Zhao Li Xin was true to his words as Lory got to sleep in. Mu Han excused Lory by informing everyone she was unwell and needed to rest. No one thought much of it since Lory was known to be a diligent maid. Lory woke up refreshed and in a good mood and quickly got to work, cleaning the main hall furniture diligently. She was quiet as she tried not to bother her masters, Madam Yang Wei Lan and Lao Fei Yan, seated in the main hall.

“That Bit*h is getting out of control!” An anguished and annoyed Yang Wei Lan slammed the table as she spoke. Her actions startled all the other servants but Lory. Lory ignored the mother and daughter and continued working like they weren’t there. 

​​

“Calm down, mother. It is not like she has already won…” Lao Fei Yan calmly sipped her tea.

“But… Yan’er, the woman dared to humiliate your father and ignored the Crown Prince,” Madam Yang refused angrily.

“I believe she is doing this because she may still have feelings for the Crown Prince. She doesn’t know the Crown Prince isn’t interested in anything she does,” Lao Fei Yan sneered.

“Hump! How dare she? She is just the daughter of a s*** after all,” Madam Yang snorted. “I heard she even dared to hit my people. What else will she dare do? We must do something about this, Yan’er!”

Lao Fei Yan sneered as she gestured for her mother to be quiet, “It’s fine mother… I will take care of everything.”

“Good. We need to do something. That vixen has already captured the interest of the Third Prince. Who knows what she will do to us if they get serious…?”

“We need to cut the weed before it grows too much…” Lao Fei Yan said with a quiet voice so the maid won’t hear.

Yang Wei Lan firmly nodded her head in response. Lao Min Na’s sudden change made her restless and she felt chills whenever Lao Min Na looked at her. Everyone said she was thinking too much. A small voice inside Yang Wei Lan’s head urged her to get away from Lao Min Na every time she got near her. As much as she hated to admit it, she feared the new Lao Min Na. She felt killing Lao Min Na would be the best option for her and her daughter.

____________________________________

 Lory left the main hall after she finished her work. She was not interested in listening to the devil’s mother and daughter’s plans. She pitied Lao Min Na, but Lory also didn’t agree with some of Lao Min Na’s exaggerated methods. Lao Min Na almost beat a maid to death because the maid served her spoiled food. It was not the servant’s fault as she was only following her master, Yang Wei Lan’s, order.

The latest incident involved the Prime Minister’s new concubine who was asked to deliver a new fragrant incense to Lao Min Na. The young concubine had only lived in the manor for a few months and did not understand the Lao Manor’s politics. She was not suspicious when Lao Fei Yan asked her to take something to Lao Min Na. She easily took the incense not knowing that she carried an aphrodisiac meant to ruin Lao Min Na’s reputation.

Being an alchemist, Lao Min Na could easily tell what the incense contained. Lao Min Na accepted the gift without question, but the concubine paid a great price. The whole household including the Prime Minister found the young concubine having S** with a male servant. This caused an uproar in the manor. Yang Wei Lan and Lao Fei Yan were angry as their plan failed. They couldn’t understand how the male servant who was supposed to be with Lao Min Na ended up with the concubine.

Lao Min Na watched the drama from afar without remorse. She didn’t care that the concubine was collateral damage. She thought the concubine deserved what she got as she allowed herself to be a Lao Fei Yan and Yang Wei Lan’s pawn. She felt the concubine could only blame her own stupidity. The young concubine cried and pleaded her innocence however Prime Minister Lao didn’t listen to her. He didn’t care if his concubine was saying the truth. All he cared about was the fact that others would laugh at him because his concubine had cuckolded him. He couldn’t let the woman damage his reputation. He had her beaten and kicked her out of the manor without anything, not even clothes. She was thrown out like trash.

Lory secretly gave the concubine some clothes and a little money after seeing this. When she last saw the woman, the concubine looked empty and hopeless. Lory didn’t know how the woman would manage in the future. It was difficult being a woman in this world as they depended on their Father as children, then they depended on their husbands once they got married, then they had to depend on their son – if they had one – once they got old… The young concubine was as good as dead but there was nothing much Lory could do. She just sighed as she watched the concubine leave. People had to learn to take care of themselves in the end.

It was late night when Lory finished her work. She was heading towards the maid’s courtyard when she met Ci Ci carrying a tray with pastries. The situation was unusual prompting Lory to wonder who needed food at such a time.

 “Where are you going, Ci Ci?”

