The moment she saw who had arrived, the round-faced girl relaxed and stepped out. "Princess, you startled me."
Snow White, who had been looking around, was startled by the sudden voice too.
Then she chided her, "Zhaozhao, why were you hiding there? You scared me."
"I thought the queen or her maid was coming, so I hurried to hide before they spotted me," Zhaozhao explained. She unfolded the palm-sized piece of paper she had just found and showed it to Snow White. "Take a look. Is this the one you wanted?"
As Snow White took the paper, she glanced at the cat in Zhaozhao's arms. "Where did this cat come from?"
"I saw him when I hid behind the clothes rack," Zhaozhao answered honestly. "I don't know how he got in here."
"Strange. I don't remember a cat like this in the palace. Could Father and Mother have gotten a new pet?" Snow White murmured. She didn't dwell on it, lowering her eyes to the paper instead.
Zhao Xun had already gotten a clear look at what was on the paper when Zhaozhao picked him up earlier.
It was a portrait.
The woman in the painting wore an ornate court gown and a dazzling crown, but her eyes were gentle. Her beautiful face glowed with maternal warmth.
She didn't look like the current queen, and her features bore some resemblance to Snow White's.
So this was probably Snow White's birth mother.
Snow White's expression softened with longing. She pressed her cheek against the portrait for several seconds before telling Zhaozhao, "Thank you. This isn't the portrait of Mother I wanted most, but it still brings me a lot of comfort."
Seeing Snow White press her face so affectionately against the paper, Zhaozhao had thought she had found the right one.