novelraw Chapter 15 – Loli
Chapter 15 – Loli
Sylvie had no idea that, unintentionally, Ye Hao had become his "half-brother."
But even if he knew, he would probably just laugh his head off. Being the brother of the Chosen of Destiny, wouldn't that be quite impressive to boast about?
...
It was evening by the time Sylvie and Claremont returned to Winterfell Keep, weary and covered in dust.
On their way back, the two griffins had gotten too hungry to fly. Sylvie had no choice but to stop and let the two silly creatures hunt for food themselves. Once they were full, they resumed their journey, which delayed them quite a bit.
Upon returning to Winterfell Keep, Sylvie first arranged for Goodbye to follow Claremont to report to the Royal Guard. Then, he instructed two knights: one to find a priest and the other to summon Mrs. Chris.
The priest was needed to heal the bruises on Little Loli, while Mrs. Chris, Sylvie's nanny, was well-versed in maid etiquette and duties, and was absolutely loyal to the Goldlion Family. She was the perfect person to teach Loli.
After making all the arrangements, the grand hall of the lord was left with only Sylvie and Loli.
Sylvie looked curiously at the timid girl not far away, wondering why the previously harmonious atmosphere between them had reverted to its original state.
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Loli stood with her head down, nervously waiting for her fate in front of the conference table.
From birth until now, she had spent most of her time wandering the borders of the Cologne Empire with her brother. Today was the first time she tasted cloud-like soft bread, the first time she saw a giant flying beast with an eagle's head and lion's body, the first time she flew so high, and the first time she saw such a vast town and the majestic Winterfell Keep.
All of this had overturned her understanding. The man in front of her, who claimed to be the lord, had forcibly and directly made her see the world anew, and also made her realize her own ignorance and insignificance.
Her inherent inferiority and fragility made her feel ashamed, and the luxurious decorations and furniture around her left her at a loss. She felt she might dirty the expensive carpet with every step she took.
"My... my lord, is Loli really just supposed to be your personal maid?"
The girl looked at her toes and asked hesitantly.
Sylvie gave the girl a strange look. After sitting on a griffin all afternoon, how could she still have doubts? But he patiently repeated to her:
"That's right, your job is to take care of my daily needs. Don't worry, I'm not like other nobles; I don't have so many rules. As for the specific duties of a personal maid, Mrs. Chris will teach you later."
"Oh..."
Loli nodded timidly, still seeming confused and somewhat incredulous.
She had heard of maids, but she didn't know if a lord's personal maid was the same as what she understood.
In the lower strata of the Human Empire, being a maid was a common job for young women, so common that almost two-thirds of young girls would choose to become maids. Being a maid allowed them to learn some skills, earn some wages, and occasionally receive gifts from their masters.
However, this didn't mean the job was good. A maid's well-being usually depended on the attitude of the master and their family.
Although theoretically, a maid was part of the master's household, being beaten or abused was common, and they could even become tools for the master, his sons, or servants to vent their desires.
If it weren't for sheer desperation, which girl would gamble her fate like this?
But Loli had no choice. She was alone, with no one to rely on.
After her brother's death, the farmers who lost part of their income wouldn't keep her out of kindness.
If it weren't for the lord, she might have died in that alley. Even if she survived by chance, she would have ended up like other demi-humans, starving on the road, or being captured as a slave, sold repeatedly, and eventually tortured to death.
At least with the lord, she felt a long-lost warmth.
"Loli understands... Loli will strive to become an excellent personal maid."
Feeling Sylvie's gentle gaze, Loli mustered some courage, but her voice was still barely audible.
"It's good that you have the intention."
Hearing the girl's statement, Sylvie smiled slightly.
He looked at the girl's tattered clothes and dirty face, feeling a pang of sympathy.
To be honest, he didn't know how long it had been since the girl last bathed. Her hair was a tangled mess, and there was a strange smell about her. He hadn't noticed it while they were riding the griffin in the wind, but now that they were in the same room, it was much more apparent.
In this world, commoners generally disliked bathing, as did some nobles in remote territories. They believed that bathing would wash away the blessings of the gods, and some people never bathed in their entire lives.
Sylvie couldn't accept such ignorant habits. He might not be able to manage all his subjects, but in his castle, anyone who refused to bathe would be stripped and hung at the gates of Winterfell City for a whole day.
So, with a hint of probing, Sylvie said to Loli:
"It will be a while before Mrs. Chris arrives. You probably haven't bathed in a long time. Go take a bath now, and then change into some clean clothes."
Loli caught the meaning in Sylvie's words, sniffed, and her petite body trembled slightly. A blush crept up her neck to her cheeks, and her fluffy ears twitched.
Her large tail swayed uneasily behind her, revealing her unsettled heart.
Sylvie couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's various adorable expressions. He mischievously thought that if he placed a pot of water on her head, it might boil instantly.
In Loli's surprised gaze, Sylvie took her hand.
"Winterfell Keep is quite large. You won't find the bathhouse on your own, so I'll take you there."
...
In the luxurious bathroom of Winterfell Keep, Loli's face was flushed from the steam as she soaked in the bath filled with rose petals.
She felt as if her body was floating, as if she might fly away.
It had been a very long time since Loli last bathed, let alone in such a luxurious bath, using clean, rose-scented hot water.
Sometimes, she felt like she was dreaming.
It wasn't that she didn't like cleanliness. As a cute girl, she actually cared a lot about her personal hygiene.
But after her parents died, Loli and her brother relied on each other, wandering from place to place with no opportunity to bathe.
The borderlands of the Cologne Empire were barren, and the lakes were in dangerous forests, which Loli dared not approach.
Bathing in the farmer's house was out of the question. The old woman there was a devout believer who resisted bathing, and clean water was expensive. Ordinary commoners struggled to afford food, let alone pay attention to hygiene.
As she thought about it, her nose tingled, and large tears welled up in her eyes.
If only her parents and brother were still alive, maybe they could also taste the cloud-like soft bread.
Loli always felt unworthy of the lord's kindness. She had no right; she was just the most humble of demi-humans.
She pessimistically believed that there might be a price behind all this.
But whether "just being a personal maid" was true or not, even if the lord asked her to die, Loli would have no complaints.
Loli stood up from the bath, dried herself with a towel, and then tiptoed to take down the clothes from the nearby rack.
It was a set of black men's pajamas, very large, almost like a blanket for her.
Was it the lord's clothing?
Loli blushed, and unconsciously, the image of being held in Sylvie's arms today appeared in her mind.
Her body squirmed uneasily, and then, as if guided by an unseen force, she slowly pressed her face against the clothes, sniffing deeply, as if reliving that person's scent.