The silver-haired captive was so charismatic, so unapologetically confident, and so shockingly knowledgeable about the finer things in life, that the matriarch had simply decided to keep her as a prized, pampered pet.
"Finesse is just applied patience, Madam," Ji'an drawled smoothly, handing a perfectly brewed cup of tea back to the blushing maiden.
She popped a peeled grape into her own mouth, chewing lazily. "Though, I must admit, your establishment's skincare regimen is atrocious. I noticed the dry patches on your elbows when you grabbed my shirt earlier."
Madam Rouge gasped, a genuine look of horror crossing her beautiful face.
She frantically touched her elbow. "Dry patches? I use the finest crushed-pearl ointments in the Eastern Basin!"
"Crushed pearl is too abrasive for an arid desert climate," Ji'an lectured, slipping effortlessly into a cross between a high-end dermatologist and a disappointed grandmother.
