"This is Ethan and Xin, they will be the men who will be your guards and the men who will help you."  Takeshi tells Lihua.  

That morning, they had woken up early to meet the men who would help her with her mission.  Ethan has brown hair and blue eyes.  He had soft features which made him look beautiful and with the right wig on, he could pull himself off as a girl.  While Xin, has blonde hair and brown eyes.  His sharp angled face made him look manly.  He had a look to him that made other think twice before messing with him.  His look alone was that intimidating.  

Both of the men's eyes enlarged quickly before hiding their surprise.  The rumored Miss Lihua who their Master brought back with him and who has affections for is a poison marked Miss.  They though the woman that their Master would have chosen would be a woman of outstanding beauty and grace like Lady Akria.  Who would have thought that instead, he brought in someone who is literately marked for death. 

"This servant greets Miss Lihua."  Both of them said at the same time as they bowed to her. 

"Rise."  Lihua tells them.  

But before she could start, Nurse Yi interrupts them.  

"Master Shiro." Nurse Yi said, but hesitates when she sees Lihua with him.  "There's a visitor here to see you." 

"Who?" Takeshi asked. 

Nurse Yi bows her head and says, "Lady Akira has come to see you.  I placed her in the great hall." 

Nurse Yi immediately looks at her Master then to Lihua, then back to her Master.  She was trying to read their mood to see what she did was right.  

"Thank you, Nurse Yi.  I should be there shortly." Takeshi tells her.  

Nurse Yi bows and leaves while holding her breath.  Neither one of her Master or Lihua changed their facial movements nor showed any emotions so she couldn't tell how they felt.  

"I guess that's my cue to take my men in to my room so we can have a more private conversation."  Lihua teased Takeshi.  "Who knows, you might need your private quarters to entertain your guest." 

Takeshi looked at Lihua to see how she really felt.  But she hid her feelings away from him quite well.  

"Go have fun."  Lihua tells him as she kisses him on his cheek as if she was a mother kissing her child to send him off to go play with his friends.  "Tell me all about it later." 

Instead of waiting for Takeshi to leave first, Lihua left his study to go to her assigned quarters.  Ethan and Xin follow afterwards not saying a word.  In all the years that they have trained and fought by his side, have they seen someone, other than King Nao, who took the initiative to dismiss him first.  

After entering Lihua's quarters, the maids had already boiled tea for them to drink, however Ethan and Xin still stood by the table instead of sitting down.  

"Gentlemen,  please take a seat so we can begin."  Lihua tells them.  "It's going to be a long talk, so trust me, sitting down would benefit all of us." 

Both men looked at each other before they sat down.  Clare also puts one cup in front of Ethan and Xin before filling them with tea.  

"Thank you Clare and Prisicilla. Both of you may leave us.  Please tell everyone that I am not to be disturbed.  No one is to come through those doors, unless I say so.  Or unless it's an emergency or it is Master Shiro. Help guard the door as well."  Lihua tells the two maids.  

Although they wanted to argue with Lihua about propriety, they instead bowed their heads and did as Lihua ordered.  Both of them closed the door tightly before standing next to the two guards who stood outside the door, bearing anyone's way, should they want to enter Miss Lihua's private quarters.  

"Lets just get to the chase shall we." Lihua said as she took a sip of her tea.  "Should you have any questions, please feel free to interrupt me at any time.  It is better for us to be all on the same page and know our roles, before we continue to pursue my revenge further."  

Xin and Ethan look at each other in worry before they look back that the young Miss.  They were worried that she was just going to be another air headed miss who has gotten her claws into their Master.  Who wants to take advantage of their Master.  They didn't want another incident like Lady Akria.  

"My name is Lihua Lei.  The legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Lei."  Lihua tells them as they were again surprised by her.  

"But they said you died of sickness."  Ethan tells her. 

"As if they can kill me." Lihua said into her tea cup.  "They tried, oh did they try.  I bear the evidence on my face." 

The two men sucked in air from their teeth in a hiss.  The poison marking on her face was caused by the Lei Clan? 

"Let me explain from the beginning.  My father, is someone everyone likes and thinks is noble and giving.  That is just a facade.  He lied to my mother by declaring is everlasting love so he could marry my mother to use her family's connection, power and influence to become Prime Minister.  Soon after I have been conceived, that facade went away and he married two concubines at the same time, embarrassing my mother and breaking her heart.  After I was born, I was left alone to be raised by my servants, only ever seeing him from afar.  I grew up alone and that was all I knew.  When my engagement to the  Crown Prince was announce, my half sisters came around to visit.  I thought they came with good intentions, wanting to build a sisterly bond, however for a whole year they fed me the Crimson Heart Poison while they watched me drink it."  Lihua said lost in Young Miss Lihua's memories.  

Lihua sighed again before continuing.  

"When the poison finally activated, they had servants sneak me out of the Lei Manor and they threw me in a cave.  Upon waking up, one servant told me the reason why my half sisters and their mother poisoned me.  And they were for two reasons.  First, because of my blood.  For it holds the blood of a legitimate born daughter instead of a illegitimate born daughter of a concubine.  Two, for the engagement to the Crown Prince.  Funny thing was that I didn't even know about the engagement until the old servant told me." Lihua said bitterly at Young Miss Lihua's pathetic life.  "Anyways, I survived, found Master Shiro in dire need and saved him.  And here we are now, me on my mission to get revenge on those who wronged me and Master Shiro on his mission as well."  

Lihua got up to refill the tea cups for the three of them before sitting back down.

"Ethan, Xin, I need you guys to get any and all information you can on the Lei family.  Information that could harm them financially, their reputation and power would be best.  If there is any suspicious activities, we will start following them to see where they will lead us. No one is to know my true identity.  Only Master Shiro and the two of you know, do you understand."  

"Yes, Miss Lihua."  

"Good." 

Suddenly there was a racket at the door.  

"Lady Akira, please proceed back to the great hall." Nurse Yi shouted loudly so everyone could hear.  "Master has requested that no one enter's this room."