I became a fool who is married to a villain: chapter 19

Chapter 19 After consuming two meals and drinking the antidote, she felt a slight improvement in her condition. She had been unconscious for an entire day, and on the second day, Li Luo finally brought a maid to attend to Hua Zuiyue. "His Royal Highness the Second Prince has instructed you to take good care of the Second Princess," Li Luo announced. The maid nodded in agreement and replied, "Thank you, Lord Li Luo." This maid had been assigned by the Demon Clan to serve Hua Zuiyue but had been relocated by the people of Yuehui Palace. Yesterday, she learned the news that her Princess was poisoned, and she had a suitable reason to find Liluo and take the initiative to take care of Hua Zuiyue. Realizing that the poisoning had occurred within Yuehui Palace, they had no choice but to comply with the request. She noticed Hua Zuiyue had woken up. "Your Highness, you're awake!" she exclaimed. Chujiu's usually stern face softened with a hint of joy, quickly replaced by worry. "Your Highness, are you still feeling unwell?" "The medicine prescribed by the Heavenly Doctor has helped me feel much better," Hua Zuiyue replied, her voice hoarse from the ordeal. Chujiu knelt on one knee and said loudly, "I failed to protect you, Your Highness. Please punish me." A faint smile appeared on Hua Zuiyue's lips. "Chujiu, I’m fine. Please get up." Chujiu remained kneeling, insistent. "Please punish me, Your Highness." Hua Zuiyue sighed. "The fault is not yours. Why should you be punished?" Chujiu lowered her eyes in silence, feeling it was their duty to protect her master. Hua Zuiyue felt helpless. "I knew the food I ate yesterday was poisoned. Not just the tea, but also the snacks. I checked beforehand and found they were not fatal, so I consumed them." Chujiu frowned, disapproving of Hua Zuiyue's actions. "Your Highness, your well-being is too important to take such risks." Hua Zuiyue smiled slightly. "If I hadn't taken the risk, how else would I have gotten you back by my side?" Someone had put lots of effort into this. Missing such a chance would have been a waste of a golden opportunity. Such a clever girl, she thought to herself. Chujiu was taken aback. She knew Her Highness, being gifted and groomed as the heir of the demon clan, wouldn't easily fall prey to a simple poisoning plot. Realizing the truth, she said, "So that's how it is." "Everyone outside believes I'm a fool," Hua Zuiyue continued. "My actions are restricted in many ways. With you by my side, I can navigate more easily." … Meanwhile, Li Luo went to see Ye Yuehui. Ye Yuehui often stayed in his study or practiced in seclusion, so he rarely spent time in his room. When Li Luo arrived, Ye Yuehui was reading a report. Seeing Li Luo, he asked,  "How is everything going?" Li Luo bowed. "Everything has been arranged according to Your Highness's instructions. The infiltrators are now under our surveillance." "Where is she?" Li Luo was momentarily confused before realizing his master was referring to the second princess. "Your Highness, I have followed your orders and transferred the maid to take care of the Second Princess." "Good." Ye Yuehui remained calm and expressionless. "Your Highness, I don't understand why you wanted to—" Li Luo began. Ye Yuehui interrupted, "It's more interesting this way." Li Luo hesitated. "Your Highness, the demon clan is known for being insidious and cunning. With a young demon clan princess already in the palace, if her maid is also by her side, it could pose a threat to Your Highness." “Noisy!” Ye Yuehui snapped. Li Luo fell silent and momentarily. Ye Yuehui lazily opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at him. “Anything else to say?” After a pause, Li Luo suggested, “Your Highness, should I arrange for someone to keep monitoring Her Highness the second princess?” Ye Yuehui put down his book, his tone a blend of annoyance and nonchalance. “Do I really need you to teach me how to handle such matters?” Li Luo : "..." “Get out!”  