Chapter 8: Bargaining for a Date

There were three central parts to a eunuch’s attire. The blue robe, the red hat, and the box. The box was tied to their belt and contained their “removed part” which they always carried on them due to the common belief that dying without a complete body would prevent reincarnation.

The hat was large enough to cover most of their forehead and was in itself a reminder that they should often lower their heads and look toward the ground. Eunuchs were not treated as men and were not expected to act like men. Although they wielded significant power within the inner court, they often walked and ran with slouched backs, except when dealing with individuals of equal or lower positions.

Strict hierarchy was the heart of the Holy Flame Empire.

At fast pace, Konrad carried the fabrics through the streets of the inner court and arrived in front of Iliana’s embroidery pavilion. At the door, two maids stood guard.

“What’s your purpose?”

“Delivery of embroidery fabrics.”

“Identity token?”

Their robotic tone was commonplace among palace maids tasked with guard duties and inspections. Konrad presented the eunuch’s token, and after inspecting it, they recorded his name and time of entrance, then let him in.

“Head Palace Maid Iliana has been waiting for the supplies. Hurry in.”

“Yes!”

Konrad adopted a deferential tone, maintained his back slumped to match the eunuch whose identity he stole and walked in.

The road left no room for ambiguity, and in less than a minute, he reached the central office in which several maids dutifully handled their embroidery tasks. Threads and needles intertwined and moved at breakneck speed, with the maids’ focused eyes never shifting from their work. Order, discipline and efficiency drove the workshop.

They were led by a tall palace maid dressed in a close-fitting cyan robe that perfectly highlighted her well-proportioned curves. There was no excess in them, and they couldn’t be compared to the likes of Faidra and Aliki. However, they only served to enhance the remarkability of her face.

A beauty that eclipsed a field of blossoming flowers. Her silky green hairs were held in the traditional bun allowed for head palace maids, and her slit emerald eyes contained inviolable pride and dignity which when combined with her lamia bloodline and cultivation base, gave her a natural, compelling aura that would lead normal men astray without them ever realizing it.