Chapter 5: also marks the beginning of a good life.

The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the iron gate. Inside, Shu Yue opened her amber-colored eyes.

Click~

The carriage door was opened from the outside, allowing more light to spill in.

Shu Yue looked over. A man and a woman stood there, wearing respectful expressions.

The man was a neatly dressed steward. He stepped forward and bowed to Shu Yue as she descended from the carriage.

“Honored Lord White, welcome to your estate.”

He used the White surname, so Shu Yue didn’t immediately realize he was addressing her.

Shu Yue did not reply. Her gaze moved past the man to what lay behind him.

At that moment, Anna also stepped down from the carriage. As soon as she did, she saw the rows of maids and servants lining both sides of the path beyond the iron gate. At a glance, there were over a hundred of them, and they all looked quite young. Fortunately, Anna had sneaked into noble manors before, so she knew this setup was fairly standard. Even so, her heart still surged with excitement.

In the past, no one had ever lined up like this to welcome her.

The man introduced himself.

“My name is Barton. I am one of the stewards of this estate. Lord White, if you need anything, please let me know. This is the head maid, Catherine.”

The woman stepped forward and curtsied gracefully to Shu Yue.

She was a young and beautiful woman. Beneath her maid uniform was a curvaceous figure with prominent curves that were quite alluring. Her light makeup carried a touch of charm, and her eyes and brows exuded a subtle seductiveness.

She revealed a gentle smile in front of Shu Yue and spoke softly,

“Lord White, from now on I am your head maid, Catherine. All matters concerning the maids in this estate will be handled by me. If you have any special requests, please tell me. The maids will serve your daily life well.”

“…”

Shu Yue remained silent for a moment before responding.

“Mr. Barton, and Miss Catherine, I’ll be troubling you then.”

“We are at your service.”

“We are at your service.”

Both bowed their heads respectfully, putting on a perfect show.

Yet Shu Yue felt something strange inside. Perhaps because her body had become female, she had grown more sensitive to certain things. She could clearly sense that something was off.

Right now, Steward Barton, Head Maid Catherine, and all the attached servants and maids showed Shu Yue only surface-level respect. In their eyes, there was a clear undertone of ‘I have someone backing me.’

She turned to look at Anna and Mundo. Anna’s eyes were full of excitement, while Mundo wore his usual simple, foolish expression.

Shu Yue did not dwell too much on whether these servants and maids respected her. After all, this identity as Lia White was stolen. None of this truly belonged to her, so she felt no resentment.

Moreover, there were definitely spies planted among these people. Probably quite a few.

Surrounded by the servants and maids, they walked along the main path into the estate and entered the five-story mansion.

Shu Yue naturally went to her own room. Anna and Mundo, who came with her, were also assigned rooms. Although Anna was acting as a maid, she was brought by Shu Yue. Mundo was positioned as a guard, so they were different from the ordinary maids and servants and could stay inside the main mansion.

Their rooms were not on the same floor as hers. As the master of the estate, she occupied an entire floor by herself.

The room was frighteningly large, and the décor was extremely luxurious and elegant. Even the furniture alone could be described as dazzling. Every inch of the floor, walls, and ceiling was meticulously crafted. No one could imagine how much it must have cost to build.

The estate itself was also massive. Located in the inner city, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, only people with real status could live here. Who knew how much money had been spent on this place, not to mention the sale contracts of all the servants that came with it. Just those contracts alone were worth a considerable sum of gold coins.

However, to her cheap father-in-law, Baron Lester, all of this was nothing more than a trivial gift that could be given away without hesitation.

At her first dinner in the estate, Shu Yue finally witnessed what noble luxury truly meant. More than twenty different dishes were laid out on the table, each one unique, colorful, fragrant, and delicious. Two beautiful fifteen- or sixteen-year-old maids tasted every single dish in front of her. They were the poison testers.

Two other maids stood beside Shu Yue, ready to attend to their master while eating. The rest of the maids stood quietly on the side, waiting for orders. They remained completely silent, making no sound that might disturb their master’s meal. Even their breathing was soft and light.

Shu Yue swept her gaze across their faces. Every one of them had fair skin and beautiful features. If placed outside, they would all be cherished young beauties.

“You may all leave.”

The maids froze in place. The one responsible for cutting the meat paused mid-action. They looked at Shu Yue with slight confusion and a trace of fear on their faces. Shu Yue, however, had no intention of explaining.

“This is an order.”

“Yes, Master.” ×N

The maids responded in unison, then lowered their heads and withdrew from the dining room. Steward Barton looked somewhat surprised at the scene.

Head Maid Catherine stepped forward and asked softly,

“Lord White, did they do something wrong? I will punish them afterward and make sure they correct their behavior.”

“It’s nothing. I’m fine alone. All of you should leave as well.”

“…”

Both Head Maid Catherine and Steward Barton fell silent. They exchanged a glance before replying.

“Understood, Lord White.”

Once everyone had left the dining room and closed the door behind them, Shu Yue cast a Dust-rank perception spell to confirm no one was watching. Only then did she let out a long breath and begin eating heartily.

“So good~”

The food tasted excellent and carried the rich aroma of many expensive spices.

She had dismissed the maids not because she hated being served, but because she felt uncomfortable when too many people were around.

After eating her fill, she rested for an hour. Shu Yue then prepared to wash up and go to sleep. She definitely wouldn’t let any maids in for the bath. It would be troublesome if anyone discovered the secret of her body.

If rumors spread that “Baron Lester’s daughter’s fiancé is actually a girl in disguise,” it would cause major problems. Although women could marry and have children with each other in this world, very few actually did so. While female-female unions could double the population growth, there was one major issue… they could only give birth to girls.

It was said that this setting allowing girls to conceive was the work of some unknown existence. Scholars were still debating to this day whether it was a blessing or a curse to all living beings…

“In other words, any children born would definitely be twin sisters.”

Shu Yue sat on the bed, letting her thoughts wander. She shook her head and washed away all those strange ideas.

After stopping her daydreaming, she sat cross-legged on the soft, large bed.

The bed was wide enough for three adults to lie side by side with plenty of space left over. The bedding felt warm and incredibly soft. In both her past and present lives, Shu Yue had never slept in such a grand bed. Today, she was finally enjoying it.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and cast a special spell.

Basic Spell · Mind Sketch!