“Sister Luo,” Ci Ci was startled by Luo Ri Yi’s appearance. “Oh! This is First Miss’ dinner.”

“Who asked you to deliver it?”

“Elder Sister Lin…”

Lin Wu was Lao Fei Yan’s personal maid. Lory suddenly had a bad feeling. Lao Fei Yan would not send anything good to Lao Min Na and Lao Min Na’s character was also… Lory remembered the young concubine’s pitiful figure. She smiled sweetly at Ci Ci and said, “Let me take it to Second Miss. You go back to your room.”

“Sister Luo, you don’t have to. This is my job…” Ci Ci refuted. She didn’t want to trouble Lory.

Lory smiled widely, “It’s not like that Ci Ci. I just want to curry favor with the First Miss. I have a feeling she would soon have a good stance in this family.”

“Really…?” Ci Ci was not sure.

“Don’t you know the Third Prince favor’s her… You may have heard the rumor.”

“Ohhh… Yes, I heard that. Is it true?” Ci Ci asked, and Lory nodded profusely.

 “Okay then, Sister Luo,” Ci Ci gave the food tray to Lory happily. “I wish you good luck!”

“Thank you, Ci Ci!” Lory smiled. She quickly examined the food once Ci Ci left and frowned. The food seemed fine, but she didn’t believe the food wasn’t tampered with. Lao Fei Yan was as vicious as Lao Min Na. They were sisters after all.

[It’s the chopstick] Girsha abruptly appeared beside her and said.

[Aahh… clever girl…] Lory smiled. She could honestly praise Lao Fei Yan’s crafty mind.

[What will you do? The scary girl will know the chopstick has been tampered with]

[What can I do? Just wait and see…] she answered calmly.

[Hhhh… just don’t be reckless] Girsha reminded Lory.

[Uh huh…] She answered carelessly.

Girsha rolled his eyes. Her answer annoyed him. Nothing good came out of such an answer. It was the same attitude that led them to fight with ‘The white-eyed behemoth’. It was a good thing Lory was blessed with the Lucient’s strong shield. She might have ended up dead without a corpse if it were not for that power. The fact that their powers were currently not in sync meant Lory was weak, at least for Lucient standard.

Lory was surprised by how small and tattered Lao Min Na’s courtyard was once she arrived there. The place had many weeds and the stone floor was full of cracks. Even the maid’s courtyard looked better. It was now easy for Lory to understand why Lao Min Na was hostile to her family. The fact that they were serving her poison just showed how the family issues were irreconcilable.

“Who are you?” A maid who was about Ci Ci’s age stopped her with a suspicious look.

“I’m Luo Ri Yi. They asked me to bring snacks for First Miss,” Lory answered politely.

“Come in,” Another woman’s voice called from the inside room. Lory saw a beautiful woman wearing a soft green and white hanfu when she entered the room. Lao Min Na’s beauty was no joke. She was even now more beautiful than the last time she saw her. It was no wonder the Third Prince fell in love with her at first sight. Lory placed the tray on the table and gave her a courteous bow. She was about to leave when Lao Min Na shouted, “Wait!”

“Yes, Young Miss,” Lory halted her steps and turned around.

Lao Min Na fiddled with the chopsticks in her hand. She seemed to know that someone had tampered with the chopsticks. She was truly a talented alchemist as Lory didn’t think she would discover this quickly.

“Are you the one who prepared this?” Lao Min Na asked with a cold voice.

“No, Young Miss. I just delivered it” Lory replied calmly.

Lao Min Na scrutinized Lory, to see if Lory was hiding something. However, Lory remained calm and composed. There was no change on Lory’s face. Lory was a princess trained by Fredhard ‘The Smiling Demon’ himself. Lory could remain calm and graceful even when a bomb was to blow up behind her.

“I think the pastries are too sweet. Why don’t you taste one for me?” Lo Min Na smiled wickedly as she handed Lory the chopsticks. Lory knew she was been tested. To Lao Min Na she was either innocent or a perpetrator. It was a cruel game with no right answer. Lory not tasting the pastries meant she has failed the taste, but she could also die if she tasted it. However, Lory also wanted to know if Lao Min Na would kill an innocent maid just to overcome her suspicion. Was Lao Min Na a vicious person or was she pretending to be one?

[Don’t be reckless, Lory!] Girsha advised telepathically.

[Damn if do, damn if I don’t… What do you think?] Lory sighed.

[Oh, CRAP!]