~The Benevolent~

Oris sighed.

It was likely that the physician had nothing to do the rebellion. Bren had expended all this effort and planted him by her side just to monitor her health. "Don't worry about my brother," she said gently. "Regardless of what happens, I will write to inform him that you're doing your best... Of course, that is if you truly do your best."

"Thank you, Mistress." He bowed again.

Oris waved her hand to dismiss him.

"Mistress, your sickness, it—"

She shot him a look that begged him to learn his place. "I am sure that with your care, I will recover swiftly but right now I have other matters to attend to. Come back later in the day."

"Yes," he agreed with a stiff voice then withdrew from the room.

"Mistress, what is wrong with you? What sickness?" Mayree asked without even waiting for him to be fully out of the door. She took her mistress by the hand, eyes brimming with worry.

"Where's Seline?" Oris asked back, lips drawn into a wry smile as her gaze drifted to the statue occupying space on a pedestal by the candelabras. She had no idea what had gone through Hermes' mind when he decided to gift it to her. The woman was a nun who had been elevated to high priestess then saint before being posthumously titled 'Nihuhid The Benevolent' and installed in temples as a sort of mortal god of kindness. The golden standard for humanity who embodied the virtues of chastity, charity and obedience, she was described as many as the model human being.

"Why didn't she come with you?" She heard herself say but hardly remembered parting her lips to utter the words.

Her gaze was still fixed on the jade that this world's first Emperor had carved in the likeness of another woman then handed over to her without a single explanation. It was the most expensive possession she had ever been gifted outside of the bribery she was normally used to receiving. It was beautiful, fragile and full of meanings.

And personally carved. A strange kind of warmth bubbled in chest, growing hotter with every minute she spent tracing its womanly curves with her gaze. By far, it was the most troubling of gifts, especially when she considered the complexity of the man who had gifted it but she couldn't help but feel stirred by it.

Was it meant to assure her that she would attain wealth and fame after she died? Or did it guarantee her chastity for the duration of her stay at the palace?

Was Hermes simply calling her virtuous and good-hearted by borrowing from the titles the common people had already given her—Angel Of Mercy; Our Guardian Lady? Or was he reminding her that death still touched the highly exalted?

Was he telling her that her cause was greater than herself and warning her to put it away before she got swept up by the waves and ended up being wrongfully honored as a god? Or was he faulting her for showing kindness in a palace of vipers?

It was also likely that she just overthinking things and this was just a random thing he had selected but Hermes wasn't one to lack motives.

What could it be?

"A decree was sent to each of our departments, summoning us to your side again, she should have been here." Mayree voice dragged her out of her thoughts. "Mistress, why did the Emperor gift you with so many things?"

So the rumor hasn't spread yet. She looked up and smiled, wondering how long it would take for the other women to begin to ingratiate themselves with her. "He must have enjoyed my company."

"You..." The maid couldn't seem to bring herself to understand, even though things were clear enough. The tips of her ears turned red. "You spent time with the Emperor?"

Before Oris could answer, Andrea had already spoken up. "Don't be such a prude, Mayree. The emperor asked mistress to accompany him alone for one hour but so much time passed that the servants turned over every rock in the palace looking for them."

Oris didn't know whether the girl had phrased it that way on purpose or not, but it still made her smile and chide her, "Andrea, you are a lady-in-waiting now, you can't spout such silly things anymore. Do you wish for me to attract the ire of the entire harem?"

Giggling, Andrea curtsied. "Of course not, Mistress. I will hold my tongue."

"Seline was doing laundry out of the sight of any troublemakers, why was she punished? Keziah, why leave the the Weaving Department for the kitchens? And you, Andrea, just how much do you have to spend on bribes?" Oris stared at the three of them, feeling grateful and helpless. "Just what have you four been up to while I was gone?"

Mayree sighed and took a step forward, making the decision to speak up first when she noticed that Keziah had begun to play with her fingers and Andrea was now examining the floor with curious interest. Since she was the oldest, it was her responsibility to bear the brunt of their Mistress' scolding.

"I will explain," she said. Knowing that time was of the essence, she could only rush through what they had experience these two weeks. "We followed your instructions and got the poison out of the plate. Andrea submitted it to the Emperor and asked that a physician see you. When that didn't happen, Keziah started a rumor that someone opened a sealed room in the palace and sprayed poison powder inside it. Seline started selling embroidered pouches she made with discarded fabric and we used the money to pay a physician who told us that the lotion contained Luneshade petals."

Luneshade? Oris' mood darkened. "That flower can only be found in the northern mountains and only in remote regions."

Keziah nodded. "Out of thirty or so northerners in the palace only eight have the money to buy it comfortably. I learnt from the other weavers that a woman favored by the Empress Dowager had asked about the room too, long before we arrived. It turned out that that woman's maids were also weavers. They tried to frame me for putting needles in their Mistress' new dress in an attempt to take revenge for you, but since I had been wary of them from the beginning before the Inspectors arrived I had already removed them."

Oris blinked, sure that that was the most she had ever heard the girl say in one day. "And then?"

"Before things could escalate further, I arranged her transfer to the kitchens which has a much larger staff," Mayree added, "I didn't think Seline would have already been accused of stealing clothes and selling them for profit. Seline was questioned but didn't confess, then she was put in confinement to be punished and evicted in six days. But assassins attacked the palace and the Justice Department has been so busy that she couldn't been punished yet. The decree should have already arrived at the Laundry halls. She should have been here with us."

"Who accused her of stealing?"

"A woman by the name of Anastasia, who is favored by the Empress Dowager and has northern blood," Andrea said.

"They are Mistresses," Mayree remind the girl with a quick tap on her forehead, "remember that."

"I will." She pouted while rubbing the spot between her eyebrows. "How will we save Seline?"

"The servants aren't bold enough to disobey a decree," Keziah said. "It is likely that it was purposefully delayed so that Seline could be disposed of."

"Then it is likely that she is still there right now." Oris got to her feet.

"Ah." Mayree rushed to support her, "Mistress, where are you going? The physician said that you were ill, you can't possibly—"

"I can't possibly let Seline get flogged and sold," Oris said and shut her eyes, knowing that this was probably not all they had done. "Without your efforts, who knows how long it would have taken for the Emperor to realize my innocence? I would have been long dead by now. Do not belittle your efforts.

"I told you already, our lives and deaths are interconnected."

Sobered, Mayree bowed her head. "I know you care for us, but—"

"I know you worry for me. I just barely survived one ordeal and now I'm looking to pick a fight with the Empress Dowager again." Oris patted the maid on the hand reassuringly. "Worry not, your mistress is not so foolish."

She glanced at the statue again. Nihuhid, the mother that accepted sinners with open arms, put on a pedestal and carved so fine that a single finger could topple it and have the floor break it in half. "I think, right now, she is the one that is the most worried."

~

Nihuhid is practically like Mother Teresa. I wonder what message Hermes is sending with the statue... And when he even carved it.

So we've seen a glimpse of what the girls have been up to. Some detective work and all that. Seline was framed and Keziah was almost framed.

Now, we're taking a detour. The library will have to wait!