"Watching people is hard!" Otto complained loudly as he nudged open the front doors with his foot, interrupting the cleaning frenzy of Hana and Li Mei in the other room. Bao carried several packages on his back, boxes and bags tied securely in place by the practiced hands of professional attendants. "People kept getting mad at me for staring, but Bao snorted at them and they ran away real fast. Also, I've learned that nobles and rich people talk a lot."
Li Mei paused, leaning out of the partially-scrubbed study to raise inquisitive eyebrows in Bao's direction. In response, the Fera shook his head slightly and rolled his four eyes. Nothing bad happened. Li Mei wiped her good hand on a cloth before patting Bao's head to show her appreciation. "What did you buy?"
"Ah, supplies!" Otto stood at attention, a big grin on his face. He looked quite proud of himself, which wasn't an expression the boy wore very often. "I bought work clothes, and gloves, and hand tools, and food, and some other stuff like jars and spice boxes. I got some great deals, the workers at the stores were really nice and helpful!"
"Let me see your card."
Hana perked up, remembering the promise from that morning, which prompted Otto to retrieve the card from inside his coat at the speed of light. His card went from indigo to somewhere in the lower range of blue from one shopping trip!
'He definitely got suckered by some salesmen.' Suppressing the urge to laugh, Li Mei patted Otto on the shoulder after using another short thread of mana to turn the card back to indigo. With her mana quality they were rich enough to cover extra expenses.
'Ah, I can finally live in luxury. I can't wait!' Li Mei sighed. Not just comfort, or ease, but luxury! Scented soaps, silky shampoo, long baths and a comfortable bed! Thanks to her excellent mana quality, those goals were already in sight!
Everyone set about unpacking Otto's purchases, stashing them into a corner until the pantry was clean enough to store food again.
Their number one priority, as stated by Li Mei, was to get all portraits off the walls. Only then could they clean the previously haunted house in peace, without rows and rows of stranger's eyes watching their every movement. Anything cloth, including the mattresses, was taken to the basement in order to be properly burned in secret later.
'Ah, maybe I should dissolve it instead. I could definitely synthesize an acid suitable for breaking down cloth, but... The ashes from burning it might be good for fertilizer? But burning things in a closed-off basement is a bad habit to show the children. Ugh, I have no idea if this city has garbage disposal of some sort, what a pain!'
Just as Li Mei was pondering the waste conundrum, a loud knock on the front doors rang throughout the house and interrupted her train of thought. Bao twitched his ears but didn't go on alert, signaling he didn't detect hostility or menace. "Answer the door, Otto. Hana, is there dust on my face? Wipe it, I can't look like I've been helping you clean."
Moments later, as Li Mei was considering holding a book and lounging on a bench to look pompous and elite, a very nervous Otto led two people into the room. A gentleman and a lady, both in servant clothing matching Li Mei's little adjutants, but with a bearing that put Hana and Otto's inexperience to shame.
The man's short black hair was peppered with silver at the temples, matching a carefully trimmed salt-and-pepper beard. Crow's feet accented his dark eyes, laugh lines that told of good humor and kindness even if his handsome face held a stern expression.
The lady's hair was already silver all over, but age did nothing to diminish the beauty of her youth. It was gathered into a loose bun at the nape of her neck, a few stray curls framing a round face. A gentle smile graced her lips, and she kept her hands folded demurely in front of her belly.
The man bowed, while the woman dipped a curtsy. Their movements were refined, elegant, practiced, and perfect.
Li Mei raised her eyebrows, glancing at Otto to hint with her eyes.
Clearing his throat, the boy straightened his shoulders and racked his brain trying to remember Faust's many etiquette lessons. "Miss Li Mei, might I introduce... Ah... Mister Lucas and Missus Vera Cromwell. They, um, come recommended by Professor Bishop for the steward and housekeeper positions."
