I froze and turned to the nobles. The Xi Liang Emperor, elegant and refined, raised his eyebrow, his light brown eyes showing surprise.
“This servant greets Your Majesty,” I bowed, my heart in turmoil. Hadn’t I already stated I was married? Why use such a form of address?
He seemed about to speak but hesitated, creating an awkward atmosphere. The Nan Rui cavalry general and a woman wearing a gold-embroidered headband silently observed.
Suddenly, the macaw on the general’s shoulder turned its head and clearly spoke: “Stupid dog, stupid dog!” It dismissively waved its wing at Yuan Xiao, breaking the tension. Yuan Xiao, understanding the bird’s taunt, quickly flipped up and barked fiercely at the parrot. The cavalry general stepped back, startled, and the bird flew up, circling before landing precisely on my shoulder.
Startled, I tried to shoo it away, but it flapped its wings and gripped my clothing, refusing to leave. Its feathers made me sneeze several times. Que’er attempted to help but was sharply pecked. Finally, the Xi Liang Emperor grabbed its wings and pulled it down.
“Princess, princess!” it cried, flying towards the woman with the gold headband. She extended her arm, and it settled comfortably, continuing to cry, “Princess, princess! Save little Huang!” This must be the second princess of Nan Rui. The parrot’s name, little Huang, reflects an unusual taste in names.
I gave a meaningful look to the stoic general, who hadn’t changed his expression throughout. Could the parrot actually belong to this second princess rather than the general?
Noticing everyone’s gaze on little Huang, the second princess looked slightly embarrassed. “This is the parrot of the Fifth Princess. We brought it to try and find her whereabouts.” So this talkative parrot belonged to the princess who had run away from an arranged marriage. If it could help locate the Fifth Princess, it would save An Jin some trouble. This princess, however, had poor judgment in both people and naming.
The second princess approached me and smiled, “It seems little Huang quite likes your dog.” I was stunned. Could this be considered liking?
