The morning garden, which should have been a bustling scene, was unusually quiet today.
The gardener was ill and hadn’t come, leaving this sea of flowers—normally meticulously cared for—a bit chaotic and unkempt.
Su Ling and Tii had to take over the task.
Standing together among the blooms, scissors and gardening tools in hand, they prepared for a long day of labor.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps between the treetops, casting long shadows and dappled light across them.
“You know, Su Ling, in the palace, the servant hierarchy is very strict,” Tii said, gesturing toward the other servants working in the distance.
“Starting at the bottom with the most menial servants. They’re like machines, responsible for the most grueling physical tasks—carrying, cleaning, that sort of thing. Girls like us, though, even if the work is petty, at least we’re part of the inner palace, looking after daily needs like tidying rooms and arranging clothes.”
“Mm-hm,” Su Ling replied.
Tii kept clipping at the bushes as she continued, “Above us are the personal maids and manservants. They serve nobles and royal family members directly. Their work is more refined and carries greater responsibility. And above those are the housekeepers and palace stewards (the chief butlers)—those high-ranking servants who practically run the entire palace. They have considerable power and status.”
Su Ling listened intently.
Curious, she asked, “So, what’s our position then?”
Tii gave a slight smile.
“We’re kind of in the middle among the maids. We can’t compare to the top-ranking servants, but we’re better off than the lowest laborers who only do grunt work.”
Su Ling nodded.
“All right, enough chatting. Let’s finish this quickly—we still have to help in the kitchen later,” Tii added as she began deftly pruning a shrub.
Her movements were smooth and practiced; even though she usually didn’t do garden work, she handled the shears like an expert.
Su Ling admired her skill, trying to mimic Tii’s motions, but she felt clumsy in comparison.
“Tii, how long have you been at the palace?” Su Ling asked curiously.
Tii paused for a moment and glanced sideways.
“About a year and a half,” she answered.
“Is the work usually this hard?”
“Servants never have it easy,” she replied.
Then her tone shifted slightly, “But if you serve someone like Princess Sista, it’s a bit better than others.”
“Why is that?” Su Ling asked, leaning in.
Tii took a deep breath. Glancing around to make sure no one was near, she lowered her voice.
“From my time here, I can tell you this much: Her Highness may seem aloof and unpredictable, but she rarely punishes servants severely. Almost never executes them.”
Su Ling stayed quiet, though the mention of Sista deepened her unease.
That woman… what kind of person was she really? Su Ling thought of the notebook in the attic.
There was no doubt that Sista would not want that notebook in someone else’s hands.
Keeping it was dangerous enough.
That night, after carefully considering her options, Su Ling had planned to return the notebook secretly.
But when she’d gone up, she found the attic locked by the head maid and had no choice but to hide the notebook under her own bed instead.
With her fate held firmly by the vampires, Su Ling had to be even more cautious in the days ahead.
Seeing Su Ling’s downcast expression, Tii gave a mischievous grin and reached out to ruffle her hair.
Su Ling’s eyes went wide at Tii’s sudden touch.
“Tii, w-what are you doing?”
Laughing, Tii pulled back her hand.
“Sorry, did I scare you? It’s just that you’re so cute, I couldn’t help myself.”
Su Ling felt a little embarrassed at the praise.
Lowering her head, she brushed back her silver hair, hands clasped together.
“I’m not that cute…”
“Little Su Ling, you looked kind of pale just now. Something bothering you?” Tii asked gently.
Su Ling hastily shook her head, trying to hide her nervousness.
But Tii’s perceptiveness was sharper than expected.
“If there’s anything troubling you, don’t keep it bottled up. You can talk to me—we’re friends now, aren’t we?” Tii’s voice was kind and steady, like a reassuring hand in the dark.
“Trust me, whatever it is, I’ll stand by you.”
“I…” Su Ling hesitated.
Though Tii was gentle and trustworthy, she was also just a teenage girl.
The notebook was too dangerous a secret to share.
“What is it?”
“Um, it’s nothing. I just forgot,” Su Ling replied with a smile.
“That’s okay. If you remember later, you can tell me anytime,” Tii assured her.
Even so, there was a subtle flicker in Tii’s gaze as she seemed to study Su Ling closely.
“I want us to be friends who can talk about anything.”
Su Ling lowered her head slightly and murmured, “Mm,” in agreement with Tii’s proposal.