After scrutinizing the poem, Madam Embrey finally understood Maya's purpose for visiting.
"Esteemed wives of the Lockwood household!" she gushed with practiced flattery. "Have you come to offer your husband's poem to our Silk Whisper? What an honor! The entire city knows of Mr. Lockwood's exceptional poetic genius at the Confucian academy - his verses could fill eight measure baskets!"
Ethan Lockwood's literary fame had indeed begun spreading beyond academy circles, though the institution deliberately withheld official announcement. They awaited the sect patriarch's inspection before launching their grand publicity campaign.
Without this restraint, the Lockwood estate would lose all its current tranquility - besieged by endless streams of social climbers.
This time, Lilac took the init
