10 Departure 1: On the way

Getting out of the Empire's Palace felt good to Zheng Lu, but what he didn't expect is the four guards that waited for him.

" Those lowly beings greet his highness the fourth prince!" Their voice was strong and steady

Zheng Lu felt uncomfortable, he felt the warning bells that he always gets when there is danger around him.

Ignoring it he went into the carriage to find the young maid that he hugged when he woke up. they stared into each other eyes, one in embarrassment and the other in surprise.

"Your Highness!" she whispered looking into the ground

Without any reply, he sat on the right side of the carriage in front of her and kept studying her face.

'She really looks like her.' he thought staring at her while she felt small under his gaze

"I'm I interrupting something?" JiaYing asked sitting near the new maid

"No!" they both denied at the same time

"Your Highness, we are ready to depart!" A guard informed Zheng Lu

' Wait how do they reply in such a situation? leave? go? Okay? oh, I found it!' He thought

"To our destiny, we go!" Zheng Lu said cooly making the guard comply and ride his horse

'To our destiny, we go? what is that, a poem?' both maids had the same thought

"Let's go!" The guard shouted

Feeling the carriage moving, Zheng Lu felt happy, finally he will see this new world. his happiness didn't last long as he started to feel bored from seeing trees all around him.

Looking at the quiet maids he couldn't help but ask for her name.

the little maid was surprised that such a person with high status will ask her a mere slave about her name but felt sadder that she couldn't share a name she didn't have.

" She doesn't have a name." JiaYing replied instead breaking the silence

"oh?" Zheng Lu felt guilty noticing the tears gathering in the young maid's orbs

"What about Bo?" he asked making the little maid gawk at him in surprise

"Bo? as in precious? that really fit her." JiaYing amused

"Yup my precious." Zheng Lu blurted out imagining the ring of power, then kept whispering it in a creepy way making the young maid happy mood turn into fear.

Outside the carriage, the Guards galloped feeling anxious about the mission, thinking it's the right time, they kept pursuing the prince to rest and eat, showing their concern about his health because

he didn't eat all day in their journey. what they didn't know is that JiaYing was loaded with foods; dumpling, sweets, honey and bread, so they didn't stop at all which frustrated them, the night came, and the guards stomach kept making weird noises.

"When would we stop to rest?" Bo asked timidly

"No! we won't stop till tomorrow, it's so comfortable here." Zheng Lu said laying sleepily

"The guards need to get fed so they can continue with this mission." JiaYing said

"No need." He replied before felling asleep

'He was never heartless, what's wrong?' JiaYing asked herself in disbelieve