"Eunuch Lord Warren, this way, please, this way!" The chubby middle-aged eunuch named Wang grinned like a blooming flower, nodding and bowing as he led the way. Everyone in the palace knew exactly where the Hall of Benevolent Origin was—no one really needed directions—but the formalities had to be observed. Wang had gone through a world of trouble and a mountain of fright just to invite the great Eunuch Chief Lewis here.
Honestly, being able to get Eunuch Chief Yvonne to come and fulfill the Empress’s request was a huge relief for him—he could finally breathe easy. As long as the chief eunuch stepped inside the Hall of Benevolent Origin, his own neck was safe for now.
As for what happened next, well, that was up to the Empress and how she planned to handle this utterly uncooperative chief eunuch. Truth be told, this chief had been scaring him out of his wits lately—even with no expression at all, he didn’t dare act up. They say serving the emperor is like living with a tiger, but lately, this chief eunuch’s aura could put any tiger to shame.
"Blessings upon you, Eunuch Chief Yvonne!"
"Greetings to Eunuch Chief Yvonne!"
All the palace maids and eunuchs on either side bowed their heads, forming a corridor of welcome. Jill Young strode forward, head held high. An old eunuch really ought to be hunched over, but Jill refused to bend—no one could make her stoop if she didn’t want to.
Even when she finally faced the Empress, Jill kept her chin up and met her gaze head-on, not flinching in the slightest.
"Jill, you’re here?" The Empress didn’t put on any airs about being the boss or call anyone a "brazen servant"—nobody was foolish enough to try that now. The Empress herself came to greet Jill at the inner gate of the Hall of Benevolent Origin, which said plenty about the situation.
Jill Young replied with a casual, unruffled smile—neither servile nor arrogant, with a hint of her old "Snake" swagger: "Peace to you, Your Majesty."
The Empress caught that and a glimmer flashed in her eyes. Decked out in gold hairpins and jade earrings, dressed to the nines, she leaned aside with help from her maid: "Come along with me, then."