There’s No Way My Maid Is a Villain

Spirit Selection

Liqin and Yinhua walked out of the Imperial Palace hand in hand.

Under overwhelming tension, as soon as they exited the palace, Yinhua took deep breaths.

For her, it was the first time she had spoken to her father like that. All her life, she had obeyed his every word, never once daring to argue.

Seeing Yinhua like this, Liqin couldn't bear it either. In her current status, Yinhua was no longer allowed to live inside the palace.

Liqin could only support her to a nearby inn and get her a room.

"It's all right, believe in yourself. Everything will work out."

On the way, Liqin kept comforting Yinhua, but in reality, she herself couldn't calm down at all.

This was a gamble that put their souls on the line, with no room for failure.

If they failed, it meant she might never see little Yin again.

"Mm, sister Liqin, thank you. I know—I might have been reckless today, but... I'm sorry, I had no other choice."

"I know, I don't blame you. Get some sleep early tonight. I'll tell Aili that you're staying here,"

Liqin replied.

"Thank you."

Without even changing her clothes, Yinhua collapsed onto the large bed and closed her eyes.

The intense mental pressure had truly exhausted her.

After watching Yinhua fall asleep, Liqin stepped out of the inn room and could no longer hold back her tears.

She didn't understand why the gods were so unfair to Yinhua. Clearly, she was the most hardworking one.

She had endured years of ridicule and scorn in the palace. Oh gods, if you truly exist, please grant her one chance.

This was the first time Liqin had ever prayed to the divine.

No matter what happened, the morning sun would still rise, and the hands of the clock would not stop for anything.

At dawn, Yinhua looked at the clock—it was eight o'clock. Four hours remained until the Spirit Selection began.

Aili had not returned the entire night. It had been a long time since Yinhua had gotten up so early without her maid around.

Looking around, she realized she was all alone. Sister Liqin was gone too, and suddenly she felt out of place.

But she quickly patted her cheeks and took a cold shower to keep herself awake.

After tidying up, it was already nine o'clock.

Yinhua checked out at the front desk by herself and found out that Sister Liqin had already paid for her.

She sighed softly.

She wandered on the street, had a simple breakfast, and observed the imperial capital where she had once lived long ago.

Too much had changed—some places, she no longer recognized.

She made her way to the central plaza of the capital. It was jam-packed, bustling with traffic and people.

Everyone was waiting for this once-in-a-millennium chance—participants, fathers bringing their children, curious onlookers.

The place was as lively as could be. Two hours remained before the Spirit Selection began.

At the center of the square was an altar, inscribed with magical glyphs and adorned with a sun banner.

This was the venue for the Spirit Selection.

"Guess who I am?"

Suddenly, a pair of hands covered Yinhua's eyes from behind. The voice had been altered by magic.

Yinhua was confused for a moment; her own maid would never act like this, so there was only one possibility.

"Sister Liqin, stop it."

Only silence answered.

'Did I guess wrong?' Yinhua wondered.

The hands released her, and she turned to see the face she had been missing so much.

"Xiya!"

"Hehe, Princess, you're so mean! You didn't even recognize me!"

Xiya said.

Despite her words, Xiya's face did not reveal even a hint of anger, only a sunny smile.

"Xiya, I missed you so much."

"Mm, me too, Princess."

"Did your father allow you to come this time?"

"Of course not! He sent a steward to watch over me every day. I only managed to sneak out because it's so chaotic here."

"This... Spirit Selection is about to start. Won't your father be worried?"

"Hmph, let him worry! The more worried he is, the better."

"But still..."

"Enough, enough, Princess! How come you sound more and more like my father? Don't mind him. Let's look around together. It's my first time in the imperial capital—will you show me around?"

"Mm, of course!"

Although Xiya's personality seemed much changed, Yinhua still felt a friendly warmth from her.

Walking in the plaza, Yinhua couldn't help but think that she had never strolled around with a friend like this—it was her first time, and maybe the last.

The thought left her feeling downhearted.

"Princess, what's wrong?"

"Uh... Nothing, Xiya."

"Princess, did something happen?"

Just as she finished speaking, a tall figure dressed in black appeared behind Xiya.

It was the butler she'd seen back at school.

"Miss, master is nearly frantic looking for you! There are only ten minutes left until the Spirit Selection starts. Please, come with me at once."

"Ai."

Both Xiya and Yinhua, caught up in their joy, hadn't noticed how close it was to the start time.

