Helian Jue's words, "Stay by my side," exploded like a thunderclap in the makeshift medical tent, their lingering impact silently sweeping through everyone's minds. The slaves and soldiers kneeling on the ground lowered their heads even further, their breathing becoming softer, for fear of disturbing the "interest" of the one on the throne.

Su Nian hung her head, her heart pounding in her chest. 'Personalized service? Isn't this upgrade a bit too fast? She went straight from a battlefield head nurse to the chairman's secretary? And the kind where the chairman could crush her at any moment!' Her inner rant was her way of relieving stress, but her outward calm remained impeccable.

“Yes,” she replied with a simple, submissive syllable.

Helian Jue said nothing more, not even glancing at her again, as if his earlier decision was merely a casual order to add an extra dish tonight. He turned, his black leather boots treading on the blood-stained ground, and left with an undeniable air of authority.

Only after he left did the stagnant air in the shed seem to begin to flow again.

The shaman stood up, his gaze towards Su Nian extremely complex, a mixture of surprise, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible... apprehension? He said nothing, simply returning silently to continue treating Batu's wounds, but his movements seemed to carry a greater degree of caution than before.

The soldier who had previously reprimanded Su Nian now avoided her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes.

Su Nian knew that from this moment on, her situation in the royal court had subtly changed. She was no longer a lowly slave, trampled upon and ignored by all, but rather someone whose vague label had been placed on her by the eyes of the highest authority… “ownership.” Danger, but it also meant opportunity.

The same capable guard who came to pick up Su Nian was there before. The way he looked at Su Nian was noticeably different; the indifference of before was gone, replaced by a more businesslike scrutiny.

He led Su Nian this time towards the core area of ​​the royal court. No longer a secluded stone house, but a relatively independent small stone courtyard adjacent to the main hall. There was a well and a small patch of bare land in the courtyard. The room, though still simple, now had a decent wooden bed, a couch covered with a complete animal hide, and even a rough wooden wardrobe.

"You'll be living here from now on," the guard instructed flatly. "You'll be responsible for some of the miscellaneous tasks related to the King's daily life. Someone will tell you the specifics. Remember your place: don't look at what you shouldn't, don't listen to what you shouldn't, and don't ask what you shouldn't." He paused, emphasizing, "The King dislikes idle chatter and even more so, he dislikes those who think they're clever."

"Yes, I understand," Su Nian replied meekly. 'Understand? It just means talk less, observe more, and think more—be a good, emotionless serving machine. I know this well; I did research when I was writing palace intrigue novels!'

After the guards left, Su Nian finally had a chance to carefully examine her new "dormitory." Compared to the previous one, which was drafty from all sides, this place at least offered shelter from the wind and rain. She walked to the window; the view was better from there, allowing her to vaguely see the side of the main hall and part of the front courtyard. 'Hmm, excellent location, convenient for observing the core situation, five stars.'

Before long, a slightly older woman with a stern face, dressed in a gray cloth dress that was a little better than that of the ordinary maids, entered. She was the steward in charge of some affairs of the inner court, and her name was Alai.

Alai scrutinized Su Nian from head to toe with a critical eye, his eyes filled with undisguised rejection and warning.

“Since His Majesty has been so gracious as to allow you to serve him closely, you must follow the rules.” Alai’s voice was high-pitched. “Every day at the beginning of the morning (5 a.m.), you are responsible for cleaning the outer room of His Majesty’s study, changing the water in the study and the bedchamber, and tidying up His Majesty’s clothes. When His Majesty holds meetings, you must wait outside the hall for his orders and serve him tea and water. When His Majesty eats, you stand by and serve the food.”

She spoke quickly, her words precise and unquestionable: "You must be quick and nimble, and sharp-eyed. The King dislikes clumsy people and detests hesitation. If anything goes wrong..." She snorted coldly, her unfinished words filled with threat.

Su Nian silently noted down each requirement. 'Getting up earlier than the chickens, working harder than the oxen, and constantly on edge to avoid being instantly killed by the boss… This workload would make even a 996 work schedule weep.'

“And another thing,” Alai stepped closer, lowering his voice with a strong warning, “keep your improper thoughts to yourself! The King is not someone a lowly slave like you can covet! Do your job well, or you won’t even know how you died!”

Su Nian lowered her eyelashes, concealing the emotions in her eyes, and softly replied, "Yes, Steward Alai, I've got it."

Alai gave her another warning glare before turning and leaving.

Su Nian watched her retreating figure, her heart completely unmoved. 'Looks like things aren't peaceful around Helian Jue either; someone's already trying to put me in my place. Are they afraid I'll compete for his favor? Please, all I want right now is to survive!'

The next day, Su Nian's life as a "personal maid" officially began.

Before dawn, she got up, washed herself with well water, and went to clean the outer room of the study as instructed. Helian Jue's study was larger than she had imagined, divided into inner and outer sections. The outer room displayed some weapons, animal head specimens, and a huge animal hide map, exuding a rugged sense of power. She carefully wiped away the dust, her movements slow and gentle, not daring to make a loud noise.

When she changed the water, she noticed that Helian Jue's usual water cup was an antique-style silver cup with some wear on the rim. She silently noted this detail.

While sorting through the clothes, she noticed that Helian Jue's clothes were mostly dark leather armor or simple cloth robes, with almost no luxurious decorations, but the materials and workmanship were of the highest quality, which was in line with his practical style.

