Perfect Maid

"Your body is the foundation of all action. If you train on an empty stomach and your stamina can't keep up, Lady Jingliu will blame me for it."

Rita smiled.

Xu Tianming glanced at her.

"She won't."

"She will."

Rita continued smiling as she answered.

The two headed toward the dining hall together. Along the way, Rita kept half a step behind him, neither lagging nor getting too close. She walked silently, without the slightest unnecessary sound. Her black stockings and long dress swayed gently with each step, while her rose ornament glimmered in the morning light.

"Rita."

"Captain?"

"Have you been getting any rest lately?"

Rita's steps paused slightly.

"A maid does not need rest."

"Who told you that?"

"I came to that conclusion myself."

"Then your conclusion is inaccurate."

Xu Tianming looked at her.

"You only sleep four hours a day. Did you think I didn't know? Running an intelligence network for so long while handling all those everyday messes is mentally exhausting."

Rita fell silent for a moment, then smiled again.

"It seems the Captain has begun caring about his maid's health."

"I'm afraid you'll collapse from exhaustion and there'll be no one left to take care of me."

"I see."

Rita's tone was gentle.

"What a touching reason."

"Don't be sarcastic."

"Rita is merely stating the facts."

Xu Tianming coughed lightly.

"Anyway, you're taking the afternoon off today."

"No."

"Why?"

"Afternoon tea still needs to be served."

"Then cancel afternoon tea."

Rita stopped walking. Her wine-red eyes quietly fixed themselves on Xu Tianming.

"Captain, are you canceling afternoon tea?"

It was obviously a simple question, yet Xu Tianming somehow sensed a hint of danger in it.

"I only meant canceling it for today."

"Afternoon tea is an essential part of maintaining physical and mental stability."

"I think your health is more important."

"That is precisely why afternoon tea is even more necessary."

Xu Tianming looked at the dangerous smile on Rita's face and finally yielded.

"Then keep it."

"Very well."

Rita began walking again.

"Afternoon tea will include your favorite black tea and honey cake."

Xu Tianming suddenly felt that Rita might not be taking care of his daily life at all. She was gradually taking control of it through flawless etiquette.

But he had to admit, being so thoroughly taken care of actually felt pretty good.

When they arrived at the dining hall, breakfast was already laid out on the table: warm spiritual rice porridge, grilled fish steaks, sliced spirit fruit, and a pot of fragrant flower tea.

Rita pulled out a chair for Xu Tianming.

"Please enjoy your meal."

Xu Tianming sat down and picked up a spoon.

"Rita."

"Captain?"

"You don't have to keep calling me Captain from now on."

"Understood, Captain."

"..."

Xu Tianming looked at her as Rita calmly poured him tea.

"It's a habit."

"Can't you change it?"

"I can."

"Then change it."

"Understood, Captain."

Xu Tianming gave up completely. It was only a form of address, after all. If Rita liked calling him Captain, then he would let her. Just as Karna liked calling him Master, Jingliu called him Trailblazer, and Herta called him brat, Rita liked calling him Captain. After all, in Rita's eyes, no matter how much he changed, he was still that deck cleaner who excelled at doing the splits in midair.

He lifted his teacup and took a small sip. The flower tea was rich and fragrant, perfectly warm, and even its sweetness had been controlled with exact precision.

Xu Tianming suddenly recalled something. Besides being a perfect maid, Rita was also a dangerous warrior. Her signature weapon was a gigantic scythe, and her techniques were both dazzling and swift. She could create afterimages of roses and dart across the battlefield at high speed.

She was skilled in assassination and equally skilled in direct combat. By this world's standards, she possessed at least the combat power of a Titled Douluo.

Coupled with her mastery of intelligence, infiltration, and disguise, the truly frightening part was never how many enemies she could kill. It was that even when her enemies died, they would never know she had been there.

Over the past two years, Rita had already helped Xu Tianming deal with quite a few unsavory problems.

His brothers were all restless sorts. Because of his talent, his father emperor's favor, and his status as Master Kong's disciple, those brothers regarded him as a considerable threat.

So Rita had blocked countless dark schemes aimed at him from the shadows. To outsiders, she was merely the maid who managed Xu Tianming's daily life. Within, however, she was a core member of the Fools' intelligence network.

She was also one of Xu Tianming's most trusted right-hand aides.

"Captain."

Rita's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?"

"You."

Xu Tianming answered without thinking. Rita's hand holding the teapot paused, and then the smile on her face became even more elegant.

"What an honor."

Only then did Xu Tianming realize what he had said. He hurriedly lowered his head and drank his porridge. Rita did not press further, merely standing quietly at his side. A trace of unconcealed amusement flickered in her wine-red eyes.

"Oh, right."

Xu Tianming looked up.

"Has anything major happened recently?"

Rita's smile faded as her expression turned serious.

"There are three matters."

"First, the border conflict between the Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire has ended, and both sides have returned to their previous order."

"Second, the Holy Spirit Cult has been much quieter in Mingdu recently, but there have been personnel movements at several underground bases. They seem to be transferring something important."

"Third, another small Rift Realm has appeared within the Heaven Dou Empire. It has not yet been eliminated."

Xu Tianming set down his spoon. "It's finally over? They've been locked in a three-year standoff at the border, and the small-scale clashes never stopped. It's good that it has ended for now. As for the Holy Spirit Cult, leave them alone. Perfect timing—I just broke through, so I can go test my current strength in the Rift Realm within the Heaven Dou Empire."

Rita nodded.

"Also, Lady Herta has sent an application."

Xu Tianming rubbed his brow.

"What does she want from me now? Didn't I already give her the funding?"

"Lady Herta said the Cloud Knights' bloodline transplant procedure can still be optimized. She is preparing to conduct second-stage experiments and needs to draw some of your blood essence."

"Did she say whether she'd drain me dry like last time?"

"She said that as long as it doesn't affect whether you live or die, it isn't a problem."

"So it will, then."

"Lady Herta also said that if anyone dared refuse, she would simply draw it while he was asleep."

Xu Tianming immediately stood up.

"No way."

Rita smiled.

"I have already refused on your behalf."

"Good job."

"Lady Herta had a comment about that."

"What?"

"She said I'm becoming more and more like an old mother."

Xu Tianming was silent for a moment.

"Did she say anything else?"

"She said that once she develops a new testing device, she will let you use it first."

"That's acceptable."

Xu Tianming sat back down, and the dining hall became quiet again.