Princess In The Palace

17. A Servant Again

Chapter 17.

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recap: In the previous chapter, Yì Rán had returned to her home. Ān Yù decided to have a celebration dinner the same day she returned. During the dinner, Yì Rán talked about her experience as a palace servant to Empress Dowager Xīn. She then went on to talk about how Empress Dowager Xīn was such a kind-hearted and nice person and that she was upset that she passed away. She also talked about how the past Crown Prince, Crown Princess and Mistress were all horrible people. Ān Yù then had a small quarrel with her, resulting in Yì Rán running out of their hut. Pī Yáng then successfully persuaded the young girl back and the latter decided to work in the Capital City for more money in order to pay for physician visits for her aunt.

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She stood nervously in front of the bedchamber of her new master, the Madam of the family. The sun was slowly rising as the hallway was slowly growing brighter and brighter. In her hands was a wooden tray with a bronze basin of hot water and two clean pieces of cloth placed on top. She sucked in her cheeks, exercising her lips to prepare herself for an early morning smile but then she remembered that she need not smile for she had a veil to cover half of her face, leaving only her eyes to be seen.

When she saw the room before her was lit up by candles, she took three steps forward and said,

"Madam, I am the new servant Yì Rán, here to bring you your hot water to clean your face." There was a moment of silence and some rustling sound before she heard a reply.

"Come in."

The doors to the chamber was opened from the inside by another servant who proceeded to leave the two of them alone. The little girl prepared her heart and entered the room, finding a beautiful lady looking in her thirties sitting on her bed, playing with her charcoal-black hair. She then placed the basin of water next on the low table beside the bed and dipped a cloth into the hot water, damping the cloth before stretching her hand out to hand it over to her new master.

"So you are Yì Rán," Madam said as she used three fingers to retrieve the damp warm cloth from the little girl's hands and gently dabbed her own face with it.

"Yes, Madam." Madam handed the now-cold cloth back to Yì Rán.

"Why are you covering your face with the veil?" Yì Rán was damping the cloth again with the hot water to keep it warm, but suddenly stopped when she was asked that question.

"Err...I-I have a birthmark. It looks too hideous and my aunt asked me to cover it up." She handed the cloth over to Madam again.

"Well, if you say so then I would not force you to take it down. And...aunt? where are you parents?"

"I...I am an orphan."

"It must have been hard for you, young girl."

Not really, aunt and sister treat me extremely well. They fill in the space of my parents.

"Can you do my hair?" Madam returned the damp piece of cloth to Yì Rán and slowly patted her skin that was supple with moisture.

"S-sorry, Madam. Your servant has only helped my previous master with her dresses and removing of hair dressing and makeup. I have yet to learn how to dress hair and put on makeup." Yì Rán picked up the dry piece of cloth and held out her hand, passing it over to Madam who grabbed it and dabbed her face dry.

"...alright then, that is fine. I can still ask Biān Lì to do my hair. She does a good work at doing my hair. So...what happened to your previous master?"