The man, Lucas, retrieved a sealed envelope from his coat and passed it to Otto. Otto fumbled a little, unsure whether to open the letter or just hand it over. Seeing the amusement in the older servant's eyes, Li Mei stepped in to rescue him by swiping the envelope from his hands.
"As you can see, my adjutants are both young and inexperienced. I hope you can forgive their behavior." Li Mei smiled, glancing down at the seal on the envelope.
A crudely drawn plum blossom.
Faust asked once for a symbol, something she would recognize as being from him without giving away his identity when undercover. She drew a plum blossom flower, something she used to doodle a lot back on Earth. The margins of her class notes were always bursting with floral decoration.
But art wasn't really her strong suit, so they didn't look very good. For him to have perfectly reproduced even the flaws in her drawing...
Really annoying!
She opened the envelope with one hand, tearing the wax seal to forever erase the shameful drawing from existence. There were three pieces of paper inside, two contracts of indentured servitude and a letter from Faust. The contents of the letter were plain and simple: 'I poached these two to help you. Dismiss them if you want, but they're skilled.'
'Oi, oi. Indentured servitude is a form of slavery you weasel bastard! Trying to make me into a slave owner like you? In your dreams!' Li Mei spat in her heart, glancing over the contracts which stated the Cromwell couple were victims of debt bondage that went back generations. Through no fault of their own, they were doomed to serve a master their entire life in the hopes of one day earning freedom for their descendants.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Both Lucas and Vera apparently received training at some official academy for household servants. They could read, write, calculate, knew basic swordsmanship and noble etiquette, could balance finances and manage schedules. Vera was an excellent cook with knowledge regarding medicines and herbs, while Lucas was talented with handicrafts like sewing and embroidery. Though neither had Cores they were each in the high end of Rank 1 which told volumes of their capability in combat and the depth of their previous training.
As for the amount they owed...
Li Mei's mouth twitched. She finally looked up, carefully controlling her expression into one of mild superiority as she created two Contracts for the Cromwells to sign. "Keep my secrets, train my adjutants, perform your duties as butler and housekeeper of a noble family. In exchange, I will provide a living wage, shelter, and status as servants of the Yueluo Clan. You will also receive a 300c hiring bonus. If you buy out your debt, you are free to continue in my service or seek employment elsewhere, but my secrets will remain secret regardless. Are we agreed?"
Lucas and Vera read their Contracts once before signing. They didn't hesitate, or argue terms, or request a specific amount of compensation. Li Mei hid her smile as she asked to see their bank cards for their hiring bonus.
They may have been delivered to her door by Faust, but she'd be a fool to turn away such talented help. Besides, her Mana Sight revealed they didn't have so much as an enchanted item between the two, much less any traces of suspiciously familiar purple mana.
A quick Scan confirmed the information on their contracts to be accurate, and there was no sign of any strange enchantments or magic effects that the Interface could detect.
She could use them without fully trusting them. But appearing to trust them could afford advantages as well, especially if they were willingly acting under Faust's orders instead of being coerced.
The initially dull red cards of the Cromwells turned indigo in a matter of seconds once the long threads of Li Mei's mana sank into the metal. Lucas stared at his card with wide, unblinking eyes, while Vera's card trembled in her hands. "Miss... Miss Mei... The Contract said our hiring bonus was 300c?"
"It was 300c." Li Mei's innocent smothered smile turned into a mischievous grin. "I have very high mana quality. 300 for me... is probably between 13000 to 16000 for others. I haven't done the exact calculations, but that's my closest estimate. With that in mind... My, your daily wages would be quite outstanding, wouldn't they? With the amount stated in our Contracts, you'd be able to pay off your family's debt bondage in... About three days?"
Vera's hands didn't stop shaking, and tears started pouring from her green eyes. Her lips moved as though she wanted to speak, but no noise managed to escape her throat. Meanwhile, her husband stared straight forward at Li Mei, his gaze searching her face. His gloved hands tightened on the bank card, until cloth creaked and his knuckles cracked audibly.
