Moonlight poured down like flowing silk, coating the courtyard in a gentle silver glow.
Su Ling stepped gracefully out of the bathhouse, water droplets sliding down the slender curve of her neck, disappearing beneath her blouse, leaving a faint trail.
“Princess Nori has quite the temper; it’s really hard on Tia to look after her all the time…”
“Ah, I heard yesterday Tia even got scolded with a flower vase.”
“How pitiful.”
Passing through the corridor, Su Ling accidentally overheard a few maids whispering gossip.
Does Princess Nori treat Marentia poorly? But from what she’d seen the day she visited Marentia’s room, Marentia was clearly a favored personal maid.
Well, never mind. It’s best not to think about it too much.
Su Ling shook her head.
After finishing her bath, taking a stroll in the garden was the most pleasant thing. The evening breeze gently brushed past, carrying the freshness and coolness of the night haze. She closed her eyes softly and took a deep breath.
“Sista… what are you doing right now?” she wondered silently.
As usual, at this time in the evening, Su Ling would go to Sista Anderson’s room to help her wash up, change into her nightwear, and then extinguish the oil lamp.
But tonight was different. It was nearly midnight the twelfth quarter (the Kingdom of Ansels currently uses a twelve-hour time system, splitting the day’s twenty-four hours into two cycles of twelve hours each)—yet Sista still hadn’t returned, and no one knew where she might be.
Previously, Sista had told Su Ling that if she hadn’t returned by this hour to rest, Su Ling could go back and rest herself, and consider her workday done.
Knowing this, Su Ling still felt uneasy about leaving so early, because the other personal maids in the castle had to wait until their master’s eyes were closed before returning to their rooms.
If she alone were so special, she might draw envy from the others. Better not to go back so soon.
“Not in the tea house, not in the garden, and probably not in the audience hall… Could it be the royal library? But I think it’s locked at night.”
Mulling over this, Su Ling passed through the elevated corridor above the garden, strolling slowly forward. Suddenly, she saw a faint light shining from a window outside the corridor.
She quickened her pace and broke into a light run toward it.
Inside the study, warm yellow light intertwined with the night to form a cozy, tranquil scene. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, packed densely with all sorts of books.
At the center of the study stood a large oak desk, dignified and imposing. A yellowed parchment was spread across its surface, alongside several delicate quill pens and a bottle of deep black ink. An old-fashioned oil lamp cast a steady, mellow glow, enveloping everything in a warm hue.
Sista Anderson was quietly reading a book at the desk a discarded legal case from the Kingdom of Ansels, her fingers lightly stroking the pages.
Just then, a soft knock broke the stillness of the study.
Without looking up, Sista calmly said, “Come in.”
The door opened slowly, and a silver-haired girl dressed in a maid’s uniform stepped inside.
She held a tray bearing a steaming cup of milk, its rich aroma instantly filling the room.
“I didn’t call for you tonight,” Sista finally raised her head, surprised to see Su Ling , but her expression quickly returned to calm.
“I… I heard you usually ask me to brew coffee when you work late at night… but today, the coffee beans just happened to run out, so I brought milk instead.”
“But I didn’t ask for it,” Sista repeated firmly.
Su Ling gently set the tray on the desk. “Do you not want it today?”
Sista gazed at the cup of milk, then sighed softly.
“Fine, bring it here.”
Sista lifted the steaming cup to her lips. The aroma of the milk was a complex blend of earthiness, richness, and a subtle sweetness.
She took a small sip, closing her eyes to savor it, then suddenly frowned.
“Too sweet…”
Su Ling froze on the spot.
“Why did you put sugar in the milk?” Sista’s displeasure showed on her face as she looked up at Su Ling. “I’ve already told you before, I hate sweet things.”
“I-I didn’t put any!” Su Ling hurriedly waved her hands. “I remember I didn’t add sugar… Ah, maybe I’m mistaken?”
How troublesome did she just accidentally mess up again?
Sista’s red eyes fixed on her intently, making Su Ling feel nervous.
“Why don’t you come taste it yourself?” Sista said softly.
What? She’s asking me to taste the milk?
Su Ling was stunned. She looked at the milk, then at Sista.
How was she supposed to taste it? A servant using the royal family’s cup was absolutely forbidden, wasn’t it?
But the order left no room for refusal.
At that moment, Su Ling saw Sista slowly stand, wipe her hands with the napkin on the tray, and then pick up the porcelain cup.
Could it be that Sista planned to pour the milk on the floor and make her drink it there, no, that would be too strange. She absolutely, absolutely did not want to do that! Her mind instantly conjured up a whole bunch of bizarre scenarios.
But Sista didn’t do anything like that.
Her gaze lingered on the cup for a moment before she extended her slender fingers, lightly touching the warm surface of the cup. Then, she gently dipped her fingers into the milk, swirling it softly.
“Open your mouth,” Sista commanded.
Su Ling was caught off guard, unsure why this was necessary, but she didn’t think too much and complied.
Her pale fingers parted the girl’s soft lips, dipping the milk-moistened fingers into Su Ling’s mouth, the pads pressing gently on her wet tongue.
“Hmm.”
Having fingers in her mouth felt strange, and she could only half-open her lips, letting out a muffled sound.
“Can you taste the sweetness?”
Sista lowered her head and locked eyes with her.
“Mmm…”
That made it impossible to answer!
“If you can’t taste it, then try again.”
Su Ling had no choice but to obediently continue licking the milky liquid from Sista’s fingers, trying to discern the sweetness with her tongue.
The milky aroma gradually faded, her tongue swirling around the fingertips for a long time before she finally relaxed her mouth slightly.
“Ah… I, I—”
She was eager to pull away, but Sista’s soft fingers showed no intention of leaving. Instead, they slipped deeper inside.
“Wait… what is this for?”
There was no flavor left.
Su Ling’s head felt fuzzy; she couldn’t speak, only continued licking the delicate fingers, her lips rising and falling with the gentle movements.
It was a strangely curious feeling—as if, unknowingly, her entire mouth was occupied by the woman’s touch, from the sides of her tongue to between her teeth. There was even a sudden urge to cough.
After a long moment, she finally took a soft breath and opened her mouth, a thin silver thread stretching from her tongue.
“Sorry, I accidentally added a little sugar. It’s just a habit,” Su Ling finally confessed. “If Her Highness wishes to punish me…”
She looked up, but noticed something odd about Sista’s expression. Blood Clan skin was usually pale; whether because of the lighting or something else, her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her eyes carried a hint of lingering interest.
“P-Princess…”
Sista snapped back to herself.
“Just remember, I don’t like things with sugar. Next time… don’t make the same mistake.”
For some reason, her gaze was somewhat evasive. The strong aura from before had completely faded, leaving Su Ling unable to grasp Sista’s true feelings.
Could it be that I accidentally bit her finger just now? But I didn’t really bite it, did I? Su Ling was very puzzled.
“I understand. Th-then I’ll take my leave now?”
No matter what, it was best to slip away for now. Su Ling bowed slightly and then exited the room.
The study door closed behind her, followed by the fading footsteps of the silver-haired girl.
Sista looked at the wet mark left by the fingertips and felt her heart race a little faster…
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.