“I’ve brought a flute, Second Miss!” Ju Xi held up a flute as she came back.

“Play!” Li Daoyun took the flute from her and shoved it to the boy.

“Very well,” the boy nodded and put the flute to his lips. As soon as he blew into it, a beautiful melody started playing.

Love Me, Don’t Go[1]

As soon as the song started, Li Daoyun stopped hopping around and looked at the boy with shimmering eyes. The song permeated the air. Ju Xi closed her eyes and listened to the melody, not wanting to miss a second of it. At one point, Li Chyou had stopped training with her halberd as she stopped and listened to the song with her jaw agape. For a moment, other than the song nothing could be heard. Four people all stood still, one playing whilst the others listening quietly.

After four minutes or so, the melody came to the end. The boy opened his eyes and became stunned. The people around were staring at him.

“Young Miss, would you like to take a break?” the boy asked Li Chyou.

It seemed as though his question had brought her back to reality. She looked at him with slight admiration in her eyes, “What’s this melody called?”

“Love Me, Don’t Go.”

“Did you make this melody?”

“I did not.”

Hearing his reply, Li Chyou narrowed her eyes, “Impossible! I’ve listened to music many times and this is my first time listening to this particular one. You must’ve made it!”

The boy shook his head, “Young Miss, even as the Li Clan’s First Young Miss, can you truly say you’ve listened to every song or music in the world? Have you ever been out of Huangye town much less the Xi Kingdom?”

“I…” Li Chyou was dumbfounded. He was speaking the truth. She lowered her head. Even as the daughter of a big clan, I haven’t heard every song out there. She then looked at her butler.

“Where did you hear this from?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“You…don’t know?” Li Chyou frowned. “How can you not know where you heard it from?”

“Ask Master if you-” as the boy was speaking, Li Daoyun started hopping up and down. She grabbed his hands and swung them around.

“Wow! Wow! Wow! That was so good!” Li Daoyun praised. “Another one! Another one!”

“I’m terribly sorry, Second Miss. But I have to tend to First Miss,” he pointed towards Li Chyou who was sitting on tumbona, seemingly in deep thought.

“Mou!” Li Daoyun started pouting which coupled with her chubby face, looked cute.

“I’ll play Second Miss a song sometime else!” the boy promised as he walked towards Li Chyou and took off the shoes from her feet. Like before, he took an unused towel and started wiping off her sweat. Amidst all this, Li Chyou still hadn’t spoken up.

“You play the flute really well,” Ju Xi suddenly praised.

“Thank you,” the boy didn’t look up.

“What’s your name?”

“My name is-” but before he could introduce himself, Li Chyou suddenly spoke up, “Are you perhaps a fallen noble?”

“I don’t know,” the boy shook his head. He woke up near a crime scene, when would he have the time to figure his origins out? And during his time with Old Man Ouyang, he already decided not to go looking for his family. Perhaps that murdered couple were his parents but he had no way to know the truth. He wanted an origin, a root to tie himself to. So, he thinks that he might've been separated from his family. Regardless of where he comes from, if his family wanted him back, they’d try to find him themselves. Although this train of thought was incredibly selfish, he had no way around it. There were too many problems regarding his circumstances. A wrong turn could likely get him killed.

“You’re flute playing skills are too good!” Li Chyou stroked her chin in deep thought, “Perhaps you might be a scholar’s son.”

“Young Miss,” the boy smiled bitterly. “If that was the case, would I really be working here?”

“That’s…true!” Li Chyou’s eyes dimmed as her speculation was disproving.

“Where did you work before here?” Li Chyou asked again.

“In a tavern,” the boy replied concisely.

“You-”

“Then can you cook?” Li Daoyun cut in.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The boy smiled, “I can cook somewhat.”

“Then can you cook for Daoyun someday?”

“I-” the boy was having trouble keeping up with Li Daoyun’s energy.

“He’s my butler; he’ll only cook for me,” Li Chyou shot her younger sister down.

“It’s not fair for Big Sis to take him all for herself,” Li Daoyun angrily hit her sister’s chest.

The boy pursed his lips. Why does that sound a bit wrong?

“Hmph!” Li Chyou snorted and turned her head away from Li Daoyun.

Tears started welling up in Li Daoyun’s eyes. “Bad Big Sis! I won’t talk to you again!” she angrily spat out and ran away. Ju Xi bowed and ran after her.

The boy was dumbfounded. He looked at Li Chyou, “Was this really alright, Young Miss?”

Li Chyou stood up; she was slightly taller than the nine-year-old butler, so she looked down at him. With her fair white hand, she tilted his chin up and said, “You’re my butler. You’ll always do as I say.”

The boy’s head went blank. D-Did she awaken to something?

“But that’s…what I was hired to do,” after everything, the boy felt confused. Did she need to say this when he was here to do those exact things?

“Can’t you stick to the script!?” Li Chyou felt exasperated. She couldn’t even put up the image of the dominating Li Clan’s First Young Miss in front of this bastard.

“There was a script?” the boy was flabbergasted. What the hell is she spouting?

“Hmph!” Unable to retort, Li Chyou snorted and stomped away.

“Y-Young Miss,” seeing her leave, the boy was speechless. “You aren’t wearing any shoes…”

Li Chyou was near tears…

----------------------------------------

It was night. Li Yan was looking at documents and accounts in his study. When suddenly…

Bang!

