Chapter 2

“Is that true?”

The Noble Consort frowned and studied me carefully.

I regretted it the instant the words left my mouth.

In television dramas, the more a supporting character showed off, the sooner she died.

And didn’t I look exactly like a lackey helping the Noble Consort compete for favor?

But now that I had spoken, there was no room left to hesitate.

I edged closer and pointed to the jumble of ornaments on her wrist. “Your Ladyship, look how lovely your hands are. Rosy, delicate hands, so fair and lustrous—hands that speak of the highest nobility!”

“Hands like these are already perfection. Rubies alone or gold alone would both suit them, but they shouldn’t be mixed. If you want to layer bracelets, why not wear tourmaline?”

“Tourmaline?”

She frowned.

My sluggish brain suddenly understood.

“Your Ladyship, the stone is rare. It may take some searching…”

“Very well. Since you know where to look, find me a few!”

She gave the order casually. The matron beside her watched me ingratiate myself with jealous, reddening eyes, but I could not smile.

Tourmaline… In the modern world, I could have ordered some online without a thought.

Where was I supposed to find it here?

Once a noble gave an order, though, a servant had to solve the problem even if it cost her life.

My insides twisted with regret, but I still had to retreat with a smile.

Back in the maids’ quarters, I froze.

Could anyone really live in this death trap?

Apparently yes. More than a dozen people did.

The main hall of Chengxi Palace glittered with gold. The Noble Consort loved luxury and spared herself nothing.

But the servants’ side rooms near the southeastern corner huddled together like shacks, with drafts coming through everywhere.

Seeing me stand there dumbly, the matron shoved me impatiently.

“What are you staring at? Don’t imagine a few kind words from Her Ladyship have lifted you above your station! A servant is a servant. Behave yourself!”

The shove sent me stumbling headfirst into the room.

Every maid inside looked at me.

It resembled a communal school dormitory: more than a dozen bedding rolls, each with a firmly marked personal boundary.

I felt sick.

Even at school, the worst had been eight to a room. This tiny place held… more than a dozen?

When I visited the Forbidden City, I had laughed and chatted while the guide explained where the maids and eunuchs slept.

Only now that the lash had landed on my own back did I understand the pain.

Under their lifeless stares, I entered trembling, found my “bed” through the body’s memory, and lay down stiffly.

The boards were brutally hard.

The humid weather had left the bedding damp.

I wanted to cry!

Overnight, my big Simmons bed, air conditioner, and heater had all vanished!

All I had left was this drafty little ruin and a cold bed board.

I swore I would cling to the Noble Consort for dear life.

I needed a promotion!