Three days after the beginning of her confinement, Zhi Rui walked out of her bedroom to eat, the maids all looked at her with mirth in their eyes whispering between themselves
Zhi Rui looked at lady Xue walking by in a daze.
"Aunt?"
Lady Xue startled "W-what? y-yes good morning young lady haha."
Zhi Rui did not mind it. "Do you know why the maids are so spirited?"
Lady Xue looked at Zhi Rui's eyes, put a finger on her cheek took a look around at the maids "I don't know? Hey Zhin zhin, come here." She called the nearest maid with her hand.
Zhin Zhin came in an instant exuding fire from her eyes "Yes, young miss?" She had a playful smile on.
Lady Xue and Zhi Rui started at each other. lady Xue looked at the animated maid asking; "What happened? Why is everybody so cheerful today?"
Zhin Zhin looked at them with a weird gaze examining very carefully.
As Zhi Rui Showed no reaction she understood.'They really don't know!!'
The Maids Eyes got euphoric as she looks intensely at Zhi Rui
"A news reached the manor today! Prince Julius purchased an enormous plot of land, an abandoned school for the nobles. And he announced it was a gift for our Young lady as a first step to Change the world!"
Zhi Rui Observed the surprised face of Lady Xue and the maids subtly giving her the 'Go for it girl!' look.
Zhi Rui stood rooted in place her expression twitching, she smiled. "I finally can start doing some real good for the people."
Zhin Zhin face went serious, "Young Lady is focusing on the wrong thing!
The gift is a way for Prince Julius to show affection towards young lady! What you think about it?!" She asked with enthusiasm
Lady Xue and Zhi Rui looked at her astonished at the maid going ballistic Zhi Rui stammered to reply "E-eh? but he has that reputation. isn't it bad?"
Zhin Zhin puffed her chest out "Not a problem Young Lady, With your virtue and strictness a small prince won't be hard to tame at all!"
'D-did She just called a prince of a three-nation empire 'small' ?!" Zhi Rui held her belly trying not to laugh. lady Xue just grabbed the woman's mouth and smiled at Zhi Rui in apology, "Sorry Young lady they get quite wild with these matters."
Zhi Rui laughed waving her hand dropping the matter.
She looked at Lady Zue's face "I felt aunt is worried about something? "
Lady Xue still holding the maid in place remembered what happened when she went to visit the little new servant.
She looked at Zhi Rui, seeing the care in her expression she sighed in relief "It's nothing young lady, just some things about work"
Zhi Rui smiled innocently and holding her belly she said goodbyes and went away.
On the way to the kitchen Zhi Rui felt slightly warm on her chest, she felt this when she lived with her mother a long time ago, now with the maids happily gossipping and her aunt's gentle gaze. She felt it again.
"...Maybe I can have both? after all, mother told every pleasure triples if there's someone else with you. Though I cannot keep that kind of feeling if I'm not strong, and when I get strong there's a chance it won't be genuine. ...I can only preserve these with me and try to carry them to the top."
The corners of her mouth went up maliciously
'But first, I need strength. then I can allow myself to have pleasure and possessions without worry.'
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Back in her own room, Zhi Rui smiled at the thought of prince Julius announcing his gift to the people.
'Haha, what a spoiled kid. It might have been his idea to provoke me, but with my words directly insulting his authority, as a prince, it must've triggered him. To give a big place to someone with no clue of how things truly work. I can almost hear his thoughts while planning it: "You told me I'm incompetent, now you have an actual chance, let me see you fail than I'll come in to help, and ultimately conquer you."
Zhi Rui laughed. 'Oh well, I was just in need of something like that'
Zhi Rui got out of her bed and started drawing. after half a day, she went to see her aunt. "Aunt I'm in confinement and can't go myself.
Please, can you do this for me? if possible to finish by the end of the week?"
Lady Xue looked at the drawings in the paper the simple big and wide structures.
"W-What are you planning miss?"
Zhi Rui smiled at her "The poor need education and healthcare. And mostly Hope. I'll try to give them that by building this teaching facility for the poor ,aunt."
Lady Xue looked the Zhi Rui, her eyes got red and she embraced the girl.
"You grow up to be such a good thing for this country."
With trembling eyes, she doubted this young miss could do any harm to anyone. 'I must punish that boy.'
Zhi Rui noticed her distracted eyes "What's a wrong aunt?"
Xue just smiled "It's nothing dear."
'She's happy now, these ugly things can wait.' Xue thought.
Zhi Rui smiled again, gave her aunt a peck on the forehead and went back to her room.
She entered her room and closed the door, she threw a hope rook on her bed. She stood with the back to the window, staring at the image connecting above her bed.
Hilda with dark circles under her eyes appeared alone in a room.
Zhi Rui grinned "Did you hear?"
Hilda nodded "More work for me I guess."
Zhi Rui smirked, not you, Izaya's daughter. She's pretty good natured and a mixed race, I need to show I don't have issues with different status or races. She'll be a perfect face for that end.
Teach her how to deal with people, use the courtesans if needed.
But don't force her, convince her to do it, I'll leave for you to decide how.
Now your part is to go with her to choose employees in the slums.
If you see good young seedlings offer them to join in our militia.
Zhi Rui smirked, "they'll be the slum's public military force."