Kapitel 16: Chapter 15: Servant's Kitchen

"The cloth trail as it is called was a simple trial. In the adjacent magical sacred forest, one was required to find a large cloth banner hanging from trees and replace it with a new one. The ambient qi of the beast in the forest would stain the cloth, slowly changing its color. The forest center held the darkest cloth, where the most powerful beast survived. If one's group succeed, they would begin advance training, as well as become regular disciples." She prefaced her story, before the noble resumed her tale on of her experience with the sect practices to her father.

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Surviving in the wilderness was not a skill that should have ever graced a high society flower. It wasn't a skill that should grace anyone in even a remotely civilized society, yet here she was. Her sect companions did alleviate the glaring lack of ability of the former duchess heir. Unfortunately, they brought their own draw backs as well.

"Senior sister, you shouldn't let your clothes be wrinkled."

Dark hair was the norm, strait, little to no color variation. Cut short it gave the shorter junior sister a bright pixy feeling. Senior sister held much longer traditional locks, and just shy of the collar were two bundles of wrinkled sect robe. Xiao Quin may have been the elder in the pair by just over a year, but she was clearly overwhelmed by the impish junior.

"If junior sister didn't clutch on to her elder sister's robes so tight, the cloth wouldn't have become balled like that." Fourth and final of the group was the leader of the outing. To say that the girl was tactless would be wrong. She just saw no need to look away or stay quiet to spare feelings or awkwardness.

Valentine had no interest in pointing out that it was obvious that senior and junior sisters who were "scouting", were merely making out. Her time observing others as a noble had ignited under martial training. From the way the cloths were bunched together and the swollen flushed skin on her neck, the shorter junior sister had used her seniors' robes to pull herself closer.

Meng Sei was almost two heads shorter than her senior Xiao Quin, and the anchoring would make it easier to kiss. What was meant to be simple hug, turned south quickly as the shorter girl took advantage to sink her fangs into her martial elder sister. Despite knowing that she shouldn't allow this. the large, busted girl got embarrassed and couldn't speak up to tell her junior to stop.

Several bruises and a few teeth marks dotted her neck. Even more demeaning for the elder of the pair, Xiao panted and softly moaned the entire time!

"Ah, it's just that elder sister is adorable, that I can't help teasing her." Scratching the back of her neck she grinned carelessly.

"I don't care where what ends up in where, but this isn't a picnic, so keep your hands off each other and focus on what we are supposed to be accomplishing." Squad leader rebuked the pair.

Elder sister Quin had a very familiar look on her face. Valentine had often worn it herself. Unable to know what the right response was, unable to express the words she wanted to say. Instead, she stood silently, nodded lightly and simply let her thoughts swirl. For a brief instant, the duchess considered speaking up on Xiao's behalf, but than her own thoughts swirled.

Glancing between the pair of storm clouds over her senior sisters, the leader oblivious in the dwindling daylight, youngest sister Sei decided not to speak more and let everything be. Despite the passage of time no one had a need to speak, other than small commands from the leader to get some rest.

In the dim glow from the Replant formation array, Valentine glanced up from the course bed roll to stare at the starry sky. The capital possessed enough light to dim the stars and her manor that she grew up in was always well lit. Without it she wondered if her world was out there among those bright stars, even after all these months she had been stranded.

"Hey, senior sister Lockheed?" The smallest girl in the camp asked quietly. "Did you really know the Rainbow Sage?"

It was a burning question from a lot of people in the Bladeless Sword Sect. Valentine had bypassed the disciple trials and recruitment, on the word of the sect elder. Sect leader had been saved by Iris back when she was merely a nascent soul cultivator, they repaid the favor by sheltering her within the sect.

"Miss Xin was…residing with us for a time." It would be bad to say that someone who just completed forming a foundation had employed a cultivator in the deity realm as a servant girl.

"She kept saying that she was one of the ten great masters, but then she would run around like a youthful child." One could hear the smile in the young women's voice.

"Master Xin always got along with everyone and was cheerful despite being so injured. She took very good care of me while she recovered with us."

That was reasonable she felt. It explained why someone as important as Iris had stayed but didn't give any real details about their actual arrangements.

"That's enough you two, were going to be entering the first zone tomorrow so sleep." Leader's voice cut them both off from saying more, which the only redhead in the realm was grateful to not say more. Those two lines took seven minutes to say. After understanding just what it meant to be a deity cultivator, the noble became much less concerned for her maid.

Instead, she just stared at the stars wishing that she could be with her Iris.

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"If you need anything you shouldn't hesitate to lean on us Lady Iris." The maids took the dishes that didn't break when the sage destroyed the table. Shoving her away from the sink and to the worktable of the servant kitchens.

"You really don't have to." Iris didn't have a problem with them waiting on her, she was in fact a real bigshot. It was considered polite to not push around those you surpassed. Reducing the number of cultivators who would come after you when the roles were reversed, increased survival odds.

"Nonsense!" One of the bright and cheery blonds exclaimed. Iris knew most of these girls, even if she had been a maid and heir for a short time.

"You're going to be the future lady of the house, Duchess Iris Lockheed."

"It's going to be so romantic, their wedding is going to be so grand."

"Oh, and a traditional wedding dress is going to look so amazing!"

The trio of maids trilled almost as one. Rapidly speaking in a way only young girls can. Bombarded by several maids at once Iris quickly tried to deny things.

"Married?! I'm too old to have a Daoist partner…" Iris attempted to speak

"Nonsense" the same maid repeated refusing to accept the denial.

"Right, you say, I saw the two of you necking in the hall. Lady Lockheed has totally marked you."

"She won't let you go, might as well accept it."

