Ginger’s overly defensive reaction made me frown. She then roughly pushed past Sylvia and me and left the room.
“Renéola, check if anything’s missing.”
Sylvia, watching Ginger leave, urged me worriedly. I rummaged through my desk, which clearly had been tampered with.
“Nothing seems to be missing.”
“Good. But be careful. Ginger will surely try every trick to get you in trouble.”
I nodded at Sylvia, who then looked around the room.
“So this is where you stay, Renéola.”
She seemed excited, even though my room was no different from any other maid’s.
“Can I come to visit sometimes?”
“Why not? Come over often.”
Her face lit up even more as I readily agreed.
“I’ll come on the nights Ginger stays out. We can lie in bed and tell ghost stories all night!”
Sylvia, already excited about bringing tea and cookies, sat on my bed as I guided her.
“Sylvia, I have something to ask.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“If there’s a difficult problem, people usually turn to guilds for help, right?”
“Yes, that’s true, though it’s not common.”
Sylvia looked at me with concern.
“Is something wrong? Is that why you looked upset earlier?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just… well, my sibling needs something hard to find. Do you know any reliable guilds in the capital?”
“Hmm…”
Sylvia pondered, then suddenly lit up.
“There’s one I’ve heard of.”
“Where?”
Excited, I leaned in as Sylvia glanced around the empty room before lowering her voice.
“It’s called ‘The Black Horse’. It’s very famous for successfully completing any request. It’s a formidable dark guild that doesn’t shy away from dangerous jobs. But the method of making a request is so complicated that I’ve never actually seen anyone do it.”
Having just been swindled by that very guild, I grimaced slightly. The method of making a request was anything but complicated. Sylvia, unaware that I was the very person who had just made a request, continued.
“Even if it’s urgent, it’s better not to get involved with a dark guild. You never know what those people might do.”
“……I’ll be careful. Are there any other guilds?”
Sylvia seemed to think hard before suggesting another option.
“Hmm… I’m not sure. There are many guilds, but many are unreliable. It’s not easy to find a trustworthy one. There was even an article in last month’s newspaper about a guild that ran off with the fee without completing their task.”
“That’s so…”
I was thinking of seeking another reliable guild, but it seems risky. It looks like I’ll have to sift through those 7,000 books after all.
“Can maids borrow books from the library, then?”
I hadn’t asked before, overwhelmed by the sheer number of books. I was anxious to start looking for books as soon as possible.
“Of course! The Royal Library is available to all who work at the palace.”
I sighed in relief at Sylvia’s words. If maids weren’t allowed in the library, I would have had to sneak in at night.
“There’s no time to lose then. I wish I could go with you, but I have work to do,” Sylvia said regretfully as we parted ways. I immediately headed to the library, and upon opening the heavy mahogany doors, I was astonished by its vastness.
The sheer number of books was astounding. Books filled every shelf and were piled high, nearly reaching the ceiling. It made Sylvia’s claim about the library having books not found anywhere else in Hillick Kingdom quite believable.
“If there were an earthquake, I’d be crushed by books first.”
Feeling daunted by the thought of never being able to read all these books in a lifetime, I stepped forward, only to be startled by someone addressing me from behind.
“Welcome, how may I assist you?”
Startled, I hadn’t noticed anyone nearby and turned around abruptly.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
