Chapter 9

Standing between my father and brother, I knelt in the audience chamber.

Before me was the chair where Lord Sōren would soon sit. An indescribable tension hung in the air.

What would I be told?

Though I was treated with great courtesy, it didn’t seem to be anything bad...

After a few minutes of waiting,

A small sound, "kata," echoed, and the black lattice door at the back of the room opened.

"Lord Sōren has arrived."

A high-ranking official, dressed in black with a purple sash, just like my brother, announced the arrival of his lord.

I kept my head low, and only Lord Sōren’s feet entered my field of vision.

"Raise your head. I want to skip the formalities."

The low voice I had heard just yesterday.

It felt oddly familiar, but where had I heard it before?

Still, I thought it was quite reasonable of him to ask me to raise my head right away.

Normally, the official would start with a long, traditional speech praising Lord Sōren, "the royal who governs the Light Swallow Kingdom," but to skip all that and get straight to the point was refreshingly efficient.

"As you command."

My father and brother on either side of me echoed the same words and immediately complied. I followed their lead and raised my head.

There, sitting in the chair, was a handsome man.

"…………!?"

I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

I forgot to blink, staring at the man who was said to be Lord Sōren.

He smiled smugly, looking satisfied at my surprise.

"Daughter of the Yan family, your performance yesterday was excellent."

His refined features were captivating, and his cool eyes looked straight down at me.

There was no mistake.

Though he now wore a long blue robe and a calm green overcoat, adorned with lustrous red beads in his long, glossy black hair, it was undoubtedly the same face as the officer who had carried me away roughly yesterday.

I hadn’t realized it when he called out to me behind the screen, but his voice was indeed the same.

Wait, so Lord Sōren was in the adjacent room yesterday, personally evaluating the candidates for empress?

Pretending to be an officer?

Thinking back, it was strange that no one said anything when he carried me like a piece of luggage.

The high-ranking official must have let it slide because it was Lord Sōren.

Even though I didn’t know it, I felt my blood run cold, wondering if I had made any mistakes.

Lord Sōren continued speaking to me, who was in shock.

"I will give you this erhu. It will be happier being played by someone rather than being stored in a warehouse."

"Y-Yes..."

That was all I could manage.

Seeing my obvious distress, my father tried to divert Lord Sōren’s attention to himself, as if to cover for me.

"Thank you very much for calling us today. I was told there was an urgent message for my daughter. What is it?"

My father’s voice was clearly excited.

He must have thought that Lord Sōren had taken a liking to me and wanted to make me his consort.

From yesterday’s interaction, I could predict that this was absolutely not the case.

Lord Sōren, knowing what my father was expecting, said very cheerfully.

For some reason, his smile sent a chill down my spine.

"Yes, I called you here for a very important request. I want to take the daughter of the Yan family into my service."

My brother and I were speechless.

Only my father, trembling with joy, immediately responded.

"T-That is truly... most gracious!"

However, Lord Sōren smiled and said,

"Is that so? You agree. Then I will take Yan Linfeng as the emperor’s attendant."

"………………………………Huh?"

"Her term will last until the emperor can handle state affairs on his own, or until Yan Linfeng’s health or well-being requires it. She will likely serve until she is over 25. After that, I will provide her with enough money to live independently. Of course, she will receive a salary every two months, and all expenses for food, clothing, and housing will be covered by the harem management fund. The Yan family only needs to send their daughter."

Lord Sōren listed the terms without a hint of pity, and then bowed in satisfaction.

"I am truly grateful for this. The wet nurse is ill, and the current staff is insufficient. The emperor was quite taken with the erhu performance at the banquet. Watching him, I felt it was a divine revelation. Truly, I am grateful!"

Looking back and forth between Lord Sōren and my father, the temperature difference was palpable.

My father, though despondent, managed to raise his hand and weakly protest.

"W-Wait, please."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Yesterday, when you lent this erhu to my daughter, was it not because you took a liking to her...? This erhu belonged to Empress Shishi..."

Lord Sōren smiled at my father’s plea.

I instinctively knew I couldn’t win against this man.

"So what? It was indeed my mother’s, but an erhu is an erhu. I gave it to someone who could play it well. Besides, I did take a liking to this girl. I want her by the emperor’s side."

Mother... as in Lord Sōren’s mother’s erhu!?

Even though she had passed away, I was overwhelmed by the thought of receiving an erhu that once belonged to an empress and was speechless.

"My daughter... she is only 17. If she serves as an attendant, she won’t be able to marry afterward, which is a concern for a parent."

I was exasperated by my father’s concern for me at this point.

But Lord Sōren paid no heed to such trivial matters.

"I see. Then I will ask the girl herself. Daughter of the Yan family, what do you want? You won’t be punished if you refuse."

His black eyes met mine with a sharp glance.

Ah, he knows what I want.

And he finds this situation amusing.

"I want to serve the emperor."

I answered grandly, showing my gratitude.

"Linfeng!"

My father’s voice finally rose in anger.

I maintained a composed face and continued.

"It is a great honor for the Yan family to serve the emperor. Father, I am truly delighted."

I smiled to seal the deal, and my father slumped in defeat.

Lord Sōren nodded in satisfaction.

"Then, from today, you will move here. Yan Right Chancellor, you may return! Ah, Xiuying, as her brother, you will accompany her. Tomorrow, you will show her around starting in the morning."

My service in the palace was decided so easily.

My father, whose plans had all fallen through, lost all his usual dignity and authority.

"Then, we shall meet again."

Lord Sōren stood from his chair, turned his back, and left.

After that, my father and I, left in the audience chamber, had no words to exchange.