Xiao Li stood frozen in the shadows, her heart hammering against her ribs as she listened to the venomous conversation. She was utterly appalled by the cruelty of the other servants. Even though her Young Miss was certainly behaving differently, carrying herself with a newfound authority and a sharper tongue. It was a far cry from being possessed by some malevolent, unclean spirit.
The logic of the rumors was flawed. If her mistress were truly possessed by a dark entity, she would not spend hours sitting peacefully under the warm, golden glow of the sun. It was common knowledge that unclean things loathed the sunlight above all else. Furthermore, Bai Xifeng remembered every detail of her past. She had not lost herself and she had simply found her courage.
Xiao Li knew she had to warn her mistress about these whispers, but duty came first. She hurried to secure the necessary ingredients for breakfast, and by the time she returned to the courtyard, the main house was still quiet. Seeing that Bai Xifeng had not yet emerged, Xiao Li ducked into their small, private kitchen to begin cooking.
Just as she was finishing the meal, she saw Bai Xifeng stepping out of her bedchamber. Her mistress looked slightly disheveled, stretching her limbs and letting out a long, weary yawn that suggested she had not slept nearly enough.
"I am still so sleepy I could drop, but I really need to snap out of it." Bai Xifeng muttered to herself.
To wake her senses, she suddenly raised both hands and gave her own cheeks a sharp, stinging slap. The sound echoed through the courtyard, followed immediately by a horrified scream.
"Young Miss! You absolutely cannot do that to yourself!" Xiao Li cried out, rushing over with a look of pure distress.
"Huh? Do what?" Bai Xifeng blinked, looking slightly dazed by the sudden interruption.
"You cannot just slap your own face like that! What if you leave a bruise on your beautiful skin?" Xiao Li fussed, her hands hovering nervously around Xifeng's reddened cheeks.
"Don't worry about it, I'm tougher than I look." Bai Xifeng brushed the concern off with a casual wave of her hand. She was more interested in the savory aroma wafting from the table. "More importantly... What's on the menu for breakfast today?"
"It is only a simple sandwich, I'm afraid." Xiao Li sighed, her shoulders drooping.
She felt a deep sense of guilt that she couldn't provide a lavish, multi-course feast befitting a daughter of the Great General's house.
"A sandwich? Hmm... honestly, that sounds fantastic." Bai Xifeng replied, her eyes lighting up.
She truly did not mind the simplicity. In her past life, she had been so consumed by her dangerous experiments and high-stakes black market deals that she had treated food as an afterthought. She had frequently skipped meals for days, only eating whatever happened to be wilting in her refrigerator when the hunger became unbearable. To have someone actually prepare a fresh meal for her was a luxury she still hadn't quite gotten used to.
Xiao Li carefully laid out the sandwiches on the stone table outside. She had noticed that her mistress had recently taken a liking to the fresh air and the quiet of the morning garden.
"Mmm... this is actually delicious." Bai Xifeng said, taking a hearty bite and closing her eyes in satisfaction.
Watching her, Xiao Li felt a pang of sadness. She assumed her mistress only thought the sandwich was delicious because she had been deprived of the finer delicacies enjoyed by the Second and Fourth Young Misses. She did not realize that for Xifeng, the "delicious" part was the care put into the meal.
Suddenly, the weight of the morning's gossip returned to Xiao Li's mind. She knew she could not keep it a secret any longer.
"Young Miss." Xiao Li began, her voice trembling slightly as she watched for her mistress's reaction. "There is something you need to know. A rumor has begun to spread through the mansion... the servants are saying that you have been possessed by something unclean."
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. It breaks my heart when someone steals my hard work. Can you consider reading it on the original website for those who read my novel on another website besides w e b n o v e l .c o m, as your support to me? Thank you, from, your shameless author, ZerahNeko***
Proofreader: haibara9369