"Noisy" Hue muttered as he was checking my wounded hand "Your healing is still terribly slow, you almost look like a commoner" I could see his face being really annoyed "I can't believe he gave you this useless fabric and called it even help, I should have fought him in that exact moment."

It has been few days since I have been serving in the Yuan's family. Hue most of his times was out the manor, trying to find any trace of black magic, to get more hints of the next moves of The Cult.

That day he felt I got hurt and rushed back home. He was surprised the cut wasn't healed in few hours.

Apparently, a lot of my powers were still sleeping, and that wasn't really helpful, thinking about the whole situation.

"Hue, do not worry, I will go back to myself and I will handle you again without collapsing" I reassured him and he looked at me. 

"My lady" Hue sighed as he ripped a piece of his white silk hanfu "One of the reasons why you do not heal fast is because I am not back to you. A soulmaster is not used to have his soul fragments wandering around for too long".. But if I was back, you would feel sick too easily" he continued as he rolled the piece around my wound.

"It's going to be alright" I said as I stand up from my bed and invited him for a walk in the manor.

Ming hadn't requested my services, and the head maid didn't allow me to help in any way, I could tell that I was free basically.

Hue fixed the lilac hanfu I was wearing and his stare was neutral, he then looked at me with his ice eyes and appeared confused "This hanfu doesn't suit my lady"

I laughed a little bit "It does for the role I have now, Hue" I did remind him with a nostalgic smile "We might not be able to go back, so many things have changed in just five years" I said as I stopped on a little bridge in the courtyard, that was taking to the other side of the manor "But I do want to know who wants to kill him" I could notice some servants stare from distance, as some probably still didn't know Hue was with me. They were probably thinking he was a noble.

Hue laughed a little bit and in no time I could feel his hand on my hair "My lady, you always amuse me, you're fragile as an autumn leaf, your husband has definitely more power to protect himself than you do right now, but you still focus your energies on that. Careless and not afraid to die" 

I turned a little bit towards him with a smile "Isn't this one of the reasons why we met?" I asked and for a moment he looked at me and smirked. 

Thinking about how me and Hue met and bond, nobody knew exactly what happened. I have never told many details to Ming since he got to know me when that bond was already strong, and never asked many questions.

"Indeed" Hue said, looking at me with affection "I think someone had to take the burden to protect a careless child who fell in the hell straight to my reign" he rubbed his hand on my hair and then smiled softly as he noticed me keeping a grumpy face

His free hand moved towards my chin, to make me stare at him and my eyes locked on him, curious of his intentions "You have grown so much Fen" he called me with my name as he was truly expressing his admiration "You're the only mortal who never got scared even once by the eyes of the Eternal Breeze" for a moment his eyes were like a mirror of the purest and fine snow. A colour that was so bright that could hurt. Those eyes only were giving shivers, a feeling of madness and isolation... A cold feeling that would make your legs frozen and feeling the pain of being forever stuck between life and death, at the god's will.

Nobody knew the heart of the Eternal Breeze but me, as right now that was part of me since my childhood.

A little wind.

Hue's eyes interrupted our gaze and looked towards a side. 

In a glance I could notice his finger against the point of a soulmaster's sword, that was pointed to me.

"Who dares to attack my Lady"

"I knew you would block it! Wow, then it's for real a soul fragment, how strong!"

"Lin!"

Hue's eyes were flaming, but his stare looked totally annoyed as he noticed it was Lin with his blue hanfu and tied hair in a tail, with Ming next to him who looked a little bit mad. Xiao meanwhile was waving at me with an embarassed smile.

The sword came back to Lin, and he then walked fast towards us along with the others.

"It's a honor to see you here lord Lin and Master Yuan" I bowed, and then smiled innocently looking at Hue who was staring at Lin.

"I apologize for my son's behaviour" Ming said as Lin muttered some words.

"Next time I will kill your fragment and you will perish for days in order to regenerate it" Hue said it more like a sentence than a threat.

"Wow, your fragment gives me shivers, lady Bai Hu! I wonder what majestic training I will get once you will get back to your strenght!" Lin said showing just his excited side, as Hue's words didn't touch his feelings at all.

Xiao meanwhile was a little bit trembling and whispering to Lin not to talk too much in front of a scary man like the one close to Bai Hu

"Your s... soon to be trainee doesn't look any different from you, does this behaviour ring a bell, lady Bai Hu?" Hue asked as a tease about myself as a child and I started laughing.

"Oh! Lady Bai Hu!" Lin came closer to me and I smiled, seeing how he looked excited to talk to me like he was back to when I was still alive "How do you like the Yuan's manor? I got told from the servants some days ago my father had tea in my mother's garden, I was so happy!"

I smiled and looked at Ming, who looked embarassed "The manor is lovely, the garden is... beautiful, you could get lost and hope not to find a way back to the city" I replied, making him nod happily 

"Of course! There you go father, it's been months I asked you to open back the garden to guests and servants!" he talked like he won an argument with Ming, who looked at how lively Lin was, and smiled softly.

"You were right, Lin" he said as he moved forward, towards me to be closer to him. He put his hand on his head "I am sure she is happy too" he said and Lin smiled at him.

"That's beautiful!" I said "Hm.. shouldn't we make a tea party?" I asked and Lin and Xiao looked excited.

"What a lovely idea! shall I send the invites to the generals?" Xiao asked excited.

Ming looked at Xiao and Lin looking like little babies waiting for their candies, and then me who probably was like them and Hue who was killing him with his stare.

"I will... consider it, once Liam's back, we will see" Ming said, making me curious and I tilted my head.

This would explain why I didn't see him annoying Ming for some day already.

Lin looked at me and smiled "Lady Bai Hu! I look forward to train with you, I shall take my leave as my unit has to go to a little village, I should come back tomorrow"

Ming leant his hands on Lin's shoulders and smiled "Be careful, make sure the rats have a little lesson"

I kept smiling as I noticed Xiao running to try her best to keep Lin's speed, who had to go change into his armor before leaving the manor.

Hue looked at me and then Ming, who was in that moment too focus on how he was wearing his usual majestic and beautiful white noble hanfu to notice the stare of his

"Apparently even my son gets more respect from you than I do, even tho I am the Yuan's Master" Ming smiled, looking at Hue, who smirked feeling like he was getting challenged

"Please, do not..." I tried to speak but Hue wasn't even listening

"I am simply my lady's mirror of emotions"

I froze.

Ming smiled and looked at me with a lovely smile "...so, lady Bai Hu, you actually think I deserve less respect than my son?"

Thank you Hue, I guess?

"Enough!" I said, crossing my arms "Master Yuan! Are you seriously talking about respect?"

Ming tilted his head and I looked with an obvious stare "You accepted me as maid, yet after the first day you barely called for my services, I wasn't doing anything and you even lied about the library... as a maid I can't enter"

Ming sighed "My apologise, I will tell the guards to let you in next time"

Ming's eyes fell to my hands and appeared surprised "Oh? It hasn't still healed?" he asked and Hue took my hand, pulling me a little bit forward Ming, who stepped back a little.

"Yes, my lady has still troubles to heal" he said and Ming crossed his arms 

"I see, I am glad you had rescued her with your clothes" he said and I smiled innocently a little bit embarassed, since I could hear a little bit of nuisance in his voice.

"I am sure my clothes are better than that dirty fabric" he replied, making Ming smile, trying not to give Hue any satisfaction to see even a little madness coming off his tease.

"Hue, enough, please go back to your research" Hue looked at me and sighed, disappearing in front of Ming's eyes who couldn't believe what he saw

"It's a soul fragment, it's energy" I tried to explain. He nodded, even though he looked more confused than ever.

"I don't know much of soulmasters... but you two look..." he tried to explain himself "You laugh a lot with Hue around"

"Oh... we surely had tons of adventures together" I said "We have a great bond"

"You know, Lady Bai Hu" Ming looked at me "Hue looks like he has his own aura even though Lin and Liam say you're one... My eyes and my powers are different from a soulmaster, leaving my powers aside, the way he treats you and the way you look happy with him, look more as a bond between two people than a soul" Ming looked lost in his thoughts and sighed looking at my wounded hand.

"I guess every soulmaster has... a different way to use his own energy.." I tried to make it vague because I don't know if I had to tell him he was right and his logic made sense since Hue before becoming part of my soul was and is still an entity himself.

Ming grabbed my wounded hand and he looked again lost in his thoughts. He covered my hand with his and closed his eyes "I am sorry if I underestimate the cut"

I blushed a bit as I noticed his eyes locked into mine, as he kept his hands on mine "It's not.. a problem, Hue sometimes can be very... straight forward, but he simply cares"

Ming smiled a bit, he then coughed, pulling off my hand away from his as I noticed some servants whispering about my closeness to him.

His golden eyes for a moment looked around and he stepped back "Bai Hu. I would like to speak with you in private, I would like to ask you more questions about your research" he said and I tilted my head.

"I don't think that I do have the replies Master Yuan would like to hear" I said a little bit embarassed and he smiled softly looking at me.

"Worth to try" he said "I want to find you near my studio. You're not allowed to enter, mark these words, I will come soon, I need to read some of Liam's and the general's reports" he said and I nodded.

"Then... I take my leave for now, I shouldn't take long, from my studio I will bring you to the library archieve of the house, so the guards will know who to let pass" he explained making me smile "When you're done to do whatever you have to do, wait there, okay?"

"Yes! Thank you, Master Yuan!"

Ming nodded a little and then walked away. I felt happy to finally get access to archieves to understand what happened in these five years.

I ran back to the servants dormitories noticing BaoBao sleeping on her bed next to mine. I tried my best not to make too much noise, but I stopped as I noticed some clothes inside the box which didn't look clean yet. BaoBao was probably exhausted but had still some job to do.

I cuddled and gave her a little kiss on her forehead. I grabbed what was left and took care of her task, to be sure she wouldn't mess anything up.

As soon as I reached the zone where the clothes were washed and hung, I noticed Keira looking at me.

"Why are you here?"

"BaoBao is my responsability, I am taking care of her last task of the day, she's tired" I explained and Keira smiled.

"How nice of you" she said as she saw me tying up my hair "Girls? Lady Bai Hu wants to give us a free evening! Leave the clothes here, she'll take care of it"

The maids looked at each others as they noticed my mad stare towards Keira "Do not look at me like this if you don't want me to punish you more."

"Master Yuan asked for my presence" I tried to explain, but she laughed in my face

"I am the head maid, Master Yuan gave me full power on punishments and tasks for maids, he won't say anything if you will miss it because I gave you tasks, outsider."

I grit my teeth, trying not to let my madness take over my mind.

After some silence I could hear the maids throwing on the ground the clothes and leave me alone there.

I looked around and sighed.

"Guess I will be a bit late."

***

Ming was in his studio and he was keeping his eyes on one of the reports of Liam. He wanted to talk with Bai Hu as soon as possible, yet the woman wasn't anywhere near the studio entrance.

He sighed and let himself rest on the chair of his desk. He smiled a bit noticing his friend sleeping on the floor. He was the only one who could stay in the big studio along with him.

"I guess she ran away from the conversation again... this woman" he sighed as he stand up, walking fast out the studio to go meet her in the servants dormitories.

Once he reached the dormitories, he noticed Keira's eyes opening up in front of his presence there

"Master" she bowed "Is there any problem?" she asked gently.

"Have you seen Bai Hu?" he asked and Keira tilted her head confused by his serious voice.

"Yes, I gave her the task to wash the clothes of the house considering her behaviour" she explained making Ming surprised "Her child didn't manage to finish her task and fell asleep, so as punishment I let her take care of the rest"

Ming crossed his arms and stared at the head maid "...she didn't mention any request from you, so I thought she was free"

"Of course she did" Ming sighed and the head maid swallowed some air, like she was feeling like the master wasn't that much happy of the responses.

"Is she sleeping?" he asked "Nevermind, I will check myself" . He got in the maid's building that was on one floor and with the beds of all the maids who were working in the manor.

He reached with Keira the bedroom where Bai Hu and BaoBao were sleeping and opened the door. 

He noticed only BaoBao sleeping and he opened up his eyes "Did she find out about the reports and doesn't want to talk about it..?" he asked himself.

"Oh my... Did she do anything wrong to you, master Yuan? Why are you looking for her?" Keira asked and Ming looked at her annoyed.

"It's a matter I shall speak only to Lady Bai Hu"

"Why is he giving her still the title of a noble, she's just a maid now, and her spot is lower than mine in the manor, then why is he giving her more importance? That damn witch, she's surely a witch."

"Lady Bai Hu?" one of the servants did bow and looked at Ming "As soon as she finished her task I saw her running to the main building of the manor"

Ming opened up his eyes, he looked worried.

"Don't tell me she went to the studio."