Chapter 29: House of Happiness

Valentine could help but wonder what the fuss was about. She had slept off her morning drinks, downed a jug of water and was now getting dolled up. Use to this from all her time spent as a noble. Her time at the brothel thus far had been a whisper of warmth and a significant amount of hair detangling.

She wanted to ask why this was happening, but after being told she can either get dressed up or keep drinking, she chose the former. Getting dressed by others wasn't a concern for the noble, it was common for others to prepare and take care of her every aspect.

"I think we need to use these hair pins together, since they can bring out the emerald in her eye."

"We can use these earrings to match with that."

"Let's make sure we accent her nice curls to!"

Even if it had been several years since the noble had a chance to be catered to, Valentine gently moved and adjusted expertly to accommodate the courtesans that were going overboard with her looks.

"Don't forget to leave some space in the hips, marital sect members need to be able to kick." While the noble would have never stated her anger, it helped that the doxy hadn't said it was because her hips were wide.

"Don't forget to add an extra wrap, her hips are naturally larger than ours."

Heir Lockheed shed tears internally and felt that the floozie had a large butt herself.

There wasn't much else to do but let the school of ladies slowly paint and dress her hands nails face and body. Prior to finishing up she took care of all her human needs, then waited for the event itself to begin.

The main hall of the brothel was polished with tables and areas for several individuals to gather. Privacy screens and curtains had all been removed, leaven an open space in the middle with a large table set up to make announcements from. Beyond the hallways sat a large counter with space for food and drinks, as well as severely sharply dressed men and women to act as waiters. If the name on the door wasn't "Heavenly Gateway to Happiness" it wouldn't have been hard to believe that it was an upscale event venue.

"Come on you're the star of the show!" Short fox tail of a master shoved her forward, most of the guest were recognizable. Town minister, a few representatives of the various merchant groups, several of the prominent families, plus a handful of sect elders, peak leaders, and for some reason the sect master.

Walking out was no trouble, she was Lady Lockheed, heir to the duchy, no group of political powers could shake her. Just don't ask her to speak beyond rote pleasantries.

Dressed in fine silks, with soft flower patterns, a coordinated belt of black and white chrysanthemums ties her together. From her neck was a sparkling rare blue jade, with emerald jade earrings and hair pins. Her hair was half up with the lower half bouncing delicately with each step she took. It was fortune that she cultivated, and the robes she wore had enough room to walk and move normally.

She did find the jeweled sandals to be too much.

"Disciple Lockheed how nice of you to join us." Sect leader was the highest ranking and felt no need to pull punches.

"Disciple Lockheed greets sect leader, greets peak leaders, greets elders." Bringing her hands together she brought a light bow to bare. Just because the assembled people in the mid nascent soul sage would squash her into oblivion wasn't an excuse to debase herself.

Taking the small cup from one of the serving trays as it walked by, Valentine quietly mingled, only really speaking if some one asked her something directly. Migrating slowly around the room, she listened in on the gossip about the event and her.

"Did you see the lady of the hour; she could easily beat the top courtesan here!"

"If Miss Shashi heard that she would never let you near her again."

"I wonder what this announcement is?"

"Ah master fox tail is getting drunk again, so cute!"

"I heard it was about Deity Xin who disappeared."

"Why do you think they call them courtesans?"

"Who cares, see the rack on that one there?"

"Booze! My life for more booze!"

The impromptu party was in full swing. Mixed in were a few comments about how she wasn't so special just because she could cultivate fast, and a few similar jealous statements. Finding a small space in the back out of the way, the noble slowly migrated over. Peace was not long held because in a short moment the fox loli master Li Ming Song stood on the table to make her announcement.

"It is an auspicious day in which we discover a fact about our world that none has known before." Unintimidated by the crowed before her Li Ming didn't have any doubts about what she was going to say.

"Hides her liquor well." Someone nearby muttered. If one does the math, she should be seven drinks past wasted. Song didn't have points, but her fox features were a rich red clay. It helped that she was fluffy to the max everywhere but her face which held short soft bristles.

"There's a lot of words that one could say, but it is here in which the mystery is stripped away. Rather than listen to long winding words I will speak plainly, disciple please step forth." Warily the noble came forward from her comfy corner.

"Perchance one wonders what mystery? Which dark and mired secret shall we explore? Mists hidden and…" What promised to become winding words was cut short as the sect master glared at the pint-sized cultivator. It was a gaze leveled with a hidden threat and some serious cultivation pressure

"Disciple Lockheed is Grandmaster Iris Xin's Daoist partner!" Gulping the fox couldn't help but spit out the words.

Stillness like that which could be found on the ocean floor filled the hall. As a unit, the room turned to look at the red-haired disciple. This was navigable for the noble, a misunderstanding that could be overcome to remove herself from the limelight.

