Under Xinhong’s repeated urging, Rongrong finally walked out of the side chamber for the first time.

She lived in a small courtyard that was connected to Xie Yuanchu’s study in the front and the Duke’s residence’s storerooms and kitchen in the back.

The courtyard wasn’t large, and the buildings were quite old, but it was a proper courtyard where the more reputable servants of the Duke’s residence lived.

The housekeepers of the Duke’s wife’s quarters resided in the main buildings of the courtyard, while senior maidservants like Zhenzhen and Rongrong had to live in the smaller side chambers.

Although these side chambers were small, they were much better than the crowded sleeping arrangements of other servants.

As Rongrong followed Xinhong outside, the crisp, cold air made her feel the reality of her reincarnation.

Xie Yuanchu’s study was in the middle section of the Duke’s residence, while Rongkang Courtyard was in the western section.

After passing through a corridor and a garden, they finally arrived at Rongkang Courtyard.

Upon entering Rongkang Courtyard, Rongrong immediately felt the atmosphere of a formal inquiry.

The main room’s door was open, and the Duke’s wife, Madam Zhai, was seated in the center, holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads.

Madam Zhai had a dignified appearance and looked quite kind, but her gaze towards Rongrong was not at all relaxed.

The Heir’s wife, Madam Wang, stood beside her, looking extremely respectful.

Rongrong admired Madam Wang for her calm demeanor despite the situation.

Even though Madam Wang was the one who had issues with her, she remained indifferent when Rongrong entered the courtyard.

“Just stand here and answer,” Xinhong said as she entered the main room.

“Greetings to the Duke’s wife and the youngmaster’s wife’s lady,” Rongrong said, bowing her head, her hands clasped and hanging down as she stood respectfully in the courtyard.

The cold weather made the open door drafty, but Rongrong remained composed.

This was no difficulty for her; the training in the palace was far more severe.

During the freezing winter, palace maids would stand in the cold wind for half a day, with eunuchs standing by with fire pokers.

Anyone who dared to move would be punished.

Enduring physical punishment was one thing, but if scars were left, they would be expelled from the palace.

Madam Zhai, holding a hand warmer, relaxed slightly upon seeing Rongrong’s respectful demeanor.

“Is this the girl you’re talking about?”

Wang Shi looked at Rong Rong’s respectful demeanor with a slight surprise.

This girl was bought from outside as a maid and had only learned basic manners.

She was promoted to the head maid solely because of her exceptional beauty, which made Xie Yuancho break the rules.

Because of Xie Yuancho’s protection, Xue Rongrong had always behaved arrogantly in the manor, often fighting for good things in the kitchen and quarreling with others.

Wang Shi had tolerated her until that day when Xue Rongrong insulted her, leading to severe punishment.

It was said that she was on the brink of death when brought back from the snow, yet she survived and now stood in the courtyard, obedient and gentle, as if she were a different person.

It seemed this girl wasn’t as foolish as Wang Shi had thought; she knew how to put on an act in front of the Marquis’s wife.

But no matter how she acted today, Wang Shi was determined to drive her out.

“Mother, she is the one who openly insulted your daughter-in-law in the manor that day,” Wang Shi said.

Madam Zhai raised her eyes to see Xue Rongrong standing motionless in the cold wind, her face showing no sign of emotion.

She was slightly impressed and somewhat surprised.

She had never liked these two beautiful maids beside Xie Yuancho, thinking that maids should be loyal and capable rather than pretty.

But her son insisted, saying he had it under control, and since he had never caused any scandal, Madam Zhai agreed.

After Xie Yuancho got married, Madam Zhai handed over the household management to Wang Shi and focused on her religious devotions.

Occasionally, she heard rumors about how flirtatious Rong Rong was, how she enticed Xie Yuancho.

Madam Zhai disliked such behavior but felt it wasn’t her place to interfere since her son was now married.

Today, Wang Shi asked her to come and preside over justice.

Remembering those rumors, she came.

Now, looking at the pale-faced maid in the courtyard, with her jet-black eyes clear and calm, she seemed more like a delicate, ill beauty.

