It had been a while since I felt happiness and joy. I had almost forgotten what it was, ever since my father had sent me off to China where I starved for weeks.
To continue what had happened back in the mansion, I must go back to the moment when I was first introduced to the woman. She was no ordinary woman.
Now that I think about it, she had been wearing a beautiful yellow cloth that looked similar to muslin, so thin and flowy, giving off a feeling of joy, like sunny days and bright skies. It was unlike the clothes I had seen on the commoners who passed me on those streets.
For now, I can admit that I was wrong to think this woman would harm me. It wasn't unreasonable for me to assume so, considering how I'd been treated. But it would also be foolish to believe that everyone in this world is cruel.
The woman who had gently pushed me toward the doors of the mansion was named Lianyu, and ever since that day, she has been taking care of me.
She has fed me good food and bathed me. I haven't felt this well in weeks. My mind has gotten clearer, and I've finally started putting the pieces together, well, sort of.
Lianyu is the wife of the nobleman who owns this mansion, the one I am currently residing in. Yichen is a servant of Lianyu and her husband.
I still don't know why Yichen brought me here, perhaps to help me, since the nobleman's wife has done nothing but treat me kindly. Or perhaps it's all a ploy. For now, I know nothing, as I haven't the slightest idea of what they talk about, or their language.
But it seems the nobleman doesn't want me in his house. Many times, I've seen him argue with his wife, pointing at me and shouting. I don't know what to make of it.
Maybe Lianyu is just a kind-hearted woman who wants to keep me close for her own reasons. Perhaps she's curious. Or maybe it's all an act, a façade layered with meanings I can't yet grasp.
It has been three months now. I still reside in the beautiful, ruby-like mansion. Yichen, Lianyu, and I have no real communication, since I don't understand or speak Chinese.
So, for now, we communicate using gestures and signs.
The three of us often sit together to eat, even though I sense it angers the nobleman. Many times, Lianyu offers me extra food, especially meat. I used to decline, but lately, I've accepted small portions. And with no side effects or signs of poison, I've started to eat more freely, though I still remain cautious.
Yesterday, Lianyu summoned me to her chambers. It was the first time I had been there. The room was draped in red, carpets, bedsheets, and curtains stretching over three meters.
It felt like I had returned home. As Lianyu walked toward me, I stepped back instinctively, fearing she might harm me. She noticed and smiled warmly.
I wasn't used to such kindness, but after living under her roof for almost six months, I decided to loosen up, just a little. To my amazement, she took a strand of my loose hair, wrapped it gently, and pinned it with a beautiful, mesmerizing silver hairpin.
I didn't know how to react. At first, I thought she might stab me with the sharp end of it. But no, she fastened it carefully into my hair. It was gorgeous.
I felt like a princess receiving a gift from her mother. I sensed it carried a symbolic meaning, though my lack of knowledge about Chinese culture held me back from understanding it.
Lianyu then escorted me out of her chamber, where Yichen was waiting. He looked at the hairpin, then at my eyes, and finally at Lianyu. His eyes sparkled, yes, I saw it. There was a glow there, however faint.
But at the end of the day, it was just a hairpin, right? A beautiful silver pin with a jade tip, one that reminded me of the pond waters filled with water lilies back in Bharat.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't care about it. No, it was dazzling and elegant, but not loud. It reminded me of Lianyu… and also of my dear mother.
A few weeks after this unforgettable moment, as the seventh month of my stay in the mansion approached, Yichen suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the main hall, the one reserved for the nobleman's wealthy guests.
And I was certainly not one of them.
Something felt off. Even if Lianyu liked me, even if she saw me as a daughter the way she reminded me of a mother, this wasn't right.
I was sure I was forbidden from stepping into such regal places. My heart started pounding as Yichen opened the grand doors and pushed me inside the hall.
Was this the end of my fate?
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Chapter five: "Just when the foreign tongue seemed like an impenetrable wall, Meilina met the one man who could chisel through it, word by word."