Chapter 159 Let Him Develop a New Brain

Chapter 159: Make Him Regrow a Brain

Hua Diao clapped enthusiastically upon hearing the tale, utterly captivated by the true princess's inspiring journey. She admired how the princess, with a defiant toss of her head, cared for no one and even vied with her brothers for the throne. This broadened perspective instantly elevated her far above the pitiful, tear-wielding fake princess.

As fellow gossip enthusiasts, Hua Diao and the two maids quickly bonded over their shared interest, becoming as close as sisters from different parents. Their conversation grew much more relaxed.

Hua Diao joined the maids in their indignant complaints, "Exactly! How can that fake princess possibly compare to our Princess Anfoya? She has absolutely no royal demeanor—it's utterly disgraceful! And that fiancé of hers is a fool too, picking up sesame seeds while dropping watermelons. He doesn't appreciate our Princess Anfoya's worth, and he'll live to regret it someday..."

Indeed, this saga of the true and fake princesses featured another crucial character: the princess's fiancé. Originally betrothed to the fake princess, his allegiance became uncertain after the true princess's return. Since the fake princess hadn't been expelled or stripped of her title, she technically retained her status as a princess, and the engagement could still proceed with her.

However, the true princess's return complicated matters, as the engagement had initially been arranged under *her* identity. Thus, it could also be argued that the fiancé was rightfully hers.

Yet, when forced to choose between the two, the fiancé had sided with the fake princess, who remained favored even after her deception was exposed.

Oh, and the fiancé's name sounded remarkably familiar—Pei Ji. Wasn't he the very male succubus who had recruited Da Bao as a guard?

At this point, the maid with emerald-green eyes burst into laughter. "No need to wait for 'someday'—he's already regretting it! Just the other day, he was practically glued to our princess, following her around like sticky taffy, impossible to shake off! Hmph! If not for his family's influence, our princess would have already forcibly extracted his Succubus Love Thread and sent him back to infancy to regrow a brain!"

A succubus's love thread only detaches naturally upon reaching maturity. Forcibly removing it, however, would cause the succubus to regress to a dazed, infantile state—tantamount to being melted down and reforged. The idea of "regrowing a brain" was a fitting analogy.

Hua Diao covered her mouth, giggling. This sister had a wonderfully sharp tongue—right up her alley.

As the trio chatted and walked, they unconsciously exited the grand garden and arrived before a towering, ornate gate.

Hua Diao glanced curiously in that direction. "Is that the palace entrance? Can I go out and explore? I've never seen the Succubus Race's territory before."

"Ah... I'm afraid not," the two maids replied hesitantly, their smiles fading.

Hua Diao widened her eyes, feigning confusion. "Why not? Is it because I'm not of the Succubus Race?"

"Yes and no. As a mermaid, you should know that the once-every-three-millennia Race War is just a century away. Last time, our Succubus Race underperformed and only secured this frozen, desolate patch of the Northern Continent. The livable conditions here are entirely maintained by gold coins powering protective spells that ward off the icy winds and snow outside. This time, we are absolutely determined to win better territory.

"So, we've begun preparations a century in advance. Even His Majesty is preparing to abdicate, intending to hand over the throne to a more driven successor who can lead our race to victory in the Race War.

"The strict scrutiny of outsiders is also to root out spies planted by other races. Right now, the area outside the palace is chaotic, with patrol teams specifically searching for non-succubi. Even with Princess Anfoya's protection, if you were spotted by those succubi, it could be very troublesome. It's better to wait a few days until the princess officially announces your presence—then it will be much safer for you to venture out."

Hua Diao (who was not actually a mermaid): ...She truly hadn't known about any "once-every-three-millennia Race War," but she had certainly gleaned a lot of information from that conversation.

She wasn't one to ignore good advice. Since her two succubus sisters had said so, she obediently nodded, indicating her understanding. She would stay put for now. After all, her mission targets were all within the Succubus Imperial Palace; she could use these days to scout the situation.

Claiming fatigue, she told her two sisters she wanted to return and rest. The two maids immediately and enthusiastically offered to escort her back.

On the way back, Hua Diao didn't waste the opportunity, subtly probing to find out how she had arrived there. It turned out that Princess Anfoya had found her unconscious outside the city and brought her back. At the time, she had no companions with her—she was all alone.

This relieved Hua Diao. Since they didn't know she had companions, Xie Tingsheng and the others' identities would be much easier to manage; she could be flexible with the details later.

As they reached her door, the two succubus sisters blushed slightly and said, a little awkwardly, "Our princess is currently busy with the succession campaign, so she might be too occupied to attend to you. But if you need anything, please don't hesitate to find us. We live in that small side hall just ahead."

"Got it! Thank you, sisters!" Hua Diao stood inside the doorway, sweetly expressing her gratitude.

As the two succubus sisters turned to leave, Hua Diao's eyes flickered. She suddenly spoke up, feigning shyness and hesitation. "Um, sisters... those fruits at noon were delicious, especially the sweetest ones. I really loved them. Could I have a few more? I'll pay in gold!"

"Of course! The princess said to fulfill any of your requests. Those fruits are nothing to her—we'll bring some with dinner."

"Thank you so much, sisters!" Hua Diao beamed her thanks. Then, she pulled out two identical, uniquely exquisite shell bracelets from her spatial storage—equipment she usually obtained from opening treasure chests. This, she thought, would both solidify her identity and endear her to them.

"Sisters, these are specialties from our mermaid race. They're nothing particularly valuable, just able to increase some defense. If you don't mind, please accept them."

"Ah! So beautiful! We don't mind at all! How could we?"

"Thank you, Diao Diao!"

With this small gift, the two succubi became even more affectionate towards her. Their delight was palpable as they eagerly slipped the beautiful shell bracelets onto their wrists. After putting them on, they happily extended their arms to admire each other's, even pulling Hua Diao in to ask whose looked better.

Hua Diao, of course, was perfectly diplomatic, declaring both sisters beautiful, each in her own way. Her flattery made the beauty-loving succubus sisters beam with joy, and they, in turn, gifted Hua Diao a red gemstone forehead ornament and a jade bracelet.

Well, this round, she had truly struck gold!