Little Flower is a peasant girl sold into servitude at age six as a *muizai* to the wealthy Fong family. She initially clings to the belief that her bound feet, her "golden lilies," will ensure a reunion with her mother. Within the Fong household, she serves the privileged daughter Linjing and endures harsh treatment. She finds solace in her exceptional embroidery skills, creating a unique needle-painting technique that she hopes will secure her a better future.

Linjing is the privileged only daughter of the Fong family. She struggles with intense jealousy over her mother's affection for Little Flower and harbors deep fears about her future in an arranged marriage. Because her father canceled her foot-binding to secure a political betrothal, she feels inadequate and retaliates against those beneath her in the household hierarchy. She actively works to maintain her status and control over her servants.

Maa Maa is the authoritarian matriarch of the Fong family. She demands absolute obedience from the household and prioritizes the continuation of the family's male lineage above all else. She actively punishes the wives for failing to produce sons and violently enforces patriarchal traditions. Her power is absolute within the domestic sphere, and she views women primarily as vessels for procreation.

Lady Phoenix Fong is Master Fong's first wife and Linjing's mother. She occupies a precarious position in the household due to early struggles to produce a male heir, which subjects her to Maa Maa's constant cruelty. She acts kindly toward her servants, particularly Little Flower, while trying to protect her own status. She hides deep secrets regarding her past to maintain her position as first wife.

Noble Chan is the proprietor of a silk filature in Chan Village. Influenced by Western ideas, he harbors modern business ambitions, such as opening a department store, but remains bound by his conservative family's expectations. He initially judges women's capabilities based on traditional standards like bound feet but eventually has his worldview challenged by the talented women he encounters.

Spring Rain is a young *muizai* in the Fong household serving Second Aa Noeng. Hardened by the abuse she receives, she adopts a cynical and pragmatic approach to survival, teaching Little Flower how to hide her emotions behind a blank expression. She actively plots to escape her servitude and harbors deep resentment toward her enslavers.

Aunt Sapphire is Lady Fong's sister and the mother superior of a Celibate Sisterhood in the Pearl River Delta. She escaped the traditional path of marriage by taking vows of celibacy and now oversees a community of independent women who work in the silk industry. She is a strict pragmatist who enforces the sisterhood's rules without exception to protect their collective reputation.

Second Aa Noeng is a minor wife in the Fong household. She initially suffers under the matriarch's abuse for her history of stillbirths, living in constant fear of losing her place. Her desperation for security makes her highly observant and willing to use whatever leverage she can find against her rivals in the family.

Cerise is the loyal housekeeper of the Fong estate and Lady Fong's personal handmaiden. She enforces the household's strict rules and ensures the muizai obey their mistresses. Having internalized the patriarchal system, she prioritizes her devotion to Lady Fong over seeking her own independence.

Miss Abigail Hart is an American English tutor employed by the Fong family. She holds strong Christian and anti-slavery ideals, actively seeking to challenge the traditional practices of the household. She uses her position to offer support and potential escape routes to the enslaved girls, though she occasionally misjudges the complex cultural realities they face.

Master Fong is an ambitious mandarin official and the patriarch of the Fong family. He views his family members, including his daughter and the servants, primarily as assets to be utilized for his political advancement. While he occasionally shows affection for Linjing, his decisions consistently prioritize his career over the well-being of his wives and children.

Aa Noeng is Little Flower's widowed mother, driven to desperation by poverty and the threat of starvation. She binds Little Flower's feet early and teaches her to care for them, believing it is the only way to secure a good marriage. She sells Little Flower to fund her son's apprenticeship, making a painful sacrifice for the family's survival.

Fei is the infant son of Second Aa Noeng and Master Fong. His birth significantly alters the power dynamics within the household, as he represents the long-awaited male heir that secures his mother's position.

Meilian is Linjing's 13-year-old half-sister in the Fong household. She shares the precarious existence of the daughters in a family heavily focused on producing male heirs.

Madam Hung is a professional matchmaker. She adheres strictly to societal beauty standards, initially recoiling at Little Flower's unbound feet before recognizing the immense value of her exceptional embroidery skills.

Tung Taai Taai is a host at a Chinese-Christian safe house connected to Miss Hart's underground network. While she initially presents herself as an ally to fleeing servants, the financial strain of poverty heavily influences her actions.

Valiant Li is the son of a powerful, modernizing viceroy. He requires a wife with natural feet to serve alongside him in his future diplomatic career, a requirement that dictates Linjing's upbringing.

Lady Li is Valiant Li's mother and the wife of a powerful viceroy. She has an angular face and a cold, disdainful demeanor that leaves a lasting, terrifying impression on a young Linjing.

Joy is a young woman committed to the Celibate Sisterhood. Unlike those who choose the path freely, she was forced into it by her family. She recognizes the shared trauma among the women and becomes a supportive companion to Little Flower.

Ming is Noble Chan's clerk. He is supportive and logical, often arguing on behalf of those who face unfair prejudice in the silk trade.

Madam Chan is Noble's conservative mother. She strongly favors traditional values and actively campaigns for her son's arranged marriage. She views women who step outside traditional boundaries with deep suspicion and hostility.

Master Chan is Noble's father. He represents the strict, unyielding traditional values of the Chan family and demands absolute allegiance from his children.

Miss Prudence is Noble Chan's betrothed, an arrangement heavily favored by his family. She suffers from weak lungs and feels threatened by anyone who might capture Noble's attention.

Little Grass is a lower-ranked servant in the Fong household. She pragmatically accepts her low position and points out the stark differences in prospects among the girls in the compound.