Two days flew by in a flash. Since Qian Lan and Yuhan were made to share one carriage with the nobleman, they couldn't talk like how they were when they were in their own carriage. It was a long two-day trip but it was finally at its end. The nobleman brought the girls to his home as it wasn't time for them to enter the competition. To their surprise, Qian Lan and Yuhan finally found out Xia Long was a duke and the childhood playmate of the recently crowned king. As Qian Lan and Yuhan stepped out of the carriage, they were greeted by a large building that was at least ten times bigger than their homes back in the countryside. The girls silently followed after Xia Long as he instructed a maid to tend to the girls.
"These two are honored guests. They will be here for a week before the maiden selecting tournament. Take care of their needs and treat them well."
"Yes, master."
The head maids nods and accepts her orders. Once Xia Long was gone the maid's personality took a one hundred eighty degree turn. The head maid walks towards the girls with her hands folded in. She glares at Yuhan and scoffs at what a country bumpkin she was.
"Hmph! Just because you are guests of the master doesn't mean I need to serve you. Keep in mind you're just commoners."
Qian Lan was tired and hungry. Feeling fed up she walks in front of Yuhan and glares down at the three maids. Qian Lan was at least a head taller than the women in front of her.
"Where are our rooms?"
"What…this damn commoner dares to order me?!"
"Are you going to show us our rooms or not? Or do I need to find Xia Long and have him fire you?"
"What? Fire? Where? Where's the fire?!"
"Sigh, people from this time zone are such idiots."
"Did...did you just call me an idiot?! Whatever that means!"
"It means you're a fool! Your master just ordered you to watch over us for the week! I wonder what he'll say if I were to complain to him about how you're acting now? Looks like you'll be out of a job."
"You…you wouldn't dare to! I'm the head maid here! Everyone follows my orders!"
"Ah, but you follow your masters order, right? So, all I have to do is complain to him, right?"
"You!"
The maid couldn't find anything to refute Qian Lan's words. Sucking in her pride she motions for the other two maids to follow her as she apologizes to Qian Lan and Yuhan.
"I apologize for saying things out of line. Your rooms are this way."
"Look at how easy that was."
"You! Ugh! I just need to put up with you for a week and you'll be out of my way! Don't even dream of making a move on the master!"
"Huh? I'm not interested in him so don't worry."
"Is that so? That better be the truth."
"Don't tell me you're aiming for the duke?"
"What's wrong with that?!"
The head maid blushes from ear to ear after hearing Qian Lan call her out. Qian Lan chuckles at the sight and drags along Yuhan as they walked towards a separate building. The head maid gestures for Qian Lan and Yuhan to rest in a guest room. Once the girls were inside the room, the maid turns to face Qian Lan,
"I will be back with your lunch and extra clothing in a bit. Until then, don't leave this room. You will get lost."
Qian Lan watched as the maid closes the door behind them. Quickly scanning the area, Qian Lan could see that It was a large room with two beds; at each corner. With their aching bums from sitting so long and their legs sore from not being stretched properly for two days; the girls both walked in opposite direction and laid in their given beds.
"Ugh! It's finally over!"
"I know, I'm so tired. Hey Qian Lan."
"What is it?"
"You're so brave."
"Pffft…are you talking about my chat with that maid?"
"Yes! I mean she's from the capital and people in the capital are known to have high prides, yet you squashed her like nothing! I was scared and couldn't say anything."
"That was high pride? Sounded more like a brat complaining about doing her job."
"Brat?"
"Ah, it's what I use for a kid term."
"Ha Ha! Make sure she doesn't hear you calling her a kid."
"Well, she's going to be handling our food so I won't mess with her too much. Since we're waiting for her, come over here and tell me more about the capital. We could barely talk since Xia Long was in the carriage."
Yuhan walks from her bed and heads out towards Qian Lan's bed that was across the room. Making her way past the two-makeup desk and the large dining table, Yuhan finally seats herself at the foot of Qian Lan's bed. Qian Lan quickly sits up as she waits for Yuhan to tell her stories.
"What do you want to know, Qian Lan?"
"I don't know, anything really."
"Well, aside from what I told you. Be careful who you offend here."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…you can't talk like how you did to that maid if the person was a noble. You can lose a finger, an arm or even be sentenced to death for being rude."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, people here take it seriously especially if they are a noble."
Qian Lan could see the seriousness in Yuhan's eyes as she continues to talk about etiquette.
"Yuhan you sure know a lot."
"It's common sense to not offend a noble. Sucking in our pride and acting stupid is better than standing up for ourselves and getting killed as an example."
"Yuhan you talk like you've experience it."
