Quick Transmigration and Childbirth: The Target is Not Human

Before dawn, Hati escorted her back to the palace. The vast princess's palace was heavily guarded and brightly lit. In a corner of the back garden, Hati suddenly grabbed her wrist:

"Come with me, and never come back."

The scent of roses wafted in the night breeze, and the human princess's heart nearly stopped.

The magnificent palace was reduced to a silhouette in Hatti's beautiful eyes as he gazed at her intently, level with her.

That hand, palm up, stretched out in front of her, was more insane than any adventure in the world.

A sudden night breeze arose, ruffling her long hair and stirring up ripples in her heart.

"Thump—"

As the morning bell tolls, birds scatter and take flight over the imperial city of Saint Sveta.

"Thump—thump—"

She slowly withdrew her wrist from his palm, her thick eyelashes drooping: "Thank you, Hati. If it weren't for you, I might never have known what Saint Sveta really looked like."

"..."

"But I can no longer leave here."

Hati stood there, his gaze deep, as if he had already anticipated her choice.

He chuckled softly, his fingers twirling the two mask straps tied together, the pig face and white wolf mask colliding with his movements: "I never say I can't leave. I have my own legs, and I can decide where I want to go."

In fact, that's exactly what he did. Even if his lifespan was shortened to eighteen years, he didn't want to live in the shadow of a curse for the rest of his life like his ancestors, pure-blooded werewolves.

He understands freedom best, enjoys freedom, and understands the yearning for freedom in someone who has grown up in a greenhouse and bound by religious rituals.

Of course, this is far from enough to keep her outside the palace tonight.

She turned and left. He leaned against the wall and spoke to her retreating figure, "What was it for this time? Status, wealth, marriage... or that father who used you as a political pawn?"

The human princess stood still, her chin thin, her gaze fixed on the distant, slumbering city.

In the morning mist, before the lights of every household have fully illuminated, wisps of smoke have already begun to rise.

She seemed to see again the vendors hawking their wares at the market, the believers reading aloud in the church, and the wandering artists reciting poetry; each vibrant life was like a fine thread winding through her veins.

"For the sake of the people of Saint Sveta, to be spared from undeserved calamity."

She spoke each word clearly, her voice soft yet carrying immense weight.

Hati's fingers, which were playing with the mask's straps, paused in mid-air. For the first time, he suppressed his playful smile and focused his gaze on her meticulously calm face.

The lingering sound of the morning prayer bells echoed for a long time.

She turned and walked toward the palace gate, her white skirt sweeping across the dew-kissed roses, completely separating night from dawn.

System: [Environmental Hazard Level -15%, Current Environmental Hazard Level 40%]

*

Xia Yangyang thought of an excuse before going back.

But for the first time ever, her reasoning didn't work.

The Queen and the King were both in the Princess's Palace. When the King saw her, he was moved to tears, as if he thought she had been kidnapped by werewolves again, and he tripled the number of guards in the Princess's Palace.

Everyone in the room had their own thoughts. The queen sat beside the king, her expression unreadable, and Baholis did not complain.

She guessed that Baholis wouldn't report it; as a renowned monarch, it wouldn't be a good thing to publicize the scandal of his fiancée's infidelity.

But this matter cannot be resolved so simply.

The next day, His Highness the Prince was unable to attend the church donation due to illness, so Xia Yangyang took on this important task. She conveyed the royal family's goodwill and attention to the church, and also took care of some adorable young beastmen. Those beastmen had almost degenerated all animal characteristics and looked no different from human children.

She maintained the demeanor expected of a princess throughout, and her distorted persona finally returned to normal.

The elderly bishop's gaze remained heavy throughout, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

As she was leaving, the bishop suddenly called her back, summoned her to the statue, and said that she had worked hard all day and should wash her hands before leaving.

Xia Yangyang felt strange but did not resist, and dipped her hands into the clear holy water pool in front of her.

But as soon as she put her hand in, a sharp pain shot through her fingers. She cried out in pain and immediately pulled her hand out. The bishop quickly covered her hand with a soft towel and dried the water droplets on it.

Despite this, her hands were still scalded red by the holy water.

"It really is like that..." the bishop murmured to himself, staring at the holy water pool.

"What are you talking about? What's going on with this water?" Xia Yangyang was still in a daze, clutching the towel in both hands.

The bishop placed his hand into the holy water pool and soaked it for a while. When he took it out, his hand was perfectly normal; the holy water had not harmed him in the slightest and was no different from ordinary water.

"It's not a problem with the holy water." The bishop looked at her with a serious and grave expression. "Your Highness, haven't you noticed?"

"What?"

"You have a very thick aura of cursed blackness on you."

A curse? Dark energy?

Wait a minute, although it's true that the target is a werewolf.

But witches, werewolves, vampires, and the like—weren't they extinct centuries ago? The stories that have survived to this day are so outdated that it's hard to tell if they're true or false.

The first person Xia Yangyang thought of was the Queen. It was normal for someone so vicious that she wished the Queen were dead to curse her.

