Chapter 30 (1/2)
Chapter 30: A Clingy Servant
The windows were open with the pear blossoms in bloom, their petals floating in the air. A few had landed on Fang Hua’s shoulder, releasing their sweet fragrance into the room.
“Lord Fang Hua.” Nongyu nudged my shoulder as he called out to him.
He nodded back, somewhat befuddled. Those eyelashes shook as if pa.s.sing through 1,000 years of time before he opened them. I heard Nongyu exhale. It wasn’t just him; my heart started beating rapidly as well.
His plain white face made the mole beneath his eye extremely distinct and colorful. Though only a few days had pa.s.sed since I’d seen him, he seemed to have changed slightly…I couldn’t say what it was, but the eyebrows and hair on his temples, along with the quiet, drooping eyes, seemed to make his face a bit more bewitching. He was no less delicate and pretty, but there was a hint of anxiety between his brows. This feeling seemed to hang still for an instant; then it was gone like fading mist…
It seemed that he could disappear at a moment’s notice.
While I wasn’t paying attention, he’d already resumed his cool, indifferent expression. Two eyes gave a chilly glance at Nongyu, who stared blankly for a while before he recovered to point at the group of trembling people with a smile. “I happened to see these court ladies loitering outside, why not let them serve you indoors? Could it be that they’ve upset Lord Fang?”
“I want to drink water.”
“They didn’t give you water?”
“They did,” Before that merciless, level voice could settle down, a frosty sentence followed. “But I don’t like coming in contact with others.”
So he drove them rather unskillfully outdoors.
— [Original and most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]
I could completely understand. Nodding my head, I resisted the urge to smile as I stole a peek. Nongyu’s facial expression was stuck in place, his smile blatantly forced.
“Lord Fang isn’t to blame…it’s because they weren’t clever enough, so I brought you someone who can work today.” He reached behind and grabbed me, pus.h.i.+ng me over. Fang Hua didn’t spare me a glance but turned away, lifting the teapot on the table to pour himself a cup of tea. He pinched it between his hands and raised it closer…before his brow furrowed.
He replaced the cup in its original spot, as if disgusted. “You came here…for what reason, exactly?”
Nongyu didn’t seem to understand his dismissal, but walked forward a few steps as if planning to set a chair by his table and make small talk. Before he could take a seat, a young eunuch hurriedly ran inside, his robes covered in sweat and his face exceptionally anxious. He didn’t even have time to pay respects before creeping close to say something…
My ears p.r.i.c.ked, but I couldn’t hear clearly.
Nongyu suddenly stood up and clasped his hands towards Fang Hua. “There’s a matter in the court, so I’ll take my leave now.” Afterwards, he glanced over at me with a pensive smile. “Take good care of Lord Fang Hua.”
Nice guy…
He’s probably really leaving.
The rooms suddenly became absolutely deserted. Court ladies and eunuchs cl.u.s.tered outside with their heads bowed all properly, yet afraid to come in. Fang Hua sat upright at the table, a face filled with solemnity.
Actually…
It was just an empty front.
His inner thoughts were very simple. He was taciturn and expressed little with his face. But for the servants of the palace, who were used to acting according to the situation and cues…this att.i.tude really was a bit frightening.
Tsk, tsk, see how many days he can last in the palace.
I plopped my b.u.t.t to sit down directly across him. Each of the people outside were jolted into stupefaction, but not one made a sound to stop me.
Fang Hua only lifted an eyelid to give me one glance, head on his hands as his fingers fiddled with the wood patterns…then stared at the table until he started blanking out.
See?
He was really easy to bully.
He had no concept that lords and servants couldn’t sit at the same table. Though he appeared to have an elegant, graceful carriage, his heart was in a mess…
I recalled him saying that he wanted to drink some water.
Rolling up my sleeves, I grabbed the teapot, lifting the lid to look inside…and my eyebrows knitted. After pouring a cup, there was only a mouthful left. I stood up and raised my hand towards an eunuch whose face was filled with fear and trepidation. “You, come here.”
