Chapter 874: Chapter 682: Wedding Invitation_2
Even without the clan leader’s orders, the servants are very respectful towards Shen Tang and take great care of her.
Moreover, Shen Tang had previously been on the run due to being wanted, so she wore a mask most of the time to disguise her identity, even posing as male for convenience. But now that she is with Shen Li all day, and their relationship is so close with many watching, she finds it inappropriate to continue disguising herself. Additionally, wearing a mask for long periods is uncomfortable, so she stopped wearing the mask and instead wears a veil that covers half her face.
She mainly interacts with some palace servants, rarely dealing with outsiders, so she doesn’t have to worry too much about her identity being exposed.
The Ancient Clan, like the earlier Yiyuan Empire, is a place that is old and somewhat traditional. In some races of beastmen, there’s a pre-marital veil tradition, so no one finds it strange.
The servants initially called her madam behind her back, and later simply addressed her as madam openly.
Shen Tang never denied it and accepted it calmly.
Everyone became more convinced that she was truly with the clan leader.
"Madam, here are some freshly washed fruits, they taste great, please try them," a White Fox Clan youth, appearing seventeen or eighteen, said respectfully while walking over, holding a fruit platter.
The boy was very attractive, with snow-white hair reaching just to his shoulders, tied at the back of his head, and had a slender, tall figure. He was a male servant in the palace.
Since the fox left, he proactively asked the steward to assign him to serve beside Shen Tang.
Shen Tang picked a round, plump fruit from the platter, looking somewhat like a green grape, and upon biting, it was quite juicy but a bit sweeter.
"It tastes good." She took another one and ate it. "What kind of fruit is this? I haven’t had it before."
"Madam, this is the Green Buddha Fruit; it’s rare in the market due to poor storability. I picked them this morning outside the city," the boy answered with his head lowered, a reddish tinge on his pale face.
Unfortunately, his charm was wasted on a blind audience; Shen Tang merely nodded, "You’ve worked hard, even went specially out of town. I’ll mention it to the steward; you’ll get a raise."
"No, no need! Serving madam is my greatest honor; I don’t ask for anything else."
The White Fox youth looked at the noble and dignified female on the recliner, with a hint of unnoticed admiration in his gaze, and his voice was slightly tense.
Although the madam wore a veil, covering half her face, her posture and aura, especially her beautiful eyes, deeply moved him when he first saw her.
In places like the palace and some aristocratic residences, many young, pretty males come to serve.
They aren’t necessarily from ordinary backgrounds, forced into such work. In fact, many well-looking and well-born individuals do so aiming to reach high places.
If a noble female were to favor them, their future prospects would become bright.
The White Fox youth diligently served tea and water, hoping to leave a good impression on madam during the clan leader’s absence.
Moreover, he wasn’t the only one; many males in the palace secretly harbored admiration for madam, all hoping she’d take notice of them.
Their most frequent private conversations were about the madam.
"Oh, I really wish to see what madam truly looks like, but she always wears a veil! Yet still, every time I see her, my heart races..."
"Think about it, our clan leader is no ordinary figure; he’s a once-in-a-thousand-years genius. A female admired by him surely must be a stunning beauty."
"Honestly, madam doesn’t seem to belong to our Fox Clan; I wonder which clan’s noble female she is."
"It’s strange that, given madam’s excellence and impending marriage to the clan leader, there is no news from her family side. Until now, I haven’t heard any clan mention anything about this."
"Indeed, it’s peculiar. If relations with the clan leader are on the horizon, if I were her kin, I’d announce it promptly."
"Madam doesn’t seem like a beastman from the Ancient Clan."
This led many to speculate about madam’s background.
Though it’s customary among beastmen in the Ancient Clan to marry within their tribe and the older and more prestigious families reject foreign clans, there are precedents of inter-clan marriages.
However, even if the clan leader intends to marry a foreign clan, there shouldn’t be absolute silence at this stage.
"Moreover, it’s not just madam’s side that’s quiet; the clan leader seems to show no signs either," said an elderly matron. "If the clan leader truly wishes to marry madam, he should certainly visit her home to propose, and start preparing. Yet, there has been no arrangement for this matter so far."
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