But upon closer reflection, something didn't seem right. The Queen had already betrothed Baholis, so there was no need for her to curse her further, since marrying Baholis was already enough to make her wish she were dead.

Could it be that little maid named Freya? She had been monitoring the Princess's palace for some strange behavior. It was only natural that she would curse her again after her previous failure, but the bishop's words shattered her suspicions.

"However, this curse wasn't placed on you. It's more like someone under a curse is living around you and has contaminated you with dark energy, because the dark energy on your hands can be washed away with holy water," the bishop said.

Xia Yangyang looked at her reddened hands and couldn't see any so-called black energy, but the stinging and numb pain reminded her again and again that what the bishop said was true.

The bishop seemed to read her mind and explained, "You may not believe it, but my great-great-grandmother was a great magician... I didn't inherit her abilities, but I can still see things that ordinary people can't."

Xia Yangyang asked, "What kind of curse is this? Can you tell?"

The bishop's face showed worry. He silently shook his head and said, "The black aura will not cause you any harm. What I am worried about is the cursed person. They will often resort to any means to break the curse."

"..."

"I've never seen such powerful black energy before. It's definitely not an ordinary magical curse. Have you come into contact with any suspicious strangers recently...?"

On the way back, Xia Yangyang sat in the carriage, feeling as if her brain was about to explode from the sudden influx of information.

The bishop's heavy, earnest words echoed in her ears.

A guy who suddenly appeared, with some purpose in mind, and who would stop at nothing... With so many clues piling up, it couldn't possibly be anyone else but Hati.

The sudden disappearance of the werewolf clan centuries ago must have been suspicious, perhaps even related to a curse.

As for whether or not to verify Hati—

Xia Yangyang had mixed feelings as she looked at the hard object wrapped in layers of pink silk handkerchiefs in her hand.

Inside is a purified silver dagger, a type of sacred artifact.

[All curses will be rendered powerless before it; the blood of those afflicted by the curse will stain the blade black.]

*

Xia Yangyang knew that Baholis would retaliate against her, so she was not surprised at all when the banquet to welcome her arrived.

At the banquet, the King and Baholis chatted, exchanging nothing more than boasting about each other's dominion over the world. Xia Yangyang numbly sipped her red wine amidst the swirling smoke.

As she ate five blueberries and three apple slices, the Queen suddenly pressed the back of her knife against her wrist, her smile both glamorous and intimidating: "My dear, you've eaten enough tonight. In two months, you must be thin enough to wear the most beautiful wedding dress in the world."

Xia Yangyang put down her knife and fork and smiled in return: "Okay, Mother."

The queen needed her to be thin enough, because a thin person could not escape an arranged marriage, nor could they muster the strength to fight against pain and injustice, and would become a puppet to be manipulated.

To her surprise, Baholijer, whose arm was adorned with countless gold ornaments, suddenly waved his hand, interrupting the Queen: "No, there is no most beautiful wedding dress in the world, only the most beautiful princess! Whichever wedding dress the princess wears, that dress is the most beautiful wedding dress in the world!"

"..."

"Your Highness is free to eat whatever you want. How can you expect to let her go hungry here?"

With a forced smile, the Queen removed the knife and fork from Xia Yangyang's wrist and then placed a plate of low-calorie fruits and vegetables in front of her: "Your Majesty, just indulge her. Sooner or later, she'll be riding on your head."

"I, Baholli, have spent my entire life on the battlefield, and to be able to marry such a beautiful princess, even if she rides on my head, I'll be proud for the rest of my life!"

Upon hearing this, the king laughed even more heartily.

No one could ignore such flattery. He affectionately put his arm around Baholij's shoulder and said, "You've taken my daughter with you, which means you've taken away our national treasure."

Xia Yangyang focused on eating what was in front of her, but she didn't miss the fleeting glint of light in the eyes of the Queen and Baholis when they looked at each other.

If nothing unexpected happens, something unexpected is about to happen.

Since it was a family banquet, no maids were called to serve. There wasn't much wine prepared for the dinner, so when they were halfway through, the Queen asked her to go to the storeroom to get a few more bottles. She obediently got up and went to get them.

The storage room wasn't far away. It had no windows and was very well sealed. Because it was never exposed to light, you could smell a distinct musty odor as soon as you entered, like the smell of rotten wood.

Xia Yangyang surveyed her surroundings, clicking her tongue in amazement: [This place is practically the perfect locked murder room.]

The usually sluggish system suddenly spoke up: [No, don't smell it. This isn't musty; a hallucinogenic drug has been sprayed in this room.]

So that's where the trap was waiting for her.

Xia Yangyang was about to leave, but as soon as she turned around, she bumped into a thick, tall wall of people—Baholli was standing behind her, holding a glass of red wine, his eyes gleaming with predatory intent.

Behind him, she saw the queen's skirt flutter by.

She slammed the iron gate shut from the outside, the clanging of the chains on the lock sounding like the Grim Reaper wielding his scythe.

"This door won't open until tomorrow morning, and no one will come no matter how much you shout." Baholley's smile gradually turned sinister.

