The towering structures of the royal palace made of gold, marble and other precious materials were enormous and occupied a huge portion of the city landscape.
"How am I supposed to search for that single maid in this huge area?"
Shen Yue looked around and saw a group of patrolling knights in shining armor. "Oh I can ask them."
She flashed a smile and walked over to the group of royal knights. "Sirs, could you please let me know where I can find the palace maids?"
What she did not know was that the royal knights were always tight-lipped. They did not answer to any players and give out information or quests.
However, on seeing Shen Yue…
"Good day, my lady. You look very lovely today."
"May I know what purpose you are visiting the maid quarters? Ha Ha. Don't mistake me. I am just asking so that I can assist you better."
"Why just the maid quarters, please allow me to give you a tour of the entire palace."
Seeing the group of guards all offering her different things, Shen Yue was speechless. She didn't know whose offer to accept.
"The bunch of you, stop behaving so unsightly." One of the knights from the back stepped forward and said, his voice booming amidst the chatter..
"Crap! It's the General!" As soon as the man spoke, the others completely quieted down.
His gear was also slightly different from the rest. Everyone's armor was silver in color with splashes of gold, but his armor was completely golden in color.
Luckily for Shen Yue, he resolved her dilemma and politely extended his arm pointing towards the small passageway near the side of the palace.
"Let me personally escort you to the maid quarters, my lady."
"Thank you kind sir." Shen Yue nodded and followed the royal knight. He looked reliable so she hoped that she could complete the quest fast.
The two of them walked through the winding pathways for a bit, running through the gardens and then coming up behind the palace.
Shen Yue couldn't help but admire everything around her. Wherever she looked, the place was adorned in either beautiful flowers or exquisite sculptures.
"Whoever made this game has amazing creativity." She muttered in awe.
Not long after, the two of them reached the servant quarters and the royal guard then once again bowed to her and politely excused himself.
This part of the palace was less intimidating and was just a brick and mortar construction like the ordinary buildings.
So Shen Yue boldly went inside and started asking around. She still needed to find the maid who worked the King's chambers.
Just like the guards, the servants also treated her quite nicely and within seconds, she received the information that she was looking for.
"Ummm… As per the Queen consort's orders, only male servants work in his highness chambers. If you are looking for a maid, then it is probably old Ruthy." One of the other maids informed her.
"Thank you so much madam." Shen Yue smiled. "Please tell me where I can find Madam Ruthy?"
"Ha Ha Ha. Just call her grandma, she will like it more!" The middle-aged woman laughed and pointed her to a small cramped room at the edge of the building.
The other servants' rooms were better than hers, so even at a first glance Shen Yue could feel that something was wrong.
"Thank you, madam." She bowed politely to the servant, mimicking the knight's behavior as it was fun to continue this sort of role playing.
But inadvertently her actions caused the maid to be very touched. She was just a servant and it has been a while since anyone treated her kindly and with respect.
"Ah. You are a very nice girl. What is your name, dear?" The maid asked.
"Let me give you a piece of advice, child. Don't spend too much time with old Ruthy. Some say that she is cursed."
"Cursed?" Shen Yue was surprised.
"This is just an old wife's tale but some say that Ruthy was actually a very young beautiful woman."
"Many nobles in the Kingdom lusted after her and even the King himself was bewitched by her charms."
"Shhh. This is just a rumor, but it is still a secret. So just listen and don't tell anyone. I have heard that old Ruthy was even set to become the next Queen of the Kingdom."
"However, one fine morning she woke up to find herself old, all her youth and vitality drained away. Ever since then she has become mad and doesn't speak to anyone."
"oh she cannot talk?" Shen Yue wondered if the woman became dumb as well. Then how was she supposed to finish her quest?
"No, no. Some of the kids bully her and mess with her. Once she got hurt and wailed in pain. This, I have personally seen. So she can definitely talk."
"But she is batshit crazy. So be very careful with her and best not to talk to her for long. Here, even the walls have eyes." The maid shrugged and walked away, continuing with her day.
"Hmmm?" Shen Yue was now more confused than before. "What is this storyline?" She took a second and tried to put together everything she had heard so far.
She wanted to try guessing the game's storyline to see if she could figure out some clues about her quest.
"If these rumors are true, then maybe someone in the palace is out to get her and they are probably still keeping a close eye on her."
Shen Yue hesitated for a bit and looked around to see if someone was stalking her as well, but she couldn't see anyone.
There were only other maids and servants around her, bustling about here and there, just going on with their day.
"Hmmm. Maybe I am overthinking this. I am just returning a necklace. It should be fine?" She let out a deep breath and started walking to the cramped room at the end of the corridor.