Chapter 9

Shelly's pov...

Just in minutes, Aali came with a bulk of clothes from the laundry,

"Here comes my chance....!" I mumbled making it audible to myself.

"Here see, My lady, I brought all the uniforms that the guard and maids of every corner of the palace wear," she excitingly said taking out one by one,

Now I need to get rid of this darling girl,

"Aali...!" I called her yawning,

"We will do it in the evening...! I am sleepy now...!" I mumbled walking to the bed,

"But... my lady..." she stood in confusion,

"Let it be there and you can return them tomorrow," I said tugging the blanket on me, what could a little maid do if the princess doesn't want to see them, she left them there and stoop up at the corner of the room.

"Don't just stand there, go do some work..!" I ordered, she looked at me with a puzzled look,

"Isn't looking after you my work my lady?" she said confusingly, it was true but how could I get her away from here,

Yea...!

"That dress arrange it for me and get the jewelry out and keep them ready, and...!"

She was twinkling her eyes at me,

"Uhh... just do these for now...ok?" I ordered her and she left from the bedroom to the hall front,

"Aali, I don't like being disturbed when I take my beauty nap, so don't come and wake me up unless the world is getting collapsed" I grunted in a very serious and steady voice, she won't dare to disturb me.

Soon after she left, I got up and dressed as a male guard, wearing common wear inside the uniform, because I can't just roam around in the city with the uniform.

I took a letter and wrote the names of ancient herbs and sealed it with the queen's seal, and started my hideous journey to freedom.

At the gate, I showed the guards that I was ordered by the Queen to get those herbs and escaped from there. It wasn't easy but not that hard too.

After getting out of the area of the palace provisions, I took off the uniform and wrapped it up in the cloth I brought with me, now I am free and the most important thing is I am in the marketplace of ancient china, I love the setting, whenever I saw an ancient Chinese drama, I loved these places very much. At this moment I can't believe I am here for real, it's amazing,

I walked along for while observing all the things around me, those things that I saw in dramas are in front of me.

Foods of so many types, accessories of so many types, and people wearing colorful dresses, looking so beautiful.

Roaming for an hour, I felt that the simple pancakes I ate morning are completely digested and my stomach is prepared for a new round of food, but in this mess, I forget to bring any money with me I didn't have any money with me in the palace too, can you imagine a queen of the state, has no money with her....!

I should have asked Aali to lend me some.

I looked around if I could get something to eat or could earn money from somewhere. I can't beg for money nor can I steal that from anyone, I need to find a better way.

There was chaos in front of a place, I went near to see as many people harassing a lady,

"You took the money...! and you are saying the show is canceled, how could you say that?" a man from them was grunting at the middle-aged woman in front of him,

"We are sorry my lord, she... she...is injured... I can't get any other one instantly...please the money you gave I will compensate you.... please try to understand...!" that lady was requesting him but that man was sniffing around,

"Ok... you want to compensate, right? ok then give twice the money" he let out in a dominating way,

What was going on?

Why are they asking for compensation?

I looked up and saw a girl looking down and crying, I went up to see if she was fine, but I saw her leg was wrapped with a lot of wooden pieces, the moment she saw me, she started panicking,

"Brother please we can't pay you back... please forgive me...!" she begged me kneeling before me,

"Brother...!" did I hear it right, suddenly I recalled the dress I was wearing and the cap I had been wearing is a male's attire, of course, she would take me as a man.

"Ok... but don't panic, tell me what happened?" I asked her moving bear to her,

"You are a girl.." she exclaimed, she isn't that stupid, as how they show in those dramas,

"Yes, now tell me what happened?"

she sought in sadness,

"I was supposed to perform here as a dancer, this was a planned event every month they all paid for it in advance, but yesterday night I fell while I was practicing and see I got my leg fractured...what should I do...? I am such a way, causing my mother such trouble.." she was weeping out,

Dancing...!

Maybe I can help them, but will anyone recognize me?

As per what I know about Luli, though she was married in this land for a year, she never stepped out of the city. I don't think anyone will notice unless some officials saw her in the palace.

But I have a solution for that too. I need a tape recorder, that won't is here...!

Shit...!

Wait she was supposed to perform, right?

"Do you sing?" I asked her she stopped crying and nodded her head,

"Why would you ask that?" she was confused, let's introduce the system of playback to her,

"I can dance, maybe I can help you...!" she raised her eyebrows in confusion,

"Ok... let's try once...!" I told her to sing and as a struggling idol, I was prepared for the on-the-spot singing and dancing challenges too.

It won't be hard for me, she started singing,

Wait... that song is the original of a remix song sung in my time. I heard that.

As she sang it I danced based on the ancient classical dancing steps, she was astonished to see me dancing,

"Sister you are brilliant... where do you learn such an elegant dance...! I never saw such beautiful steps in my lifetime...!" she exclaimed in surprise,

of course, I am brilliant, all my life I didn't do anything but dance,

"Now let's call your mother," I told her and she happily called her maid up and ordered her to call her mother saying that, she found a dancer.

Within minutes, her mother came running,

"Huahua what are you talking about?" she yelled at her daughter, looking at me,

"How could we believe a stranger and entrust our lives to her?" she was concerned that,

"No mother, I saw this sister dancing, she is more brilliant than me...!" that girl was so sure about me, she somehow convinced her mother, she walked to me holding my hands,

"What is your name child? can you really do that?" she asked me, her eyes filled with tears from the humiliation she just suffered,

I felt her just my mom, about whom I don't know how she is doing, I held her hand back assuring her, I can't reveal my identity,

"My name is Yanshu, I am a dancer, you can trust me...!" I told her and she seems to be convinced by that,

"Yanshu..! you have a nice name but we can't reveal the real name, let me give you a new name,"

Oh... so they don't give the correct names, that's more like it, she thought for a moment,

"How about, Phoenix...I will announce your name as Phoenix Dancer" she said and I agreed,

She took me to the changing room, which was filled with so many costumes, I took a golden color full-length dress with glitters and net over layers, it looked so beautiful, and a maid came in to get me to ready.

She was so helpful but I was an expert in makeup, so I didn't need her help. she stood there calmly, looking at me,

"Sister you are so awesome...!" she was surprised at my skills, I felt happy that at least my talent was useful in this life. I was glad that I got a chance to show my talent somewhere.

"Sister please make sure to wear a mask...! I am afraid someone will fall for you if they saw you, you look so beautiful," she was complimenting me and when I thought about that I found that advice to be useful.

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