— Why didn’t you stand up for yourself? — Xuen broke the silence that fell upon them once again.

  — It really was my fault. I should have been more careful, even more so because one of my colleagues told me that Lord Scipio was in the Pace. I wanted to finish my work faster, and I got punished. — Kyra expined with a hefty amount of guilt in her voice.

  This was one of the very few occasions when she would rush her work, and what’s worse is that it was only for her own benefit. Being someone who believed that she had to work hard to pay back for everything good in her life, she felt as if she showed a great deal of ungratefulness and selfishness.

  Running into Scipio and being hit only proved to her that she was at fault.

  This way of thinking was foreign for Lin Xuen.

  — He has eyes too. And even if you really were too careless, it still doesn’t give him the right to raise a hand against you. — she said firmly. Her anger wasn’t directed at the girl, but rather the snobbish man who thought himself better than others simply because he had slightly more money.

  It could have been easy for her to see herself as being above others. After all, there were only a few who had titles even more dignified than her, and every single one of those people belonged to her family.Her father made sure, however, to teach her the weight of the power they held, and the responsibility that came from it.

  “The role of the nobles is to protect and care for the people. It is our purpose to be the the shield that guards, and the sword that punishes those who dare to harm the weak.”

  He would often repeat those words to her and her brothers when they were young. For Emperor Lin, both his children and his country were equally important, and so he wanted to make sure that they would prosper even long after he was gone.

  This attitude earned him the love and respect of his people, and resulted in a dynasty with a bright future ahead.Seeing people like Scipio, Lin Xuen couldn’t help but be disgusted. They were standing in opposition to all of her father’s ideals.

  — He is a noble. I am just a maid. For people like Scipio, the lives of people like me are expendable. This is just how it is. — Kyra cast her eyes down trying to dispel the sadness. No matter how positive she tried to be, there was no escaping the ugly reality she was living in.

  Without letting go of the jade by her cheek, Xuen used her free hand to raise the girl’s chin, forcing her to look her in the eyes.

  — I forbid you from thinking like this. Your life and your wellbeing is invaluable, and nobody has any right to take it away from you. If someone’s existence is worthless then it’s that parasite’s. — Xuen’s eyes, bck like the night, were burning with a mix of determination, anger and worry.

  Yet again, Kyra felt like her heart was about to burst from all of the conflicting feelings stirring inside of it.

  She wanted to both run away and cast herself into Xuen’s arms.

  She wanted to disregard everything as empty words and trust every single one of them.

  The air around them vibrated with the intimacy and tenderness of the moment shared between the women from two different worlds.

  The walls that Kyra built with such desperation started crumbling under Xuen’s benign gaze.

  Her eyes gravitated towards the peach-colored softness of the Dragon Princess’ lips.

  The promise of heavenly sweetness was more than she could resist.

  Before she realized, her body started moving on its own, drawn by the allure of forbidden pleasure awaiting her.

  She didn’t care if what she was going to do was wrong.

  She couldn’t care less what was going to happen to her.

  She didn’t care if she was going to be thrown away from the Pace, and be forced to live in the streets again.

  She didn’t care if she was going to lose her life.

  The desire to kiss Lin Xuen in that moment was too strong to resist.

  She stood on her toes to reach her.

  She was so close, she could almost taste her.

  So close…

  Loud banging at the door shattered the fragile connection shared between them.

  The fog cleared from Kyra’s mind as she jumped away from Lin Xuen, crashing into the desk that stood behind her.

  — Kyra! Open the door right this moment! I know you’re in there! — the furious voice of the Head Maid reverberated from the outside.

  The girl rushed to answer her supervisor, her hands trembling less from fear and more from the realization of what she was about to do.

  — There you are. What in the hells are you doing here? What is the meaning of that mess you left behind, you stupid girl?! — the Head Maid didn’t waste a moment to start chastising her.

  — I’m sorry, Head Maid. I’ll go and clean everything up right this moment.

  At the same time as Kyra was bowing apologetically in front of the older woman, Lin Xuen showed up at the door.

  — I asked Kyra to accompany me. She will be busy for the rest of the day, so I don’t want anyone to bother her anymore.

  Seeing the Dragon Princess inside the maid’s room and hearing that she hand-picked her to serve her for the day, the Head Maid experienced a severe shock that rendered her speechless for a brief moment. Fortunately for her, many years of experience working in the Pace helped her recover much faster than an ordinary servant.

  Having no other choice, she apologized to the Dragon Princess politely and hastily backed off, leaving them alone.

  It was the first time that Kyra had seen the Head Maid walk away with such impressive vigor for someone her age.

  Nevertheless, being left alone with Xuen again caused her to feel anxious again. The intimate moment that they shared before was long gone, and now she was left with nothing but the guilt and shame of her actions.

  Her companion, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed by what almost happened between them.

  She reached out her hand and stroked Kyra’s once injured cheek.

