The implication was clear. This meeting is meant for them alone. Perhaps the young Ximen heir wished to personally atone for Jin Lian's past intrusion. If so, there is little cause for concern. Yet Mayumi could not ignore Shan's suspicion that the Ximen clan sought to secure his allegiance, likely with inducements surpassing the value of all other scholars present at the banquet hall.
"Lin Daiyu, see that our guest's bodyguard enjoys the garden to its fullest," Ximen Qing ordered. "Show her the utmost courtesy of our household."
Lin Daiyu bowed, and the two maids did too. A brief nod from Shan also released Mayumi from any obligation, a subtle acknowledgment that her martial prowess is unnecessary in this scholarly exchange. Here, swords are superfluous, the Ximen family would not dare harm a Civil Service Exam graduate under the scrutiny of treason against the state.
"Please, let us withdraw," Lin Daiyu invited, cradling her zither in both arms. Mayumi merely complied.
From this point onward, any misfortune befalling Shan would not reflect upon her. As the two men settled beneath the pavilion's shade, Mayumi was guided to a discreet distance, finally realizing that Ximen Qing had likely orchestrated a private audience with the White Scholar where no bystander would eavesdrop.
"By the way," Mayumi ventured, her voice soft but probing. "I hope my question does not offend, but may I ask who you are?" She offered her own false name, Takeko. "I know your name already, yet forgive my curiosity, are you connected to Ximen Qing?"
Lin Daiyu clutched her zither protectively, her arms folding around it as if to shield it from the world. "I am just a cousin," she murmured, almost hesitant.
Sensing the fragile unease, Mayumi kept her silence, letting the quiet stretch between them as they continued their walk. With two attendants trailing behind, the four of them reached the stone bridge arching gracefully over a pristine manmade river, its waters reflecting the sky in serene perfection.
"So… how did the White Scholar hear my music?" Lin Daiyu asked at last, her words falling softly, lacking the assuredness of Lady Te Gaigui or the boldness of Lady Jin Lian. Her tone seems to always carry reluctance, almost wishing to not even be present for whatever machination that Ximen Qing has devised.
"He… finds it exquisite," Mayumi replied cautiously, choosing her words with care. "We all enjoyed it. It would be a delight to hear more."
Through a few tentative exchanges, Mayumi gleaned that Lin Daiyu oversaw the Ximen palace's backyard gardens, an understated role for someone of noble blood. The Ximen clan, renowned for its many officials and housed myriad ranks of privilege. But she had never expected to meet one whose charge was merely the tending of trees and flowers.
Such thoughts were then spoken aloud.
"We are first cousins," Lin Daiyu said, clarifying her connection to Ximen Qing.
"First?" Mayumi did not dare press further. It was hard to place the noblewoman's exact age, though she appeared slightly older than the current heir. And yet her surname is different. Earth Kingdom custom dictated that children inherit their father's name. Perhaps it was Lin Daiyu's mother who bore Ximen blood. "I did not see you at the Keju ceremony. Do you always remain here, caring for the gardens?"
Lin Daiyu inclined her head gently. Mayumi's simple question had coaxed more from her than usual. It was difficult to draw the noblewoman into conversation. From all indications, she had never ventured beyond the palace walls, not even to attend Ximen Qing's Keju inauguration. Like a bird confined to its gilded cage, she was tasked with preserving the gardens indefinitely. And though the surroundings are breathtaking, they could not mask the faint pall of in her demeanor.
"I do enjoy playing the zither amidst all this," Lin Daiyu admitted, allowing herself a small release of ease. Her words were quiet but sincere, proclaiming that the music melding perfectly with the garden's gentle order, sentiment which the swordswoman readily agrees.
After all, flowers and music are a language Mayumi understood, another perk of having a mother who exclusively tended to bloom before assuming the current role of Matron.
"The flowers need fine soil and water to survive. But music can give them all meaning, something more than just plain existence for the sake being beautiful objects to be looked at." The noblewoman produced a very tiny smile, looking at the zither with content. This statement was brief and short, simple yet meaningful. A message that most can endorse.
They lingered on the stone bridge a while longer, the muted ripples of the river echoing beneath their feet. The two attendants exchanged surprised glances that their lady had spoken more than usual, yet in the Ximen household, they forgot that unsightliness personality can always be found.