Lined on each side by gender; were men and women wearing red and white uniforms. The males rose red inside shirts, paired with a pearl white tailcoat with red edges and a white bow tie, white slacks and shoes. The females; wore a dress that buttoned to the collar, long sleeves, billow bottom that reached a few inches below the knees, a red apron red stockings and white shoes, with a bright red frilled head cover.
For a moment it stunned me, thinking how cute each of them looked with their fair skin and bowed heads.
"Please follow the mistress, little benefactor,"
Snapping out of my daze I obey the maid who approached and softly spoke, seeing that the others had already dispersed going their separate ways leaving only the older version of the Hyuen. I had no doubt was the younger brother of this look-alike male.
Through the massive doors and down a well-illuminated hallway, we were led down a stone path enveloped by peach blossom trees.
It was a beautiful sight.
After they led us to another set of doors.
"This will be your home from today. The courtyard has been cleaned for both of you with everything you need. Two maids to attend your needs and specifically. One for the baby, you will be given lessons to learn the rules among us."
Once that was over, the woman left taking with her and the servants with her.
The older male spared me a cold glance, then turned to Hyuen with a half-smile.
"While I was away, it seems that you have shouldered a few of my burdens."
His voice though not deep had a levelled undertone that revealed he was explicitly a male.
"It was unfortunate, but yes."
Hyuen replied lazily, his gaze directly on me I bent my head to avoid it rubbing the back of the small human in my arms.
A light chuckle was heard. My heart thumped.
"Those of her kind have been bred out for a while now, it is luck for the third family to have her care for the boy."
"If both survive then it will just be called fate, not luck."
The second son from the first family replied in a matter of a fact tone.
"She looks clean, pretty for a child and our cousin seems to be fond of her, she has to use it seems." The first son pausing before asking.
"Can she speak?"
"As the benefactor, we should show her due curtsy, after all, the child she has saved is from the third family and the only one remaining from that family line, discussing among yourselves about her "kind" is not pleasing to such delicate ears neither is conversing as if she is not even present." The first mistress said appearing,
"Forgive our impudence mother."
Both bowed slightly to the woman turning away from her and leaving.
"It has been hard on you child." After those words were said, two maids entered,
"These are the two maids who will take care of your home. This older female will help direct and care for my nephew. Later you will be measured for your uniform and sent to the school a month from now. Each month you will receive an allowance. If your performance is acceptable and no parents or relatives step forward to claim you, you will be accepted into the family as the third family's first adoptive female child, for now, rest and attend the dinner to be acquainted with the faces of the family."
I nodded to the mistress, feeling excited.
Entering through the gates, I smiled at the layout a bridge over a lily pond. Several flower bushes and a stoned home complete with floor to ceiling windows, the door was tinted and made of glass.
"This home was recently built in the last two decades, it is made from ground granite and clay mix, one level with six floors to ceiling windows.
It has a large kitchen, a living room, dining room and six bedrooms, across the pond is the maid quarters able to house six maids. We have various fruit trees, the sweet apple, peach and mangoes, wild rose bushes and over there is the sunflower field. We also have a practice yard since our family studies in self-defence."
I nodded continuing forward with the child pausing by the door.
"Please scan your palms, this will enable you to enter the main home,"
I nodded again, continuing forward.
Inside was a glassed area directly above which allowed the natural light to shine through. On each side were the granite clay walls. While I felt a kind of shocked at the tiled floor.