I woke up as the Villainous Empress

Zheng Liang gently dried Yang Ning's hair with a towel, his gaze fixed on her flushed cheeks as he observed her reflection in the mirror. The fragrant scent of flowers emanated from her freshly washed hair.

To ease the girl's restlessness under his intense gaze, he casually asked, "What did you do today?"

Feeling a nervous twinge for some unknown reason, Yang Ning nervously gulped before replying, "Ah? I... I just slept. The long journey left me tired, so I took the opportunity to rest and recharge." She gave the same excuse that she had taught Xiaowei to give to the other maids.

Zheng Liang remained unfazed, humming nonchalantly. "Hmm! Rest is indeed important."

With a meaningful smile, he continued to gently rub the towel against her dark and thick hair. "Since you rested the entire day, I will take you out tomorrow to explore the city."

"You must have been bored staying at the residence all day," he added.

Yang Ning's eyes widened in shock, completely caught off guard by his sudden proposal to go out. She had assumed their time in the city would be confined to the royal residence, with eventual return to the palace.

She sighed, regretting her impulsive escape from the residence, causing unnecessary stress for herself and Xiaowei. If only she had known he had plans to take her out, she wouldn't have resorted to secretive measures.

"Didn't you mention having important tasks to attend to? Have you finished them?" she asked awkwardly, feeling guilty for deceiving him.

"I managed to handle most of my duties today. Tomorrow, we can spare some time to explore the city. Why? Aren't you happy about it?" he inquired, noting her hesitant expression.

"Haha, how could I not be happy?" Yang Ning forced a bitter smile.

Damn it! He had intended to take her out, and here she was, shamelessly lying to him.

Lying was already her weakness, and now she had to sit there like a mannequin, pretending to be bored at the residence all day, while in reality, she had freely roamed the city without concern for her reputation as the crown princess.

Zheng Liang, aware of the truth, took pleasure in witnessing her troubled expression. After assisting her in drying her hair, he set the towel aside and picked up a wide-toothed wooden comb, gently running it through her locks.

"Your Highness, I can manage it myself," Yang Ning felt awkward when she saw him combing her hair, reaching out to take the comb from him. However, he raised his hand slightly and nonchalantly said, "Zheng Liang."

Yang Ning arched her eyebrows, understanding the message behind his words. She cleared her throat and said, "Ah, Zheng Liang. You can hand it to me. I will take care of it myself." She attempted to retrieve the comb from his grasp.

Yet, Zheng Liang did not relinquish the comb. Instead, he placed his hands on her shoulders, gently urging her to remain seated. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "Just relax and enjoy. You must be exhausted." He commented with a hint of amusement.

Weary? Wasn't she lying in bed, resting the entire day? What did he mean by that? She furrowed her brow, visibly perplexed by his remark.

Zheng Liang took pleasure in Yang Ning's confused reaction. To further tease her and elicit a response, he noticed something on the dressing table and picked it up. "What's this? Is it yours? But isn't this a specialty of Xinling City?" He inquired, holding up a wooden hairpin adorned with seashells and small white pearls.

Yang Ning's face paled with panic as she looked at the hairpin. She inwardly cursed herself for her carelessness. It was the hairpin she had purchased at the market that afternoon. How could she have been so thoughtless as to leave it out on the dressing table instead of hiding it away?

"This? It... it was part of my wedding dowry. I often use it. Have you never seen it before?" She quickly snatched the hairpin from his hand, attempting to maintain an air of composure.

Zheng Liang found satisfaction in the girl's nervous reaction, a subtle smirk appearing at the corner of his lips. "Is that so? Well, it's beautiful," he replied, his tone filled with underlying meaning.

____

After dinner, Yang Ning felt more restless than relaxed. Throughout the meal, she had been consumed by nerves and fear due to the imposing aura of the man. In her desperation to avoid any questioning, she had hastily devoured her food, stuffing herself to the point of discomfort.

Now, she was plagued with feelings of sickness and unease. She could no longer bear the weight of her lies. Not only was she terrible at deception, but her escape from the residence had only brought more trouble upon her.

Anxiety gripped her, fearing that he would uncover her lies and refuse to take her out the next day, potentially returning to the capital without any chance of exploration.

Meanwhile, Zheng Liang was instructing the maid to prepare his bath, and caught sight of Yang Ning walking towards the garden attached to their chambers. He observed her and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I... I wanted to take a stroll in the garden. I may have eaten a bit too much during dinner," she replied, embarrassed.

"Oh? In that case, I have a method to help you digest your meal quickly," he remarked.

"Hmm? What is it?" she asked, without thinking.

"Help me with my bath," he said, his gaze fixed on her.

"Eh? What do you mean?" She was left speechless. How did that have anything to do with digestion? Weren't there maids to help him with his bath? What does he need her for?

"Hmm. It will help you move your body a bit and aid in the digestion process," he explained casually.

"I don't think it's necessary. I can just go for a walk in the garden..." She began to refuse when Zheng Liang interrupted her, saying, "If that's what you want, go ahead and take your walk."

"By the way, did I mention? While I was inspecting the market today, a woman fearlessly fought against a thug, landing blows despite her fragile appearance. It was quite impressive," he stated matter-of-factly.

"What? You... you saw that?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"I heard about it. I instructed the guards to find that courageous lady. Since I am here, I plan to reward her and meet her personally," he said.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. You should go and take your bath and forget about everything else. Wait... I'll assist you and even give you a massage. You should let go of unnecessary matters once you return home," she hurriedly suggested, attempting to divert his attention. She couldn't allow him to search for her; otherwise, she would be done for.

"Oh, would that be a bother to you? Weren't you going to take a stroll in the garden? Also, you already took a bath." he innocently inquired.

"It's no trouble. Besides, I am simply helping you with your bath. I can change if my clothes get wet. Hehe," she grinned with a hidden meaning, urging him to bathe quickly and retire for the night.