Chapter 78: Head Maid’s Return

Chapter 78: Head Maid’s Return 8 P.M. Night. Henrietta and Uriel were together, eating quietly in the dining room. Yes, unlike usual—where Uriel would simply stand and watch while Henrietta ate—she was now seated with her. After all, they had the important mission of responding to Xu Tao’s call "after dinner." "Uriel..." After another mouthful of steak, Henrietta set down her knife and fork and asked: "What do you think Master will ask us?" Uriel paused with a forkful of vegetable salad halfway to her mouth, then cleared her throat lightly. "Ahem... I don’t think it’ll be anything casual, judging by his expression earlier. Maybe he’s about to teach us some hidden techniques—something only direct disciples can learn?" It was a random guess. Truthfully, neither of them could begin to imagine what was going through Xu Tao’s mind. "That... sounds plausible," Henrietta nodded... before shaking her head. "But I don’t think it’s that." "Hmm?" Uriel narrowed her gray eyes, watching as a faint blush crept across Henrietta’s cheeks. "Oh, Ritta. Don’t tell me, you...~!" Seeing the grin on Uriel’s face, Ritta immediately realized what she was implying. "N-No, it’s definitely not that! And I already told you—what you saw in the bathroom wasn’t what it looked like! M-Master was just helping me wash my back!" "Yes, I know. I totally believe you~!" Uriel chimed with a teasing tone. "Master’s just washing your back with his big, thick, burly hands... Roughly, but gently caressing your skin... Igniting the flames deep within~!" "Ugh~!" A fork flew toward Uriel, but as if she’d seen it coming, she tilted her head ever so slightly and grinned. This only made Ritta angrier, prompting her to throw the knife next—or at least, she tried. AHEM! "...!" The moment that familiar voice cleared her throat, both girls froze. They held their poses for a moment before smoothly rewinding their movements like a video in reverse—sitting down prim and proper. Their faces no longer showed blushing or joking expressions. Instead, they had turned pale white, as though they’d just seen a ghost. Clack! Clack! The sound of hard boots striking the floor echoed ominously, making the two girls tremble slightly. They couldn’t see the figure’s face yet—but there was no mistaking her identity anymore. "I’ve been away for just a week... and this happens?" A voice echoed from the dark hallway—childish in tone, yet laced with authority. Pale green eyes peered through the dim light, settling on the fork embedded in the wall and the knife still clutched in Henrietta’s hand—not as a utensil, but as a weapon. "Young Lady... is that the proper way to hold a knife?" the woman asked, flipping her long, flowing verdant green hair—the same color as her eyes. "And you, Uriel. Sitting and eating alongside the Young Lady? Is that how a maid should behave?" "Y-YES, Head Maid Yifa!" Both of them straightened instantly, correcting the issues pointed out. Ritta dropped the knife, while Uriel stood at attention, eyes tearing up slightly. "Good." The figure strictly nodded, then walked between them to the end of the table... where her head barely peeked over the tabletop. "Hmph! Ugh...! Ah~!" she grunted, letting out some unconscious cute noises while flailing her legs as she climbed up onto a tall chair. Finally, she sat down. "Now, resume dinner. I shall observe whether you’ve been slacking on your manners while I was away!" "Y-Yes, Head Maid!" It looked absurd—seeing their employer taking orders from a little maid. But to those in the know, such a sight wasn’t strange at all. After another maid rushed in to bring a fresh fork, Ritta resumed eating. She carefully followed the proper etiquette, cutting and chewing gracefully. But at the slightest mistake... "You’re sawing the meat. Are you in a rush? Cut with poise, don’t hack at it like a brute!" "That slice is too large. Are you trying to show off that you have a big mouth? You’ll appear vulgar like that." "Are you a parched dog? Don’t slouch while drinking from the glass!" With every issue called, Henrietta’s expression grew more distraught. But she didn’t curse or lash out. Not even one complaint. Quietly, she fixed each mistake that was pointed out and continued. "Hmm..." Head Maid Yifa quickly took note of her reactions and smiled faintly. It was a microscopic smile—barely noticeable to anyone. "Thanks for the meal..." After wiping her lips gracefully with a napkin, Ritta stood up and walked away. Her posture, gait, and presence were that of a textbook noble lady. Yifa had no complaints. Once Ritta disappeared down the corridor, she turned to Uriel. "She’s changed. Normally, the dining table would’ve been shattered to pieces by now." Her strict expression softened slightly, now resembling that of a child who’d had a great day playing outside. "Looks like something good happened while I was away." "Y-Yes, Head Maid." Uriel smiled wryly, nodding. "Actually..." And so, while unprompted, Uriel explained what had happened during Yifa’s absence. How they’d met a mysterious Master named Xu Tao, and how he’d drastically improved everyone’s martial arts and cultivation in a short time. "Hmm..." After hearing the story, the little maid smiled. "Interesting..." Uriel, seeing that expression, knew the head maid was up to no good again. But she couldn’t stop her—no way. After all, despite appearances, Yifa was one of the top cultivators assigned directly by the Family Head—Henrietta’s father—to protect and watch over Ritta alongside Uriel. "Xu Tao, huh..." Yifa—or rather, Yifalia Servienne—one of the few Platinum-Ranked Cultivators in the entire world, licked her lips. ???????????? "You two sure took your time." Sitting cross-legged in the center of the underground training area, Xu Tao greeted the girls as soon as they arrived. He slowly opened his eyes as the two approached and sat on the sandy ground without hesitation, kneeling with a respectful posture. "Sorry, Master. The Head Maid returned from her business trip and... well..." Uriel explained, trailing off with an embarrassed look. Even Henrietta seemed troubled, with faint traces of dried tears on her cheeks. "...I see." But Xu Tao didn’t pry further. "Anyway, let’s forget all that for now." Without any preliminary movements, Xu Tao brought out two scrolls. It was as if they simply appeared in his hands magically. One was crafted from plain, white parchment—cheap-looking, like the kind sold casually in markets. The other, however, was made of aged and enchanted parchment of slightly higher quality. Both scrolls were wrapped with silver and gold Qi Strings respectively. "First, this white scroll," Xu Tao said, passing it to Uriel. "This contains my instructions for the guards’ training from here on out. They can read it individually or copy it for themselves, but make sure each of them reads 10 verses per session, in turn, first." As she received the scroll, Uriel immediately sensed the pressure it emitted. The amount of Qi stored within was no joke—though it was still less intense than the scroll Henrietta had received before. But her surprise didn’t end there. "And this one..." Xu Tao continued, handing over the older, more ornate scroll. "Is for you." "...Huh?" Uriel blinked, stunned. Of all the things she expected from this night... this wasn’t one of them.