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Chapter 196: Meeting someone important
“Young Lady, you look absolutely stunning today. Are you planning to meet someone?” The young and lively maid asked with great curiosity, unaware that her actions were considered a breach of boundaries in the eyes of more experienced maids. It was an inappropriate act that exceeded the bounds of her assigned duties.
The young lady with honey-colored hair continued smiling, seemingly unfazed by her actions. In fact, compared to the mature maids that were meticulous and bound by conventions, she preferred someone like Qing Wan, who was lively and active.
“Do you remember that you didn’t dare look directly into my eyes when you first arrived, Xiao Wan? Mmm, it seems you’ve gotten gutsy.” A trace of a peculiar smile surfaced on the girl’s reflection in the mirror.
“E-ah! I’m sorry, young lady! Your subordinate has overstepped her boundaries, may I ask for your forgiveness…” The subtle change in the girl’s expression caused the little maid to shudder all over. At a loss, she lowered her head and incessantly admitted to her mistake.
“Haha, I’m just joking. There’s no need for you to blame yourself for it, Xiao Yuan.” Seeing the excessive reaction of the little maid, the girl covered her mischievous smile with a hand.
“Thank you, Young Lady,” Xiao Wan sighed deeply. She vividly recalled the first lesson she received after her parents had sent her off to train as an apprentice maid. It was centered around the importance of interpreting body language and ensuring the satisfaction of their masters through impeccable service.
An experienced maid only needed a look or a subtle cue from her master to anticipate their needs and could then take the appropriate action to satisfy it.
It was a huge taboo for any maid to get carried away and overstep her authority just because she had gained her master’s favor. Taking on tasks of her masters or prying into their private affairs were strictly forbidden.
An excellent and reliable maid should be capable of fulfilling their master’s needs without intruding upon their actions or thoughts.
She expressed her thoughts only when she received permission or was explicitly ordered.
A maid was merely the mere shadow of her master, appearing only when needed. To satisfy all their needs, she was expected to utilize her strength, wits, and even her body.
It was all that was needed from her.
However, it was increasingly evident that Xiao Wan had started to forget the very first lesson taught to her by her teacher over time.
She considered herself fortunate when compared to her peers, having found a gracious mistress devoid of arrogance or peculiarities, who regarded her as a friend.
‘Young lady treats me as a friend, so she must be unwilling to punish me, right?’
‘The lessons Teacher taught seem to have been a bit exaggerated.’ Thought Xiao Wan.
“Of course, the reason I’ve put in great effort to dress myself up is because I’m meeting someone very important to me.” The girl with honey-colored hair smiled elegantly, causing her long and thick eyebrows to flutter. The purity radiating from her unadorned features caused Xiao Wan to become momentarily lost in thought before she could process her words.
“Eeeh? An important person?? Could it be…” Xiao Wan’s eyes widened greatly as she covered her mouth.
“Yes, someone very important to me. Well well, would you like to hazard a guess as to who that person might be?”
“A-An important person. C-Could it be… a lover??”
A red blush appeared on Xiao Wan’s cheeks as her lips trembled, causing her to hang her head downwards for fear of exposing them.
As a pure maiden, she was like an unblemished blank sheet of paper when it came to the affairs between a man and woman.
‘This can’t be happening, right?… Even though the Young Missy has reached the age where she would be interested in the opposite sex, there’s no way she has actually…’
Xiao Wan raised her head and cautiously stole a glimpse through her glasses. The sight of the woman, exuding unparalleled elegance in her prime, left her perplexed.
‘What young noble master had benefited from the virtue of his ancestors and caught the fancy of a talented, beautiful, powerful, and wealthy young girl like Young Missy, who hails from a prestigious background?’
Xiao Wan’s thoughts were written all over her face, making it impossible to hide them from the girl with honey-colored hair. Despite this, the girl made no effort to correct or address the matter.
After being done with braiding her amber-colored hair that cascaded down to the floor, the girl stood up and effortlessly curved a smile on her lips.
“Let’s go, As hosts, we should follow etiquette by arriving at the meeting point early and courteously welcome our guests when they arrive.”
