The next morning, Aimoer, fast asleep, felt someone pinch her chest’s cotton-like flesh hard.
The intense sensation made her bounce up from the bed, her tail instantly stiffening as she cautiously looked around.
“Awake?”
It wasn’t until Aimoer fully woke that she saw Qihuo’s amused face, twirling a makeup brush and watching her with great interest.
“Eat some breakfast. Should I feed you, or will you eat yourself?”
Qihuo brought out a tray from the small table behind her and placed it on the nightstand.
She picked up the hot porridge, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and smilingly brought it to Aimoer’s lips.
“I… I’ll do it myself.”
Aimoer hugged her chest with a resentful expression, still feeling a slight ache.
She took the bowl of porridge, took a gentle sip, and the warm porridge entering her mouth revitalized her.
Her originally drowsy face now showed a hint of a blissful smile.
“I’ve already done your makeup. Take a bath, and then get ready to go.”
“Huh? It’s already done? I don’t feel any difference?”
Aimoer held the bowl, twisting to look at herself.
Except for not being able to see her face, everything else seemed the same as before she fell asleep.
“Change clothes first, then look in the mirror and you’ll know.”
Qihuo just held a pen and drew something on paper, then smiled at Aimoer, clearly very satisfied with her work.
But that smile gave Aimoer a bad premonition.
She quickly sped up eating breakfast, her mind fully occupied with wondering what Qihuo’s disguise had turned her into.
Until the spoon made a clear scraping sound against the bowl, Aimoer put down the bowl and was about to find a mirror.
Before she could react, Qihuo took her hand and pulled her out of the room, leading her directly to the mansion’s large bath.
“Hehe, you’d better watch closely. Don’t blink.”
Lifting the curtain, Qihuo pulled Aimoer into the bath’s changing room, then leaned close to her ear and lightly bit her earlobe.
While she was still hesitating, Qihuo pushed a large full-length mirror in front of her and then yanked open the cloth covering the mirror.
When Aimoer saw herself in the mirror, her pupils dilated instantly.
Her originally curious and slightly uneasy expression turned into shock.
At this moment, the person standing before the mirror—
Was a complete replica of Qihuo: the same slender elf ears, the same beautiful figure, even the same translucent nightgown.
It was like a copy-paste.
“I’ve become like this!”
“Don’t be so surprised. Using my identity makes things more convenient. Besides, on the world political stage, I’ve always had the image of an idle princess. Even if I really travel across borders, people would probably just think I’m sightseeing, not doing some secret work. Moreover, I am the Elven Crown Princess after all. Using my identity, no one will touch you, and it can greatly ensure your safety.”
As Qihuo spoke, she went behind her and started to take off her clothes.
Startled, Aimoer quickly tried to slap her hand away, but it was obviously too late.
“Hmm, except for our scent, we’re almost the same person. As a professional spy of the Demon Race, you should know what to do. If something really happens across the border, I won’t be able to save you, you know.”
Aimoer felt her hand already climbing over her body.
In the mirror, it looked like some forbidden game between twin sisters.
“Alright, take a bath, try to change your scent to mine, and then you can set off. Don’t embarrass me, okay?”
With that, Qihuo pushed Aimoer into the bath.
Steam rose and fragrance filled the air.
“Phew, honestly, have I really disguised myself as Qihuo?”
About two hours later, having successfully passed through the Elven Teleportation Array to the Southern Elven Border and smoothly crossed into Erebos, the “impostor Qihuo” Aimoer now stood in the plaza, twisting her body with a strange expression.
Along the way, not to mention the human border guards, even the elf guards just gave her a slight nod of greeting.
This indifferent courtesy seemed more like treating an unimportant marginal royal member like Qihuo, rather than the noble and esteemed Elven Crown Princess Qihuo.
‘Is this girl’s status really that low within the royal family?’
‘She clearly doesn’t seem like a simple person. She’s idle at home as a shut-in, and outside she doesn’t seem well-regarded either. I feel like this could be an opportunity to exploit?’
Aimoer rested her chin in her hand, pondering.
After all, she couldn’t rely solely on technique to suppress Qihuo.
She needed some psychological tactics to completely win over this Great Princess’s heart.
“Sigh, all that talk is useless. First, I need to deal with the Naya matter. Anyway, that one can’t trick me, because now I am Qihuo.”
Aimoer reached out and wound the silver pendant around her hand, then began to examine this desolate small city.
Erebos is nestled in the southern mountains of the Kingdom of Human Glory.
Transportation is not very convenient; instead, it takes much less time to get there from the Elf Kingdom than from human territory.
This place, though called a city, is more like an underdeveloped small town.
Even basic teleportation arrays and cargo roads haven’t been fully laid; instead, it’s just pristine natural dirt roads that become muddy when it rains.
In such a place that even the greediest merchants disdain, the only thing in sight is the most basic market, displaying various mountain delicacies and wild fruits.
As for other items like jewelry, souvenirs, or even gemstones, there’s no trace at all.
The most fatal thing is—
Aimoer didn’t even see any small cakes for sale here!
Before coming here, Aimoer had never even heard of such a place in the kingdom.
‘Could this godforsaken place really be the stronghold of that mysterious and invincible Naiya Sect?’
“In a place like this, not to mention an elf princess, even if the Elven King came, humans wouldn’t think anything disadvantageous would happen to them.”
Aimoer pulled her outer coat tighter.
The morning chill wind felt even more biting in this lifeless place.
She had specially chosen a less conspicuous and expensive set of clothes as a disguise for this trip.
Now it seemed completely unnecessary.
Aimoer walked through this cold city.
Perhaps because it was morning, most of the houses and shops in the city still had their doors tightly shut.
Only the rusty wind chimes outside swayed in the mountain wind, emitting eerie, crisp sounds.
Erebos was so small that Aimoer managed to walk a full circle around it in half an hour.
She was surprised to find that this dilapidated little city not only had backward infrastructure but also lacked even a single church or statue.
Walking along the street, looking through dim windows, she found no residents privately worshipping any statues, paintings, or other religious items.
The existence of gods had completely vanished in this small city.
“Not blessed by the Holy Light, backward development, it’s like being forgotten by the world. Looking at it this way, this place has way too many eerie points.”
Aimoer analyzed to herself, gaining some understanding of the current situation.
But the biggest issue is still—
‘Erebos is too desolate. In a place like this, how can I find traces of Naya?’