The Dragon Duke's Flower

The old lady’s visage quivered in despair. But after hearing the familiar titters of the smelly brat hugging her from behind, she closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. She held her heaving chest, calming the hammering beats of her heart. Damn it, she almost thought it was a thief. She almost had a heart attack thinking it was some old robber from the slums. “Lili!”“Yes, headmistress!” The young lady stood ramrod straight like a soldier. Mirth dancing on her lips after she successfully pulled off her mission. She had the smile of a sea navigator who conquered the seven seas.Plap!“Ow.” Lili yelped.The old mistress had thrown a slap on the young lady’s head. Huffing, she threw a sharp gaze at the frivolous young lady, roaring at the top of her lungs. “Where the hell is the things I taught you, brat!? Where’s the ladylike stuff, huh!? I almost thought it was a damning thief! Y-you crazy b

The crackling sounds of the carriage wheels echoed outside the doors of the orphanage. Its gem-studded wheels crushed the scattered pebbles blocking its path. It was time. The patron of the orphanage had finally arrived again to take the children at the right age to help in his business. A pudgy man wearing an English mustache stepped down from the luxurious carriage.The old mistress was already waiting outside for the great noble. She wore a fake smile as she stared at the carriage.He came a bit earlier, but they had already expected it. The boisterous little kids were already out, studying in the nearby building.The old mistress bowed towards the pudgy man and said, “Thank you for visiting, noble. We welcome you as always.”“It’s been a long time, Anna.” The pudgy noble nodded, eyeing the old mistress with satisfaction. His chin raised to the heavens, a smile filling his face. He threw a glance at Lili, making the lass f

Half a day of preparing was not enough to say the goodbyes, especially to the little ones. Truthfully, Lili felt wretched after seeing the toddlers crying, after hearing the news about her eventual departure. But even though the pain stung, she had to hide it with a smile. She held her breath, stopping herself from crying.“Dun’ go! Dun’ go Lili!” A young girl held the hems of her skirt tightly. Her round eyes became moist. “I’ll be a good girl. I’ll help you wash the dishes. J-Just don’t go.”“Wah! Lili doesn’t want us anymore!” One little lad cried, warm drops rolling down from his eyes.“Hide her things! She mustn’t go!” A few capricious bunches skittered around her things. The little ones couldn’t stop themselves from pulling her things back to her room. They only went back to their room after one of the noble’s guards checked her out.Lili giggled at

The prison cell was not-so-large, merely a small cuboid room about six feet by four. Not one piece of furniture was in sight, not even a creaky bed of hay or wood. Maybe if one would count the manacles binding Lili as furniture, then the number of furniture would rise from zero to one. The walls had this mossy scent, while thick gray bricks and dust filled the room.This cell itself seemed to have not been used for quite a long time. The scent of rust wafted out of the metal bars, intermixing with the weird scent of grass. She had no one to accompany her aside from the squeaky rats running out of nowhere from time to time.“So that’s the place where the grassy scent came from.” Lili raised her head, gazing at the small barred window. The small open window kept the cell from being overly suffocating. The small opening was the only thing that gave her light in the day and night. The silence of being alone for an entire day aside from when her food got d

The old mistress had spent the entire first day answering Lili’s never-ending questions. Despite knowing that she would soon become part of the auction as a product, the young lady remained as chatty as ever. All as if she had thrown her worries into the wind.And as for the second today, the old mistress planned to tell Lili what she needed to do while preparing her for the auction. After all, Lili will have to meet the master of the entire city tomorrow. The true noble whom the old mistress once served. And part of that plan was to make her presentable and not by her own standards, but by the standards of the nobility.Staring at the gorgeous dresses and gowns she wore one by one, Lili felt a bit suffocated. At first, she still felt passionate, but after the umpteenth dress, something broke in her. She remembered the stray chicken she caught a few weeks ago. After she pulled all the feathers, she stuffed the chicken with herbs and condiments before being dipped