The door slammed open. Li Chyou, wearing her nightgown, stomped in his study. Looking at his eldest daughter’s antics, Li Yan sighed. “Chyou`er, how many times have I told you not to slam the door open?”

“Dad, where did you get that bastard from!?” Li Chyou demanded.

“Bastard? Who are you talking about?” Li Yan frowned. Anyone his daughter called a bastard wasn’t a good person.

“That…that butler!” Li Chyou looked aggrieved.

“What?” Li Yan was stunned before he angrily slammed his desk, “Did he do something to you?”

“N-” Li Chyou was about to refuse but when she remembered this morning’s events and how he had changed her again in the night, she blushed and her voice became as quiet as a mosquito, “N-No…”

Li Yan’s face darkened. “Yu Hao!” he yelled.

Butler Yu appeared in a flash and bowed, “Master!”

“Tell me how that boy did today,” Li Yan ordered.

“Very well,” Butler Yu nodded and started recounting today’s events to Li Yan.

After he was done, Li Yan’s originally dark face was nowhere to be seen. His face was red and it looked like he was having trouble holding his laughter back.

“Dad, you-!” Li Chyou’s eyes widened. Her father was laughing at her plight.

“N-No, I’m fine!” Li Yan waved dismissively as he held his mouth with another hand.

“Stop laughing,” Li Chyou stomped at the ground angrily. “First that bastard, and now you?”

“It seems you really can’t do anything in front of him,” Li Yan suppressed his laughter and smiled at his daughter.

“Dad,” Li Chyou wore a serious expression, “Where did he come from?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head.

“Even you don’t know!? How does that happen?” Li Chyou felt exasperated. No one was giving her a clear answer.

“It’s because he himself doesn’t know.”

“He must be from a noble clan,” Li Chyou looked for confirmation, “He’s way too handsome and refined to be from an ordinary family.”

“At first, I thought so as well,” Li Yan nodded. “But he only seems to know some of the mannerisms. He doesn’t know the pride of nobility nor the happenings within clans.” He looked at Li Chyou, “Would you work as a servant if the Li Clan fell?”

“Absolutely not!” Li Chyou refused without hesitation.

“And that’s my point. Anyone in a high position will have the pride corresponding to their status. The higher their status, the higher their pride and the higher their disdain for those lower than them.” Li Yan paused, “But that boy has none of that. He doesn’t shy away from labor as if he had been working all his life.”

“But what of his attainments in music? He plays the flute better than anyone I’ve ever seen and plays music I’ve never even heard,” Li Chyou questioned.

“Is that the case, Yu Hao?” Li Yan looked at his butler.

“Indeed so,” Butler Yu nodded. “Even I have to admit, I was captivated by his performance.”

“Hmm…” Li Yan stroked his chin.

“Dad, what’s the matter with him?” Li Chyou asked what she wanted to all this time.

“He has no memory and is likely an orphan.”

“Really?” Li Chyou’s eyes widened.

“Really.” Li Yan then revealed the time he spent talking to the boy and all he knew.

“But why didn’t he tell me that himself?” Li Chyou hung her head.

“Because you wouldn’t believe him,” Butler Yu answered.

“Why not?” Li Chyou remembered that the boy had said something similar.

“You’d much rather believe a shocking fact you heard from someone you know rather than someone you don’t. And by that logic, he didn’t want to leave behind a wrong impression,” Butler Yu calmly explained.

“R-Really?” Li Chyou was dumbfounded. Is he really that smart?

“See, Yu Hao?” Li Yan looked at Butler Yu with admiration in his eyes, “Didn’t I pick the right guy as her butler?”

“That remains to be seen,” Butler Yu replied expressionlessly.

“Dad,” Li Chyou beckoned.

“Hmm?” Li Yan looked at his eldest daughter’s inquiring expression.

“Why don’t you teach him Cultivation-”

“No.”

“Wha-? You didn’t even consider it!” Li Chyou was surprised.

“He’s not trustworthy enough,” Li Yan shook his head.

“Then why did you make him my butler?”

“I trust his abilities but I don’t trust him as a person yet.”

“That’s…” Li Chyou couldn’t retort. Come to think of it, didn’t the boy say something similar as well?

“He knows this too. So, he doesn’t complain.” It was obvious who Li Yan was talking about.

“Master,” Butler Yu spoke up.

“Yes?”

“Second Young Miss also wants a butler.”

“Where did this come from?” Li Yan was dumbfounded.

“She met First Young Miss’ butler. Now, she wants and I quote, ‘A pretty butler who can play music for Daoyun’.”

“Where am I supposed to get another one?” Li Yan looked helpless. “It was already rare finding someone like him and now I have to find another?”

He looked at Butler Yu with a hopeful expression, “Do you think he knows someone like that?”

“Unlikely.”

Li Yan slumped back into his chair. He shook his head, “Anyway, where is he?”

“He’s at the servants’ hall, eating,” Butler Yu answered.

“His first day went well. I want to see how he does going on,” Li Yan spoke to no one in particular with some expectation in his eyes.

Now, the person in question was…

“Please, stop!”

“I-I know it looks pretty but I’m a man!”

“There are so many other people who you can do this to!”

In the servants’ hall, the boy was surrounded by maids as they tried to apply make-up to him. The number of times he heard, ‘You look so pleasing!’ couldn’t be counted.

Also, the male servants were glaring at him, hard! If looks could kill, the boy would’ve died on a crucifix.

With the melodious laughter of the maids like tinkling bells, the boy’s first day as a butler ended.