Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

“Well, you stay here and finish the embroidery hoop while I prepare my special tea and bring it in,” Duchess Wang Qixing said, glancing at her daughters. She hoped that this sudden alone time would force them to connect—something that might never happen if she didn’t create the opportunity for them.

Li Xueyue blinked quickly at the Duchess's obvious plot. Usually, her mother would ask the servants to boil water, while she would take out a large box of ingredients to make tea.

But it’s good. If Duchess Wang Qixing wants to do this, Xueyue will not stop her mother.

"Besides, I doubt Minghua would have the guts to hurt me when no one is watching," she thought to herself.

"What would that smell like?" Li Xueyue asked as Duchess Wang Qixing stood up.

"It's a secret." Duchess Wang Qixing blinked. She reached out and pinched Xueyue's cheek, then patted Minghua's back affectionately.

"It won't be long." Duchess Wang Qixing added.

"I like sweeter tea." Li Minghua said, holding her mother's hand. "Please?"

Duchess Wang Qixing looked at her daughter's lovely expression and felt her heart tighten. Minghua must have been without good tea for a long time. Oh, poor thing. What terrible things did Minghua taste in the palace?

"Of course, my little flower, I will make it so that everyone will like it, don't worry." Duchess Wang Qixing said. Before leaving the room, she caressed her daughter's upper back for the last time.

Li Xueyue's attention fell on the head maid Jingxia. She was so quiet that Xueyue almost forgot her presence in the room. Jingxia stood at the door, head down, but her ears perked up.

A playful smile appeared on Li Xueyue's lips. No one in the family seemed to believe that the two of them were alone together. It was a pity that they missed the previous encounter.

"I am glad that you will be going to Han soon after your coronation," Li Minghua said. She pulled at the needle while marveling at her design. It was the setting sun passing through the sword and shield. There was a name engraved on the shield, but she didn't know whose it was.

"I'd be happy if I never saw your face again," Li Xueyue retorted, playing with the thread of her embroidery ring and a discarded handkerchief.

Li Xueyue was glad that she had chosen materials of inferior quality to practice. Otherwise, even if she still had a roll of silk given to her by the previous emperor that she had not used, the precious silk would have been wasted.

It was so annoying that her expertise was all in things that didn't fit her image as a noble third-rank princess. Li Xueyue sometimes wished she had some feminine hobbies, such as calligraphy, poetry, art, music, and even musical instruments. She chose swords instead of paintbrushes, martial arts instead of dancing, and so on.

"That's not what I meant, but I guess the feeling is mutual," Li Minghua said. Her attention was still on the embroidered ring. If she wanted, she could comment on Xueyue's complete lack of embroidery skills, but she kept her mouth shut.

Li Xueyue was too lazy to respond. She spun the thread lazily on her fingers.

She had read an interesting book about knots. Some that could be tied with thread, choking a person, and making it look like an accident. She practiced the design with her fingertips, wondering if such a thing was possible. Surely if it was written in a book it must be so, right?

"I don't think Wang Jing or Wang Longhe will be able to show up at the coronation ceremony, but they will show up soon. That's when the real problems will arise, but you will be safe in Hanjian," said Li Minghua.

Li Xueyue raised her head from the pattern her fingers were spinning. "My life in Hanjian may seem happy on the surface, but it is likely that I will have to go through one political conspiracy after another."

"If your lord really loves you, he will definitely stay away from you. To be honest, if you are made the queen of a foreign country, there will be many targets inside and outside of Korea."

Li Xueyue blinked. “I don’t want to be kept in the dark like an ignorant fool, but for each of us.”

“I learned it.” Li Minghua blurted out. “Why did you deliberately attack me when I was trying to make peace here and have a decent conversation?”

Li Xueyue's eyes never left her design. "Because we were always talking, our attention was never on each other. Isn't this just mindless small talk?"

Li Minghua's eyes immediately raised. "The same thing can be applied to you!"

"Besides, one or two apologies are not enough to make up for it." Li Xueyue said. She lifted the intricate knot above her head. How could anyone fit their head into such a big hole? Hmm... What traps does the book say again?

