royal consort, please calm yourself.” It was Bai Yue who reminded Bai Xue who had lost her manner.

Bai Xue put down her hand and took a deep breath. She slowly walked out of the building, maintaining her gracefulness even after her clothes and hairdo were ruined by fire and water.

“Why is sister in such a hurry to leave after coming all the way here? Why don’t you stay to have a chat with bengong?” Though anger was burning bright in her big, round eyes, her words were still gentle when in front of her palace servants.

“I don’t want to interrupt the royal consort’s chess match.”

Bai Yu smiled. Her dark eyes looked into the eyes of the woman whom she and her mother had sent into this ferocious den called the inner palace.

Bai Xue took advantage of her title as a royal consort to make Bai Yu stand outside and wait for a long time. She thought that the other person could do nothing but wait for her response. She would never expect that Bai Yu had practiced her latent ability and used it to draw Bai Xue’s magic out and turn it into flame.

Bai Yu intended to leave after creating that fire. She did not think that the front door would be opened and resulted in the huge commotion that left Bai Xue in this state. It was natural that she would direct her hatred to Bai Yu so straightforwardly, though luckily, she could still contain her anger under a calm surface.

“Bengong-”

“Dear consort, why are you in such a state?” A gentle voice interrupted the conversation between the two half-sisters. Bai Yu and everyone in the area immediately knelt down.

“Blessings to the Emperor. May you live and reign for ten thousand years, tens of thousands years, ten thousand of ten thousand years.”

Bai Yu could already guess that the newcomer would have to be either the Empress or the Emperor since the ruckus in the palace was loud enough to attract attention from other parties. That was the reason why Bai Yu intended to leave before the matter was investigated. She was careful enough to use Bai Xue’s magic as the source of the flame, but the Emperor would be able to easily see through it.

Still, even if Ouyang Hongxian knew, she could still manage, so meeting him did not make her as nervous as seeing the other man walking beside him.

Her heart beat faster.

She curtsied to greet the Emperor, not daring to lift her face for even the smallest inch.

“Blessings to the commander-general.”