I Am Anne

Accused of being rude, Lu Xing changed his wording. "We've met several times, yet I still don't know your name. Please tell me, how should I address you?"

That sounded a little like a Noble Lady's tone.

But the head maid was unmoved and remained cold. "You sneaky creature, state your origins and name, beg the Duke and Duchess for forgiveness, then tell me—where has Anne gone?!"

"I am Anne!"

Lu Xing answered as Anne had instructed in her letter.

"No, you are not Anne. I can be absolutely certain—you are not Anne!"

The head maid took a step forward, her beautiful emerald-green eyes fixed on him. "The one who feigned illness to avoid lessons five days ago was also you!"

"Who exactly are you?!" Magical power rippled from the maid's body.

Lu Xing sighed. He had no choice but to use his trump card now.

In Anne's voice, he commanded the maid, "In my capacity as the heir to Duke Swinton, I order you—!"

Their eyes met, and the maid's gaze abruptly contracted.

"Tell me your name!"

Lu Xing gave her an order.

The Duke's daughter's bedroom fell silent.

The young maids were terrified and all lowered their heads.

The head maid looked coldly at him, then shifted her gaze to the letter in Anne's pale little hand. Only after a long while did her tightly pressed rosy lips part slightly.

"My name is Catherine Kruger."

"Very good! I'll remember you, Catherine."

Smiling, Lu Xing got out of bed and stood before her, moving Anne's little hands and feet as he instructed them, "Now, change my clothes, and tell me, what is Anne doing today?"

At that moment, Lu Xing experienced the joy of being a medieval noble.

Catherine's gaze fell upon Anne's petite, delicate body. Anne had once liked to take off her nightgown to sleep, wearing only a small undergarment, so whenever Catherine attended to her in the morning, she would see Miss Anne's fair and pure appearance.

But ever since five days ago, Anne had started properly wearing her nightgown to bed.

"The shoes."

A young maid reminded her softly. Catherine came back to herself, accepted a pair of fluffy slippers from her, glanced at Anne, then hesitated for a moment before bending down and placing the shoes before her smooth, tender little feet.

Lu Xing noticed the difference.

Last time, Catherine had crouched on the carpet while he sat on the bed, then personally put the shoes on him.

Now that she could tell he was not Anne, she merely set the shoes on the floor.

Lu Xing did not mind. He was perfectly capable of lifting his own feet; he was not as delicate as Anne.

Following the maid's guidance, he came before the vanity mirror.

In the mirror stood a Noble Lady in a nightgown, displaying a slender, lovely figure. She had beautiful long golden hair, an adorable rosy face, large eyes with sky-blue pupils as pure as the heavens, lively lashes, and soft, fair skin.

This adorable Noble Lady was Lu Xing at that moment... no, Anne!

Lu Xing was charmed by Anne's cute appearance again. Pretty and adorable, she truly was a little angel! No wonder she had such a lively personality. With a face like that, a little coquettishness would make anyone feel immensely fond of her.

"Honored Miss Anne, I will help you remove your nightclothes."

A young maid spoke softly and stepped forward to undo Lu Xing's close-fitting nightwear. Seeing that Catherine did not step forward, another maid took the initiative to carry out what was normally the head maid's duty.

She gently removed the only small undergarment Miss Anne was wearing.

Lu Xing spread his arms to cooperate. Once everything had been removed, he no longer held back and opened his eyes to look at the flawless, beautiful Miss Anne in the full-length mirror.

After staring blankly for a while, he could not help comparing her with Xiao Yu and the Fairy.

Anne truly was snowy white and pure, adorable and lively.

Her slender, delicate body did not look weak. Her slim waist was only a palm's width, and like a flower bud waiting to bloom, every part of the young girl's body radiated innocence and vitality.

But unlike the two times Xiao Yu and the Fairy had changed clothes before, Lu Xing was now surrounded by seven or eight young, pretty maids. The nearest one, head maid Catherine, had a pair of straight long legs clad in semi-sheer black stockings. Together with her knee-length skirt and the black high heels over ten centimeters tall on her feet, they perfectly accentuated the maid's beautiful legs.

They were all dressed in maid uniforms, while Lu Xing alone had nothing on his slender, delicate body.

But.

Lu Xing tried his best to remain calm.

It was said that in the Western Middle Ages, one way to distinguish Noble Ladies from ordinary people was to remove their clothes and have maids stand around them. Anyone who showed embarrassment or tried to avoid being seen was a commoner.

A Noble Lady would stand openly before the maids without a stitch of clothing and would not feel the slightest discomfort.

Based on how the maids had attended to him last time, Lu Xing believed Anne was that sort of Noble Lady, long accustomed to being served like this by her personal maids.

However.

"Could you close your eyes?"

The head maid's indifferent voice came. Lu Xing looked at her through the mirror.

"Rude and filthy soul, your gaze has defiled the honorable Miss Anne!"

Head maid Catherine calmly met his eyes in the mirror, yet the words from her lips were anything but polite.

The young maids glanced up briefly, then lowered their heads and continued working. One little maid crouched down, stretched open a pair of lace-trimmed panties, and placed them by Miss Anne's feet.

"Your wording is wrong."

Pretending to be perfectly calm, Lu Xing raised Anne's fair little feet and stepped into them one after the other. The little maid pulled the underwear upward, only releasing it once it reached her bottom, then adjusted the edges slightly to make them fit snugly.

When her fingers touched Anne's snow-white skin, Lu Xing shuddered.

In an instant, the cold and striking head maid's sharp gaze turned toward him again.

"Miss Anne, wear this one."

The maid spoke softly and brought over a pair of white silk safety shorts to prevent exposure. They were fluffy like little lanterns, with a ring of lace around each leg opening.

As he cooperated with them, Lu Xing answered Catherine, "Although I do not... no, have temporarily forgotten noble etiquette, that does not make me rude. If commoners do not know etiquette, do you scold them for being rude as well?"

"Are you a commoner?" Catherine immediately countered.

Lu Xing smiled. "No, I am Anne."

"Anne is not as rude as you!"

Catherine emphasized the difference between him and Anne. She stood behind him and watched for a while before saying coldly again, "Base and filthy soul, your gaze has defiled Miss Anne!"

Yes, Lu Xing's eyes had once again begun admiring beautiful Anne.

"That is wrong again."

Lu Xing said, "I was only looking at Anne. Why call me base? If Anne's gaze were to defile someone else too, would you scold her the same way?"

"Where has Anne gone?!" Catherine stared at him without dwelling on the previous subject, pressing him again about where Anne had gone!

Lu Xing said, "I do not wish to answer your question."

Catherine lowered her head in thought. After a long while, she asked, "Did Anne write those words to you?"

She keenly noticed the subtle differences in every sentence Lu Xing spoke.

Whenever little Anne was offended, or felt awkward and shy, she would answer like this. Of course, as she grew older, Anne rarely cut off conversations so stiffly anymore.

"I am Anne!"

Lu Xing gave the same answer, raising his hand to stop her. If she kept asking, she would become unbearable to everyone. Once Anne returned, she could deal with her own head maid.