The afternoon sun filtered through the carved lattice windows, casting delicate patterns across the polished wooden floor.
Nanny Niu led He Xinyi through a winding corridor before stopping outside a quiet courtyard. She pushed open the lacquered doors.
"This will be your residence, Miss."
Xinyi stepped inside.
The room was unexpectedly elegant. Silk curtains draped around the bed, a polished dressing table stood beside the window, and delicate porcelain vases rested upon carved shelves. Everything had been prepared with care.
Yet she scarcely noticed any of it.
Her thoughts remained with only one person.
Mother...
Was Concubine Ning truly ill? Was she suffering alone? Why had they refused to let her see her?
Before she could ask another question, Nanny Niu clapped her hands.
Two young maids entered together, stopping several steps before Xinyi.
Both bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, Miss Xinyi."
Xinyi offered them a gentle smile.
"Please rise."
The two girls stood.
Nanny Niu spoke in her usual stiff manner.
"These are your personal maids from today onward. The taller one is Nua, and the other is Roe. They will attend to your daily needs."
She glanced at the maids before turning back toward Xinyi.
"If there is nothing else, this servant shall take her leave."
Without waiting for a reply, she walked away.
The courtyard finally became quiet.
Xinyi looked toward the two maids. Unlike Nanny Niu, neither wore an arrogant expression. They seemed nervous more than anything else.
She sat beside the table and gestured for them to come closer.
"I've forgotten many things..." she admitted softly. "Tell me about this household."
The two exchanged uncertain glances.
After a moment, Nua stepped forward.
"Miss, our master, Lord He Yan, has two wives and several concubines."
Xinyi listened attentively.
"The First Madam is Madam He, Lady Ye Li. She manages the entire household."
Nua lowered her voice slightly.
"She has two children—Young Master He Changyu, the eldest son, and Miss He Changli, the eldest daughter."
"And the second wife?" Xinyi asked.
"Madam Xin."
Nua smiled faintly.
"She has no children of her own, so she adopted her younger brother's son, Young Master He Yanxin. He is only nine years old but is said to be exceptionally intelligent."
Xinyi nodded slowly.
"And my... birth mother?"
"Concubine Ning."
At those words, Xinyi unconsciously tightened her grip on her sleeve.
Nua noticed but continued carefully.
"Besides Concubine Ning, there is also Concubine Ming, Master's youngest and most favored concubine. She has yet to bear a child."
Roe took over.
"There is also Miss He Weiyi."
"A sister?"
"Yes, Miss."
"She is the daughter of Concubine Wu Jin."
Roe's expression softened.
"Concubine Wu Jin passed away while giving birth to her younger brother, Young Master He Jinyu. Since then, both children have been raised within the household."
Xinyi remained silent, committing every name to memory.
"And Elder Madam He?" she asked.
Nua immediately straightened.
"She is the matriarch of the He family—Master He's mother. Everyone in the household answers to her. Even the First Madam shows her the utmost respect."
For a moment, the room fell quiet.
Xinyi lowered her eyes, slowly piecing together the complicated web of relationships.
"So many people..." she murmured.
"And yet..."
She looked up at the two maids.
"...I feel like a stranger among all of them."
Xinyi lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the edge of her sleeve.
"So many people..." she murmured softly.
"...And yet I feel like a complete stranger among them."
The room fell silent.
Nua and Roe exchanged sympathetic glances.
After a moment, Nua stepped forward and smiled gently.
"Please don't think that way, Miss."
Roe nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Miss. You are not alone."
The younger maid knelt beside her.
"From today onward, Nua and I will serve you. Whatever you need, whatever troubles you have, you may tell us. We will always stand by your side."
A faint warmth stirred in Xinyi's heart. Since awakening with no memories, these were perhaps the kindest words she had heard.
She offered them a small smile.
"Thank you."
Nua continued softly,
"It's only natural that you feel unfamiliar with this place, Miss."
"You did not grow up in the He residence."
Xinyi looked at her curiously.
"I didn't?"
Nua shook her head.
"No, Miss."
"When you were born, a wandering fortune teller came to the manor."
"He claimed your birth carried an ominous fate."
"He warned that if you remained in the He household, disaster would befall the entire family."
Xinyi's brows knitted together.
"A disaster... because of me?"
Roe lowered her head.
"That is what everyone believed."
"The First Madam and the Elder Madam were deeply disturbed by his words."
"To protect the household, Master He sent you away while you were still an infant."
"You were raised in a small residence on the outskirts of the town together with Concubine Ning."
Nua sighed quietly.
"Master visited from time to time and ensured your daily expenses were provided, but you rarely returned to the main residence."
"So..."
She smiled gently.
"This is your first time truly living here."
"No wonder everything feels strange."
Xinyi fell silent.
Her gaze drifted toward the courtyard beyond the window.
A fortune teller...
A single sentence was enough to separate a mother from her own daughter?
She couldn't explain why, but hearing the story left an ache deep inside her chest.
Almost instinctively, her hand reached for the jade pendant hidden beneath her robes.
"...Then," she asked quietly, "does everyone here truly believe I bring misfortune?"
The room grew silent once more.
Neither Nua nor Roe answered immediately.
The hesitation on their faces was answer enough.