That night, Su Ling slept deeply, dreaming of all sorts of chaotic things: the missing Phil, the ever-enigmatic Sista, and the friend she had always trusted the most, Tii.
Afterward, she thought about many things concerning Tii.
Several months ago, she had arrived in this unfamiliar world, all alone. It was at that time that Tii appeared and became her first friend.
And she had always opened her heart to Tii, sharing everything with her.
But when it came to Tii, she actually knew very little.
The only time Tii had spoken about herself was when Su Ling had accidentally discovered Tii tricking everyone with blank letters; only then did Tii reveal that her family had been wiped out by the Witch Tribe.
“Are we… really friends?”
Such thoughts made Su Ling feel a bit sad.
Tii was always gentle with everyone in the Castle, full of kindness, never arguing with others, almost flawless to the point of perfection.
But hidden behind all of this, Su Ling saw a completely different side of her.
What is she really doing, and what is she hiding from everyone?
She’s supposed to be on Sista’s side, yet she secretly contacts Princess Nori’s personal maid. Does that mean she doesn’t truly want to serve Sista?
She’s so perfect, there’s almost nothing to criticize… But, but, at what point did things start to go wrong?
“Sorry.”
In that half-awake, half-asleep night, a gentle voice echoed in Su Ling’s ear; it was Tii’s voice.
It was a voice that put Su Ling at ease.
Tii must have her own reasons for doing this.
Thinking of this, Su Ling let out a long sigh.
As expected, I still want to talk things through with her, she told herself.
With the first light of morning and dusk gradually falling, since that night, Tii had continued her usual manners in greeting and chatting with Su Ling, as if nothing had happened. Su Ling, too, responded to Tii as if everything was perfectly normal.
Because of that night, Su Ling didn’t dare seek Tii out alone in the evenings. After the festival was postponed, all the cleaning work in the Castle became even busier, and during the day Su Ling never found a chance to be alone with Tii.
And so, things dragged on for a week.
Seeing that the chance to talk was slipping away, Su Ling grew increasingly anxious.
“Su Ling, Su Ling, you can’t drag this out any longer. Lu Xun said: hesitation leads to defeat! Decisiveness leads to taking off! You have to take the initiative!”
Just as afternoon work began, Su Ling stood in the center of the balcony, one hand gripping a mop, the other on her hip, muttering to herself.
Then, she lifted her head, the brilliant sunlight falling on her small figure.
“Um, excuse me, Miss Su Ling, did you just say you were going to take the initiative about something?”
“I… I’m going to find Tii.”
Halfway through her words, Su Ling realized she had just blurted out her thoughts. She hurriedly spun around, only to meet Bohm’s face full of resentment.
“Ah, no—Bohm, what are you doing here?” She quickly waved her hands. “That’s not what I meant, don’t misunderstand!”
“You, you… what are you going to do to Tii…” Bohm looked shocked, adjusting her glasses, her tone tinged with interrogation. “Are you going to play some dirty trick on Miss Tii?”
“It’s not what you think, I just want to talk to Tii about something!”
“Really just to talk about something?”
“Really! Just some work-related matters, that’s all.”
Hearing this, Bohm’s expression relaxed a little, but she still nodded hesitantly. “Alright, Miss Su Ling, I believe you. But Miss Tii is cleaning the bathhouse right now, she might not have time.”
“I see…”
Su Ling lowered her head in disappointment. Was she going to miss her chance to talk again? She looked at the mop in her hand.
If the work wasn’t finished, she couldn’t leave her post. Su Ling knew this all too well.
“Well, there’s only one way, then,” as she spoke, she suddenly placed the mop in Bohm’s hands, looking at her with determined eyes. “Sorry, Bohm! I have something urgent to discuss with her. Please help me finish cleaning that last room, and I’ll help you with your cleaning later—ah, I’ll even give you part of my monthly pay as a reward!”
Before Bohm could react, Su Ling dashed off toward the bathhouse.
Bohm stood there in a daze, watching Su Ling’s figure grow smaller in the distance. Her messy bangs covered her eyes, and she stood like a statue for a long while.
“No way—”
She muttered, her hand clutching the mop starting to tremble. “What did I just do? I just pushed my love rival toward the one I like… and I’m the one left here working overtime! Uu… uuuhhh… uwaaah waaah waaah!”
The girl on the balcony began to regret it, pounding her chest and letting out a string of strange sobbing sounds.
Unfortunately, Su Ling was already far away.
The walls of the bathhouse were covered with mottled stone bricks, moss growing in the cracks. Occasionally, a few rays of light filtered through the gaps, casting beams onto the floor.
The air was filled with the scent of soap, and puddles on the floor stretched all the way to the door, reflecting the light from the walls.
A red-haired girl was busy with her cleaning.
Since she didn’t need to enter the halls used by the royal family, and cleaning the bathhouse often meant getting clothes wet, Tii wasn’t wearing a maid’s long dress. Instead, she wore a simple gray linen skirt, the collar and cuffs worn from long labor.
Her red hair was casually tied back, and with a rag made from old cloth in hand, she was carefully scrubbing the floor of the bathing pool.
“Tii…” When Su Ling reached the door, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
“Hm? Little Su Ling, what brings you here?” Tii turned around, stray hairs hanging by her ear, revealing the familiar smile Su Ling knew so well. “Did you finish your work?”
“I have something I want to talk to you about,” Su Ling tried her best to stay calm, stepping carefully through the puddles toward Tii. “I…”
Suddenly, she felt her foot slip, her balance lost, and she pitched forward.
“Careful!”
Seeing Su Ling about to fall, Tii rushed over and caught her securely.
“Um…” Su Ling’s face was buried in Tii’s chest.
The scent that belonged to a girl lingered by her nose, and being wrapped in that soft embrace made Su Ling feel very comfortable.
“Silly little Su Ling.”
Even though she had caught Su Ling, Tii didn’t let go right away. Instead, she gently held her, stroking Su Ling’s long hair, her fingertips gliding through the silky strands.
“I know what you want to say.”
The two of them stayed like that, holding each other, with only the sound of water dripping from the bath echoing in their ears, each drop falling in a steady rhythm.
“That night, little Su Ling, you came to find me because the door lock was broken, right?”
Su Ling didn’t reply, simply listening in silence.