The most difficult time was when Helian made decisions.

She had to stand with her head bowed outside the palace gate, like a statue. From inside came the rough voices of the generals reporting and arguing, occasionally interspersed with Helian Jue's cold and concise decisions. His voice wasn't loud, but it could always instantly suppress all the noise, carrying a chilling decisiveness.

Su Nian tried hard to catch the bits and pieces of conversation coming from inside: tribal disputes, the distribution of prey, border frictions... She pieced together the power map and operating rules of this barbaric dynasty in her mind.

Once, a general was ordered by Helian Jue to be dragged out and whipped fifty times for incompetence. The general's pitiful pleas for mercy and the sound of the whip whistling through the air carried clearly outside the palace, and Su Nian felt her spine tense. 'Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; the ancients were truly right!'

When it was her turn to stand by and serve the dishes, it was a real test of her nerves.

Helian Jue ate quietly, hardly speaking. His eating manners were not rude, but rather strangely elegant, though he ate quickly, his eyes rarely lingering on the food, as if eating was merely a task necessary to sustain life.

Su Nian needed to use a specially made long-handled silver spoon to promptly place the food he might want onto the plate in front of him, based on the subtle movements of his eyes and the direction of his hands. Not too much, not too little, not too slow, and absolutely no unnecessary noise.

Once, unsure which piece of meat he wanted, she hesitated for half a second. Helian Jue didn't say anything, or even look at her, but at that moment, Su Nian felt as if the air around her had frozen, an invisible pressure making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She immediately instinctively placed a perfectly roasted piece of venison on his plate, which Helian Jue ate naturally, and the pressure vanished instantly.

Su Nian broke out in a cold sweat. 'This is like tap dancing in a minefield!'

Over the course of a few days, Su Nian had lost some weight, but her eyes had become increasingly calm. Like a sponge, she absorbed everything about Helian Jue's habits, likes and dislikes, and the unspoken rules of the royal court. She carefully followed every rule set by Alai, not saying a word more or taking a step more, completely hiding herself beneath the facade of a "compliant tool."

However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease.

That afternoon, Su Nian was delivering a batch of washed clothes belonging to Helian Jue back to his bedroom as instructed. Just as she reached the bedroom door, she heard a charming female voice coming from inside.

"Your Majesty, this is a calming incense that I personally prepared for you. You've been working so hard lately; smelling it will help you sleep better..."

Su Nian paused, head bowed, standing outside the door. Judging from the voice, it was Yun Ji, a favored concubine of Helian Jue.

"Just leave it there." Helian Jue's voice remained emotionless.

"Your Majesty~" Yunji's voice became even more coquettish, "Let me serve you and see what happens..."

Just then, Alai walked over from the other side. Seeing Su Nian carrying the clothes and hearing the commotion inside, a calculating glint flashed in her eyes. She deliberately raised her voice and scolded Su Nian, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and take the King's clothes inside! Don't you have any sense of propriety?"

This sound successfully attracted the attention of the people inside.

Su Nian sneered inwardly, knowing this was Alai's trick of using someone else to do his dirty work. She showed no sign of it on her face, and said in a low voice, "Yes." Then, carrying the clothes, she lowered her head and walked in with proper steps.

Inside the bedchamber, Helian Jue leaned casually against the couch, with Yun Ji beside him, holding a sachet in her hand, their posture intimate. Upon seeing Su Nian enter, Yun Ji's alluring smile froze, her gaze instantly piercing Su Nian like a poisoned needle.

Su Nian seemed oblivious, walking straight to the wardrobe and meticulously organizing her clothes, her movements as precise as a textbook example.

Helian Jue's gaze swept lightly over Su Nian, lingering for a moment on her calm and composed profile before returning to the sachet in Yun Ji's hand, remaining noncommittal.

Yun Ji was enraged by Su Nian's complete disregard, feeling her authority challenged. Her eyes darted around, she put down the sachet, stood up, and gracefully walked to Su Nian's side. Pretending to check her clothes, she "accidentally" tugged at them!

"Sizzle—"

She managed to tear a sizable hole in a tough leather armor jacket right from the cuffs!

"Oh dear!" Yun Ji exclaimed, covering her mouth as she looked at Helian Jue, her tone filled with grievance and reproach, "Your Majesty, look! This new slave is so clumsy, he's ruined your clothes!"

Su Nian stared at the obvious, brand-new crack, then at Yun Ji's hypocritical and pretentious expression, and felt a chill run through her. Framing and framing—truly a classic tactic essential in the harem (or inner quarters).

Alai entered at the opportune moment and, seeing the torn clothes, immediately shouted at Su Nian, "You audacious slave! How dare you damage the King's clothes! Guards—"

That's enough.

Helian Jue's cold voice rang out, interrupting Alai's shouts.

He slowly sat up straight, his gaze first falling on Yun Ji's tearful face, then sweeping over Alai's seemingly indignant but actually smug eyes, and finally settling on Su Nian, who had not offered any explanation from beginning to end, but had simply been quietly looking at the tattered leather armor.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, yet a faint, cold smile curved at the corners of his mouth.

He looked at Su Nian, his tone calm and even, yet it made Yun Ji and A Lai's hearts jump at the same time:

"What do you have to say?"

(End of Chapter 101)