Chapter 284: Who Would Have Thought This Cheapskate Uncle Was So Charming
Yuliya and Edward headed towards the Royal Palace, while the others trailed behind the Verdant Empire’s attendant to find some rest elsewhere.
Welcoming them was a girl who looked to be around sixteen.
The very first thing she exclaimed upon meeting them was, “Are you Lord Edward?!”
Edward blinked, taken aback. “That’s me. And you are?”
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alisa, the second princess of the Verdant Empire.”
Edward gave a slight bow. “Ah, so it’s Your Highness the Princess. My apologies.”
“How could that be? Lord Edward’s arrival merits a grand welcome; I should be the one apologizing!”
Yuliya watched the two engage in this ridiculous back-and-forth, feeling a bit like a ghost in the corner.
“Um… should we maybe go inside first?”
At that moment, Alisa seemed to finally remember there was another person present.
“And this is?”
“This is our newly promoted Princess of the Jade Emperor Kingdom, Yuliya.”
“Oh, hello there!”
“Hello, Sister Alisa!”
When arriving at someone else’s turf, you must be sweet on the tongue.
That’s Yuliya’s life philosophy.
Remembering her own struggles to make a name for herself in Emerald City, what did she owe to Edward? Ah no, just that was too basic.
What truly mattered was having a good sister!
Wait a minute, Alia wasn’t her first sister; there was also the legendary Sister Tong before her.
Let’s call this the “Sister Acknowledgment Strategy.”
As long as I have enough good sisters, I’ll get by anywhere!
If she knew that’s what Yuliya was thinking, her twin sister would probably faint from crying in the restroom.
Hearing Yuliya address her, Alisa seemed a bit stunned. “Um, hello, Yuliya.”
“…”
Yuliya felt there was something slightly off about this princess.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed Alisa’s gaze flitting between herself and Edward.
“Is there something troubling you, Sister Alisa?”
“Uh…” Alisa looked to Edward.
“Feel free to ask away.”
“Okay, I’d like to know, what’s the relationship between Yuliya and Lord Edward?”
“She’s my student.”
Alisa covered her mouth. “What! She’s a student?!”
What’s with the shock? She’s just a student, calm down!
Yuliya couldn’t help but scoff internally.
But then she realized, looking at Alisa’s expression, that it wasn’t surprise—it was admiration!
Holy moly! We’ve got some romantic vibes here!
Considering everything this Princess Alisa had done since she appeared, Yuliya quickly surmised.
This gal is a fangirl for Edward!
Wow, Uncle has some serious charm!
But does Auntie know about this? This is a princess from an allied nation, after all!
A series of inappropriate… no, scratch that, perfectly appropriate scenarios began playing out in Yuliya’s mind.
Like makeup classes, extra guidance, outdoor training, and rewards for her hard work.
I’m talking about serious business here, the model student type of action.
So, Yuliya turned to Alisa and pulled her aside for a whisper, “Sister Alisa, don’t you also want to be a student of the teacher?”
“Huh? How do you… wait, no, I’m not interested.”
“Well, that’s too bad. I was going to say if you were, I could help you.”
Alisa’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?!”
“But didn’t you just say you weren’t interested?”
“Not exactly… Actually, I am a tiny bit interested.”
“Alright, well, we have some serious business right now; we can chat later.”
“Yes! Please, let’s definitely chat!”
“Don’t worry, it’s a deal.”
This “Sister Acknowledgment Strategy” didn’t seem to be working because this princess didn’t meet the standards for a sister.
Time for a strategy overhaul—let’s call it the “Selling Uncle Strategy.”
But Yuliya maintained some boundaries; she wouldn’t really sell him, maybe just lend him out for a couple of days.
Teach for two days, and that counts as being a student, right? Just helping out a little wish.
Rumor has it that good old Uncle Edward was quite the effective teacher back in the day.
Perfect timing, you help me snag a teacher.
As for me? I’ve got some other little things to take care of.
A win-win situation!
The three of them, along with Alisa’s two attendants, eagerly moved toward the front of the grand palace.
The Jade Emperor Kingdom and Verdant Empire share a longstanding alliance, and since entering the Verdant Empire, they’ve certainly enjoyed a royal treatment.
Even now, strolling through the palace grounds, there was hardly any pressure around them; it was all laughter and chatter.
Of course, it was Alisa doing most of the talking, with Edward chiming in occasionally.
The real laughter was between Yuliya and Alisa, with Yuliya laughing the loudest.
Indeed, Uncle Edward seemed a bit overwhelmed by this type of girl!
This reminded her of Isaac.
At least he could respond appropriately to Elia—but with Yuliya, it was just helpless head shaking.
As the group enjoyed the cheerful vibe, they reached the grand hall of the palace.
The Verdant Empire’s palace was also embellished with green hues, with a bit more of a natural charm than the Jade Emperor Kingdom’s, yet it lacked some of its grandeur.
But compared to the Golden City, both palaces still had a considerable gap in splendor.
Upon entering the grand hall, sitting at the high seat was Emperor Griphis of the Verdant Empire.
Griphis clearly knew Edward.
After the initial greetings, Griphis and Edward began chatting casually.
Meanwhile, Yuliya once again felt like a mere shadow in the background.
Sigh, this was the second person today to practically ignore her.
When had the Golden Princess ever endured such slight?
Oh well, there’s still another princess beside her feeling just as invisible.
The two princesses exchanged glances and began to whisper among themselves.
“My father and Lord Edward have known each other for a long time. Back when he wasn’t even an emperor.”
“When Lord Edward was starting his travels, he first came to visit our Verdant Empire. My father wanted to go too, but he couldn’t for some reason.”
“A lot of what I know about Lord Edward, I heard from my father.”
Oh, now it makes sense.
Yuliya realized that Emperor Griphis was probably a fan of Edward, and he had raised his daughter to be a fangirl.
Is this just like chasing a celebrity? And starting young?
Just kidding around.
He couldn’t be a total fanboy, just admiration and respect, really.
But it was a fact that his daughter had become a fangirl, and that was undeniable.
Oh Emperor, your daughter is practically ready to run off with someone else, and you’re here chatting away with him?
Yuliya didn’t pay much attention to the specifics of Griphis and Edward’s conversation, as much of it was beyond her comprehension.
They had their old-boy meeting, while the two princesses were busy with princess matters.
Finally, Edward patted Yuliya on the shoulder, and she stepped forward to present Elia’s handwritten letter.
Griphis read it carefully and nodded, then instructed his attendants to take the honored guests to rest.
And just like that, their official meeting came to a close.
