Chapter 7 — The Sixth Prince's Female Chef

"What are you asking the Queen for?" I asked in return: "Begging her to help me cancel a marriage? But my mother is right. I am just a concubine. Why should the queen offend the Luu family and the Nguyen family because of me?" Tieu Dao's eyes turned red again. I patted her hand gently: "Don't cry. Let me think." Returning to my cottage, I sat in the room for a long time. The mother dared to do so, there was definitely an order from Tham Vu behind her. He not only wanted me to enter the Marquis Palace as his concubine, but also wanted to block all my escape routes. If I don't enter the Marquis Palace, I will have to marry the Great Master of the Liu family. If I enter the Marquis Palace, I will be a concubine for the rest of my life, and I will still have to watch Tham Vu and his sister love each other until their hair falls apart. No matter which path I choose, it is the end for me. I thought all night long. When it was almost dawn, I made a decision. 12 The next day when I entered the palace, I still made some breakfast and a pot of freshly cooked sugar pear for the Sixth Prince as usual. Today he looked quite good, sitting by the window flipping through a medical book. "Miss Nguyen is here?" He put the book down, his eyebrows arched. "What's delicious today?" I put the food box on the table, hesitated for a moment, then suddenly knelt down. The sixth prince was startled. "What are you doing?" He reached out to help me up, but felt it wasn't appropriate so his hand stiffened in mid-air. "If there's anything, just speak slowly." "Your Highness." I knelt on the ground, my voice was very soft but extremely determined. "The woman has something to ask." "Say it." "The mother has already arranged a marriage for the woman, to be the Grand Master of the Luu family in the eastern city. Ten days later it will be done. "I raised my head and looked straight at him. "Your Highness only needs to send someone to inquire about what kind of person Mr. Liu is. If a woman marries there, I'm afraid she won't be able to live for three years." The Sixth Prince's face changed. "But the woman is just a concubine of a small mandarin's house, she has no power or influence. The mother has already accepted the bride price, and the woman cannot resist." I took a deep breath. "Your Highness, the woman has the audacity to beg you. "What's the matter?" "I beg your Highness to accept a common woman as a concubine." The Sixth Prince's entire body froze. His ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye, the red color spread straight down to his neck. "You... what did you just say?" "The ladies know that this request is very sudden." I spoke very quickly, not daring to give him a chance to refuse. "But the ladies thought again and again, this is the only way. His Highness's body is not good, he needs someone to take care of him for a long time. The ladies know how to cook medicine well, and also understand some nursing methods." "The ladies don't need electricity." Your Majesty, I don't need any status. As long as Your Highness gives me a place to live, so that I can be right by your side to take care of Your Highness's health." His ears were still red, but his voice had calmed down. “You stand up first.” I didn't move. He sighed, bent down, and took my arm with his own hand. "I told you to stand up." His fingers were very thin, a layer of clothing could still feel the shape of the bones, but his strength was greater than I thought. I was pulled up by him, only to realize that he was more than half a head taller than me. Sick is sick, but the skeleton is still there. "What you just said..." He lowered his eyelashes, his tone serious. "I cannot agree." My heart immediately sank to the bottom of the abyss. "The matter of accepting you as a concubine is too disadvantageous for you." He coughed twice, waiting for his breath to stabilize before continuing: "Your mother has made you swear to never become a concubine. I cannot make you do it for me.

breaking my oath." I was stunned. So what you care about... is this? "But your highness..." My voice was dry. "If I don't do this..." "My body is not good. The royal physician said that given my condition, it is not appropriate to get married too early." The sixth prince suddenly said a sentence without beginning or end. "But next to me there is truly a lack of someone who knows how to do good medicine. The previous chef had told him to return home a few days ago. Your mother's intention is to tell me to quickly find a replacement." He looked into my eyes, the corners of his lips curled up slightly: "Miss Nguyen's cooking skills are very good, and she understands medicinal properties. Being a female chef in the prince's palace is definitely more than enough." "Monthly salary will be based on the palace's rules, including food and accommodation. You just have to sign a contract, the shortest term is three years. Will you do it?" I was stunned for several breaths. Three years. At least three years. You used the name of a female chef to protect me for three years. Three years later, even though my mother and Tham Vu still wanted to control me, they were no longer able to reach out. 13 "Your Highness..." I opened my mouth, my voice choked in my throat. "Do you do it or not?" He asked again. The red color on his ears had not completely disappeared, but his voice speaking brought with it the inherent certainty of a prince.