After leaving the doorway, Hua She'er stopped just around the corner and respectfully knelt.
"Your Majesty."
"Did he say anything?"
"Your Majesty, he didn't react much when he heard he was being watched. Instead, he asked to take a bath."
At this, Queen Medusa frowned slightly.
"A bath?"
"Yes."
Hua She'er did not understand why Queen Medusa reacted so strongly to Han Chen wanting a bath, but she nodded in confirmation anyway.
Medusa sneered and turned to leave, her icy voice ringing through the corridor.
"Let him stink."
"Yes."
After Han Chen waited in his room for a while, Hua She'er pushed open the door. However, what she brought in was not bathwater, but a food box.
"Hehehe, sorry, little brother. Water's been in short supply in the royal capital lately, so you'll have to wait a few days."
Han Chen did not particularly mind. He already had a new idea.
"That's all right. By the way, Sister Hua She'er, could you help undo the seal on me? Even if I can't bathe, surely I should still be allowed to cultivate."
"That's beyond my abilities. Her Majesty placed that seal herself. If you want it removed, you'll have to ask her."
"Oh, come now. If I want to report anything to Her Majesty, don't I still have to rely on you, Sister? A few kind words from you would make things much easier, wouldn't they?
"Besides, do you have any younger relatives, or friends and family? I happen to be an Alchemist. If you need them, I could refine a couple of pills for you."
At this, a flicker of surprise crossed Hua She'er's eyes, and she looked at Han Chen as though he were some rare treasure.
"You're an Alchemist too? I really couldn't tell. To think you're