Chapter 73
That was something from so long ago—maybe eight or nine years? any case, Wakako had only just become the Saint’s personal servant and occasionally performed other duties within the Saionji clan estate.
She had a good relationship with Kyouka-mama and often helped her with physically demanding tasks. That day, the Saionji clan was hosting a banquet to entertain other nobles, and all the servants were overwhelmed with work.
Kyouka-mama approached Wakako and said, “Since the Saint has gone to the palace and won’t be back until tomorrow, could you come help me later?”
When Wakako first arrived at the Saionji clan, it was Kyouka-mama who taught her etiquette. Knowing that Wakako was slower than others in this aspect, she always patiently guided her and took good care of her. So whenever Kyouka-mama needed help, Wakako would readily offer her assistance.
She changed out of the brown robe that only the Saint’s attendants could wear and into the same attire as the other servants. After washing her hands, she headed to the kitchen to help prepare dishes and steam desserts.
While she was working, another servant rushed into the kitchen in a panic. Seeing Wakako, his face lit up with relief. “Once this batch of pastries are done, take it to the garden.”
“Who should I give it to?”
“A group of young nobles chatting together—you’ll find them easily.”
“Alright.”
Wakako didn’t think too much about why he specifically sought her out to deliver the food or why he looked so relieved. She simply waited for the pastries to be ready, then picked up the food box and headed towards the garden.
In the garden, tables were also set up so that the younger nobles could enjoy the flowers while chatting freely.
Soon, the group of young masters and young mistresses, seated in a circle, spotted Wakako. “Are those the pastries we ordered?”
Wakako bowed politely, then opened the food box. The pastries were already individually plated on porcelain dishes, and she placed them in front of each person.
Among them, the only one she vaguely recognized was a distant cousin from the Saionji clan, but she hadn’t interacted with him much and couldn’t even recall his name.
At that moment, the cousin was silently lowering his head, seemingly reluctant to talk to the others.
But the rest were watching him with keen interest. Across from him, a young master from Kiyoshi clan spoke first, his voice laced with sarcasm, “Long time no see, cousin.”
The cousin’s head drooped even lower.
No one present spoke up for him. Everyone knew about the scandal – this cousin was nominally a young master of the Saionji clan, but his true background was complicated.
Years ago, two young nobles from the Saionji and Kiyoshi clans had an illicit affair, resulting in this “bastard” child. Neither of them wanted to acknowledge him. Later, because the Saionji clan produced the Saint and rose to prominence, it wouldn’t do to have their bloodline wandering outside, so they took him in and raised him as a distant cousin.
The younger generation of nobles wouldn’t openly make things difficult for him, but they naturally looked down on this cousin.
The young master from the Kiyoshi clan, needless to say, was related to him by blood, which made the situation even more embarrassing for him.
Wakako didn’t understand these things, nor could she decipher the hidden meanings in their words. She had just placed a pastry in front of Young Master Kiyoshi when the porcelain dish suddenly fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. The pastry inside also landed on the ground, inedible.
Young Master Kiyoshi retracted his hand and exclaimed, “Oh no, it fell. What a shame.”
As if he wasn’t the one who had pushed it.
“Such fine pastries wasted just like that—truly a shame,” Young Master Kiyoshi said with a smirk. “Cousin, how about you swap with me?”
He was, in front of everyone, asking the cousin to pick up the dirty pastry and eat it.
The other servants present, including Wakako, wanted to squat down and clean up the mess, which would have indirectly smoothed things over, but Young Master Kiyoshi stopped them. “No need. My cousin always cares for us younger ones. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
They were all around the same age, so there was no real seniority among them.
The servants naturally couldn’t offend the nobles, so they remained silent. Moreover, the cousin wasn’t favored within the Saionji clan, so no one would risk offending others for his Miki.
The other young nobles at the table also remained silent, only looking at the cousin with varying expressions, anticipating his reaction. Whether he lost his temper in public or swallowed his anger, he would become a laughingstock.
Wakako suddenly became lost in thought. She recalled the time when she was wrongly accused of stealing and running away from the Kitagawa clan, and how the people she thought were her companions had looked at her with the same expressions.
Pleasure, delight—as if her embarrassment and wrongful accusation were a drug that fueled their excitement.
Just as the cousin’s pale lips parted to give his answer, Wakako took another plate of pastry from the food box and placed it in front of Young Master Kiyoshi.
She wasn’t as eloquent as these nobles and didn’t know what to say that would be appropriate, so she said nothing, only expressing her meaning through her actions – there are plenty of pastries; there’s no need to eat that one.
Wakako then gave a slight bow and turned to leave.
Young Master Kiyoshi was stunned for a moment before he reacted. A mere servant dared to defy him, especially in front of so many people! At the very least, it was a loss of face for him. At worst, it was a blatant disrespect towards the Kiyoshi clan.
His face flushed red with anger. “Hey! You stop right there!”
Wakako stopped and turned around.