Yuhan remains silent for a moment and stares into the empty room. After a minute, she takes a deep breath and turns her gaze back to Qian Lan.
"My older brother offended the son of a Noble. That man he offended was the magistrate of the south gate, in the end he lost his life."
"I…I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"
"No, it's alright. It's been five years now. I was young but I understood what my father meant when he said my brother wasn't coming back."
"Can I ask what happened? That is if you don't mind sharing."
"My brother came to the capital to become a scholar. He was only seventeen but was a smart young man. He passed the national exam in the first try and scored higher than a noble. Everything was fine until the man who lost to my brother went home crying to his father. After the magistrate found out his son lost to a commoner. He accused my brother of cheating and bribed the examiners to also accuse my brother of cheating. My brother fell into despair after his pleas fell on deaf ears. No one believed him because he was a dirty commoner from the countryside. One day….my brother had enough and ended his own life. He was found hanging in his rented room."
"I…I'm so sorry. It must've been so hard…."
"It was a dark time. My father learned of the news and had to leave for the capital to retrieve my brothers' body. It was a long and cold day on the day we buried him. It's been years so it's fine now."
"You guys never brought the magistrate to justice? Surely there had to be some laws placed in regards to such thing."
"You think people here care about the life of a commoner? They only care about themselves. The last king was a tyrant that spent his days enjoying his riches and women only. The current king who was his tenth son, had to kill his own father."
"Say what?! Say that again!"
"I said the current king killed his own father."
"Holy crap! I thought that was only in dramas!"
"Drama? What's that?"
"Uh…nothing Yuhan. You can continue."
"Well, at least this king is much better. He actually cares for his people and lowered the taxes on the common folk, but raising the tax on the nobles. There were people against him becoming king, but those who oppressed him were wiped out."
"How do you know so much, Yuhan?"
"Oh, I enjoy gossip and tend to follow my mother around the village and since there's always people passing by. I tend to get a story here and there from them."
Just as Qian Lan was going to ask another question, the head maid returned with two pair of new clothing, clean robes for the girls and trays of food.
"Here is your lunch. The bath is the room two doors down from this room. I will be busy but will come back and check on you two in five hours. Once you're done eating you can leave your trays of food outside your door. Someone will pick it up."
The maid quickly leaves and closes the door. Qian Lan and Yuhan could smell the food from where they were sitting. Unable to ignore their rumbling stomachs anymore, they both ran to the table and lift the cover revealing the many dishes. Qian Lan had no idea she would be so happy to see meat again.
"Wow, they even gave us half a roast duck!"
Qian Lan and Yuhan quickly ate their fill. After thirty minutes of stuffing their face, the girls were now stuff and falling into a food coma.
"I'm so full. I regret finishing that duck."
"Qian Lan you eat a lot for someone so thin."
"You think so? It's just been so long since I've had meat."
"Should we leave for the baths Qian Lan?"
"Yeah, we should get it over with. I'll bring out the dishes so bring the clean robes."
The girls clean up their messes and places the dirty empty dishes to the outside of their bedroom and head down the hall to find the baths. After looking into each room, Qian Lan and Yuhan finally found the room.
"Oh, good. Looks like we're in the right place."
Qian Lan quickly locks the door once they were in. She quickly fills the wooden tub with water and undresses as Yuhan cleaned herself with a wet cloth. After fifteen minutes, the girls decided to switch. As Qian Lan sat on a small wooden stool, Yuhan quickly looks at Qian Lan's back and sees her birthmark.
"Qian Lan, did you know have a birthmark on your back?"
"Huh? A birthmark? I wasn't born with any birthmark."
"Then what's that on your back?"
Yuhan walks out of the tub and kneels behind Qian Lan. She tries to wipe away the mark but to no avail.
"Hmm…. it's not coming off."
"What does it look like?"
"Hmmm…. it's weird. I've never seen anything like it. It kind of looks like those big white thing in the sky on a sunny day."
"Huh? A cloud?"
"A cloud? Is that what you call them?"
"Uh…Yes. Hmm…. guess we'll have to look at it in the mirror once we get back to our room. I'm done bathing if you are."
"I'm done, we can leave."
The two girls quickly put on their clean robes and headed back to their bedroom. With Yuhan's help, Qian Lan had to pull the two-makeup desk to face each other with her in center. Slowly moving her robe down, Qian Lan could see the mark through the reflection of the other mirror.
"Wow, it really does look like a cloud with a scale in the center."
"Does it hurt?"
"No, it doesn't. I didn't even know I had it."
"Well, if it doesn't hurt it should be okay."
"Yeah I think so too."