  — Mm… Looks much better now. It’s almost completely healed. — Xuen said, pleased with the effects of her therapy.

  — Really? So fast? — Kyra asked wide eyed.

  She quickly approached the small mirror she kept on her desk, and studied her reflection for a few seconds.

  The swelling had completely retracted, and the red mark left by the hit was so faint that she could hardly see it.

  — That’s incredible! — Kyra couldn’t hide her amazement. She kept staring at her reflection, having difficulty believing that what she was seeing was real.

  — I told you it was a special stone. — Xuen answered happily. She was gd to see the girl go back to her usual cheerful self. — Sadly, I have to go now. There are things that require my attention.

  — Thank you. — Kyra felt a bit disappointed having to part with Xuen, but she didn’t want to sully the mood again. — Can I ask you for something?

  — Anything you want.

  — Don’t tell Valeria about what happened with Lord Scipio. She already has a lot on her head, and I don’t want to burden her with my problems. She’s fought enough of my battles…

  Xuen pondered her answer for a moment and then answered truthfully.

  — I won’t… But I don’t think you should hide things like this from your sister.

  Kyra felt a weight lifting from her heart. She was worried that Lin Xuen could accidentally mention the incident to Valeria, but hearing her give her word, she was relieved.

  She thanked her again before they separated, and soon, she was left alone in her room, which felt quite empty all of the sudden.

  Later, the same day, Lin Xuen was sitting in her room, thinking back to her unexpected meeting with Kyra.

  She recalled the dejection in her voice, and the desote words with which she spoke in regard to her own life.

  Eventually, her mind wandered to the kiss they almost shared.

  She brushed her lips with her fingertips instinctively as her body reminisced the surge of emotions she felt at that moment.

  Xuen did not expect Kyra to be this forward, but it would be lying to say that she wasn’t disappointed that, in the end, nothing happened.

  From the moment she noticed her in the crowd, she felt drawn to her. The more she got to know her, the stronger the force pulling her to the girl was.

  Being promised the taste of her, and then being denied just as she was about to take the next step made her feel oddly uneasy, or frustrated even.

  Just in time to distract her from that sensation came Shun Ming.

  — I have procured the information you wanted, Your Imperial Highness.

  Xuen immediately focused her mind and gave her maid a sign to continue speaking.

  — Turns out this isn’t the first time Lord Scipio attacked someone. From what I learned, there have been many cases of the servant girls and boys being harmed in his estate. Some suffered permanent injuries, which made it impossible for them to work anymore. He disregarded all of them without any compensation. — Shun Ming paused, trying to find the right words. — For all we know, he is a scumbag that likes to use people like toys.

  The maid spoke calmly and almost emotionlessly. Those who knew her long enough could notice a vague note of disdain.

  Xuen patiently listened to Shun Ming’s report, and then got absorbed in her thoughts.

  The maid didn’t rush her mistress. She knew that the Dragon Princess stood before an important choice which consequences rested only on her shoulders.

  No matter what she decided, Shun Ming would rush to fulfill that order in a heartbeat.

  — If he likes pying with other people — Xuen spoke, getting up from her seat and approaching her desk — then show him what it’s like to be at mercy of someone more powerful than him.

  The Dragon Princess took a piece of paper from the neat pile and swiftly wrote a few words on it. Once done, she folded and sealed it with a stamp she took out from a hidden compartment of the drawer, before passing it to the maid.

  — And Shun Ming…

  — Yes, Your Imperial Highness?

  — You don’t have to pretend to be my maid anymore. You can go back to your usual tasks.

  — Yes, ShiFu.

  The night sneaked upon Kyra before she even realized. Once Xuen left, she spent most of her time deep in her thoughts, repying everything that happened that day. Even though she was pnning to get some rest, she ended up feeling more exhausted than when she was drowning in work.

  She was getting ready to dive under the comfy bnkets and leave the day behind, when she heard someone rummaging outside her door.

  For a moment, she thought that maybe Valeria wanted something, but after waiting a bit, nobody came in.

  She mustered up some courage, and grabbed a dagger hidden under the mattress that her sister gave her for self defense.

  She carefully opened the door, and peeked outside.

  The corridor was dimly lit with sconces hanging on the walls. She looked left and right but there was no one to be seen.

  Kyra almost started believing that she was so tired that she was starting to hear things, but just as she was about to hide back in her room she noticed an elegant box on the floor right in front of her door.

  She immediately recognized the design of one Lucetta’s patisseries - the same one that supplied the tea party that Princess Oriana organized for Lin Xuen and the Prince the other day.

  On top of the box was a little note.

  Don’t think I forgot about your punishment.It’s a blueberry tart. I hope you will enjoy it.

  Under it, another line was added, causing Kyra’s heart to start beating frantically upon reading the following words.

  Next time, let’s pick up where we were interrupted…

  DannyTheDaikon