New World's Empress

Family Zhao actually did all those things for her, she knew that. She had no hatred against them to spread some weird rumors. Keeping them as friends and neighbors is not the wrong thing to do.

But sweet Xiao Ran's voice took her back out her thoughts. "Miss, you are the same as me. My family is gone as well. Miss, may I ask you for a favor, please." She suddenly humped off the chair and kneeled in front of Liu Mei.

"Child, why are you kneeling?" She was surprised by her action and tried to pull her up, but the little girl stubbornly was kneeling and bowed multiple times to her and then with tears falling out her eyes she knocked her head on the floor three times.

"Miss, please help this lowly servant and buy me off. I have no backing now as my family is gone. If I stay where I am now who knows where I would be sent and what kind of work I would have to do." Her small face was soaked with tears.

Liu Mei hesitated. "Child I can't promise you nothing. I can try to buy you off but life with me might be harder than this one here. I have just a little money, earn just enough to survive. If you stay by my side you might be more hungry than living here."

"Miss, nothing is as it seems. After you are gone I might just be sold off to some strange people or turned into a plaything for one of our costumers. I'd prefer to eat watered rice than live like that?" Xiao Ran had to exaggerate quite a bit just to let her change their minds.

Liu Mei gave up. In the world where servants were bested half to death for small things, this girl's life might end as soon she was gone. "Good. Let the manager come to me and I'll do my best to get you to stay by my side. But consider one more time. After we write a new contract you will have to promise your obedience to me."

Xiao Ran smiled brightly and wished her face with her sleeve. "I promise. No matter how you live I will follow you everywhere. From this moment on I will write a death contract with you. Until I die or you allow me to leave I will serve you wholeheartedly until my death."

Liu Mei actually just needed her promise, not such a heavy wow. But looking at the girl's determined face she just sighed. When they go back home she will talk to her about that again. She will first finish eating.

While eating she thought about Xiao Fei. What will happen to her? She glanced at silent Xiao Ran and sighed. "If she want she can join. I can see your expression. You'll miss her, right?"

Xiao Ran was silent at first. "Xiao Fei family are all working for a current employer and all are happy. She has a family that will support her in case something happens."

Liu Mei understood. Xiao Fei wouldn't even think about that. "Xiao Ran, what about one other idea?"

The girl turned to her.

"What about I adopt you. You have no parents, I have no children. In this lifetime we can have each other. Or do you dislike someone like me?" This cute girl would be a dot of the light for her in her dark world.

But the girl shook her head. "Can you forgive me, please. I can't, because of my filial piety. Let me care for you. But my mother is my mother. Please forgive me."

Small crystal clear tears rolled down the small cheeks and dropped on her shaking shoulders.

"Fine, fine, I understand. Stop crying. In a few years when you are about to get married, I will give you a nice dowry. You will accept that, right?" She teased her and made her shyly nod while getting red.

"But until then I will keep you by my side and help you grow happily. Now go call your manager to speak to me." Prolonging this wouldn't be good.

Xiao Ran jumped from chair happily, giving her big bow and rushed with quick but steady steps out the room. Liu Mei sighed. If she truly chooses to live with her, then what she did before was not important.

She quickly took out a bag of silvers and sighed. She took the big silver coin and held it in her hand. Good people should be paid good money.

In the hallway stood the man and watched the girl stand with a straight back in front of him but lowered head. ''What did yous ay you want?''

''I am asking to take back my contract. I will write with miss Ling death contract.'' Her calm words made him test her a bit.

''If you write down the death contract and I ask you...'' He stopped when he saw her rising her head fearlessly.

''The moment I belong miss Lin, means I BELONG to miss Lin. Ther are no if's.'' Her resolute eyes and steady voice made her point. In another world, no matter what you do she will become my own and only master.

''You belong to this country, that means to me. You will have to lower your head forever from now on.'' His eyes became scary so she stepped backward, but then straightened her back and stood still.

''Even if you kill me, rip me apart and do me wrong I will never betray her. So I beg you to give me my contracts back. Except me, no one would be willing to serve her anyway, Emperor.'' She bowed in the palace manner and waited.

Now it time or live or die. No middle way for a servant like her. With bowed head, all she could see is the tip of his shoes. Being this close to him would make any other servant blessed and happy but for her meant nothing. Living like Miss Lin was her dream for a long time.

She was born in a lowly noble house. her family came from poor noblesse and all she could do is take a job as a personal servant for one of Emperor's concubines. But the year she was in training big calamity ht their town. Many people died from strange sickness and she was unlucky that her complete family died. From eldest to youngest. Only she was left alive only because she was in the palace.

They burned their bodies and put them together in the ancestral graveyard. She was of course forbidden to go to their funeral in fear that she could bring something dirt back to the palace.

After her training, she got so many odd jobs but was never sent to one certain person to be a servant. All she dreamed was to go outside and live for a short time more in freedom. With miss Lin, she wouldn't have to worry about the dirty things that were going on in the palace. That is one of the reasons she chooses her, the other one is right in front of her. If miss Lin enters the palace and this man continues being interested in her, maybe her future life might be better as well.

He knew her thoughts but he liked it. She never went for the money and never asked for anything when she was in the palace. But she had a really strong personality when she met someone and most palace maids actually were scared of this little girl. She was perfect to stay on that woman's side. He smiled lightly as he stared holes into her head but then gave up. It is actually her choice and he agrees with it.

What about that other one, would she be willing as well?