Princess, Please Fall in Love with Me-Chapter 22 : Chapter 22

Chapter 22 : Gems, How Could They Dim Under Schemes
The Third Princess, Yileta Kelake, and the Second Prince, Kelayen, were twins born to the Emperor and a foreign princess.
Their mother’s lineage hailed from the royal family of the Morris Kingdom, an ally of the Austin Empire.
Both siblings inherited their mother’s light purple hair.
My brother, Kelayen, had the Emperor’s golden eyes, while I, Yileta, had dark green eyes, exuding a calm and serene beauty.
“You’re the little sister who’s been quite active lately, the Sixth Princess, Yiwen, right?”
Yileta smiled and glanced at Yiwen, then continued to comb her hair with focus.
I, Yiwen, watched her from a distance, curiously studying this royal sister I had seemingly never met.
The Morris Kingdom was a kingdom with a long history.
The former king of Morris and the former Emperor of the Austin Empire had once been comrades who fought side by side, and thus, upon their ascension, they immediately signed a treaty of friendship and peace.
But by the time of this generation’s emperors, that sincere friendship had begun to take on a tainted hue.
Facing the ever-rising power of the Austin Empire, the current king of Morris had married his eldest sister, now the Empress, to the Emperor to solidify the alliance.
The Third Princess, known for her gentle and refined demeanor, had the tranquil elegance of a violet and was regarded by noble ladies as the epitome of etiquette.
From her behavior to her hospitality, she always achieved perfection in every aspect.
Now, that person whom all noble girls admired and saw as a model sat quietly before me, her hair scattered loosely in the pool, the disheveled strands carrying a hazy beauty.
“What, afraid I’ll do something to you? Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you.”
Yileta soaked her bare feet in the pool, her white skirt floating on the water.
She stretched lazily, casually splashing water with her smooth feet.
Compared to the elegant and noble lady at banquets, she now seemed more like a carefree forest spirit, freely revealing another side of herself.
“Don’t I seem unlike myself? Their eyes are all on you, so I can sneak away to the garden to vent my feelings like this.”
Yileta suddenly stood up and splashed a wave of water toward me, Yiwen, standing not far away.
The droplets soaked my skirt, leaving wet patches.
Seeing my puzzled expression, Yileta covered her mouth and giggled.
“If you go back now, they’ll just laugh at the Sixth Princess for being a sloppy little girl. Why don’t you come play in the water with your sister?”
With that, Yileta walked toward me, ignoring my hesitant gaze, and pulled me toward the pool’s edge.
I struggled hard but to no avail.
I wished I had brought Kafu along.
Now, alone and without any weapons prepared, and with her strength greater than mine, if she intended to harm me.
I was about to push her away with all my strength and run toward the nearby guards.
Better to feign being framed and escape with an innocent look than to be silently dealt with, which might give me a slim chance of survival.
But when I opened my eyes to fight back, she had already leisurely lain down on the grass by the pool, looking utterly defenseless.
Huh, was I the one being framed?
She didn’t even spare me a glance, just stared blankly at the blue sky, clouds reflected in her dark green eyes, a look of complete detachment.
“By the way, have you ever seen Rainbow Lake? It’s a unique sight from my mother’s homeland, something only found there, like this.”
She beckoned me to look at the lake’s surface.
As I gazed at my reflection, a pair of mischievous hands appeared behind me.
The next moment, Yileta pushed me hard into the pool.
“They’re after your things.”
That was the faint whisper I, Yiwen, heard in my daze before plunging into the water.
With a splash, the Third Princess nonchalantly lifted her slightly wet skirt and slowly left the secluded corner of the garden.
By the time a curious Servant, hearing the noise, rushed over to pull the soaked Yiwen out, the garden was empty.
“Good heavens, Your Highness Yiwen, why are you drenched?”
The anxious maid hurriedly led me back to the palace.
Wrapped in a blanket brought in haste, I remained silent, my mind racing over the words I had just heard.
They? Did she mean the other princes, or more people?
The things they wanted to take… why did I think of
him
?
My head ached.
In the banquet hall, the crowd seemed unaware of the children’s quiet departure.
After all, their attention was on the powers and figures they sought to please, particularly the jovial King.
The Third Princess leisurely approached the Second Prince, who was chatting with his Study Companion.
“My people said they failed to kill the Sixth Princess. They didn’t find her. What’s wrong with you? Why did you let her get away?”
“Please, dear brother, that girl is cunning. She saw through your tricks and jumped into the pool to call the servants. If I hadn’t retreated early, our plan might have been exposed.”
The Second Prince scrutinized his sister, her unabashed smile making him nod helplessly before turning away in silence.
Yileta, meanwhile, began leisurely enjoying the pastries on the table.
In the Amethyst Palace, I, Yiwen, was wiping my freshly washed hair with a towel.
A maid gently opened the door and handed me the only decent formal gown available.
“Your Highness, it’s time for the Ball.”
According to royal tradition, after the banquet came the Ball, organized by the Emperor and Empress.
At the sound of the twilight bell, the princes and princesses would enter the dance floor with their partners, a prelude to their first foray into high society.
However, the Emperor disliked participating in such children’s activities, so the Empress had always been in charge.
It was easy to imagine what my birthday ball would turn into.
“Yiwen, my dear child, where have you been?”
The Empress’s surprised and concerned expression was almost as if she treated me like her own daughter, but the sinister curve of her lips betrayed her early.
“Your brother and sister have already found their dance partners. I’m so sorry, I forgot to arrange one for you. Why don’t you wait for your brother to finish his dance and let him share his partner with you?”
The crowd, out of deference to the Empress, dared not speak, silently watching the awkward scene.
The old Servant by my side was pondering how to help me escape, but I tugged at his sleeve.
“Don’t worry, she’ll come.”
“How pathetic, Yiwen. Just wait here, and I’ll grace you with a dance after I’m done.”
The First Prince, leading his partner, mocked me quietly as he passed by, then strode off proudly.
Suddenly, he slipped, and a mysterious figure tripped him, making him fall flat on his face.
“Sorry, I thought you were in the way.”
A “boy” with silver hair gallantly extended his left hand to me.
As I gently placed my right hand in his, under everyone’s gaze,“Your Highness, may I have this dance?”