Chapter 22: A Mandatory Name Change

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Lillian Lu slept until the sun was high in the sky.

When she finally rose, she found a bundle lying on the table.

Perhaps because it was dirty, someone had placed a piece of cloth beneath it.

The bundle looked vaguely familiar. It took her a moment to remember that it was the same bundle “she” had brought back from the countryside.

When the Lu family had sent people to fetch her, the poor girl had packed only this one bundle, hiding it from the old Lu family in the countryside.

But when they were ambushed on the road back to the capital, the bundle had been lost.

“Miss, His Highness the Prince asked me to bring this back,” Green Melody said.

Lillian was astonished. “He actually had the time to help me retrieve a bundle?”

And how had he even found it? Even she could not remember where she had lost it.

Still, she had considered using divination to locate it once she was feeling better. Now she had been spared the trouble.

“His Highness said he found it on a mountain road not far from the capital,” Green Melody replied.

Lillian rose and walked over to the table before opening the bundle.

“What else did His Highness say?” she asked.

Green Melody hesitated, then took out two folded sheets of paper and presented them to Lillian with both hands.

“Last night, you asked us to inquire about something, Miss. I asked His Highness. These are the contracts of servitude belonging to Green Spirit and me.”

Lillian glanced at the two contracts. “The Prince no longer wants you?”

Green Melody and Green Spirit both gave bitter smiles at that.

“Miss, His Highness merely told us to choose for ourselves.”

Green Spirit was more talkative and explained the matter in greater detail.

“We were raised and trained by Nanny Qing. We had originally been waiting for His Highness to return to the capital, so that Green Melody and I could serve him at close quarters as first-class personal maids.”

Lillian’s gaze swept over their faces.

“At close quarters...”

Did that mean what she thought it meant?

She had heard that among certain imperial relatives and wealthy families, the senior maids serving their young masters were often considered members of their masters’ households.

Bedchamber maids.

They believed that a man needed someone in his bedchamber so he would be less likely to fool around outside. After all, a maid raised at his side knew him well and could be trusted.

Lillian’s ambiguous remark caused both maids to blush.

Neither denied it.

After all, that was precisely how Nanny Qing had trained them.

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“But His Highness said he had no need for anyone in his bedchamber. Even if we returned to the princely residence, we would essentially be doing the work of second-class maids.”

In truth, the Prince had said something much harsher as well.

“Anyone who dares climb into my bed will find that I have no objection to chopping her up with my own hands and throwing her out to feed the wolves.”

They had seen the murderous intent in his eyes at the time.

But there was no need to tell Miss Lu that.

Lillian raised an eyebrow. Was the Prince truly so chaste?

Or was it simply because he feared people might see the strange shadow serpent on his chest?

Then again, he could always keep his clothes on.

Bah. Lillian felt that her thoughts had wandered into indecent territory, so she hastily pulled them back.

“Then wouldn’t it be better for you to stay at the Prince’s residence?”

Green Melody took Green Spirit by the hand, and the two of them knelt before Lillian.

“Miss, Green Spirit and I have thought it over carefully. We both want to follow you.”

The previous night, Green Melody had told Green Spirit about the people she had killed. She had also told her how Lillian had helped cleanse the invisible filth from her hands.

Now, the Emperor had bestowed a marriage upon Lillian. In the future, she would be the prospective Princess Consort of Jin.

“The princely residence has no shortage of maids, but Miss has no one by her side,” Green Spirit said.

Yesterday, they had watched Lillian face the entire Lu family alone, and their hearts had ached for her.

If they had not been there, no one in the Lu residence would have served Lillian tea or water. Even her three daily meals had been handled carelessly.

They could not feel at ease leaving her.

Besides, if Lillian truly married the Prince in the future, they could return to the princely residence with her.

The two maids had therefore reclaimed their contracts of servitude and placed them in Lillian’s hands.

Lillian looked at their faces, which were visibly different from the day before, and smiled faintly as she put the contracts away.

“Then you may follow me from now on.”

From the moment they had willingly chosen to follow her, the traces of death lingering in their features had completely dispersed.

Lillian did not tell them that if they had remained at the princely residence, both of them would have died within half a month.

Green Melody and Green Spirit felt a weight lift from their hearts.

In truth, neither knew why. The instant they handed over their contracts, they had both felt inexplicably relieved, as though a layer of dust had been brushed away.

Lillian then turned to Green Spirit. “You should change your name. The word ‘spirit’ conflicts with your destiny.”

Green Spirit froze.

Lillian was somewhat pleased that the two girls had willingly chosen her, and so she did not mind saying a few more words.

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“Do you fall seriously ill once every three years? Is it always in July? And does the illness come without any apparent cause?”

Green Spirit’s eyes widened. “How did you know, Miss?”

“Because that name truly does not suit you. Your destiny is already frail, and this name makes you more susceptible to misfortune and illness.”

Green Spirit and Green Melody exchanged a stunned glance.

It was true. Green Spirit fell seriously ill once every three years. Even the physicians were helpless. Each time, she would be bedridden for more than ten days, grow several pounds thinner, and then recover as mysteriously as she had fallen ill.

Even though she ate and slept alongside Green Melody and did exactly the same work, Green Melody never suffered so much as a minor ailment.

The Prince himself did not know about this. Lillian had only just returned to the capital and could not possibly have investigated her history. Yet she had simply stated the truth.

Green Spirit immediately said, “Please bestow a new name upon me, Miss!”

She believed her—truly believed her.

Lillian looked at her again. “Then you shall be called Green Treasure.”

There was one more thing she did not mention. Green Spirit would remain at her side in the future, and her old name sounded too similar to Lillian’s own. Under Lillian’s powerful destiny, continuing to use that name would bring Green Spirit no good fortune.

A name with a touch of preciousness might also strengthen her destiny.

Green Spirit—who would henceforth be known as Green Treasure—immediately knelt and bowed to Lillian.

“Green Treasure thanks you for bestowing this name upon me, Miss.”

When she rose, she inexplicably felt much lighter and more refreshed.

She had been anxious after being sent to the Lu residence and had slept poorly. That morning, she had woken with a slightly blocked nose and a mild migraine, but both symptoms had vanished just now.

Green Melody saw the lively color in Green Treasure’s face and quickly asked, “Miss, should I change my name as well?”

“Yours is fine.”

“Yes, Miss. Then we shall go fetch breakfast and hot water.”

“Go ahead.”

After Green Melody and Green Treasure withdrew, Lillian finally opened the bundle.

Inside were several neatly folded sets of clothing.

Naturally, they were all old garments. Two sets had even been patched, though the stitching was perfectly neat. Another set looked better from the outside: it had no patches, and its color was comparatively bright. But when Lillian turned it inside out—

There were even more patches.

There were also several undershirts and a rather thin padded jacket. It had been washed so often that the cuffs had faded white, while the cotton inside was thin and clumped together.

Still, all the garments had been washed clean.

Several embroidered sachets made of fine cotton cloth were tucked among the clothes.