A Queen’s Weariness and an Attendant’s Doubts

Inside the royal palace, Lisa Kael reclined on the throne. Jiu Hui stood by her side, pressing her lips together gently as she observed the hint of weariness in Lisa Kael’s expression. Though Lisa Kael had appeared overpowering just moments ago, silencing all dissenting voices, it was merely a display of her authority from the outset, and the resumption of war had instilled a fresh sense of apprehension in them.

“You may leave,” Lisa Kael said, waving a dismissive hand as she rose to her feet.

Jiu Hui followed behind, her lips parting as if to speak, but she ultimately remained silent. Today, she had witnessed a different side of Lisa Kael.

Moreover, her own true position remained unclear to her. From the situation she had observed, this role was not as straightforward as she had imagined.

‘Yet, I hadn’t given it much thought before, but now the question is obvious: why did Lisa Kael want me as her personal attendant? While I previously brushed it off, telling myself it was because I was indeed very beautiful, reconsidering it now gives me pause for thought. The dukes and marquises seemed eager to push their own daughters and granddaughters into this position. And to find someone beautiful, in such a vast kingdom, were there truly no other girls more beautiful than myself?’

‘I was merely a girl who had suddenly appeared in the hunting grounds, without any official standing, riddled with suspicious circumstances. Why would Lisa Kael place me in such a highly scrutinized position, one entangled with significant interests, as her personal attendant?’

Watching Lisa Kael’s retreating back, Jiu Hui longed to voice her questions, but though her lips parted, no sound emerged.

‘For some reason, she felt it was better not to know the answer.’

‘Speaking of which, why had she agreed so readily back then?’

“Hey, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and catch up!”

Lisa Kael suddenly halted, turning to watch Jiu Hui, who was lagging behind, taking slow, deliberate steps.

Jiu Hui snapped back to reality, looking up at Lisa Kael ahead, her long, crimson hair dazzling under the sunlight. A smile involuntarily bloomed on Jiu Hui’s face.

‘She truly is beautiful. Such an appearance, combining both beauty and charisma, is simply too radiant.’

‘She must have been captivated from the very first glance.’

‘That charismatic beauty, appearing before her on horseback that day, had, without a word, carved open her heart and walked right in.’

Quickening her pace, she reached Lisa Kael’s side, observing the girl who stood bathed in sunlight, her lips curved in an arc that spoke more of arrogance than pride. Jiu Hui smiled, taking her place beside her.

‘Never mind. What she was meant to know, she would eventually learn.’

****

Back in her room, Jiu Hui immediately shed the utterly detested high heels, running excitedly barefoot across the floor. Her small feet, encased in white stockings, pressed against the cool floor, the faint coolness seeping through providing a welcome relief to the soreness from a day of walking.

“Ah! This is so comfortable!” Jiu Hui let out a sigh of pure bliss.

Xiao Lü and Xiao Lan watched Jiu Hui’s childish antics, exchanging helpless smiles.

“Lady Jiu Hui acts just like a child.”

Jiu Hui pouted indignantly at their words. “It’s easy for you to talk when you’re not the one suffering! Try walking in those shoes yourselves!”

“By the way, why don’t you two have to wear high heels like these?”

Jiu Hui looked at the standard maid shoes on Xiao Lü and Xiao Lan’s feet, then at her own discarded heels, her face etched with resentment.

“Lady Jiu Hui, these shoes were personally designed by Her Majesty the Queen. We aren’t qualified to wear them,” Xiao Lü replied, glancing at the high heels with a flicker of imperceptible envy in her eyes.

“I wouldn’t want that qualification, honestly,” Jiu Hui sighed.

Xiao Lü smiled. “Lady Jiu Hui, you don’t know how good you have it. Have you still not understood the true meaning of being a personal attendant?”

Listening to Xiao Lü’s words, Jiu Hui recalled the situation in the royal palace, lowering her gaze slightly. “I’ve started to understand some of it.”

Her spirits somewhat dampened by the questions that had plagued her on the way back, Jiu Hui lay down on the bed.

Xiao Lü, seeing Jiu Hui like this, her smile softened slightly. “It’s good that you understand. Gradually, Lady Jiu Hui will come to understand the vast difference between a personal attendant and a regular maid.”

Jiu Hui tilted her head slightly, looking at Xiao Lü, then said with a playful tease, “I never knew you could smile so charmingly.”

At this, a blush instantly crept onto Xiao Lü’s face, but it receded so quickly that one might have thought it a trick of the light. Then, Xiao Lü resumed her previous gentle smile, tilting her head slightly.

“What are you talking about, Lady Jiu Hui?”

Seeing Xiao Lü like this, Jiu Hui acutely sensed a hint of danger, letting out two dry chuckles and saying no more.

‘Honestly, she was just smiling so adorably. Why did she have to revert to that polite, formal smile?’

****

Not far from Jiu Hui’s room, in another chamber.

Lisa Kael sat on a chair, the table before her strewn with various documents. Sunlight streaming through the window behind her illuminated her hair, causing it to shimmer brilliantly.

After an unknown amount of time, Lisa Kael finished annotating the last document, then stretched languidly. She reached for the cup beside her, only to find it empty.

Sighing with a soft, helpless laugh, Lisa Kael murmured to herself,

“Jiu Hui is far too negligent as a personal attendant. It seems I’ll have to train her more diligently in the future.”

A chilling curve played on her lips as she spoke.

A moment later, Lisa Kael seemed to recall something, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.

“Number One, Number Two, come out.”

Whoosh!

Two dark blurs flashed, and two figures in black appeared in the room.

Lisa Kael looked at the figures before her, pressing her lips together gently before speaking.

“From now on, when Jiu Hui and I are not together, you two don’t need to follow me. Go and protect her in secret.”

“Yes!”

Their voices, though muffled, were clearly female.

“Very well, go now.”

Whoosh!

No sooner had Lisa Kael’s words faded than the two figures vanished.

Watching the room become empty once more, Lisa Kael rose to her feet, turning to gaze out the window, her expression inscrutable.