Xia Yangyang narrowed her eyes, shifting her gaze from the iron gate to him: "Shouldn't that be my line?"

She felt nauseous to be in the same room with someone like that for even a second longer.

Baholrie burst into laughter, his mustache trembling as he swirled his wine glass and circled her. "You're calm," he said, "but it's all an act."

"..."

"It's true that you act all high and mighty, dancing with other scumbags at the ball and deliberately giving me the cold shoulder."

"..."

"The other night I bumped into a slut who looked a lot like you in the Imperial City, messing around with a bastard. Tell me, was it real... or fake?" Baholis suddenly stopped in front of her and grabbed at her chest. She quickly stepped back to avoid him.

Baholli's hand froze in mid-air. After a moment's pause, he grinned sinisterly again: "I'm not a petty man. Drink this, and all past grievances will be wiped clean—"

Before the word "sell" could even be uttered, the wine glass was smashed to the ground by a huge white hammer, shattering into pieces.

He didn’t even see where she got such a big hammer from.

A sarcastic voice rang out: "Are you out of your mind? What are you babbling about?"

"...?"

"Nobody's coming to save you, what are you gloating about?"

The vulgarity of the language made Baholli's eyes widen.

System: [Character breakdown +30%, please watch your words, host.]

Xia Yangyang: [...]

Baholith laughed in fury, approaching Xia Yangyang while unbuckling his gold-inlaid jade belt: "Fine!! I originally wanted to be gentle and spare you some pain, but thinking about it, it makes sense. You slut, who knows how many men you've slept with. Your virginity, which should have been reserved for your first night, is long gone—thud!"

A heavy hammer slammed into his stomach. Baholley raised his arm to block, but the moment his arm touched the hammer, his limbs went limp, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, unconscious.

Xia Yangyang kicked his face twice, then added two more blows with a hammer. After doing all that, she disgustedly patted the dust off her hands, stepped over his stomach, and said, "Next time, make your last words shorter. They're so long, only God would have the patience to listen to them all."

She first checked the door lock, pried it open for a long time, and after working up a sweat, she still couldn't budge it. Only then did she give up and find a spot with the faintest smell to sit down.

But this is useless; there are no vents in the storage room, and the smell of rotten wood will only get stronger.

Xia Yangyang used her skirt as a fan, fanning herself while chatting with the system to stay awake, but she couldn't withstand the effects of the hallucinogenic drug.

Xia Yangyang: [How much time has passed? Is it dawn yet?]

System: [Half an hour has passed... Hmm, how about you buy an antidote pill? Not 5999! Not 2999! Not 1999! Only 999!! New product promotion!! Revive the dead! Heal flesh and bones! Cure all poisons!]

Xia Yangyang: [I only get 1000 for having a baby! Why don't you just rob me?!]

Xia Yangyang felt parched, like a traveler suffering from thirst in the desert, about to be baked dry by the scorching sun.

She simply moved to a round wooden barrel, turned on the valve, and used her mouth to catch the rich, sweet red wine inside. The cool wine splashed on her face and neck, and then soaked her dress.

But this coolness comes and goes quickly. As soon as the wine in the barrel runs dry, the heat and unbearable urge will return, several times stronger than before.

She had no choice but to move to another barrel, not daring to waste any, and only turned on a very small valve.

After an unknown amount of time, she lay on her back in a pool of liquor, looking utterly disheveled. Her chest heaved more and more violently, and her body's reactions became abnormal. Her blurred consciousness made it impossible for her to hear or see clearly.

Time flows by, bit by bit, consuming human life.

Just bear with it, just bear with it a little longer.

It'll be fine once it gets light, and once people arrive...

In her daze, she felt a cold wind blowing in her face. She struggled to open her eyes and saw a figure walking towards her. Yes, walking towards her, without haste or panic, like a chess player who had already seen the move of every piece in the game, confident of victory.

His black boots stopped in front of her, and he reached out his hands to her. His hands, from fingertips to arms, were covered in snow, like the hands of salvation offered by a god. When they touched, the comfort was so great that she couldn't help but sigh.

He lifted her, soaking wet, from the ground like he was holding a baby, one arm around her leg and the other supporting her back.

He didn't need to exert much effort, because she would cling to him on her own, her hands anxiously gripping his shirt, as if she wanted to press her skin against his.

But his clothes were wrapped so tightly that she couldn't find the antidote. Desperate, she burst into tears, clutching his collar with both hands, her forehead pressed against his, her eyes, red with suppressed emotion, meeting his smiling golden gaze: "Give it to me!"

"Of course, I'll give you whatever you want, but you have to tell me what you want first." His voice was indulgent.

"I, I...I...I want..." Her eyes were red and she stammered "I" for a long time without saying anything more. Her tears flowed more and more, and her fingernails even tore his clothes. He looked extremely painful.

A gentle kiss landed on her cheek, and he spoke slowly, like a superior coaxing a pet: "You didn't let Baholley touch you, and you even knocked him down."

"..."

"You always surprise me, sister, I want to reward you."