The noblewoman was extraordinarily graceful. Her purple hair was all coiled up at the back of her head, exuding an air of great nobility. There was not a single flaw on her delicate face, which was extremely perfect. She wore a shiny pink diamond necklace around her neck, which emitted a dazzling brilliance under the reflection of the firelight. Her earrings were made of extremely fine pink pearls, connected one after another to form a long strand, hanging from just below her ears all the way to her neck and shining brightly.
She walked towards me with noble and elegant steps. A stream of delicate fragrance wafted from her, filling the air with a pleasant scent that was not overpowering but rather made one feel intoxicated.
The beautiful maids respectfully helped her sit on a very large, soft chair engraved with golden stripes, which seemed like a bed to me. She leaned softly against the back of the chair, looking extremely alluring and sexy.
I was stunned. Of course, I knew who she was. She was Yalunde's mother, Peisina Youni. She and Yalunde hardly seemed like mother and son but rather like a couple. Whether in appearance or in bearing, they were extremely well-matched.
I couldn't understand. How could a woman of such caliber go to the underground palace for entertainment?
She looked at me for a while and then waved her hand. The maids all respectfully withdrew and walked towards another small door. After that door was closed, she made an elegant gesture, motioning for me to come over.
I didn't know what I looked like at that moment. I felt a bit uneasy and hesitant as I slowly walked towards her.
"Don't be afraid," she said with a slight smile, her cherry lips parting. "I won't harm you."
I stood in front of her, remaining silent.
"Actually, it's nothing else," she said casually. "It's just that my son is ill now and needs someone to take care of him. I heard that you took good care of his daily life in the underground palace and didn't cause any major trouble. So, now it's up to you to continue taking care of him."
"Ah?" I was taken aback and instinctively let out this sound.
"Why? You don't want to?" She showed a displeased expression and glanced at me sideways, as if thinking that I was a bit ungrateful. "This is something that many ordinary women would beg for but couldn't get. At first, I thought your status was too low and your origin was unknown, so I didn't consider asking you to come. Now, if it weren't for the shortage of hands and the lack of a few trustworthy people to serve him closely, it wouldn't be your turn."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. What kind of words were these? It seemed as if I was begging her to let me be a maid. Who cared? I had money in my pocket now. I could go anywhere. Did I have to serve people here? Just as I was about to refuse, she said again, "Naturally, I won't treat you badly. Your monthly salary will be five gold coins."
Five gold coins? My heart suddenly fluttered. I had heard Luwu say that the monthly salary of the most advanced and top-notch dancer in the underground palace was ten gold coins. "That's quite high," Luwu had stuck out her tongue at that time. "An ordinary family couldn't earn that amount in two or three years."
Anyway, I was going to work elsewhere too. The salary here was high. Why not stay here? So, I immediately said, "Okay, it's a deal. But we need to sign an agreement, which should state the salary you should pay each month."
"Agreement?" She seemed a bit startled and then said, "What agreement? We have never signed agreements with servants in the Count's mansion. But since I said it, I will definitely keep my word."
After saying that, she looked down at me from above, with a faint look of disdain and impatience in her eyes.
Reluctantly, I had to reach this oral agreement with her. Even if it wasn't for the money, I didn't want to be locked up in prison again.
When I entered the magnificent silver-gray room of the man from the hot spring under the guidance of the maids, I learned that he had been in a coma for three days.
"It's poisoning," the woman with the coiled hair said to me. That day, she, who seemed to hold the power of life and death in the underground palace, was originally the head maid of the Count's mansion. She said, "Lord Yalunde was poisoned several times as soon as he arrived here. The lady has replaced more than a dozen doctors, maids, and cooks for him, but it hasn't been effective. The damn poisoner hasn't stopped."
The woman with the coiled hair gave me a hard stare. "You have to be more alert."
"Yes." I replied perfunctorily.
She pressed the temples on her forehead and called for someone to bring in a basin of water. "First, wipe his lower body." After saying that, she left.
Two young maids placed the basin on the table and also left.
I was left alone in the huge room and suddenly felt a bit at a loss.
The room was extremely quiet. The candelabra with a dozen candles was shining on the ceiling. I put the towel into the warm water, soaked it, wrung it dry, and then walked to the soft bed with long gauze curtains.
The man was lying on it, his eyes tightly closed, his lips bluish-purple, and his breathing a bit irregular. Without seeing his cold and gloomy eyes, my pressure was suddenly much less.