𝐅𝐞𝐢┃18+

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Her heart was still pure— just like the child she was at the age of seventeen. Young and untainted— a beauty so fragile.

Fei’s smile slowly wore down and she closed her eyes. The tiredness soon took over her consciousness as she fell asleep, innocently waiting for the one who had no plans for returning to his new bride.

...

The cheerups of birds and the bright light coming from the window helped her to wake up.

She sat up, her hands delicately touching the sheets while she groggily looked around as the veil over her face came off, revealing her bewitching face.

Maybe it was because of a good night's sleep that now her face looked a bit swollen with a rosy glow and her eyes, as though they were made of water, glinted beautifully while she kept looking for someone.

She was alone in the room. Her husband.. did he leave early? Her delicate features furrowed as she thought to herself.

Suddenly her heart thumped. Wasn't she supposed to wake up before him? As if wanting to scold herself, she lightly slapped her forehead twice.

Her lips pursed in sadness. What should she do now? 

Little did the little bride know that her husband never returned to their bedroom after leaving her alone last night.

As if hearing those clumsy movements from inside the bedroom, a maid who had been waiting outside the door all this while finally spoke up. “Are you awake, mistress?” Her tone came off timid.

Fei was startled by the sudden voice. She pressed her hand on her chest to calm herself down and her lips puckered up to give a shy response in return. “Y-Yes.”

The maid against the door was baffled because she wasn't expecting such a response.

The voice sounded too sweet, different from what she was expecting. Aren't nobles supposed to be snobbish and cranky when their sleeps get disrupted? The maid shook off those irrelevant thoughts as she spoke up again, this time a bit stable.

“The head maid has ordered me to get you ready.” The maid said. “May I come in?”

“Sure, please come in~”

The other sweet voice sounded again and the maid couldn't get more relieved as she pushed the door open and went inside. She didn't dare to lift her head up while she got into her given task. They weren't allowed to see the bride's face so blatantly, it was a command.

After having a good bath, Fei was dressed. A bit shy, she still cooperated kindly with the maid. Her eyes noticed how red the maid had gotten when she helped her dress up.

She couldn't hold the giggle as she said,“You're becoming so red.” The maid awkwardly smiled and coughed to ease her embarrassment.

The reason for the maid's embarrassment was that she was simply bewitched by the young beauty in front of her.

Even as a woman who is too familiar with the feminine side of her origin, she still couldn't help getting hot when she saw her beautiful body.

God must've taken his sweet time while making her. Master was lucky but still unlucky, the only thing that the maid could think of at the moment.

After wearing a beautiful white dress which was arranged for her beforehand, Fei got her hair done.

She wanted to ask the maid if it was necessary for her to have assistance in simple tasks such as bathing and clothing but didn't get the chance to when the maid soon left the room saying that the head maid will come and help her get familiar with the household.

That made Fei confused. Why would she need assistance in such small things? A bit uncomfortable with the rules, she could only hold back her curiosity and do as she was being told.

What if her actions or questions displease anyone? She wouldn't want that.

Just like the maid said, a woman in her forties indeed came after a short while. Head maid of the Liang family, she is one who has the authority over the manor's workers.

She was being polite and curt when she took Fei out of her room and explained the things she should know straight away, her eyes lowered as she spoke, not daring to see the bride's face. If the master hadn't seen his bride's face, then who are they as a servant to do so for the time being?

The noble family of Liangs had a culture and a way of living. Now as she is the lady of this house, Fei would've to accept her responsibilities as given her noble title.

The head maid though, wasn't a fool. She did realize how naive the young bride is, so she was not being hard on her and kept a lot of things to herself.

Fei attentively listened to her and tried to memorize everything she should know in a short span of time. The last thing she wanted to do was make a mistake.

Two new stories traveled fast across the whole manor. One, that the wife of the Master is too beautiful to be true.

And second was that she was abandoned the very night of her noble wedding.

Some would envy her, pity her or even laugh at her. And some who were too curious to know about her well-said beauty would even try their best to catch a glimpse of her which was in fact too hard considering how she was being held in the master's main courtyard manor.

There were only three maids and one head maid to look after her. No male workers outside the Master's main courtyard manor were allowed to see her even more so catch even a glimpse of her.

Fei has been hidden from the eyes of others since the day she was born and it will be the same even after her marriage as per her father's only condition.

“Maid Bao,” Fei called out, her voice sweet laced with respect and shyness of a girl when she asked,“Husband..has he already left?”—for work.

The head maid wasn't surprised at her question. It was natural for a bride to be curious about the one she has married.

“Master had to leave for the city last night.” The head maid responded with some hesitation.

City?

Fei was confused and she stared at her, curious to know why. “C-City? But why?”

Head maid failed to hide the pity in her eyes before she turned around and changed the subject while leading Fei to the place where she's supposed to have her meal.

Left unanswered, the bride's curiosity got more of her. Did she ask something wrong? But why did her husband leave for another city? Weren't they supposed to live together? 

Did something happen that he'd to leave so urgently? That was the only reason she could come up with in the end.

...

Days passed, 
weeks went by.
And then a new season came. 
Yet, the wife hasn't seen her husband.

...