Li Luo bowed mechanically and left, accustomed to his Highness's unpredictable moods. … Hua Zuiyue spent the whole day resting and needed several days to fully recover. Though the poison wasn’t fatal, it caused considerable pain. She grimaced, clenching her teeth in frustration, Determined to find the culprit. During this time, Ye Yuehui visited her once. Given Hua Zuiyue's supposed "stupidity," Chujiu took the initiative to bring up the matter of investigating the poisoning case. Surprisingly, he agreed to it. The next day, Chujiu began a thorough investigation to find the one who poisoned her master. In the outer courtyard of Yuehui Hall, a row of kitchen maids knelt, trembling. Chujiu surveyed them with a cold expression. “Who among you poisoned her Highness?” Hua Zuiyue had been poisoned through snacks and tea from the kitchen. After questioning the patrolling guards, Chujiu found that no one besides the kitchen staff had entered or left the dining area. The maids shook their heads, denying any involvement. Seeing no confessions, Chujiu's expression hardened. “If none of you confess today, I’ll beat the truth out of you. Unless someone speaks up, none of you will be spared.” The demon clan's methods were straightforward and ruthless. If one beating didn’t work, they’d try another. Even Hua Zuiyue, who was there to oversee the proceedings, couldn't help but twitch her lips. Chujiu seemed less interested in an investigation and more interested in taking this opportunity for retribution. One of the immortal maids, looking defiant, spoke up. "We are merely the maids in charge of meals. We have always prepared the food cautiously and have never done anything out of the ordinary. You accuse us without evidence. Even if you beat me to death, I won't accept it!" Hua Zuiyue's interest was piqued. She looked more closely at the outspoken maid. Ignoring the maid’s protest, Chujiu coldly produced a whip she had prepared in advance. Hua Zuiyue sighed internally. This heavy-handed approach was typical of the demon clan. Realizing Chujiu was serious, Hua Zuiyue quickly stood up. "Ajiu, wait." Chujiu paused mid-action at Hua Zuiyue's command. "Your Highness?" Hua Zuiyue smiled, patting Chujiu’s shoulder before addressing the maid kneeling before them. "What’s your name?" Squatting down to look at the maid, Hua Zuiyue’s eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity. The maid, unfazed by Hua Zuiyue's foolishness, replied evenly, "I am Qingcheng ( green orange), Your Highness." "Qingcheng?" Hua Zuiyue stood up awkwardly, clapping her hands. "Green oranges, I like green oranges the most. Will you follow me from now on?" The other maids were stunned. Chujiu was equally perplexed. When did Her Highness develop a liking for green oranges? Hua Zuiyue seemed to like Qingcheng very much. She took her hand and helped her up personally. "Stop kneeling on the ground. It's so tiring to kneel on the ground." The immortal maids: "..." With such partiality is eye opening. Qingcheng couldn't resist Hua Xuyue's stubbornness, so she stood up reluctantly and saluted Hua Zuiyue again, "This maid, thanks the second princess." "You don't need to thank me." Hua Zuiyue smiled, then pointed to the maids kneeling on the ground. "Qingcheng, you're so smart. Can you help me find out which one of these people is the poisoner?" Chujiu: "..." Qingcheng: "..." The other maids: "..." Qingcheng bowed. "Second Princess, I can't tell who the culprit is." "Ah?" Hua Zuiyue looked genuinely surprised. "You're so smart, but you don't know who the culprit is?" Qingcheng: "..." Qingcheng saw this as an opportunity and approached Hua Zuiyue again, bowing deeply. "Your Highness, without any proof, I can't determine who the poisoner is." "Furthermore, the one who poisoned you might not be among these kitchen maids. I hope you'll reconsider."   Hua Zuiyue knitted her brows and meditated hard, and finally she seemed to be tired of it, and she slapped her thigh to make the final decision, "Forget it, let's give them a beating. If one doesn't work, just give them two." The maids: "!!!" Qingcheng: "???" Chujiu: "..." Panicked, Qingcheng knelt down swiftly. "Please have mercy, Second Princess." "Why?" Hua Zuiyue tilted her head curiously. Gritting her teeth, Qingcheng replied, "Without evidence, it’s inappropriate to punish anyone. But if you allow it, I'm willing to help with the investigation." Hua Zuiyue sat down, resting her chin on her hand, and blinked at Qingcheng. "Then tell me how we should investigate." "First, you can have someone trace the source of the poison, then investigate where these poison came from," Qingcheng suggested, her methodical thinking impressing Hua Zuiyue. … Meanwhile, Hua Zuiyue’s actions were secretly reported to Ye Yuehui by an immortal attendant. (End of chapter)