"THE FIRST PRINCESS OF THE LU EMPIRE, PRINCESS LU MEI, ARRIVES!" declared a eunuch outside.
Everyone in the room immediately fell silent and turned to look in the direction Princess Lu Mei had come. As Lu Mei entered, everyone was stunned by her graceful and captivating appearance, even though she was wearing a veil. Her dark eyes stared straight ahead, piercingly.
All the people of the Wei Empire were in disbelief, having heard rumors that the first princess of the Lu Empire was very quiet and shy. But the truth? Rumors were just rumors.
"Greetings to Emperor Lu Yan, Empress Ning, Empress Wei Meixue, Crown Prince Wei Long, and the Princes," Lu Mei said in a flat but firm voice.
In truth, Lu Mei had been surprised to see that the Empress of the Wei Empire was the middle-aged woman she had helped yesterday. It turned out she was right—Lady Wei Meixue was no ordinary person.
"Um, sit down, Princess Lu Mei," Emperor Lu Yan said flatly, recovering from his shock.
"Yes," Lu Mei replied curtly, her voice cold as snow. But after sitting down, she added politely but sharply, "Thank you, Emperor. May today be a pleasant meeting for all of us."
Crown Prince Wei Long and the princes—Wei Lian and Wei Tan—who had seen Lu Mei arrive all along never took their eyes off her. They seemed entranced by the veiled girl's presence.
Prince Wei Lian whispered softly to his brother, "Did you see her eyes? They seemed to pierce through anyone. I never thought a princess of the Lu Empire could stare like that."
Wei Tan chuckled softly. "She's more like a warrior than a princess. Her gaze is like a drawn sword, cold yet alluring."
Meanwhile, Lu Mei, feeling the stares, sighed softly. She muttered to herself, "Tch... don't they get tired of staring at me like that? If they weren't important people, I would have stabbed their eyes out with chopsticks."
Emperor Lu Yan, noticing the atmosphere, spoke up. "Alright, since Princess Lu Mei has arrived, we should begin breakfast."
However, before he could continue, a soft yet sharp voice rang out.
"Wait, Emperor," Princess Lu Yin said, looking at Lu Mei.
"What's wrong, Princess Lu Yin?" Emperor Lu Yan asked softly, a gentle smile on his face.
Lu Mei, seeing that gentle expression, could only smile sarcastically behind her veil. "How disgusting," she thought. "When she talks to me, she's as cold as ice, but when she's with her beloved child, she's like an angel."
Princess Lu Yin glanced at Lu Mei briefly before speaking again, her voice soft but full of venom. "Emperor, how about we let Little Sister Lu Mei eat without removing her veil? Wouldn't that be impolite, considering that guests from the Wei Empire are present? It would be more appropriate if her face were visible."
Lu Mei, sitting silently, simply stared at him expressionlessly. A small smile appeared behind her veil. "Heh, so you want to play with me? Alright, let's see who wins."
Empress Ning, sitting beside the Emperor, immediately chimed in with a mock gentle tone. "Yes, Emperor. It was indeed impolite. Please forgive Princess Lu Mei, Empress Wei, Crown Prince Wei Long, and the princes if our eldest daughter appears disrespectful to you. Perhaps she's just not used to it yet."
Wei Meixue immediately shook her head gently. "It's alright, Empress Ning. If Princess Lu Mei feels more comfortable wearing a veil, we of the Wei Empire have no problem with it. In fact, I personally find her figure… enchanting in its simplicity."
Wei Long smiled faintly and said in a teasing yet polite tone, "Yes, Empress. After all, sometimes mystery actually makes a person more attractive, don't you think?"
Prince Wei Lian chuckled softly. "Agreed. But still, I'm curious. What kind of face would dare to hide behind such a beautiful veil?"
Empress Ning glanced awkwardly at the sons of the Wei Empire, then said, "Look, even the princes are getting curious, Emperor. It's not good to let this situation continue."
Emperor Lu Yan finally looked at Lu Mei with a flat but firm expression. "Lu Mei, aren't you going to remove your veil? Don't embarrass me in front of the guests."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly tensed. The servants bowed, afraid of a stir. But Lu Mei remained calm.
She gave Emperor Lu Yan a sharp look. "Very well, then I will remove my veil," she said in a low but firm voice.
Everyone stared at her intently.
But before she could actually touch her veil, Lu Mei added quietly, "But first, allow me to say something, Emperor. I have no intention of embarrassing anyone, I just feel comfortable like this. But if this is your direct request, I will not refuse. However, I hope no one will question my concealment after this."
Consort Ning smiled lopsidedly. "Of course, of course not, Princess. We simply wanted to see your beautiful face. Who knows, Crown Prince Wei Long might fall for it immediately."
Wei Long, hearing this, smiled slightly and said warmly, "Consort Ning is joking. But if Princess Lu Mei is truly as graceful as her aura, perhaps I really won't be able to resist her charms."
Lu Yin, sitting beside his mother, glared at Lu Mei. He muttered to himself, "This damned bitch... I should be the one receiving that look! Do you think I'll just keep quiet?" "Watch out, I'll humiliate you in front of everyone."
She thought that perhaps the people of the Wei Empire would see Princess Lu Mei's ugly face and become disgusted and hate her,
but it turned out she was completely wrong. The people of the Wei Empire would actually like Princess Lu Mei very much.
Behind her calm composure, Lu Mei thought coldly: "Let's start the game, baby..." while grinning ominously behind her veil.