Devotion Worth Dying For

Lily Evans smiled and shook her head. "I just got lucky, really. I only meant to help Mr. White rescue his daughter—I never expected Xenia would bring the entire Moonlight Pavilion to join me."

Peony laughed charmingly. "That Xenia sure has good taste. When she saw what a wonderful mistress you are, she followed you without hesitation."

"Huh? Am I really a good mistress?" Lily asked in surprise. She’d always thought what she did was pretty ordinary—any decent, just person would do the same. But the way Peony said it, it sounded like something incredibly rare.

Peony grinned. "Mistresses like you, Princess Consort, are truly one in a million—hard to find even in a hundred years. If I were Xenia, I’d make the same choice. You have no idea, Princess Consort, how few masters actually treat their servants as people. I’ve served for years, and apart from the Prince and you, I’ve hardly seen any master who values their subordinates’ lives. Most treat them like ants. So now that Xenia’s met someone like you, of course she won’t let the chance slip by. She gets to rely on the Prince of Qin’s Manor and keep Moonlight Pavilion alive, and she’s got a caring mistress—honestly, it’s the best outcome she could ask for."

After Peony’s explanation, Lily finally understood. What she’d always considered normal—equality, care, and respect—was actually a rare thing in a world so divided by status. No wonder her subordinates were so loyal, ready to give her their hearts.

"Alright, I’ve got a new assignment, so I’d better get to work. Moonlight Pavilion used to collect intelligence, but it probably wasn’t detailed enough. I’ll need to train some people who are better at gathering information and put them in place—looks like I’ll be busy!" Peony said cheerfully as she headed out.

Lily called after her, reminding, "You’ve just recovered—don’t overdo it. You’re not alone now, remember."

Peony arched a brow, gently touched her belly, and flashed Lily a warm smile. "Princess, you’re such a wonderful person—makes people want to follow you with their lives. Don’t worry, I know medicine. I won’t tire myself out."

"Good, as long as you know your limits. Go on," Lily said.

With that, Peony left for work, leaving Lily alone in the room.

Lily rubbed her aching neck. The headpiece for the Princess of Qin’s formal attire was really heavy. She hurried back to her room, took it off, and changed into her casual home clothes—finally feeling comfortable again.

By evening, Alexander Hayes had returned to the manor.

With a sly grin, Lily pounced on him. "Your Highness, you mentioned wanting to build an intelligence network in the capital’s entertainment venues—how’s that going?"

At the mention, Alexander Hayes sighed and shook his head. "It’s tough. I never dealt with entertainment venues before, and I’ve never placed any agents there—it’s like starting from scratch. The networks inside are complicated, the people are cunning, and setting up isn’t easy. Building an intelligence network takes precision and patience. If you ask me, getting someone inside in a year and having a basic network in two years would already be impressive."

Even Alexander Hayes said it would take two years for the Hayes Family’s shadow guards to set up a basic intelligence network in entertainment venues. Lily felt quite smug, grinning like a little fox. "What if I told you I could get you a fully established intelligence network—how would Your Highness reward me?"