Happy times always seemed so short.

"Well, goodbye then, Princess."

"Mm, goodbye, Xiya."

Would this be the last time they saw each other?

Yinhua had no time to dwell. The Spirit Selection was about to begin.

Suddenly, a thunderous drumbeat echoed throughout the square—the Spirit Selection had officially begun.

First up was the general's child. He stepped onto the altar, eyes closed and hands together, as if in prayer.

Time ticked by.

According to the rules, if there was no reaction within three minutes, it was considered a failure.

Finally, just as three minutes were about to end, flames burst out around the boy, engulfing the altar.

Imperial mages quickly extinguished the fire, and beside the boy, a new figure appeared: a man with short, fiery red hair—blurred, but distinctly there—a Companion Spirit.

"Oh oh oh oh!!!"

The boy leaped from the altar in excitement, throwing himself into his father's arms, tears streaming down.

He seemed to be introducing the Companion Spirit to his father, but Yinhua couldn't hear their conversation.

She looked at her number; she would be the last one called.

One by one, she saw many familiar faces step onto the altar—Fenyu, feina, Yi-er, and even the deceased Second Prince Lishi and Third Prince Jianuo.

Each one successfully summoned their own Companion Spirit.

Then it was her eldest sister, Lingxian's turn. Standing on the altar, her expression was relaxed instead of tense.

In less than a minute, a gigantic crack opened across the altar beneath her feet, and a white-haired girl holding a long spear appeared beside her.

A ray of light bathed the square, drawing even the executives' stunned attention.

"That... That's a god! A deity from Trayastrimsa!!"

An elderly official exclaimed.

The scene left even the steady Yi-er visibly unsettled.

He hadn't expected that Lingxian, whose strength was about equal to his own, would summon a deity.

She would surely be a more popular candidate for heir than himself, which complicated things.

Another highlight came from the Prince of the Yuexing Kingdom, Yuexing Beichen, who stood on the altar as dark clouds blotted out the sun, plunging everything into darkness.

A roar from the depths of the abyss followed. If not for the mages' barriers, the ordinary people present would have fainted. Then, a black-haired man with a wicked grin stood beside him.

"This... this time it's a demon!"

For the Yuexing Kingdom—a country that usually had nothing to do with Wanhua—to summon such a being left the officials with unreadable expressions.

The next contestant was Yinhua's sworn friend, Xiya.

Her display was less spectacular, but still magnificent. Flowers bloomed all around, trees flourished. Then, an elven woman appeared at her side.

Then came her elder sister, Liqin. After two minutes, frost spread all around her, even freezing the flames.

Her Companion Spirit was a blue-haired woman in a white dress, exuding a cold aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Of course, there were failures. Yinhua saw each failed candidate forced off the altar, some carried away in shock and denial. Would she end up like them?

At last, it was Yinhua's turn.

She took a tranquilizer she bought earlier to calm her heartbeat and climbed the steps lightly but with a sense of awakening.

Many people watched—friends, her sister, her brother, and her parents.

Her fate would be decided in the next three minutes.

She had done all she could. Now, she could only leave the rest to fate.

However much time she had left, where her soul would go, she entrusted to the gods.

Three minutes—so short, yet it felt like a century. Second by second passed with nothing happening around her.

Only when the whistle blew did Yinhua realize that three minutes had passed.

She had failed.

Liqin saw this and muttered in disbelief, "Failed, failed, failed, failed... Little Yin, she..."

So this was the answer the world gave her.

Yinhua looked up at the vault of heaven. Her heart was filled with bitterness and sorrow, but she could no longer voice them.

"Hahahahahaha, so in the end, she's just a loser!"

Her third sister's voice mocked her mercilessly.

Liqin's eyes were full of despair.

Xiya looked like she wanted to rush forward, but her butler restrained her.

Yi-er's faint hope for her had turned to ashes.

Her father's gaze became utterly cold and unfamiliar.

This was who she was.

What was she expecting?

How could she possibly succeed?

She was a failure, yet she never accepted being one.
From now on, she would live as nothing more than his puppet.

A life like this—how was it any different from being dead?

At this thought, Yinhua's tears finally overflowed.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The altar echoed with a young maiden's cry of despair, yet no one cared.

A failure was not worthy of sympathy.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
What will happen to Yinhua now?
【｡° ૮₍°´ᯅ`°₎ა °｡】