"She was so lost without you, now your back, she's never been happier."

Before Iris could even respond to the overwhelming speed of young girl talk, the three had moved on gloating about figuring things out first.

"I knew she fell in love form the first moment, their eyes met."

"It was later, remember how the mistress chased after the lady in the winter?"

"There was no way it could have been any other point than when Lady Iris gave her a princess carry."

"Girls…It's not like that it's-"Iris attempted to explain but was cut off when Valentine's head aid walked in.

"Was when you told the lady that she didn't have to speak." The girls quieted, nothing but a kettle whistling and running water was heard.

"What we missed such an incredible moment in this love story?!"

"You've known all this time and didn't tell us?"

"When did such a heartwarming moment happen?!"

Iris was relieved that the aide and not her was on the receiving end of the maid bombardment, however she felt a bit uneasy. There were a few honest talks that martial sage and duchess had shared. Most conversations had been questioned and answered as both sides had a lot of understanding to gain. The one in question had been shortly after arriving.

"The lady had barely arrived, when the mistress asked me if it was possible to swim in the lake in late fall. I said it was a quick way to an agonizing cold."

The aide shared some traits with her lady, very deadpan but spoke more when required.

"Perhaps you would like to tell the story?"

"Ooh more love talk."

"This is going to be supper over the top!"

With the maids chirping like baby birds, the aide ready to misrepresent the entire story, the martial sage had been simply backed into a corner.

"I remember that…Head maid had said I wasn't supposed to sit with the lady. I could sit nearby, but the girl always seemed so alone. I knew she was uncomfortable, outside her domain, her study, so I wanted to make her feel at ease but the head maid…

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"I understand that Valentine- "

"Don't be so disrespectful to the duchess!" Head maid was an old cantankerous woman, who took no sass, no guff, or any sort of sort of rule infringement.

"Lady Valentine may be special, but you should know that I am one of the Ten great masters of the martial realm…So why don't you treat me like you do Lady Valentine…do you hate me?" Iris looked at the head maid with shimmering sad eyes.

"Ow! Head maid is so mean." Wincing from the chop to her crown. Of course, it didn't hurt in any way, but head maid scowled just the same.

"I've raised three daughters and half a dozen kids, trying to act cute won't work on me." Crossing her arms, she watched as Iris dropped the act.

"All right, I'll make sure to show proper respects. Just remember I am a great sword warrior, the rainbow sage! … show me some respects to." With a baleful look, head maid didn't concede.

"You work well, aside from your lack of respect to the duchy itself; I think you're a wonderful worker."

"Now go mop the norther corridors." With that she whisked away after dumping what amounted to a full day's work on me. Well for others, I would be done easily in time to take responsibility for the evening with the lady.

As lady in waiting, Iris wasn't supposed to be doing anything for the rest of the house. Since she wasn't selected from the maid corps, she had to train with everything first. Her time was split acting as a regular maid to serving Lady Lockheed. Free time was spent with morning practices and cultivation, despite the thinness qi was present. It would be several years at this rate, to recover enough energy to reengage my golden orb.

Large arched hallways, with entire walls of windows, ornate gilding in the various moldings and features, and a solid marble floor, made in chockablock squares. Armed with a bucket and new mop, it was expected that the area required to mop such a large hallway would take someone most of the work shift. Glancing fugitively back and forth a few times the sage employed an old technique from her youth.

"Ill teach you to look down on disciple that moped floors for punishments!"

With incredible rapid movements, the girl dipped, twirled, and circled the stones. Polishing while cleaning them simultaneously, she moved down the hallway section by section.

"Secret technique, floor dirt destruction wave!" That was an actual technique taught from senior to junior in all five of the major sects. Had anyone seen they would have questioned on how the floor sparked so much from what appeared to be such little motion.

"Done, just in time to clean up and see Miss Lockheed." After returning her supplies to the right repositories, she naturally plotted over to the residential wing, where the noble should have completed her work for the day.

"Good evening my lady, I am here to serve." Knocking and letting herself in. As usual the girl at the sitting table said nothing. Normally, she would grab a book that looked interesting from her bookshelf and bring it to sit in case the lady finished the one she was reading. Since head maid wanted her to be more respectful, she stood against the door, waiting for the girl to ask her for anything.

Valentine glanced up, staring before realizing she had been staring and quickly returning to her book.

Why didn't her maid come sit with her like always? It should be good that the maid learned to be respectful but when the heir saw her standing alone…all she could think of was a sad puppy.

Glancing again the maid seemed calm and non-distressed but looked terribly lonely, Valentine failed to recognize that she was using Iris as a mirror rather than looking objectively.

"Get a book and come sit." That was all she said, and in a flash the shorter girl crashed into the chair next to her. This felt better, the noble decide and started to think of how to put that into words.

"Head maid told me to be more respectable but since I'm in debt and it damages my face to not repay my debts." Speaking while idly thumbing through the pages, Iris could see the letters but couldn't read still.

"If you want, I will treat you how I always have treated you."

Birds became to approach their nest to deliver dinner, bees retread from the gardens to their hives, and the sun started to hide under the horizon.

Dozens more thoughts raced through the noble's head: I want you to stay as you are, you're not really in debt but I don't want you to go. I must pay you back so do as you will. Don't leave me. Stay. Reading with you is all I look forward to anymore. Why do you have such pretty hair…

"You don't need to talk if you don't want to. After all, I am the great deity ascendant, of course I can understand you." It was a soft statement, but it was the warmest thing Valentine Lockheed had heard in her life. Most of her thoughts vanished, replaced with deep gratitude she hoped her maid understood.

In the setting sun, it was impossible to see the blush on the noble, but the sage knew it was there just the same.