Chapter 2
Later, I was taken to meet the eldest young lady.
The first time I saw her, she was lounging on a couch with one shoe dangling from her foot and her chin propped in one hand.
Somehow, she made the little couch in her boudoir look like the throne of a bandit chief.
The evening glow streamed through the window, tinting her cheeks as though they had been brushed with rouge.
The eldest young lady was beautiful too. Her beauty was nothing like the master’s—the handsome older man’s—or Madam’s. Hers was vivid and bold enough to outshine every piece of gold, silver, and jade in the room.
“You’re the dowry maid Father chose for me? What can you do?” she asked.
“I’m very good at fighting,” I said.
The eldest young lady sprang off the couch and came over to me.
She seemed to be about the same height as I was.
Intrigued, she asked, “How good?”
That was a difficult question to answer.
After thinking for a moment, I took a flower from a nearby vase and flicked it toward one of the ceiling beams. A black-clad figure spun down from above.
The eldest young lady cried out and ducked behind me, while her two personal maids began shrieking.
“Guards! There’s an intruder!”
The dark figure heard them and promptly leaped out the window.
Household guards rushed in a moment later, followed by the master and Madam.
Madam gathered the eldest young lady into her arms and soothed her in a gentle voice. The master furiously ordered his men to search the courtyard again and again.
The eldest young lady wore an indescribably complicated expression. I was utterly baffled.
I had spotted that man the moment I entered the room, but I thought he was the eldest young lady’s secret bodyguard. So he had been an intruder? If I’d known that, why would I have thrown a flower? I had an entire sleeve full of throwing knives!
That very day, Madam promoted me to senior maid and put me in charge of protecting the eldest young lady at close quarters.
Being a senior maid was wonderful: better pay, less work, and excellent food!
That night, the eldest young lady lay in bed while I sat on a small stool beside her. “Xiaozhu, did you see what that man looked like?” she asked.
I nodded. “I did. He was quite handsome, with a beauty mark beneath one eye.”
The eldest young lady said nothing.
I continued, “Don’t be afraid. I didn’t know he was an intruder this time. The next time I see him, I’ll make sure to kill him.”
She rolled onto her side to face me and smiled. “You can’t do that. He’s my future husband.”
Seeing my jaw drop, she added, “You may beat him up, though.”
I nodded vigorously. No problem!
The eldest young lady burst out laughing and slowly drifted off to sleep.
As I gazed at her jade-like sleeping face, I couldn’t help thinking: she was so beautiful, and her future husband was so handsome. Just how beautiful would their baby be?
I was rather eager to find out.