"They even dual cultivated." It took a three-hundred-year-old plus sect master, to speak in the wake of that bombshell.

"Is this true disciple Lockheed?"

The abyss that had formed in the room sank further as the noble had no idea what to say. After an agonizing decade, the girl could only nod in truth.

"Its no wonder grandmasters qi had burned so bright in you when we first met." It was quite enough that the robust old voice carried to the whole brothel. If the sect leader had stayed quiet, there wasn't any hard evidence to support the idea.

Patriarch of the bladeless sword clan had just in effect consented that the two women were married.

"Now that we know such a sacred bond exist, its only fair that Disciple Lockheed take the burden of locating the sage!"

Valentine had learned enough through gossip and her work in the assignment hall to know that the world outside the sect was a steaming cauldron of scum villainy and self-interest. So, while cheers and congratulations `began to flow, the noble found a seat at the bar in the back. Somehow the task of locating a missing person fell to her, because some maid sweet talked her into it.

Hard lesson learned about life choices.

Once she had settled into a stool everyone wanted to buy her a drink so to speak, in hopes of connecting with someone attached to the ten great masters of the martial realm. It was the first time in recent history that someone managed to consume more alcohol than the master of North Strike Peak.

To the great surprise of the noble Lockheed, she awoke alone in her own bed. Someone would normally take pity on them once they passed out and put them in a spare room filled with the other drunks. Fortune was with her as pill pagoda had provided her with high end anti hangover medication once they discovered she was a direct disciple of the notorious demon of drink. Present in her room was senior sister, who looked up at her idly after she awoke. Checking her cloths, the noble found everything mostly in place.

"What's…" Her head was distinctly clear, but the pills did nothing for the vast dehydration that Valentine suffered. Wordlessly her senior sister handed her a water glass.

"Thanks" It was far more casual than the noble would have liked but as the wet relief flowed through her it was difficult to be formal. Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Valentine let her thoughts run, without saying anything.

"We never did talk much about us did we." Senior had always lacked tact and pointed out exactly what was bothering the noble.

"I suppose we didn't." Getting up to refill her water. Senior didn't try to help her, letting her grope her way to a faucet to get water.

"Is it really true?" Senior asked as she watched the second glass disappear.

"True but not in context." Sipping this time rather than downing she managed to sit back on her bed. It was clear to senior sister that her martial junior wasn't going to answer.

"You still have feelings for her then?" Freezing in response, the noble thawed before answering.

"I…don't know." She finished lamely.

"How can you not? Did you like another woman when you were with me or not?" That question stung, especially for a girl who didn't know anything about romance before she meet senior.

"Well how would I? You're the second person to ever get close to me." Between the dying thirst and the general uncomfortableness of dealing with relationships, the noble felt downright pathetic.

"Lies, your way to attractive to not have a string of women after you." It was a strange crystallization in that moment. The difference in how the complement felt, when the sage had spoke it verse her senior sister. Had the noble been more aware of things, she would have realized she was attracted to the similar trait of overcoming her quiet exterior.

"It wasn't like that…It's been years since I saw her, I didn't even know that cultivating together was something…lovers do."

"So that means." Senior paused considering what was said. "You have never been romantic with anyone before me?"

"No." Valentine snaped back, feeling nettled by the questions. Anger slipped away like sand in water frustrations of being put into the same category as a deity cultivator.

"Well…I figured you were so distant because you didn't like me or something. Makes sense that you just don't know how to treat a lady." Frustration and anger that had been present from her own self-inflicted thoughts faded completely as she found an awkward noble who didn't know anything.

How adorable.

"I think I might." Quietly as she did everything spoke admitting to her ex-lover that she loved someone else.

"Five years, and I think I'm still attached to her."

It was senior sisters turn to play the quite one. This slowly ratcheted the nobles' nerves, but she didn't wait too long.

"I think neither of us were really willing to invest, I thought you were just going along with me as a senior."

"Not at all, it was something I wanted as well. Its just…"

Closing the distance Senior sister gently wrapped up the other girl. There were a lot of phrase and words to say but Senior knew she would ruin them. Instead, she chose something a bit simpler.

"Your amazing, so don't worry about how things turned out." The two sat on her bed until it was too uncomfortable for senior to hold her junior. Loosening and pulling a part, the two ladies didn't say anything.

"So, you're chasing after your girl, that's exciting." Dryly changing the topic to avoid the overwhelming awkwardness.

"She's not anything yet, but yes…" Nervously hoping it wasn't to much, she added. "I think my wonderful Martial Senior sister would be amazing to help me prepare."

"Of course, I would!" Senior exclaimed understanding it was the nobles attempted to reassure her.

Together the two left, leaving both their past as lovers and their current self's behind.