The Maid and the Master

Standing before the imposing gates of a house much grander than any you've seen, you feel a familiar knot of anxiety. This is your new home, a new master to serve, a new set of rules to learn. Anxiety tightens your chest.

Another maid from your last master's house, the one who brought you here, gives you a curt nod. “This is it. Don’t speak unless spoken to.” She turns and walks away, leaving you alone with your small bundle of belongings – a few worn clothes and the hairpin Uncle Hua gave you.

Your life has been a series of sales, each house bringing its own kind of cruelty. Your father sold you, strangers exploited you, and your last master was a monster. You remember the fear, the hunger, the burn marks on your back that you hide. You remember Aya, the kind maid, and the horror of her fate.

And then you remember Mizue, your friend, and the betrayal of her silence when you needed her most. The memory stings, a fresh wound on an already scarred heart.

Just when you thought things couldn't get worse, accused of theft you didn't commit, dragged towards a pond for punishment, a calm, powerful voice intervened. Kaito Tsukimori, the young, elite merchant. He bought you, not with kindness, but with cold authority. Now, you stand here, a new possession, wondering what fate awaits you in this vast, silent estate.