Even Madam Zhai, an old woman, felt a pang of pity.

She was indeed beautiful, but her demeanor was proper, not at all inappropriate.

Madam Zhai, who had managed the Marquis’s household for over ten years, could see that.

“Girl, do you realize your mistake?” Madam Zhai asked.

Wang Shi’s heart sank.

Before Rong Rong arrived, she had hinted at many things to Madam Zhai, who seemed to agree with handing Rong Rong over to the broker.

But in the brief moments since Rong Rong entered, Madam Zhai’s tone had noticeably softened.

Madam Wang gave Xinhong a pointed look, and Xinhong quickly said, “Replying to the Duke’s wife, on that day, there was a shortage of hands in the storeroom. The lady…”

“You’ve already said all this. Let her speak for herself,” Madam Zhai interrupted impatiently, turning her gaze to Rongrong. “You’ve been ill. Come in and respond. The Duke’s residence doesn’t have the practice of being harsh with servants.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang’s face turned pale.

Rongrong felt a bit more at ease.

During the walk over, Xinhong had frequently provoked her, and from Xinhong’s remarks, she had gathered that Madam Wang intended to sell her off.

Although the original owner’s position in the Duke’s residence wasn’t good, she had considered leaving the household, but never in such a manner.

The Duke’s residence still had its rules and family traditions.

Given Madam Wang’s hatred towards the original owner, she might be sold to a desolate place.

If she ended up in a brothel or a disreputable place, her second chance at life would have been in vain.

Rongrong steadied her mind and, with slightly hunched shoulders, respectfully walked into the main room.

In her previous life in the palace, she had learned the rules very well and received praise from the older maids.

The palace was full of complicated protocols; even the way to address the master involved numerous rules, such as how to kneel while speaking, how to position the hands, how to bow the head, how to stand, where to look, and so on.

These rules were strict and left no room for error.

The saying “serving the ruler is like walking on thin ice” was very true.

In the palace, everyone was cautious, fearing for their lives.

The older maids had said that if one angered the master, there might not even be a chance to explain before being dragged out and beaten to death.

In such situations, one’s gaze, expression, actions, and posture were crucial.

If one couldn’t speak, these details were the only means to beg for mercy and show loyalty, honesty, and innocence.

Fearing death intensely, Rongrong had learned these rules more diligently than others.

Now was the time to preserve her life.

Rongrong approached and, following the etiquette learned in the palace, knelt before Madam Zhai.

She straightened her back, lowered her eyes, and placed her hands on her knees.

Only after Madam Zhai nodded did she speak in a low voice, “On that day, this servant was arranging the master’s bookshelf when Sister Xinhong suddenly came to say the storeroom needed help.

After discussing with Zhenzhen, this servant went with Sister Xinhong to the storeroom.

Seeing that there were too many boxes and crates in the storeroom that I couldn’t move on my own, I told Sister Xinhong that I couldn’t help.”

“Is that what you call being unable to help?” Xinhong interjected angrily.

Madam Zhai gave Xinhong a disinterested glance, causing Xinhong to close her mouth.

“Mother can see everything clearly. Why are you so impatient?” Madam Wang, noticing Madam Zhai’s displeasure, scolded Xinhong.

“Your servant knows her mistake,” Xinrong said, lowering her head and stepping back.

“Continue,” Madam Zhai looked at Rong Rong.

Rong Rong continued, “Your servant couldn’t handle the heavy lifting and feared dropping the boxes due to lack of strength.

Unfortunately, because of my impatient nature and poor communication skills, I couldn’t explain this clearly to Sister Xinrong, leading to an argument and breaking the manor’s rules.”

“Is that the extent of your mistake?” Madam Zhai asked.

“No, my mistake goes beyond that. I shouldn’t have continued arguing in front of the heir’s wife and spoken disrespectfully.”

Hearing this, Wang Shi’s expression relaxed a bit.

Admitting her mistake was good enough; Xue Rongrong’s words against her were sufficient grounds to drive her out.

Madam Zhai nodded slightly, “So, everything Xinrong said is true?”