“Understood, Young missy.” While Xiao Wan followed behind the young girl, her mind curiously preoccupied with thoughts of how the guest her Young Missy was receiving would look like.
With an effortless and elegant smile adorning her lips, the amber-haired girl raised her skirt and walked out of the castle’s main hall.
The two pike-wielding armored guards flanking the entrance lowered their heads respectfully.
Setis Mylar.
The eldest daughter of the Setis Family, one of the sixteen great vampire clans. Having inherited her father’s noble title, she was conferred with the title of Duchess and now served as the current head of the Setis family.
With an illustrious background and lofty position, she had achieved a peak that most people couldn’t reach in their lifetime at such a young age.
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In the meeting hall.
Remnants of dried wood burned in the fireplace, creating a warm barrier which banned the harsh winter to the outside.
A black-haired girl was quietly seated and leaning back on an exquisite sofa made of walnut wood.
Hot steam slowly rose from the teacup placed on the table into the air.
Her eyes were closed, as if she was currently resting.
The only sound that could be heard in the hall was the crackling sound of burning firewood; No other unnecessary noise was present.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting, Miss Ji Yue. I truly apologize for my lack of manners in not welcoming you at the door and even neglecting you for so long. Especially when you’ve traveled such a long distance to get here.” A voice coming from the direction of the door shattered the silent peace of the hall.
The young girl with black hair opened her violet eyes, which were free of any impurities.
“There’s no need to worry, Miss Mylar. You’re not late. It’s just a habit of mine to arrive at the reception half an hour earlier.” Said the black-haired girl as she stood up.
“I see. I hope I didn’t keep Miss Ji Yue waiting for too long then.” Mylar’s apologetic and remorseful expression was accompanied by an extremely earnest attitude.
“No matter, I enjoy the wait.” Ji Yue replied with a slight bow of courtesy, before Mylar gestured to her to take a seat together.
‘Eeeh… Could this person be Young Missy’s lover?’ Xiao Wan’s initial reaction, upon entering the hall, was one of shock as she indistinctly sized up the black-haired girl.
Black hair was a relatively rare hair color among vampires.
When it came to appearance, the black-haired girl before her was undoubtedly one of the best, an existence who could rival her own missy. When she looked at it that way, they seemed like a perfect match…
However, there was a strange feeling about this lady that nagged at her, as if telling her that she was somehow not a vampire.
‘Wait! That doesn’t seem right…’
Xiao Wan was slightly stunned. As she glanced back and forth at the duo, her brain slowly shut down.
‘Lesbians, the two of them are lesbians, right… Is young Missy attracted to people of her own gender…’
‘Emmm….’
Xiao Wan’s eyes turned into a pair of mosquito coils.
“I hope your long trip here from the human alliance was without incident, Miss Ji Yue.” Mylar gracefully held up her teacup and studied the reaction of the black-haired girl seated across her.
“It was fine. Your subordinates were thorough in their duties and had protected me very well. Thanks to that, I didn’t face any threats.” Ji Yue’s complexion remained unchanged as she calmly met Mylar’s gaze.
“This tea brewed using the leaves of the Chrysanthesia tree have incredibly potent detoxifying and skin-nourishing effects. I wonder if it’s to Miss Ji Yue’s liking?” Mylar asked with a reserved smile on her face, as the air of refined etiquette she exuded demonstrated the utmost respect for her guest. The gaze she directed at Ji Yue carried traces of appreciation, as if she was looking at a piece of delicate artwork.
“I prefer to drink coffee.” Said Ji Yue coldly.
“Xiao Wan, please tell the maids below to brew a pot of ‘Lanyuan Fragrance’ for Miss Ji Yue.” Instructed Mylar.
“Yes.” Xiao Wan snapped out of her thoughts and lifted the hem of her skirt before leaving the hall.
In that instant, the two of them found themselves alone in the hall.
“That reminds me. Please forgive me if I am mistaken, but I have heard an interesting rumor. Would you mind indulging me, Miss Ji Yue?” Mylar looked at Ji Yue with interest while the latter was impassive.
“Please.”
“Mhm, according to the rumors going around, Miss Ji Yue is the foster sister of the deceased knight king of the human federation~”