Trigger warning ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Torture* sexual assault*
" Chen!! Mr. Chen!!!! " Xia Xia screamed.
"Yes yes, I can hear you well, What is it this time?" Chen asked.
" My Lady's books... Have they arrived?" Xia Xia whispered.
"Books? What boo- ooooo , yes yes. They have yesterday... You wouldn't know how much effort it took to get these!" Mr. Chen said.
"Effort? You mean sitting on your arse all day and making poor old man Su get it from the warehouse? " Xia Xia said staring dead into his eyes.
"What?" Mr. Chen asked shocked.
" What?", Xia Xia feigned innocence.
"Urhhh anyway, so, they have come illustrated by the great artist Fu Xian.... Blah blah ." Mr. Chen continued.
"20 coins." Xia xia said.
"20? I got these for 40." Mr. Chen said.
"30 and you give an extra bookmark." Xia xia haggled
"35 and you go on a date with me." Mr. Chen tried.
"32 and I don't report you to the magistrate." Xia xia replied with a glint in her eyes.
"Yes, take it. Done." Mr. Chen said, and he brought in 4 books wrapped and tied.
"Thank you Mr. Chen." Xia xia smiled and left with the books.
Mr. Chen sighed as he saw her go. There was probably no other lady like her. Her normal disregard to other people just increased their curiosity in her.
And Mr. Chen was the first to have fallen for her natural personality.
****
At the Duke's Manor
"Lady Li hua, you need to get dressed immediately!" The nanny said.
"Yes, nanny. ", a sleepy Li hua got up from her bed to be served immediately by the maids.
A maid carried a bowl of cold water, another helped wash her face. One held onto a drycloth another held onto a comb and today's pick of hairpin.
A hot bath was drawn, filled with rose petals and sweet scented, the steam from the water filled the whole room.
The splish splash sounds of the bath water echoed across the quiet room.
In middle of the tub, sat, Li hua, the daughter of Duke Shen.
Famous for her graceful beauty and calligraphy skills, she was the pride and joy of her family.
The maids helped her bathe, she gently scrubbed her soft, porcelain skin. Her lips the color of peonies in bloom. Her dark brown hair which looked perfect even when wet, her curious eyes looking desperately for her best friend.
* Bam*
"Li huaaaa!!!! You wont believe -", xia xia exclaimed and fell right on the floor
She slowly got up to have the biggest fear of her life appear right beside her.
The nanny.
Xia xia the beloved maid was taken in by Duke Shen long ago, and she was practically the best friend of Lady Li hua.
But there were many who disapproved of such nobility and commoner friendship.
One of them, was the nanny.
" What is this disgraceful behaviour?! Remember your place xia xia.", The nanny began nagging at xia xia.
"I am sorry, maam.", xia xia immediately bowed trying her best to cover the books she had just bought.
"This is ridiculous, I am letting you of lightly just because I adore the young lady!", she continued.
"Just what are these?", she plucked away the books from xia xia.
" I just picked up a book order for the young miss.", xia xia said.
Li hua almost turned pale.
" hmmm, you girls there, continue with the bath, it's already late, miss needs to have her food soon.", she said and started examining the books.
Xia xia prayed to the almighty, just don't let her see any illustrations.
'if you do this, i will go offer incense '. She begged.
The sound of water resumed along with the turning of pages.
" What's are these books?", the nanny enquired.
"Just a few random books. The miss was interested in these.", xia xia said.
"Tell me the titles.", the nanny said.
" The ways of a noble princess." Xia xia said.
Li hua froze.
"The others?", the nanny continued.
"The tale of Pearls, 'Virtues of a true woman', Seamstress's skill manual.", xia xia said.
Though she served as a nanny, she wasn't well versed with reading. She could understand a few words, but not all of them.
"Hmmm, I hope you do the chores this time, xia xia.", the nanny warned and let her off.
Xia xia and Li hua collectively sighed a sigh of relief.
They both had a quick glance at each other,
Enough to communicate their thought,
'lets talk in an hour '.
Due to her being 'disrespectful' xia xia was assigned to the laundry all alone.
She took the huge pile of sheets and began scrubbing.
The task was ardous and time taking but xia xia was one determined soul.
" my my, isn't it xia ? I didn't know you ever worked? I thought climbing onto the Duke's bed exempted you from this." , a few maids sneered as they walked by.
"Watch what you say about the master. Don't forget you are all on the same boat.", xia xia said sternly.
" the same? If we are the same then how dare you try to be so close with her ladyship? Those conversations with the Duke? Do you think we are dumb?
You have abandoned us. You are struggling so hard to fit in with them that you forget at the end of the day, you are a servant whom they bought for 2 coppers.
Enjoy while this lasts, once lady gets married , it's a matter of time before u too rot away. Just so you know, there is no us.", they said and left.
Xia xia held back her anger. It was justified. Their anger and suspicion. It wasn't common for a maid to be treated with this much love.
It was usually when the lord's find those women appealing, but the truth was something else.
Duke Shen took in xia xia at the age of 10. When he rescued her from the slave auction.
For that she has been very thankful.
Unlike what the maids assumed, her reason to remain in close contact with the Duke's family was her goal.
Her only life mission, not luxury, riches or a status.
Only revenge.
When she was kidnapped into the slavery, she had been accompanied by a friend.
Her childhood friend.
