Alice Carter swallowed the questions in his mouth, nodded stiffly, and, attended by palace maids and guards, boarded the carriage heading to the bathhouse.

In early spring, the weather was just warming but still chilly. William Clark’s health was poor; Alice Carter only had to move his fingers to sense that subtle, persistent, and tormenting pain.

Incense was burning inside the carriage, with soft bedding and curtains.

A cool breeze blew in from outside the tasseled curtain, carrying the snow-white pear blossoms from the imperial garden.

“Can I talk to you now?”

Alice Carter lowered his voice, afraid of being overheard.

William Clark leaned against the soft bedding and smiled, “Mm. Actually, even if you speak louder, it doesn’t matter if others hear.”

Alice Carter: “Forget it, I can’t stand being seen as a lunatic.”

William Clark made no comment.

Alice Carter asked cautiously, “Did Grace Turner really eat a mermaid?”

William Clark replied, “Yes.”

Alice Carter shuddered, “What the hell, people actually eat mermaid flesh?”

William Clark said, “The merfolk were once the race closest to the gods, of course they can be eaten.”

Alice Carter: “Then you…”

William Clark glanced at him and immediately knew what he wanted to ask, smiling gently, “Don’t worry, I don’t eat it.”

Alice Carter breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh, that’s good.”

William Clark said, “It’s too filthy.”

Alice Carter: “Huh? Filthy?!”

Merfolk are all as white as snow, how could they be filthy? This fairy’s obsession with cleanliness is really something else.

But after pondering William Clark’s earlier words, Alice Carter sensed a faint, chilling undertone. He hesitantly asked, “So, is eating merfolk common in Chu?”

William Clark: “Not common. Mermaid flesh is highly poisonous, dry and hard to swallow. It requires many priceless medicines to detoxify, and the cooking methods and procedures are extremely particular. In all of Lingguang, probably only Grace Turner enjoys this practice.” After speaking, William Clark smiled, “Now that you’ve met her, do you know what kind of person she is?”

Alice Carter was taken aback. He had always liked observing people since childhood, but he was never good at reading their hearts.

When he looked at people, he never tried to guess their thoughts; he just stared quietly, no different from watching the sky, the earth, flowers, or grass.

Sounds pretty crazy, right! He was speechless at himself, but he couldn’t control his own eyes.

Being questioned by William Clark, Alice Carter forced himself to recall and picked the deepest impression, “Grace Turner seems to really like that little eunuch by her side. She asks him something after every sentence.”

William Clark gave a faint “Mm”: “That’s her preferred way of conversing.”

Alice Carter said in disbelief, “Doesn’t she realize that makes her seem gentle and approachable?”

But thinking back carefully, Alice Carter couldn’t help but feel that maybe Grace Turner really did think that way!

In fact, this “gentleness and approachability” felt more like an extreme, arrogant provocation.

After saying something, she would gently and casually ask the person next to her some trivial question, somewhat related to the previous topic but ultimately pointless. After getting a reply, she would continue with a beaming smile, as if she was only expressing her opinion after seriously listening to others.

In reality, the decisions Grace Turner made had nothing to do with the questions she asked.

This young empress dowager made decisions “lightly and casually,” and her “gentle kindness” allowed no one to refute her.

The spring breeze and drizzling rain seemed soft and sorrowful, but between the lines was the undisguised coldness of the imperial family, absolute and unyielding.

This was even more suffocating than open, blatant tyranny.

Thinking of her and the little eunuch’s back-and-forth, Alice Carter got goosebumps.

Alice Carter muttered to himself, “Talking to her could drive someone mad.”

William Clark said with interest, “Did she get to you?”

Alice Carter shook his head, “No way, I didn’t listen to a word she said.”

The bathhouse was in the inner court.

Artificial hills formed a natural barrier, with a hot spring at the center. Pear trees grew nearby, their blossoms falling like snow in March, mist swirling, making it seem like a fairyland on earth.

“Hurry up and take over your body, I don’t want to bathe you.” As soon as Alice Carter got off the carriage, he urged him.

The initiative in their contract lay with William Clark, since it was his body after all.

William Clark didn’t say much, placing his fingers between Alice Carter’s brows.

The moment Alice Carter turned into a soul, he truly felt as if he was about to ascend to heaven with joy—no more pain, no more cold, and he didn’t have to maintain his composure for fear of giving himself away! He felt completely refreshed!

William Clark’s expression was indifferent as he undressed and entered the pool.

Alice Carter sat on the pear tree closest to the bath, and as a well-mannered and considerate young man, he politely turned away while William Clark undressed, playing with the pear blossoms for a while before turning back.

Now that they were in the same boat, he felt a bit closer to William Clark and took the initiative to chat.

“You’re fifteen and don’t have a single concubine in the harem?”

“Mm.”

“Why?”

“Filthy.”

A fairy is truly a fairy—everything seems filthy to her.

Alice Carter: “Is there anything you don’t find filthy?”

William Clark tilted his head, thought for a moment, and smiled, “Ask another question.”

Alice Carter had gradually forgotten the shadow from their first meeting and obediently changed the question: “Oh, then what kind of concubine do you plan to choose?”

William Clark’s black hair floated quietly on the water. He closed his eyes for a moment, “You choose.”

Me?!