Li Minghua bit his lower lip. "Well, you feel lucky that I won't say this more than once. Whether you like me or not, I don't care."

“Good for you,” Li Xueyue said as she slipped the pattern through her fingers. She pulled the threads together until everything was knotted and tangled. She didn’t need anyone to find this everywhere.

Li Minghua should have been even more irritated by Xueyue's behavior, but strangely, she wasn't. She attributed it to Xueyue's calmness. Steady and sharp, this was exactly what the Li family wanted their daughter to be. She bit her lower lip.

"Will you teach me?" Li Minghua asked.

At this point, Li Xueyue finally raised her head. She found that Minghua's attention was now focused on her. For this arrogant young lady, it must be difficult to let go of her pride.

"What?" Li Xueyue asked.

Li Minghua looked away in embarrassment. She put the finished embroidered ring down. “The art of sharpening my tongue until it becomes a weapon.”

"It's hard for me to say that my stuff is that deadly, but I can teach you to control yourself," Li Xueyue said. "If you want to get the response you desire, you should ask your father for help. He is an expert in this area."

Li Xueyue hated Li Minghua, but not to the extent that she wanted Minghua and the prince to continue to have a tense relationship. She hoped that they would have more intimate experiences. Seeing the prince happy, even if it was with Minghua, would warm her heart.

"I want to learn as soon as possible." Li Minghua added. "You left so soon and--"

"Don't worry, the tactics are simple, it just takes practice." Li Xueyue explained. "Are you ready to accept the challenge?"

"Of course." Li Minghua said. "Otherwise, why would I lose my dignity and come to you for help?"

Li Xueyue examined Li Minghua carefully. Was that... a hint of embarrassment? She smiled at the thought. For a moment, Xueyue saw Minghua's charm, although only for a moment. Was this the one Wen Jinkai saw in her?

"When you are angry about something," Li Xueyue began. "You should stay calm and don't yell or raise your voice when arguing. Men like to roar like lions, but when we do that, we are considered overly emotional. How disgusting is that?"

Li Minghua blinked. Now that I think about it... it's said that men raise their voices to be more passionate, but what about women raising their voices? She's a lunatic and a crybaby.

"The angrier you are, the more motivated you are to control the situation, not let anyone see through your cold expression, don't let anyone in, and if they do, definitely don't let them out."

Li Minghua had never thought about it this way before. She thought that expressing her dissatisfaction would make the other party panic. After all, they offended the prime minister’s daughter. Shouldn’t they tremble in their shoes?

Li Xueyue knows a lot more, but decides not to reveal it. Minghua wants to know her special moves, so she has to earn them. What will happen if the apprentice defeats the master?

Li Xueyue held back her words of wisdom. She didn’t want to turn a cat into a tiger. “That’s all for today, but I’m sure you can learn a lot more from our family.”

Li Minghua nodded quickly. "I... uh..." She nervously looked away again. Her fingers casually fiddled with a nearby thread. She rolled it into a ball with her fingers, hoping that this would distract her.

"I have a whole day to wait for words of thanks," Li Xueyue said. She leaned back in her chair and stretched. She even yawned to show that she was relaxed.

"Uh..." Li Minghua's voice gradually became quieter and he continued to play with the string.

"Hmm." Li Xueyue hummed a song while lazily tapping her fingers on the table. She hummed the tune but didn't care.

??T, tha...nk..."

Li Xueyue rested her cheek on her supporting arm. Her other hand fiddled with the tangled mass of thread she had made. It was so funny to watch Minghua struggle for words of appreciation.

"...Thank...you..." Li Minghua finally murmured. She felt like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders and chest.

"Not very welcome, but of course." Li Xueyue joked. "Oh, I smell something nice." She sniffed the air as the door opened and the Duchess emerged.

Li Minghua blinked several times. Her face flushed with embarrassment. She hid it behind her hand and looked away. Why was it so difficult to say "thank you"? It must be her lack of practice.