Fang Hua looked at me, flabbergasted.
Such revolting behavior…
I ignored him.
I smiled and rested my arm around the eunuch’s shoulders, stuffing the teapot in his hands as I spoke below my voice. “In the future, prepare two teapots for this house. Leave tea leaves out of one but put them in the other, and make sure that one’s kept scalding hot at all times.”
He was obviously surprised. I gave him a side glance. “Understood?”
“Y…y-yes, Little Li will do it right away.”
Fang Hua’s habits were a bit different from ordinary humans, and this went for drinking water as well. One cold, one hot. You had to boil spring water or well water and wait for it to cool before he drank it.
As for the water with tea leaves, it had to be poured while it was scalding hot…even on a warm day, he’d hold it and drink it slowly… As soon as the water turned lukewarm and acceptable for humans, he couldn’t bear it, or touch it even if he was dying.
The people in the palace really did their jobs fast. It took a moment’s effort to send over the tea water. Pouring a cup, I carried it over to him.
His eyelashes shook slightly as he stared at my hands, before moving upwards to rest on my face with a smile. Under the gaze of countless eyes, he actually drank it. The court ladies and eunuchs by the door were all shocked.
Afterwards, when I became more familiar with them, I learned that although Fang Hua had come to the palace for many days, he rarely drank the water handed over by other people. Don’t ask me why, but I think it was probably because the water didn’t meet his standards…
— [Original and most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]
“Don’t block my way, all of you get lost.” a delicate, pampered voice drifted over, both tender and crisp. The ‘get lost’ part was especially forceful. Light, quick footsteps came from outdoors, followed by the sound of silver bells. With a shuaa, the people outside all grew fearful and fell to their knees as a light yellow silhouette charged inside, filling the rooms with flowery fragrance.
“Lord Hua, your servant picked some flowers for you again.”
A pair of vivid eyes stared at me from a 13 to 14 year old girl. She was wearing the clothes of a court lady and looked extremely cute. Within the folds of some satiny fabric was wrapped the budding heads and gorgeous blooms of various flowers. She looked at Fang Hua, then at me. “…huh? This is…”
Lady…
That’s what I wanted to ask, too.
Don’t you know a girl can’t just charge into a grown man’s quarters? Especially…if those were my family’s Fang Hua’s rooms.
— [Original and most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]
Fang Hua pointed at the girl. “Little Huang[1].” In the end…he pointed at me as well as he spoke to her. “This is someone who’s serving me.”
What a terse introduction to each other. Little Huang…does he think he’s keeping a dog[2]?
Though I was worse off, seeing as I didn’t even have a name.
I knitted my eyebrows and looked at her, my heart full of uncertain thoughts. Fang Hua tended to avoid trouble whenever possible, but he was being very benevolent today by speaking so much.
The hostility from that girl became clearer.
Although her expression was resentful, that bright red face was like a tender flower, and she really was a small and beautiful person. I chanced a look and kept my gaze on the vast variety of flowers…pear blossoms, Chinese peonies, tree peonies…
This was…?
Fang Hua’s eyes and mine both focused on one point.
Sweet-scented oleander.
— [Original and most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]
This girl, was she here to deliver edibles…or poison someone? Although Fang Hua’s skill in dispelling poisons was singlehandedly brilliant, the imperial palace differed from his own place…the flowers here didn’t even bloom according to the seasons, so who knew how many times more poisonous the sweet-scented oleander could be?
Fang Hua was absolutely still. Heart sinking, I squeezed my way through and grabbed an armful from the pile of flowers wrapped up in the satin. I bent down, my eyes crafty as I spoke. “Many thanks to Miss Little Huang…seeing you carry all these, they must be heavy, so allow me.”
Her eyebrows narrowed. “You’re calling me ‘Little Huang’ as well?!”
— [Original and most up to date translations for this series can be found on volaretranslations.]