The next day.


    Ran Xueyi woke up to a hungover pain she never once experienced before. In the past, she has been drinking moderately and making certain that she wouldn''t go past her limits, but yesterday night, something happened.


    Ran Xueyi''s eyes shed with silver.


    It could have something to do with the drink she hadst night.


    But she had no recollection on how she returned and got inside her room. Besides that, there was something that bothered her a lot.


    Last night, she dreamed of Song Yu Haning to her room. He looked the same as before, a bit mature and darker, but he had longer hair and grayish eyes. She had numerous dreams about him in the past and recent nights, but all of them did not have long hair or gray eyes.


    Somehow, this baffled and confused Ran Xueyi a lot because the Song Yu Han she saw in her dreamsst night matched with the image of the Earl, whom she had metst night. Could it be that because he had been creeping around her like a stalker that she ended up mixing up their image?


    Ran Xueyi did not have the time to think deeply into this matter as the door was knocked by someone from outside.


    When she stood up, she saw that she was still wearing the golden mini dress but the mask covering her face was already thrown somewhere inside the room. Grabbing a bathrobe from the bathroom, Ran Xueyi made way to the door to open it.


    Since the royal ball was already donest night, there was no need for guests to keep wearing their masks. Of course, there wasn''t any restriction that said they couldn''t keep wearing them, but at the end of the three-long days of the Royal Court Masquerade, the guests would meet each other without their masks on thest day to make each other''s identity known to each other.


    So, Ran Xueyi thought it was necessary to keep her identity a secret.


    "Good morning!"


    The maid who was assigned to her yesterday was standing in front of her as soon as she opened her door. She also mentioned her name in passing during their walk to the banquet hall.


    "Good morning," Ran Xueyi said with a smile. "What''s wrong?"


    L, the maid, smiled back at her. "Breakfast for all the guests is now served in the dining hall. His majesty and Her majesty are also there with the princes and princesses. I''m going to lead you there now."


    Ran Xueyi frowned. "Can I not go?" After a pause, she exined, "I''m not feeling too well after waking up. Look, I haven''t even changed out of my dress fromst night."


    L looked at her for a second and nodded, "I will tell the head butler then that you will need your meal sent to your room."


    Ran Xueyi was d that the maid epted her excuse without any problem. She was worried that Prince Francisco sent her to serve her. But it doesn''t seem to be the case seeing how she easily epted it.


    Anyway, Ran Xueyi felt ufortable meeting Prince Francisco and especially, the Earl. The former was easier to take care of once she leaves the pce and inside, she could make excuses to avoid him. However, thetter was even more difficult than the prince because he has more freedom than Prince Francisco. And by the look of it, even the prince could not handle the Earl. It could even be possible that the Earl was even more powerful and sinister than she thought.


    After closing her door, Ran Xueyi noticed something amiss. She stepped back a few steps and stared at the screws that went loose from the door. Traces of it being forcefully opened could be seen and made her remember some blurry images.


    But perhaps because she was too affected by whatever dr*g was put into her drink, she was unable to remember much of what happenedst night aside from the dreams she had of Song Yu Han.


    Taking out her phone which she turned off yesterday, she received tons of private messages and calls from Jian Yiling, her manager, and even some other people. The surging pings after pings echoed inside her room nonstop and it only ceased to chime when she turned the silent mode on.


    First, she checked Jian Yiling''s messages and chats which contained some of her friend''s worried concerns, asking her how her night was and if Ran Xueyi needed any saving so she could send some of her people to invade the castle''s stronghold. But most of her messages didn''t actuallye from Jian Yiling herself.


    [Mommy, Xiao Zhan miss you!]


    [Mommy, where are you?]


    [Mommy, Are you with daddy? No Fair!]


    The first two messages filled Ran Xueyi''s heart with warmth. But thest message choked Ran Xueyi, who was taking a sip from a ss of water.


    Her eyes widened as she tried toprehend when and how her son ended up having such a conclusion. In the past year, Xiao Zhanzhan learned that he didn''t only have a mother and auntie, but also a father, and had been demanding to see him.


    Naturally, Ran Xueyi didn''t deny him and let him see some photos of Song Yu Han. However, Ran Xueyi was not certain whether he could understand the real situation and couldn''t meet his father unfortunately.


    But Xiao Zhanzhan''s feelings for his father seemed to be instinctual or innate because after seeing the photo of Song Yu Han that Ran Xueyi showed to him, Xiao Zhanzhan ended up staring at the photo to which he had put inside a frame every night. He would smile excitedly and happily whenever he looked at his father''s photo.


    Ran Xueyi thought that thest message might have been insinuated by Jian Yiling, but she still replied...


    [I miss you too. Mommy will be hometer.]


    After sending this, Ran Xueyi went to take a shower and changed out of her clothes. Thankfully, Jian Yiling prepared somefortable and not so revealing dresses inside her suitcase.


    Soon after washing up, the door was knocked once again.


    Ran Xueyi looked through the peephole this time and saw the maid pushing a serving trolley with food on top.


    The door was opened for the maid.


    L pushed the trolley inside with a slight rattling sound and closed the door behind her with a slight smile.


    Ran Xueyi softly said, "Thank you."


    "You''re wee!" L epted it and her gazended on the opened suitcase which was on top of the bed. Frowning, she asked cautiously, "Are you leaving as well?"


    Ran Xueyi followed her gaze and thought about it for a second before nodding, "Yes... I have something important to do back home."


    In honesty, Ran Xueyi really has no more reason to stay in the castle. Since the Earl ended up to be the person who sent the invitation card to her, her intention to investigate further was gone. As for keeping a favorable rtionship with him, she doubts she could do that seeing as how he has other intentions towards her.


    If the Earl was someone who did not approach her with other intentions, she might have kept in contact with him. But that was not the case...


    And so, there was no need for her to stay in the castle.


    L did not know what was inside Ran Xueyi''s mind and only assumed that it has something to do with her profession as an actress. The real background and identities of the guests weren''t hidden from the serving maids and butlers in order for them to serve their assigned guests better. This worked well for them since they could prepare what they should and shouldn''t to match their assigned guests'' preferences and not make any mistakes.


    "But it''s still the second day of the event..." L thought that it was a pity. She never met such a friendly and kind guest that was assigned to her.


    In the past years, she was always assigned to a grumpy and arrogant male guest who would sometimes take advantage of their ''guest roles'' to subtly touch her, and there were also somedy guests who think they''ve be royalty just because they''re inside the castle and ordered her around.


    Ran Xueyi was the only guest she served who wasn''t picky and demanding. She was always rxed, calm, and elegant.


    Ran Xueyi smiled. "When you have time to go outside, you can call me so we can hang out."


    <o>,m L''s eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Really?"</o>


    Ran Xueyi nodded. "Yes."


    L was really happy, but she was once again surrounded with dark clouds above her head. She said, "I can only go outside the castle once every three months."


    Ran Xueyi only offered her a slight smile and didn''t say any promises to the pitiful maid. After all, she wasn''t certain if she could stay in Ren Country within those three months.


    "By the way, what do you mean by ''as well''?" asked Ran Xueyi. "Has somebody announced their n to leave too?"


    L nodded and remorsefully said, "Well, he already left actually. It wasst night when everybody was asleep. He went to speak to His Majesty and we only heard of it this morning."


    "He?" Ran Xueyi raised her brows while wondering who could have the courage to face and speak to the King to leavest night.


    L didn''t think much and gave away the identity of that person.


    She said, "The Earl..."