Such a show of goodwill was the best way to buy loyalty, but it was also a way to test one's character. Li Mei tapped their servitude contracts against her chin. Indentured servitude contracts had their own binding seal on them managed by the First Merchant's Bank, a micro array that verified their authenticity and could be used to punish individuals trying to flee their debt.
The bank managing indentured servitude contracts kept people from being dishonest about letting the debtors go free. Tearing up the papers and declaring their freedom from her service wouldn't do any good, the contracts had to be bought officially. She didn't have enough mana to completely pay off their contracts in one go, and it would be troublesome if the couple thought it was charity born of pity.
People who were too kind got taken advantage of. If rumors spread about how the Young Miss had a habit of freeing slaves out of the goodness of her heart, she'd never hear the end of it! From those wishing to be free hailing her as their potential savior, and from those wishing to keep others enslaved who saw her very existence an eyesore. Trouble would always be lurking around every corner, and she wasn't ready to make herself an enemy of society.
Yet.
She needed useful people, but she didn't need slaves. She lacked the power and resources to free every slave she came across for the moment, but Li Mei could do something to help the married couple live out the rest of their days in relative comfort in exchange for making use of their ability.
In short, it was a calculated transaction that benefited both sides. Obeying orders unrelated to their jobs wasn't part of the Contract, it didn't force them into anything unsavory and aside from sharing her secrets, they could leave at any time.
Li Mei's Contract gave a concise message: 'Work for me and I'll treat you well.' Once they bought out their debt contracts, with her assistance, if they freely chose to work for her that loyalty would be worth far more than what she paid. The clever Cromwells would surely be capable of reading between the lines for her intentions.
Lucas exchanged glances with his wife, who smiled through a face full of tears. They tucked their bank cards away, then each performed a deep, formal bow. "Our deepest gratitude, Young Miss."
Li Mei waved a hand, stashing the contracts away in her pocket. "Don't be so formal when it's just us here. I think my adjutants would explode if they had to restrict their speech all the time... Speaking of which, these are my retainers: Otto, Hana, and Bao. They'll be in your care from now on.
"This dwelling was chosen for the atmospheric mana density on the property, but the house itself is a mess. Cleaning the kitchen, a bathroom, and at least two bedrooms are the goals for today. Keep a record of your purchases for the household so I can reimburse you. If you wish to find temporary lodging until the house is cleaned, you may do so.
"Vera, instruct Otto. He has a talent for cooking and gardening that should be nurtured. Lucas, Hana has promise as a lady's maid and bodyguard. Otto, Hana, we've never lived in a foreign city so make sure to learn well. I'll expect everyone's progress reports before dinner. Every meal should involve magic produce and meat from high Rank beasts, with larger portions for Bao."
Li Mei waved a hand dismissively after giving her orders, then retreated to the study. With the creepy portraits taken down and hidden in a pile with the moldy curtains, the entire room became a lot more bright and welcoming.
She chose a particularly thick and complicated book from the shelves, lounging in the desk chair before the tall study windows overlooking the scraggly front yard. Bao took up a spot next to her chair, resting his head on the armrest while she laid the book across her lap.
"This place won't be so bad once it's cleaned up. Bao, keep an eye on those two. Let me know if they act suspicious." Li Mei glanced down, ruffling the soft fur just under Bao's large, bat-like ears. "You don't happen to already know how to learn Telepathy, do you?"
Bao was the middle of Rank 2, as always frustratingly stronger than her by a significant margin. Fera could learn Telepathy after Rank 2, but Li Mei had no idea if it was a natural occurrence or something they had to learn in a specific way.
Unfortunately, Bao shook his head and gave a world-weary sigh. He, too, wanted to communicate with his troublesome little sister. The elders of his herd would often instruct the younglings through Telepathy, but he was too young when he left to have picked up the spell.
Li Mei patted his head before turning her attention back to the book - at least externally. She was developing the skill for pretending to read a book while browsing her Archive. "It's alright. I'll help you figure it out when the time comes."