Chapter 2

"Useless! Useless people!"

Amayah was just entering the door of the manor when she heard the loud voice of her adopted father, Minister Ding Qinn, as he scolded his men. She did not know what sin or misfortune his men had committed that made him very angry with them.

"Oh! You're back, Amayah! I'm glad you're here again."

Amayah was about to enter the door when she heard the voice of her older sister Suli. With a smile ready on her lips she turns around to greet her.

"Suli! Long time no see. We haven't seen and talked to each other for a long time. I'm glad to see you again." She greeted her sister with a hug.

"You hug my young lady as if she's your real sister when she's not your real sibling," Ada, Suli's personal assistant, muttered weakly. It's obvious that she doesn't like her being close to her young lady.

Ada was right when she said that she is not really Suli's siblings. She was only adopted by Minister Ding. On the day she was about to be trampled by a horse, Minister Ding saved her. She took her to his manor and adopted her as her youngest daughter. But because Minister Ding's sister didn't like her when she was still alive, her adopted father let her live in a distant province. When there is an opportunity, Suli goes with her father when he visits the house where she lives so they become close to each other. Sulli is kind, unlike her aunt who doesn't have good manners.

As Eunuch Eli instructed her before he died, she did not tell anyone about her true identity. She only told Minister Ding that she is a runaway slave when he was asked about her origins. Luckily, her clothes are dirty and already torn and she has no footwear when she meets him. She did not put back her shoes when she left them in fear that Eunuch Eli would be overtaken by the soldiers who were chasing them. That look helped her not to be questioned by her adopted father about her true origin.

She did not change her name because at least she remember her name and could not forget that she was a princess who came from the kingdom of Lancayan. She is very grateful that Minister Ding adopted her. Because if he had not saved her from that day she would probably follow her parents and sibling in the afterlife.

"Stop it, Ada. My sister is home so we should be happy."

Ada didn't talk anymore but she shot her an evil look. She just ignored her. But she is not indebted to her and she will not hesitate to teach her a lesson if she could no longer tolerate her atittude so she will know her place. Even if she was only an adopted daughter of Minister Ding she's still a princess. She will not allow herself to be treated like that by a mere servant.

"I'll go inside first, Suli. I want Father to know that I'm already here," she said goodbye to Suli. "Let's just talk later," when Suli nodded and smiled sweetly, she continued to walk inside the house.

"I really don't like that Amayah, Lady Suli," she heard Ada say after she turned her back on them.

"The feelings are mutual. I don't like you either, Ada. And one day I'll gonna teach you a lesson so you will learn to respect me," she whispered to herself before continuing to enter the house.

"Father, I'm already here," she called to his attention. Her father's face immediately lit up when he saw her.

"Amayah! It's good that you're here my trustworthy daughter." his adopted father happily welcome her and then gave an evil look to his two men kneeling in front of him. "What are you waiting for? Get out of my sight now! Two useless people!!"

Feared to her adopted father the two men immediately walk out of the room. She knew that her adopted father was strict but it was the first time that she saw him very angry. 

"Why does your seem in a bad mood, Father?" she asked about it when his two men were gone.

"How can I not be angry when I only asked them to kill a small chicken yet they haven't slaughtered it. Now, the chicken was alerted so it will definitely be difficult for me to kill it again," replied her adopted father.

"It's just a chicken, Father. But since they didn't kill the chicken it will becomes a hawk someday." She smiled at him. "Next time I'll be the chicken's butcher for you, Father."

Her adopted father smiled widely when he heard of what she said. "That's what I want to hear. Not like those useless men."

"Why did you suddenly ask me to go home, Father?" she asked him. He looks like he has something important task for her so he summons her from the province where she lives.

"I'm not going talk around the bush, Amayah. The reason why I asked you to come home is that I have a big mission to give you. Your mission is to be the emperor's bodyguard," he told him in a serious tone and expression.

She could not speak when she heard of what her adopted father said. The mission that he wanted her to do was so difficult. She will become the emperor's guardian? What if something bad happened to the emperor while she was guarding him? She will be beheaded because of it. She survived at the hands of the soldiers who chased her when she was young and now she might die because of her poor guarding of the emperor.

The truth is that she is capable of being the emperor's guardian because she can do so. From childhood, her stepfather trained her to use various types of weapons and self-defense. She did not object because it would help her a lot if she knew how to fight. She will be able to protect herself against her enemies. And she will have the ability that she can use in her revenge on those people who caused the fall of their kingdom and the death of her parents and sibling. But it was no joke to be the emperor's bodyguard. It's like the foot of any guardian or future guardian of the emperor has already been placed in the pit.

"Father—" Amayah couldn't continue her plan to refuse when she saw her father's sharp looks at her. He looks very serious. And he looks scary when he is serious. Anyone will see him will shake their knees because of fear. So she understood why his men that she saw earlier seemed so terrified. Because even her, she also feels frightened with him. He is kind to people who follow his commands but scary t

when he gets mad. And he is a frightening enemy. "I agree to be the emperor's guardian, Father."

Only then did her father smile when he heard her consent. She just secretly sighed. She hopes that she did the right thing by giving in to his wishes. But how can she reject the man who gave her a second life?

Her adopted father smiled at her and then approached her and arranged the placement of her red veil on her face. "But remember, Amayah. Never show your face to the emperor. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, Father," she said answered. She knew why her father doesn't want the emperor to see her face. Because her face is very scary. Perhaps he doesn't want the emperor to be afraid of her when he saw her face with scars.

When Minister Ding rescued her when she was young, she was accidentally hit in the face with the whip he used to stop the horse. She was accidentally hit twice and it marked her face. She was unconscious for three days and when she woke up she was already wearing a red veil on her face. Her father told her why she was wearing a veil on her face when she woke up. Since then, she has not looked in the mirror and has always worn a veil on her face. She did not want to remove the veil in fear that someone might see her face and get scolded and ridiculed for her appearance.

"Good, good," he said happily. "All right, I know you're tired from the long journey so take a rest now."

She just nodded and then turned to her room where she used to stay on the first day her father took her to the manor before she was taken and settled in the distant province. As she walked on towards her room she could not help but think about how long would her life will last as the emperor's body guard? What does he look like and what his attitude would be? Hopefully, she can do her job properly. She did not want to be beheaded. She could not yet die because she had not yet avenged the person who caused the befell of their kingdom and her family.