Chapter 291: Chapter 230: Quite Considerate

“Xiao’er? Little Erduo,” Sang Luo said with a laugh.

“…Either is fine.”

“Let’s stick with Xiao’er.”

“Mm.”

“Tonight, have the Imperial Kitchen brew me a bowl of ginseng soup. I need a little boost, and I haven’t had any in ages.” Sang Luo smacked her lips as she spoke, then pulled out a sugarcane-like Spirit Fruit and began to chew on it intently.

She looked for a place to spit out the chewed pulp.

The young man held out a Jade Plate to catch it. His gaze swept over her belly before he nodded and left.

When it was time for dinner, Xiao’er and a few other servants brought in the dishes.

The Imperial Kitchen had prepared an excellent meal tonight; every dish was one of her favorites.

Fei Yuan disliked her picky eating habits and always made sure she ate a balanced diet. Usually, there were always a few dishes from the Imperial Kitchen that she didn’t particularly care for.

Sang Luo was very satisfied with the meal. She rubbed her belly, which was now noticeably round.

The palace servants were long accustomed to her appetite during her pregnancy. After efficiently clearing the table, they withdrew.

Xiao’er, however, remained. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to her.

He glanced at her belly again, a flicker in his eyes. “You’re pregnant?”

Sang Luo hummed in affirmation and patted her stomach. It wasn’t very noticeable under her clothes; she was just so full that her belly had formed a slight, rounded curve.

“When did you get pregnant?” he asked again.

’His tone is a little strange.’ Sang Luo paused for a moment, then replied casually, “I’ve been pregnant for a long time. Over a year now, I think. I can’t remember the exact number of months.”

’Everyone knew she was pregnant, so it wasn’t a big deal.’

Xiao’er said nothing more. He took the empty teacup from her, bowed, and withdrew.

A short while later, the evening’s medicinal soup was delivered from the apothecary. After drinking it, Sang Luo felt drowsy and took a nap.

When she woke up, the sky was completely dark.

She still hadn’t bathed. While she could have just used a convenient Water Cleaning Technique, her body felt sore and weak. Her back always ached during pregnancy, and the symptoms grew more pronounced the longer it went on. Soaking in warm water for half an hour would help a lot.

She casually summoned two servants and ordered them to heat the water in the bathing pool.

The person who came to attend to her was Xiao’er.

Sang Luo asked, “Is Nanny Fang not here tonight?”

Normally, physically demanding chores in the palace were handled by the strong male servants. However, Sang Luo wasn’t comfortable with male servants attending to her so personally. Fei Yuan had also arranged for the few old female attendants remaining in the palace to serve her up close, but those old nannies were terrible gossips with dishonest intentions. After a few months, Sang Luo had kept only the dutiful Nanny Fang and had paid off the others with a few Crystal Stones to send them away.

“Nanny Fang hasn’t been well lately, so she asked me to help,” the young man said, lowering his head.

Sang Luo nodded, not thinking much of it. Nanny Fang was indeed getting on in years, and her mobility wasn’t what it used to be. Sang Luo had already been planning to give her a generous amount of travel money soon so she could return home and retire.

“Then go and prepare it. Make the water a little on the hot side, but not scalding. Add some jasmine petals; they help wash away fatigue…”

’The newcomer is diligent, but he can’t possibly know the details like the long-serving staff.’ So she added a few more instructions.

Xiao’er carefully noted her instructions one by one and went to prepare the bath.

A little later, Sang Luo went to the bathing pool. She dipped her foot in to test the water—not too hot, not too cold. It was perfect.

“Noble Female, allow me to assist you with your robes.” He stepped forward and took the outer robe she was removing.

Sang Luo’s hands, which were at her waist, froze. She hadn’t expected him to still be there. “Ah, that’s not necessary. I can manage by myself. You may leave!”

“I will wait outside. If you need anything, Noble Female, please don’t hesitate to call.”

“Mm.”

Xiao’er withdrew.

Sang Luo took off her clothes and walked into the pool.

The bath was so comfortable that she nearly fell asleep. She remembered she wanted to go to the underground palace to check on Le Xia. After drying herself off, she changed into a white silk nightgown.

She had just opened the door.

when Xiao’er, who had been sitting on the steps, rose to his feet.

The young man’s gaze faltered for a moment.

The woman had just finished her bath. She wore a white nightgown, and her damp, ink-black hair was splayed across her back. Her pretty, delicate face was flushed from the steam, and the small patch of smooth, snow-white skin visible at her chest was dazzling.

A faint, sweet fragrance emanated from her.

It was enough to make any Male Beast unable to restrain his primal desires…

His gaze darkened. He took an outer robe and draped it over her shoulders, covering her exposed skin.

“The dew is heavy this late at night. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Thank you.” ’This little male servant is quite thoughtful,’ she thought.

Stepping out into the night air right after a bath was indeed a bit chilly. Sang Luo pulled the wide robe tighter around herself.

’This robe is large and long, clearly belonging to a grown man. Is this Xiao’er’s?’

’Looking at the young man’s slender frame, this robe wouldn’t fit him well. He probably couldn’t afford new clothes and bought some cast-offs from a shop…’ She lowered her head, sniffing at the robe. She seemed to catch a faint, elusive scent. It was somewhat familiar, and instinctively reassuring…

Unfortunately, before she could get a clear sense of it, the faint fragrance was carried away by the night wind.

As the young man withdrew his hands, his fingers brushed against her wind-swept hair. He slowly lowered his hand to his side, rubbing his fingertips together. The lingering fragrance remained.

The young man noticed she wasn’t heading back toward her bedchambers.

“Where are you going? I’ll go with you.”

“To the underground palace. It’s a bit of a walk from here. If you’re not in a hurry to get back and rest, you can come with me.”

“Mm. My duties in the palace are light. I’m not tired.”

Xiao’er accompanied Sang Luo to the dungeon.

Le Xia was gone.

An imposter had been left in the dungeon.

She had been swapped out.

Sang Luo swept her spiritual power through the entire dungeon and discovered a lingering trace of Demonic Qi.

’Fei Yuan and Si Ye had only just left, and these people already couldn’t hold back!’

“What is troubling you, Noble Female?” Xiao’er asked.

“It’s nothing… We just need to be more careful lately. Tomorrow, I need you to inform the Imperial Guard to heighten security. It’s possible the Demon Clan has infiltrated the palace. Also, keep a close watch on the food deliveries. Arrange for someone to test for poison beforehand…” Sang Luo sighed, rubbing her belly. “Nothing can happen to this baby. Not again.”

Seeing her wary and fearful expression, the young man pursed his lips. “You’ve been threatened?” he asked softly.

“Yes. It’s not the first time, which is why I have to be so careful. The Demon Clan is treacherous and vile. Last time, I fell for one of their schemes and nearly lost my life.”

Sang Luo turned and walked to the adjacent cell.

She didn’t see the flash of bone-chilling cold in the young man’s eyes behind her.

Sang Luo finished searching the cell and the nearby palace halls but found no other clues. The Demon Clan wouldn’t dare linger in the Phoenix Palace; they must have taken their target and fled immediately.

Once bitten, twice shy. She had wanted to leave the palace to investigate, but her head suddenly felt heavy, and a wave of drowsiness washed over her. The young man stepped forward from behind and caught her, whispering in her ear, “You’re tired, Noble Female. I’ll take you back to the palace to rest.”

Being carried back by a male servant she barely knew felt improper. Sang Luo struggled weakly, wanting to ask him to put her down, but she couldn’t fight the overwhelming sleepiness and drifted off in his arms.

The young man glanced down at her, then teleported back to the palace and laid her on the bed.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep