The former maid sank to her knees and kowtowed to Yuelan and Guangfeng without any prompting from the guards escorting her. She said nothing as she waited for Yuelan and Guangfeng to speak.

Yuelan got up from her seat and walked over to Laurel. She knelt in front of the servant and helped her sit up. As soon as her hand touched Laurel’s arm the servant girl flinched, but she still sat up and looked at Yuelan with tear-filled eyes.

“Did you drug my tea the night I was abducted, Laurel?” Yuelan asked quietly.

Laurel nodded. “Yes, Miss, I did.” A tear slid down her cheek and she looked down at her knees in shame.

“Why did you do it? Did I do something to cause you to dislike me?”

The servant girl’s head shot up and she looked at Yuelan with wide eyes. “No, Miss! You’ve been very kind and understanding. No master treats their servants as well as Miss does!” Laurel’s expression changed from shock to pain again. “It was for my younger brother. He’s my family’s only son. With the money I’ve been sending home from my wages my parents have been saving up to start a shop and my brother will need to inherit it.” She looked over at Yun Cai. “But that man there said that if I didn’t do as I was told the palace would take him and force him to become a eunuch. He would never leave the palace and my parents would have no heir and no one to care for them when they became old.” More tears slid down Laurel’s cheek and she covered her face with her hands as she started to cry. “I didn’t want my parents or my brother to suffer. He’s only a child. How could he survive in a place like the imperial palace? I tried to resist and kept telling him I wouldn’t do it but...but then my brother was taken. I’m so sorry, Miss. I know I was wrong. I know what I did is punished with death, but I couldn’t just abandon my younger brother!”

Yuelan wrapped her arms around Laurel. “It’s alright. I would have done the same thing in your place. Nothing should be more important than your own family.” She looked over at Guangfeng. “Can you save her brother?” she asked him. “It’s not too late already, is it?”

“I don’t know,” Guangfeng told her, sighing. “But I can do my best. Children brought in to become eunuchs are usually kept in the same hall. I’ll have someone check and see if they can find him if that’s what you want.” He frowned. “Regardless, Laurel’s punishment still has to be carried out. The punishment for betraying and harming your master is to be beaten to death.”

“No.” Yuelan said firmly. She wrapped her arms tightly around Laurel and glared at Guangfeng. “That punishment is ridiculous for something as minor as this and there are extenuating circumstances.”

Guangfeng frowned. “Yuelan, she betrayed you once. What’s to say she won’t do it again?”

“Understanding inspires loyalty, Guangfeng,” Yuelan insisted. “She’s a person, not an object, and she has thoughts and feelings too. I’ll protect her family. I have a shop that needs reliable workers and her brother can work as my page until he’s old enough to work in the shop with his parents.”

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“If you just forgive her then others will be more inclined to take advantage of your kindness. You won’t be safe in your own home,” Guangfeng argued. He turned toward the guards on either side of Laurel and Yuelan and started to give the order to have Laurel beaten.

“Don’t you dare!” Yuelan snapped. She stood up and her eyes flashed as she glared at the third prince. “She is my servant and I will make the decision! We aren’t married yet, and even if we were I wouldn’t let you do this. Now shut your mouth and let me do as I see fit.”

Guangfeng frowned. “Yuelan, I’m trying to protect you.”

“I’m perfectly capable of managing my own household, Guangfeng. I did it for my father and I’ve been doing it since I came here. Yes, customs and laws are different where I’m from, but people are still people. I prefer to be the kind of master who inspires loyalty rooted in love and appreciation, not fear. And I don’t need your protection. I have Byakko and Long He for that and I’ve been learning how to protect myself.” Yuelan put her hands on her hips and stared into Guangfeng’s eyes until he sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand.

“Fine. Have it your way.” The third prince sank back into his seat and looked over at the table with a grumpy expression.

“I will.” Yuelan sniffed and looked back at Laurel. “I won’t have you killed, but that doesn’t mean that you’re going to go without punishment. Given that you have been locked in the prisons for a while, I’ll give you a lighter punishment. You’ll spend the next month working in the laundry in the manor. At the end of the month you’ll return to being my personal servant. However, this is your last chance. If you betray me again you’ll be kicked out of the manor completely.”

Laurel stared at Yuelan in shock. “M-miss, you’re going to forgive me?” The servant girl’s voice trembled with disbelief.

“Of course. This is your first offense. You only slipped something into my tea and only because you wanted to save your brother. You’ve been very helpful and an excellent servant except for this one incident. It’s much more difficult to find someone I can get along well with to replace you than it is to forgive you for something like this.” Yuelan smiled and pulled Laurel to her feet. “That’s enough kneeling. It makes me uncomfortable when people do that. Let’s go home.”

Laurel started to cry again. She sniffed and wiped at her tears with the dirty sleeve of her dress. “Thank you, Miss. I swear I will not betray you again.”

Yuelan nodded and looked over at Guangfeng. “I want her brother brought to my manor as soon as possible. Until then, I don’t really want to talk to you. You should think about the value of a life in the meantime.”

Guangfeng looked over at Yuelan, a little startled. “You’re that angry with me?”

“Of course. How about you think about why that might be as well, since you don’t seem to understand it yourself. I’m not going to give you any hints, either. I’ll see myself out. Laurel knows the way, I’m sure.” Yuelan turned and headed out of the main hall with Laurel and Byakko right behind her.

Yun Cai chuckled and looked over at Guangfeng. “Good luck, Your Highness.” Without saying anything else, he followed after the others to leave Heping Palace.