Masquerade in Bridal Attire and Marry the Prince

1. Second Growth

Translator: Antonia

The Du Mansion was lit up. The whole mansion was busy in the final check for the big day tomorrow. Everyone’s face was overflowing with joy and pride.

Our forth young lady is going to marry the Crown Prince!

The fifth young lord also entered his fourth sister’s room with the same joy and pride. They were twins and loved each other. Du Chuxuan, the brother, intended to be sentimental before her departure, because afterwards sister would be the wife of another man.

“Sister, why don’t you turn on the light?”

Du Chuxuan pushed open the door. He didn’t see Du Chuyue, his sister, but saw Master Du, his father, sitting at the table with a complicated expression, and before him was Du Chuyue’s wedding gown and accessories.

“Dad? Where is my sister?”

Master Du was in despair, but the moment he saw Du Chuxuan’s face, which was eighty percent similar to that of Du Chuyue, a bright light cut in.

“Xuan, look at this. It’s your sister’s wedding gown and accessories. Look nice, right?”

Du Chuxuan gently stroked the delicate embroidery on the gown and said with a chuckle, “It’s made of top quality brocade that you bought with a thousand taels of gold, and the embroidery was completed by the best embroidery workshop in the capital for three months. Of course it’s nice.”

Master Du continued the conversation very naturally, “Then, try it on.”

“…?”

“Have a try.”

Du Chuxuan’s perfect smile cracked, “Dad, you’re kidding right? Sister will tear me up if I dare to touch her wedding gown.”

“She won’t.” Master Du calmly wiped sweat on his forehead out of previous anxiety, “Your sister ran away. She can’t reach you.”

“…”

“Really.”

Du Chuxuan took a deep breath and believed he must have walked in the door in a wrong posture so that now he saw things.

“Father must be upset about such a big incident. I’d better not bother you.” Du Chuxuan turned around and tried to run but was immediately caught by Master Du.

Master Du tightly grabbed Du Chuxuan’s clothes with one hand and beat the chest with the other, saying miserably, “I have an unfilial daughter who dares to run away on an imperial marriage. It’s alright that our whole family die. But your poor grandma hasn’t lived many good days! Your poor seventh little brother is only nine years old! How I wish there is someone who looks alike with your sister! Who on earth is that lucky person?”

Master Du squinted at him, dropping a hint crazily.

Du Chuxuan’s face collapsed at once, “Dad, don’t make a fool of me. I’m a man. Everything will come to light on the first night! It’s better we go and find sister as soon as possible!”

Master Du took out of his sleeve pocket a sheet that Du Chuyue left and handed it to Du Chuxuan.

Du Chuxuan took a quick glance. The content could be summarized as: Du Chuyue ran away with a wild man. She would kill herself if anyone dared to get her.

It sounded like something Du Chuyue would do.

“Since when did she have a wild man? I stayed with her every day!” Du Chuxuan couldn’t accept it.

Master Du looked up at the sky, “In fact, I knew it. It’s our guard little He.”

“… And then you still let sister marry another man?”

Master Du was also helpless, “The marriage is decided by the imperial family. I couldn’t refuse. I also didn’t know that Yue and He have developed such a deep love.”

At first, Master Du only felt their relationship was merely playing house like children and would end when she got married. The Crown Prince was a good young man with countrywide praise. Wasn’t it a good thing that the Prince made the proposition to the Emperor to marry a Du daughter? How could he know that Du Chuyue and little He simply couldn’t be separated from each other?

Du Chuyue was a doer and she ran away on the marriage with the determination to risk her life.

Du Chuxuan touched his aching head. He knew his sister well. Du Chuyue’s brain was as little as a soybean and always did things on an impulse without giving consideration to the consequences.

Master Du silently handed the wedding gown to Du Chuxuan.

Du Chuxuan’s hair stood on its end in rage, “Is it useful for me to replace my sister?! I’ll be discovered immediately! The Crown Prince isn’t an idiot! He can tell men from women!”

“But if we don’t do this, tomorrow when the Prince arrives, our whole family will be finished. Xuan, I have seven children, and you’re the smartest one. By then you act accordingly. It’ll be alright.”

Du Chuxuan didn’t believe his nonsense. He was the naughtiest boy and had been beaten up every day. The most favored boy was the second brother, and the most valued the third brother. Dad only said he was the cleverest one at this moment!

Seeing he still wasn’t persuaded, Master Du bent his knees and was about to kneel down. Du Chuxuan was taken aback and hurried to hold Master Du up.

“Xuan, dad is begging you for the whole family!”

Du Chuxuan cried inwardly. What a shitty plan! But at the sight of Master Du’s withered face which seemed to have aged ten years in one day, he couldn’t say anything to turn him down.

“Fine, fine. But I can’t assure you what it’ll turn out to be…”

“Good! My baby boy!” Master Du looked radiant at once.

“…” Was it a trap?

Master Du couldn’t wait asking him to try on the wedding gown. Then there was the most serious problem. Du Chuyue was high among girls, and Du Chuxuan was inches higher than her, so now he looked like an awkward giant in a dress.

“I said it’s a stupid idea!!! Anyone who ever met sister will find it out at the first glance!”

Master Du didn’t mind it and grinned, “The Du family is blessed by the imperial grace, so my daughter is in a second growth! She’s getting tall again!”

“…” Nobody would buy it, okay?

Master Du still found something unsatisfied and stuffed balls of cotton around his breasts.

“Great! This is the point of a second growth! Later, I’ll have cotton pads made for you!”

“…” It’s getting weirder!

Although this plan wasn’t reliable, after putting on makeup, Du Chuxuan had to admit that he did look exactly the same as his sister. As long as he kept his voice soft, most people would be fooled.

“What about me? I mean, the fifth young lord. Disappeared suddenly? It doesn’t make sense.”

“You…” Master Du said causally, “You fell in love with a dancer-prostitute. I didn’t agree with that, and you two ran away.”

“!!!” Unacceptable!!

Everything was arranged neatly!!

“Dad, don’t you think that’s too ridiculous?!” Du Chuxuan’s face flushed with anger.

“There’s no way that I’ll agree on your marriage with the dancer!” Master Du proclaimed seriously.

“There is no dancer at all!”

Du Chuxuan, depressed, looked in the mirror. With red lips and bright teeth, and a face prettier than a flower, he had never hated it more that he and his twin sister shared the same face.

Did it sound reasonable that he went to a wedding and he himself turned out to be the bride?!