“Everything Sister Xinrong said is true,” Rong Rong said, bowing deeply to Madam Zhai. “Your servant acknowledges her grave mistakes and has no complaints about the heir’s wife’s punishment.

Your servant spoke out of turn and disrespected her superior, yet the heir’s wife only made me kneel for half a day, showing great leniency.

In the future, your servant will perform her duties diligently and never make such a mistake again.”

After Rong Rong’s speech, Madam Zhai’s eyes shifted slightly as she glanced at Wang Shi, understanding the situation.

No wonder Wang Shi was so determined to bring her out of the shrine and drive this girl away.

This girl not only had exceptional beauty but also such cunning.

She admitted her mistakes sincerely and even praised the heir’s wife’s punishment, turning the situation in her favor.

Wang Shi was chosen by Madam Zhai herself, and she naturally felt a protective inclination towards her daughter-in-law.

However, she didn’t want to take the blame for being the villain.

If Wang Shi had immediately called the broker to take Rong Rong away, no one, including the Marquis, would have objected, and even Xie Yuancho couldn’t have faulted her.

But Wang Shi chose to punish the girl by making her kneel in the snow, almost causing her death.

The manor couldn’t have the broker take away a dead body, thus missing the best opportunity.

Now, after lying in bed for over ten days and recovering, Wang Shi wanted to punish her again, which wasn’t justified.

Madam Zhai, who adored her son, would usually go along with his wishes unless it was a major issue.

The Duke’s wife, Madam Zhai, was impressed by the decorum and propriety displayed by Rongrong.

Although it could have been an act, Madam Zhai was confident in her ability to discern.

Since Rongrong entered Rongkang Courtyard, Madam Zhai had been observing her closely, finding no fault in her appearance or conduct.

Rongrong’s demeanor and manners were comparable to those of palace maids.

If it weren’t for Rongrong’s own admission of offending Madam Wang, Madam Zhai might have suspected that the criticism of Rongrong’s arrogance had been fueled by Madam Wang’s jealousy.

Having made her apology, Rongrong remained kneeling respectfully.

Madam Zhai exhaled softly, “The Duke’s residence has always been strict and orderly. Since you’ve made a grave mistake and faced near death, you’ve learned your lesson. I think Yilan’s punishment was too lenient. I’ll deduct three months’ worth of your wages.”

Madam Zhai’s words not only preserved Madam Wang’s face but also let Rongrong’s offense against Madam Wang be overlooked.

Since Madam Wang had made such a fuss to summon Rongrong, it would have been a slap in the face not to impose a penalty.

“This servant accepts the punishment.”

“Go now. If you repeat this mistake, you will not be so lightly treated,” Madam Zhai added with a measured tone.

“Yes,” Rongrong replied, stood up, and bowed again to Madam Zhai before exiting the main room and leaving Rongkang Courtyard.

Back in the side chamber, Zhenzhen was anxiously waiting.

Seeing Rongrong return, she quickly went up to her and helped her in.

Once the door was closed, Rongrong felt a sharp pain in her knees and almost collapsed.

Zhenzhen was startled and hurriedly helped Rongrong to sit on the bed and lie down. “Did the Duke’s wife punish you?”

“She deducted three months’ wages.”

“That’s not too bad,” Zhenzhen sighed in relief. “I was really afraid the Duke’s wife would…” Zhenzhen had heard that external enforcers had been summoned to Rongkang Courtyard the day Rongrong was punished, but since Rongrong had fainted in the snow, Madam Wang had hesitated to have her taken away immediately to avoid a bad reputation.

In retrospect, it seemed that Rongrong had benefited from this misfortune.

“It’s over now.”

Seeing Rongrong relatively calm, Zhenzhen nodded. “Once this is over, it’ll be fine. I’ve already inquired in the front courtyard. The heir will return today. Once he’s back, Rongkang Courtyard won’t have the chance to bring up selling you.”

Rongrong knew that while today’s incident was temporarily resolved, her relationship with Madam Wang had only grown worse.

As a mere servant, her master could come up with countless ways to make her life difficult.

She needed to find a way to escape the Duke’s residence before Madam Wang could make any moves to sell her off.