Compared to the lavish and lush Zhaoyang Palace that Lady Mildred visited yesterday, the difference is truly striking.

No rush—sooner or later, it will all be hers.

That’s what Grace Baker thought.

The person in the main hall must have been frightened; they didn’t open the door all morning. After Grace Baker finished touring Mingyue Palace, had lunch, and took her medicine, she went out to explore new territory.

Princes and princesses could move about the palace freely, even more so than the consorts. Violet Morgan never restricted her, but always made sure Hazel accompanied her. Last time, it was only because she was in a hurry to chase a kite that she fell into the water.

Grace Baker happened to be unfamiliar with the paths, so she held Hazel’s hand, chatting as they walked, and quickly figured out the layout of the harem. She had a good memory to begin with—once she saw or heard something, she never forgot it. As she walked, a mental map was already forming in her mind.

Hazel had no idea she was being pumped for information, and was just happy that the princess was lively and talkative today. After passing through the lakeside pavilion, she pointed ahead and said, “Princess, would you like some persimmons? That’s the Golden Persimmon Orchard up ahead. If you want some, I’ll pick them for you.”

Grace Baker nodded, and the two of them walked over. As soon as they entered the arched gate, they heard a commotion inside.

A group of palace maids and eunuchs were anxiously circling a tall persimmon tree, calling out, “Fourth Prince, please come down! What if you fall and get hurt? Please come down! If you want persimmons from any tree, just tell us and we’ll pick them for you! Please, come down!”

Grace Baker looked up and saw a boy standing in the tree, which was laden with persimmons. The branches obscured his face, but he was dressed in splendid robes, jumping around the tree like a monkey.

Hazel’s expression changed, and she whispered, “Princess, let’s go back and come pick persimmons another day.”

How could Grace Baker let an NPC encounter slip by?

Feigning innocence, she asked, “My brother is the Sixth Prince, so is the Fourth Prince also my brother?”

Hazel pulled her aside before replying, “The Fourth Prince is Consort Xian’s son; his status is different from our lady’s. The Fourth Prince is mischievous—if he sees you, he’ll probably bully you.”

Among the princes in the palace, the Fourth Prince, William Baker, was the most troublesome, and had been punished by the emperor more than once for it. Yet he looked the most like the emperor out of all the princes, so the emperor favored him. Every time, the scolding was all bark and no bite, which only made him more unruly.

If there was a conflict, the little princess would surely be the one to suffer.

Hazel was anxious, but Grace Baker remained as calm as ever.

It’s just a brat.

There are plenty of ways to deal with brats. As long as you figure out his temperament and use different strategies for different NPC personalities, you can handle it quickly and easily.

She didn’t hurry away, but stood to the side quietly observing William Baker. Every “green tea” girl has a built-in skill: they’re great at reading people. They can easily tell what kind of personality you have, what persona you respond to, and then cater to your preferences.

Children are even more straightforward than adults, and easier to read.

After watching for a while, Grace Baker felt that although William Baker was willful, he wasn’t actually bad-hearted. If you tried to use the emperor or Consort Xian to pressure him, he wouldn’t care at all—he just kept climbing the tree.

But when the servants below started crying on their knees, he grew impatient and said, “If Father or Mother punishes you, I’ll plead for you. What are you afraid of? Here, this reddest persimmon is for you.”

Classic case of responding to kindness, not force.

He was perched high up, surveying the scene. After picking the persimmons, he glanced back and spotted someone standing by the arched gate, half-hidden behind a tree. He immediately shouted, “Who’s over there? Come here at once!”

Hazel’s heart skipped a beat. It was over.

She could only pull Grace Baker over, not daring to look up, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing, “This servant greets the Fourth Prince.”

William Baker was still in the tree, looking down. Next to the maid stood a little girl in a red jacket and skirt, her hair neatly pinned up, her skin fair as snow.

She stood quietly under the tree, sneaking glances upward. When her bright, watery eyes met his, she gave a timid smile, then shyly and obediently lowered her head.

William Baker jumped down from the tree and looked her over with feigned authority. “Who are you?”

Her voice was soft and sweet: “My name is Xiaolu.”

A eunuch beside him reminded, “Fourth Prince, this is the Fifth Princess.”

The emperor didn’t pay her any mind, and she was rarely mentioned in the palace. William Baker was never one to care about such things, and usually only spent time with the eldest and third princesses. He’d never even heard there was a Fifth Princess.

He raised an eyebrow. “So you’re my royal sister? Why were you hiding over there?”

Grace Baker snuck a glance at the red persimmon in his hand, swallowed, and said hesitantly and softly, “I want to eat a persimmon.”

After speaking, she half-lifted her eyes to look at him, timidly asking, “Is that okay?”

Her eyelashes were long and thick, framing her watery eyes as if veiled in mist, making her look especially pitiful.

William Baker was instantly won over, and waved his hand grandly, “Of course you can! Why wouldn’t you?” He told the eunuch beside him, “Give her all the persimmons I just picked!”

The eunuch quickly handed over the bamboo basket.

Grace Baker’s eyes lit up, her pretty little face breaking into a happy smile as she reached out to take it, but the basket was too heavy and she stumbled.