When it will end
Knock. Knock.
"...is..."
"Miss..."
"Miss, are you awake?"
Bam! A pillow landed hard on the door. The two servants were startled at their faces behind the door. They felt the wooden door shaking, their face turned pale.
However, Bai gathers her courage, "I-I am sorry miss b-but Madam ask you to go meet her." Her voice was shaking and hard to come out because of how her master replied before.
This time, there was no response. Ruyang and Bai looked at each other. They worried to cause their master's anger to rise again but they had no choice. At the moment, the Madam held the power of the family head. She got many people on her side that she could use, so they better be wise to respond to her.
"Miss, if we ignore her, she certainly will find miss's fault, and it will be hard for us." Ruyang got sensible to persuade her master.
Seeing there was no aggressive response as before and only silent again, Ruyang and Bai went into the room. They move quietly to prepare their master bath and clothes. They wanted to let their master rest as much as possible before going to the next battle.
They are aware of how many problems they made for their master at the banquet last night, and now, they want to redeem themselves however they can.
"Ughhh..." Mu Xinyi stretched her hand while her eyes still shut closely. She silently sat crossed-leg on the bed waiting for her servants to finish their job.
After a while, Mu Xinyi prepared herself and went to meet the Madam of the family at her residence.
*****
At Mu Yi residents,
"Mu Xinyi greets madam," She greeted the woman that sat at the first seat like she was the master of the place.
The first seat who supposed to belong to the head of the house now becomes her possessions. Mu Xinyi turns a blind eye toward that woman's obsession with power. Instead, her eyes wandered left and side while bowing her head. She was looking for a certain figure.
After a short observation, somehow, she felt a bit relieved knowing that the figure she was looking for was not in the room.
"Ha!" Madam Mu or known as Zen Niang scoffed at her with an obvious disgusting expression.
"May I ask why madam ask me to come here?" Mu Xinyi's eyes still looking down—fixed on the floor and not looking at Madam Mu.
"Humph! If not because of what happened last night don't you ever think I would want to meet you! Seeing your face just made me lose my appetite!"
Mu Xinyi ignored her. She had an uninterest face for a while. Again, she still looked down at the floor – She was thinking about something; why is her sister, Mu Ra Huo not there to mock her together with her mother, Zen Niang? Though she guesses correctly that Mu Ra Huo would not be there, she still did not understand her sister's reasoning because this was one of her sister's chances to throw the anger at her.
"I don't want to see your face any longer. Hurry, give me the hairpin."
An old maid put out her hand and was waiting for Mu Xinyi to give her the hairpin.
Mu Xinyi took it out from her head and gives it to the old maid, the head maid of Mu's family who always takes the Madam's side.
She watched how the maid wiped the hairpin using a piece of cloth as if there was a deadly virus stick there. Shortly, she handed it to the Madam.
"Weng, call some maids to clean this place, it's dirty." She looked at Mu Xinyi thus snickered, mocking Mu Xinyi's appearance.
She gripped the hairpin with a satisfied face, "You can leave now."
Mu Xinyi left the room and go to her servants who waits for her outsides the gate.
"...miss?" Ruyang looked at her master's appearance which was different from how she was before meeting the madam. Now, Mu Xinyi's hair was let down freely and dancing lightly with the wind.
Ruyang's eyes widened, and so did Bai.
"Miss! Where's the hairpin?" Bai asked panickily.
Ruyang gripped both of her fists tightly. She had already guessed what happened.
"If only I can go in there together with you!" She looked at the Mu Yi residents with a hostile glare and bared teeth.
Bai noticed what was going on once seeing Ruyang's reaction. Her expression became the same as Ruyang's.
Mu Xinyi chuckled. 'This two...they are like loyal dogs. They protect me when I was in danger and bared their teeth to the people who harm me.'
All her anger toward these two suddenly vanishes. She patted their head, 'They surely know how to make me feel soft-hearted for them.'
"M-Miss, why are you smiling?!"
"Yes, th-they just bully you, miss. How can you still smile like this?!"
Said Bai and Ruyang continuously in shyness. Their master always treats them as if they were children even though they are just 2 years younger than her. However, they love how their master treats them because it is different from others, and it made them look special and precious to her.
Meanwhile the Mu Yi residents, "Madam Mu...is it okay to do this?" Weng, the head maid asked.
"Of course! It's okay, Weng! This hairpin should be mine from the beginning. I, Zen Niang, the madam of this house, am the second powerful person after the master, so it was mine!" With a proud face, her hand actively played with the hairpin.
Weng sighed lightly, '…not for Lady Mu Ra Huo, her daughter but for herself. However, if I can live well, I don't mind. Money is all I need anyway. I heard who hold that hairpin get access to household treasure…"
*****
In Mu Ra Huo's room,
"You said mother take the hairpin?"
"Yes, miss. Should I tell madam you want it, miss?" Sanan asked with a cheerful tone.
Pap. The comb felt down. Mu Ra Huo was pissed off but she tried maintaining her expression. Nobody realizes her expression that was changing for a slight moment. She slowly breathes to relax her anger while reaching out for the comb on the floor.
After regaining her control, she takes a deep breath. Then she turned her head and smiled at Sanan as to how usually she behaves, "No, just let mother keep it. It suits her more."
"Y-yes, miss! If miss said so. I'll go find miss another accessory that suits miss then!" Sanan smiled brightly and left the room.
"Miss, should we replace her?" Asked Tianang who stood quietly since before in the room. She observed the conversation between her master, Mu Ra Huo and Sanan.
She had been looking at Sanan, 'Somehow, she still can be that cheerful even after getting flogged last night… I don't like it. I felt uneasy with her.'
"Miss, this servant thinks the way Sanan tried to appeal in front of Miss but does not fully understand Miss…is not good."
"…like what happened last night A servant by your side should be more capable, Miss." She added.
"...no, she's loyal to me. She is only just a stupid girl who can't understand anything. Indeed, she is not that capable but we still need her. Sanan still has her use. You can go do your things now. I want to rest, come back by lunch."
"I understand Miss," Tianang bowed and left the room too.
Seeing Tianang had gone far from her room, Mu Ra Huo sighed heavily "Haa…this is so tiring, when is this going to end, mother?" She put her head on the table and fall asleep immediately.
Not even a minute passed, and Sanan entered the bedroom quietly with light steps. She put a blanket on her master's body and left through the same way she come in - the back door after hearing someone's footsteps right after putting something under the pillow.
"Miss," - It was Tianang.
*****