They had been captured and brutally beaten everyday in the slave den.
But they could manage by being each other's support.
The night they were gonna be sold, xia's friend was sold off to a bunch of nobles seeking pleasure.
They tortured her in one of the guestrooms present in the building.
When the building was suddenly taken over by kings troops and she was released. She ran to find her friend.
Who was covered in blood, her face covered in bruises, her limbs twisted in the wrong direction. A brush stuffed up in her ear and a piece of cloth in her mouth.
The gore scene still remained fresh in Xia xias mind. She noticed her friend held some items in her hand.
Some hair, a piece of cloth and a pendent. Xia held onto it and swore on her friend to find and avenge her friend.
The Duke offered her a deal, to be his spy and give him information in exchange for him to get information on the owner of the pendent.
Through the Duke's help, the suspected people were, the Empress's family, the ming family or the envoys of Chu kingdom.
They were the ones mostly capable of owning such high quality pendent and being able to adorn it.
Xia sighed. What was the use of reminiscing about the past? She had a life here, as a maid to her lovely friend Li hua, her adopted brother dai. She got up. Finally done with the laundry she bolted across the manor to reach the room.
" Lady Li hua?" , she asked softly and opened the door.
" Xia ah!!!!!!!!!!!!", a scream left li hua's throat and she fell onto xia xia, hugging her.
" shhhh, my lady, I am supposed to be in the kitchen right now!", xia exclaimed in lower case.
"Okay, but, do you know how scared I was? I was so sure we would get caught and i I would have to write the Virtues of a Lady 100 times.", Li hua said.
" hehe, it's called being witty on the spot. I just omitted an important word so it would make perfect sense, remember to be careful as she does know to read even though it's quite a bit.", Xia xia shared her knowledge.
The 1st book was , " The Pleasurable ways of the noble princess".
A famous topselling erotic novels. The main audience were women aged from 20 to 80.
The edition bought by xia, held an illustration done by the famous artist, right in the middle of the book.
The two girls sat down to read it together.
They were filled with the suspense from the previous edition.
They laughed and giggled, and the illustration left them red as a beet.
After completing the book.
"Ahhh, i wish I too had a man like the prince ( from the novel) ", Li hua groaned.
" A prince? I liked the general more, the way he was brutal to everyone but her. Sounded so romantic! ", Xia chimed.
"I am sure, I will get married to the dimwit son of the Peng family. But, I just wish, if a prince could take me away how nice would it be ." Li hua fantasized.
" It's so fascinating...", xia said.
"What is?",
" The way the author mesmerises us. She is probably the only one who wrote a female catered erotica so beautifully.", xia said.
"Yes, I am sure she is so rich and talented. She even got Master Fu to draw for her! ", Li hua said and both of them spoke for long hours about it.
Xia had to leave for work but day dreamed about the novel.
It was soon sunset.
She walked towards the well, the location where she always meets the Duke and gets orders
Today she found a small note from the Duke.
'There are rumours of a famous merchant coming to deal with weapons with the Siu family.
They are going to visit the Pearl Mansion in the red light district today.
Go there and find out the merchants identity and try to get some information. Kai will help you get in and come out.
But Kai will be recognised so be discreet.'
"Alright. Shall we get going, Xiao? " ,xia xia asked to the masked figure who gave her the note.
" hmm," Xiao groaned in disapproval before walking ahead.
Upon reaching the mansion, Xiao gave her a dress and informed her,
" The merchant is probably in his 40s , accompanied by a swordsman. He also has a distinct appearance."
" okay, I will let you know when I get the information.", xia said.
Xia changed into a revealing red dress and joined a group of dancers heading into one of the halls. She tied a red scarf around her face to protect her identity.
She soon reached a room which had her said targets, a merchant, clearly a foreigner with a scary swordsman, conversing with Siu family head, Siu Man.
She stood by the corner of the rooms, with the other women, holding onto a bottle of wine. Her eyes cautiously monitored the conversation between them.
They had been using the old language, so it was very difficult to understand them, it would have been impossible to understand if she even got distracted.
A lot of time passed by, and the moon shone softly though overpowered by the lights of the district.
She got the necessary information. Now she just needed to leave. She couldn't just leave on her own.
The lord Siu gave a huge amount of money to the Madam of the Mansion, who then clapped her hands, signaling the girls to come forward.
"My dear friend, choose you pick", lord Siu said.
"Yes, I will.", the foreigner said as he met eyes with Xia Xia.
She froze, surely he wouldn't pick her.
"The woman in purple.", the foreigner said.
Xia Xia sighed with relief seeing he chose the woman right beside her.
The madam guide all others out of the room. Followed by Lord Siu leaving,
The foreigner's guard, got up and held onto Xia as she crossed the room.
"Huh?", she almost spoke out.
"Hello, were you sad he didn't pick you? Come I will give you a chance.", he said lustfully staring at her body.
"No thank you sir.", She said changing her voice.
"No come…", he dragged her to corner of the hallway and tried making his way around her dress. Furious, Xia Xia took out his dagger and slashed across his hands.
The bloody scene was enough to cause panic and the Mansion guards were chasing after her.
She ran, lifting up the long flowing skirt. She hid in a closed room panting. Struggling to not catch their attention.
*shing*
The sound of a sword, she almost turned, but was too late. There was already a sword near her neck.