Chapter 3 - Weird Girl

"Ri Yi...hurry up!!!"

"Ah yes I'm sorry, this is the hairpin!!"

"Young Miss will be late because of you!!"

"Apologies…."

The angry servant put the hairpin on her Young Misses hair, the girl is only 14 years old she had white fair skin and round big eyes with small nose and lips with oval shapes face made she really look beautiful, she is Lao Fei Yan the legitimated first Miss of right Prime Minister Lao Yun Gi and his Wife Yang Wei Lan, today they would attend the Royal Banquet who had been held by the royal family and every wife and children of the official is invited. The Banquet not only for mere party but also to find the right candidate for the Prince's consort and because polygamy is allowed even the Prince's who already had a wife still allowed to take another woman as concubines or second wife well it depends on their luck, if you can say it's 'Luck'

Miss Lao Fei Yan and her personal maid Chun Yang would be attending the party she feels so excited to meet her fiancee the crown prince Zhao Mu Fan so she dress extra nice for this evening, Luo Ri Yi watch her miss fidgeting from excitement she smiled faintly her Fiancee is known as notorious Playboy he had a lot of concubines and Tong Fang (Bed warmer) in his residence, she doesn't know what kinda future he can offer to this young girl in a first place and why her Family not against it, if it's her family her Brother might already chase the playboy prince with gun and bomb and he would be not the only one....well perhaps the title 'Crown price' of the Jiang Wei Kingdom against all the odds.

Zhao Fei yan lifts her skirt slightly so she can haste her pace she doesn't want to be late for her party but this estate is too big she doesn't have a choice but to run a little bit, her maid Chun Yan run behind her anxiously.

Luo Ri Yi only watch them run through the hall in a 'jogging' speed, until their figured disappear behind the wall gated, Luo Ri Yi still maintained her smiled seems 'Youth' she thought, well the young miss is only fifteen and she in love so what can you expect.

"Sister Luo, is young miss left already?" a twelve years old girl with two small bun hairstyle asking Luo Ri Yi with childish voice

"Just recently" Luo Ri Yi answers her "You need anything Ci Ci?"

"I need to clean up Mistress room is messy inside..." she stretches out her arms "At least we can get a rest early tonight"

Luo Ri Yi chuckle "You get early to rest, let me clean up Mistress room"

"By yourself?" She gasped, the room is quite big and the young miss makes quite a mess in there.

"I can't?" Luo Ri Yi asked

"No of course you can…..but are you okay" Ci Ci feel guilty to made Luo Ri Yi do her job, since she came to this manor a year ago she treated her very very nice, Luo Ri Yi not only help her do her jobs but she also covers her when she do some mistakes, there's one time she accidentally breaks the expensive vas from the Mistress room, Luo Ri Yi is covering her telling everyone it was her fault because of that the Mistress cut half of her salary for three months and whipped her hands with rattan five times but Luo Ri Yi accept the punishment without wailing or crying even when her hands got whip. Since that Ci Ci feels grateful with her she even kowtows in front of Luo Ri Yi but she stops her and said it was nothing with gentle smiled on her face.

"No, Sister Luo let me help you, it would be faster if we doing it together" said Ci Ci

Luo Ri Yi sees the little girl determined faces she sigh and nod her head "Okay then….let's go…"

The two young girls enter the room and start to clean up the messy dress and jewelry on the table, both of them work in silence but their movement is very fast after a few minute the room back to it's original form, nice and tidy after Luo Ri Yi satisfied with how the room looks like she got out wit Ci Ci and left to the maid courtroom in the most inner place of the manor, inside there's a small building with a lot of room and every room would be occupied with four to five maids only personal maid who get their own room.

Luo Ri Yi room occupied with four girls they all sleep in the small bench with old blanket, there lives circumstances is might quite harsh for modern people eyes but for them this quiet luxury to have roof on their head, meal every day and nice clothes to wear and most of all, they all got paid, so for them is quite convenient.

Ci ci feels so tired she sleep right away when her head touches the mattress, Luo Ri Yi smiled watch the little girl snores, she covers the little girl with a blanket before she got out of the room.

"Are you finish the job already?" said the middle-aged man with grey hear and stoic faces

"Yes Mr Mu" said Luo Ri Yi calmly

The Man is Mu Han she is the housekeeper who had been served the Luo Family for three generations, even the Prime minister himself had to give him a face but lucky he not abused his authority as long the servant do their jobs right he won't treat them poorly, so Lory never had clashed with him except when she covered for Ci Ci.

And honestly, Mu Han like Luo Ri Yi character since she never makes a fuss and doing her job diligently she never whined or gossiping about the Master and family matter and she finishes her job fast and quietly the only problem she had is her habit to covering for the youngest maid Ci Ci.

Mu Han nodded and left Luo Ri Yi he already can guess what this girl would do, every night she would make tea in a big cup she called mug she put a sliced lemon and sugar and then sit on the porch in maid courtyard gazing at the moon until midnight she only sleep three to four hours a day and wake up before sunrises she will complete her job before sunrises and then she sits again in the same place until the sunrise.

Luo Ri Yi is quite odd compared to another maid she is not illiterate she loved to read book any kind of book when she had time she also likes...make small painting and her painting is unique not like everyone ever see, she nice with everyone and always smiled to everyone even the new maids and if the Mistress or anyone scolded her not like other maids who are scared and crying endlessly Luo Ri Yi just look down and accepted whatever her Master shouted on her, she not cry or scarred she only silent even when she was punished with beating or whipped she doesn't make a sounds if no one sees the wound on her skin people might think she is unhurt.

Luo Ri Yi is not someone can be called beautiful girl she got a bit tanned skin oval head shaped her eyes is small, her mouth is natural shape and quite small her faces also average not too ugly but not too beautiful, she already 16 years old quite old for unmarried woman, her body is like a bamboo meaning it's got no curves her chess is small and her but is flat the only thing stand out in Luo Ri Yi is her movement the way she moves is graceful even when she only sit or reading a book or sipping her tea her movement is very beautiful not too fast but not too slow people can't help but glanced twice when they saw her.

Thankfully she not beautiful if not the young master and old Master would might interested in her. At first the Master thought she coming from fallen noble family so he investigated her background but nothing come up turns out she coming from the small village who is gone because the avalanche Master even confirm it from her remain relatives about her identity and everything add up since that there's no more question about Luo Ri Yi background she only ends up being a weird girl in Lao Manor not like everyone cared she is still just a lowly maid who doesn't need anyone concerned.

The certain weird Girl holding her mug with warm tea she gazing out to the night sky it's a full moon again so the porch is not too dark the soft pale moon illuminated the small courtyard, the cold breeze gently caresses her long black hair her finger gently tapping the mug making the soft sound, suddenly a white small bird flew and perch on her shoulder the girl not budged as if she did not see the bird. The time moves slowly she gazing far with melancholy eyes her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to say something she does not moves just like statue only her eyes sometimes blinking.

"CLANK!!!"

Luo Ri Yi startled she taken back from her daydream, she frowned slightly she wondering what is that sound. The main courtyard is near the wall fenced the wall itself is very tall about three meters high and because only maids living quarter the security is a little bit loose in this area

"BRAGGGGHH!!!"

Another sound like someone heavy falling and breaking coming from behind the wall the sound makes Luo Ri Yi curious she put down her mug and approach the wall waiting for another sound that might come, she lean her ear to the wall to hear anything and once again.....she heard something.