Young Master Kiyoshi sneered, “I came all this way to attend the banquet out of admiration for the Saionji clan, but I didn’t expect even a servant here to be rude to me. It seems we’re not welcome guests.”
These words were harsh, and the other servants were frightened and hurriedly bowed to apologize. “Young Master, please don’t misunderstand!”
“I wasn’t being rude,” Wakako said with her head lowered. “I was just replacing your dessert with a fresh one.”
This sentence further ignited Young Master Kiyoshi’s anger. “I told my cousin to swap pastries with me; I didn’t instruct you! Who are you to interfere? Is this how your family’s servants behave? Kneel down!”
The other servants knew that Wakako wasn’t an ordinary servant but someone who attended to the Saint. They were in a difficult position. On one side was the Kiyoshi clan, and on the other was the Saint. Neither of them could be offended.
Moreover, it was no longer appropriate to explain the situation to Young Master Kiyoshi at this point, as it would only further exacerbate the conflict between the two families.
A quick-witted servant, seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, ran off to get help. Everyone had witnessed how the Saint treated Wakako. If a real conflict arose, it could easily escalate beyond control.
Sure, the cousin being bullied wasn’t new, but why did Wakako have to interfere?
But Wakako didn’t think she was meddling. She was simply doing what she thought was right. If the one being bullied today wasn’t the cousin but some other stranger, she would have done the same.
Because before she was thirteen, Wakako, who wandered the streets scavenging for scraps, survived on the kindness of others. Countless small acts of goodwill sustained her day by day until now.
But later, Wakako would recall this day countless times. She didn’t regret placing that plate of desserts in front of Young Master Kiyoshi. No matter how many times she relived it, she would make the same choice.
She only regretted that time didn’t stop at that moment.
At that moment, she didn’t back down. Young Master Kiyoshi, furious, let out a chilling laugh and narrowed his eyes as he pulled a whip from his waist.
After all, she was a servant from another family. He couldn’t kill her, but he could still beat and scold her without any repercussions.
“Alright, alright, you insist on taking on this task for your cousin. You’re quite the loyal servant.” Young Master Kiyoshi cracked his whip on the ground, shattering the dessert into pieces. He arrogantly commanded, “Then pick it up and eat it.”
Wakako didn’t respond or move.
In the next instant, the whip landed on her, leaving a bloody mark on her arm. Young Master Kiyoshi must have practiced martial arts, as he possessed considerable strength. The sleeve on her forearm was torn to shreds, soaked in blood, and barely hanging on.
She couldn’t feel the pain, but she could feel all eyes on her. Some were filled with disdain, some with mockery, others with satisfaction at her suffering, and some with indifference. Like sharp blades, they pierced her, leaving her riddled with wounds.
A young mistress spoke softly, “Just a servant…” but restrained herself from saying more.
“Just a servant…”
The young master sitting across from her revealed a similar, meaningful smile.
“Truly…”
“Heh.”
A young mistress covered her mouth with her fan, stifling a laugh.
What’s wrong with being just a servant?
Why didn’t they finish their sentences?
Wakako opened her mouth but didn’t voice her question.
She saw that all the nobles were exchanging knowing glances, silently mocking her ignorance and audacity.
Wakako couldn’t describe how she felt. She only knew that she hated their gazes, as if her sole purpose for existing was to amuse them.
The cousin she had helped seemed to try to step forward and intervene, but Young Master Kiyoshi casually pushed him to the ground, causing him to stumble.
The second lash, the third lash, they seemed endless, as if he wouldn’t stop until she lowered her head and picked up the crumbs of the cake, eating them one by one.
Wakako finally reached out and grabbed the tip of the whip, her hand becoming covered in blood.
At that moment, she forgot who she was, and she forgot who they were. All she could see was the red blood.
If only such a beautiful red could endlessly cover the entire earth.
The blood of one person wasn’t enough. She wanted more, more.
Wakako didn’t know when she regained her senses. When she finally became aware again, she was the only one left standing in the garden.
The thick stench of blood filled the air, making her think she was standing in a butcher’s shop, watching animals being slaughtered.
Wet, dirty, nauseating. The young nobles who had been seated moments ago were all lying on the ground, unconscious. Each of them had varying degrees of injuries, from their arms to their legs. The wounds were wide open, and the blood flowed together, seeping into the soil of the flowerbeds nearby.
The other servants had also fainted in fear.
Young Master Kiyoshi, who had initiated the attack, lay sprawled on the ground with his eyes wide open. He had stopped breathing, his skin torn and his mouth twisted to the side, his eyes still open in death.
Red blood covered the entire garden, staining the white roses with a color they shouldn’t have, yet somehow making them appear even more vibrant.
Wakako’s hands were also covered in blood, continuously flowing, unable to stop.
Even when the familiar white robe enveloped her, and she was told that it wasn’t her fault, that it was because she had tasted the Saint’s blood for the first time and her body hadn’t adjusted yet, causing her to lose control, Wakako never forgot this scene.
From then on, she never dared to attend another banquet.
