Chaochao looked at Naine and added, "My uncle likes to sleep naked. You barged in like that, he'll lose face too."
Naine's face flushed crimson, "I had no idea he had such a peculiar habit!"
Bess swatted her hand. "Always so reckless. You're not a child anymore. You're forbidden from barging into Mumu's chambers again!"
Naine pouted, and her gaze fell upon Jenny. She made a face at her, "I told you, my brother doesn't like you, why are you here again?"
Jenny's face turned as red as her ears. "I came to deliver clothes for Chaochao and Mumu."
Naine shot her a disdainful look. "When else could you have delivered them? You just had to choose this time..."
Bess rebuked her with displeasure, "Naine!"
Naine pouted and took Chaochao and Mumu's hands. "Come on, Auntie will take you to play."
Bess's expression darkened slightly. "Where are you taking them?"
"To my chambers. I have so many gifts for them, I want to show them."
"You're still a child yourself. Can you look after them properly? You should stay here quietly!"
Jenny forced a smile. "Your Majesty, I can accompany them."
Lan Yuxi looked over, and with a glance, saw Chaochao winking at her. She smiled faintly.
"Auntie, let them go and play."
Bess pondered for a moment, then dispatched two of her most trusted servants. Only then did she allow them to leave.
After they had gone a distance, Bess asked, "I deliberately had Jenny come over today because I wanted you two to see her. What do you think of her?"
Tang Wan smiled. "You'll have to ask Camino. Our opinions don't represent him."
Lan Yuxi glanced at her mother and said with a smile, "Auntie, I speak frankly, please don't mind. Jenny is beautiful, comes from a good family, and is a design genius. In short, her strengths completely overshadow her weaknesses. However, her weaknesses would be fine for an ordinary family, but they are fatal for royalty, unless Camino only ever has her as his wife."
Bess sighed. "It's good that Hua Guo practices monogamy. So harmonious."
Tang Wan gently patted her hand. "But you've weathered it all. After all these years, you are still Sandy's favorite."
"You think I'm truly his favorite? He's good to me because I gave him his only son," Bess said with some sadness. "Because Camino is the only prince, I've been worried sick all these years, fearing something might happen to him. But that boy just doesn't understand me. I tell him to go east, and he goes west. He doesn't even like the girls I like."
Tang Wan patted her hand with deep empathy. "The same goes for my own children. I've let go now, and I let them be."
Bess sighed with great sadness. "I wish I could let him be too, but his status doesn't allow it... Alas! It's not as if he's wrong not to like her. Naine doesn't like this Jenny, so how could he?" "Xi'er is right. Her jealous nature is indeed not suited for marrying into royalty. It seems I need to find someone else for him."
Lan Yuxi handed her a cup of coffee and comforted her. "Auntie, don't be too anxious. Fate cannot be forced. Perhaps in the near future, Brother Camino will meet his other half."
"Let's hope so," Bess sipped her tea. "Xi'er, I can see how loving you and Prime Minister Nan are. Perhaps you could help Auntie advise Camino. Maybe seeing your happiness will make him consider settling down."
"To be honest, Auntie, I just tried to persuade him moments ago," Lan Yuxi pursed her lips slightly. "But I believe this is something you should guide him through slowly. I am, after all, an outsider, and it will be difficult for me to come to Nokas anytime in the future, unless Nan Xiao is no longer Prime Minister."
Bess looked up. "I wasn't thoughtful enough. Xi'er, Auntie is just in a panic, please don't take it to heart... Why are you back?"
Bess's heart leaped into her throat as the servant she had just sent to look after the children rushed in.
The servant replied, "Reporting to the Queen, Miss Jenny has fallen into the water."
Lan Yuxi raised an eyebrow slightly. Jenny wouldn't fall into the water for no reason. It was highly likely she had done something to the two children, and then the children had outsmarted her.
Even if Jenny was jealous of her, she shouldn't have taken revenge on her children.
It was all because that Camino was too high-profile, making it known to everyone that she was the one he loved. Even Queen Bess was hinting at it. Lan Yuxi clenched her fingers and looked at the servant, about to ask if the person had been rescued, when Bess spoke first.
"Where are they? Has she been rescued?"
"She has been rescued. We intended to take her to her chambers, but Princess Naine wouldn't allow it, saying she should be left by the lake and no one should attend to her."
Bess's brow furrowed, and she slammed her hand on the table. "This Naine is simply being outrageous!"
"Mom, sob sob..." Mumu's crying could be heard from outside the door.
Tang Wan's heart leaped, and she hurried out.
Bess also rushed out with a greatly changed expression. Lan Yuxi, however, remained the calmest, as she could distinguish the truth from the falsity in her daughter's cries.
Chaochao quickly led Mumu into the chambers. Tang Wan picked up Mumu, wiping her tears and comforting her. "My darling, what's wrong?"
"Sob sob... Grandma, I'm scared..." Mumu hugged her grandmother's neck tightly and burst into tears.
Seeing Naine follow them in, Bess asked sternly, "Naine, how were you looking after the children!"
Naine pouted. "I was looking after them perfectly fine. It was that Jenny! She was too much! She walked to the lake and deliberately tripped Mumu, trying to make Mumu fall. If Chaochao hadn't grabbed Mumu, Mumu would have fallen in!"
Bess's brow immediately furrowed into a deep crease. "What did you say? Why would Jenny try to harm Mumu?"
"Because she's always pestering my brother. My brother told her that the person he loves most in his life is Yuxi..." Naine's voice trailed off, and she then glanced at Lan Yuxi uncomfortably.
Lan Yuxi shook her head helplessly. "This Camino, always using me as a shield. He's trying to make all the women in Nokas see me as their enemy."
Mumu opened her small arms and flung herself into her mother's embrace. "Mom, I was scared. I almost fell in."
Lan Yuxi stroked her head reassuringly. "Don't be scared, don't be scared, Mommy is here."
While Lan Yuxi was comforting her daughter, Sandy, Nan Xiao, and Camino rushed in.
Nan Xiao's heart ached when he saw his daughter in tears. He reached out and pulled her into his embrace.