AnnouPlease read the the end of the chapter.

  A few days after that i, 9 days to be specific, calm returo the mansion. Ki ordered Mom to stay in bed and she had no ce to resist that order. It's funny that even Mom 't go against her “wife”.

  At least her work wasn't affected too much. Many of the dots she had to review she could do from the green room and visits from her business associates were limited to only those absolutely necessary, leaving Dad and Ki to hahe “heavier” stuff of her job.

  For now, Ki keeps at least ora maid with her, just in case. One whose job is mainly to keep her from doing anything that requires too much effort and to keep her away from stressful situations. The pirl will have her work cut out for her; Mom is proo stressful situations.

  Anyway, the good news is that she is doing much better and you could say she has fully recovered. Zenya told me we no longer have to worry since she resent when the dave her the go-ahead. That's a relief, but I hope Ki will keep an eye on her.

  I also learhat the two maids involved in the rumor we heard were harshly reprimanded by both Dad and Maki. The maid who started it all, Kemasa, was fired the day after she was questioned by them. The same day she was “ratted out” she was locked in some kind of dungeon in the basement of the mansion. No, I had no idea such a thied. Although I suppose it makes sehat a noble family would have such a thing.

  “My arms and legs still hurt...I 't even wag my tail properly. Felia is evil.” Maeka's sad, exhausted voice brought me back to reality. The poor maid had been pining for several days regarding what Ki had ordered them to do, which resulted in special training.

  Remember that Felia took Ameli somewhere at that time? Well, Maki's pn for the day arently for me to stay with her while she sent Ameli, Aelira and Maeka to “special training” in anticipation of the future. Although I didn't quite uand what she meant by that...

  Felia would be in charge of training them, but Ki would be the oo determine what they would do in that training. That was why they pined about Felia and not Ki. It was better to pin about her than the boss.

  The point is that it would be exhaustive training but due to the events of that day, it was now rotating, allowing at least two of them to always be with me. My punishment was modified because of this, although going from three to two maids was not a very signifit ge.

  “Maeka, stop pining so much, you're not the only one going through it,” Aelira replied with a tired expression. Today it was Ameli's turn to gh Felia's hands, so my escorts were Aelira and Maeka. They are nice girls but usually take too many liberties whe aloh me. I don't know if it's because they think I don't uand what's going on or because they think I don't care.

  I'm a bit offended by that thought, even though it's teically correct. The good thing is that sometimes I get plenty of information if they think I won't uand what they're saying.

  “Aeli~ Hug me!” whined Maeka, ging to her panion, ag like a spoiled child demanding her mother's affe.

  “There, there, e here.” The Valven rolled her eyes with a tired smile and gave in to her childish request.

  Putting aside the not-at-all-shameless flirting of those girls, today was my day off, so we were in the garden, in a more open grassy area without too many bushes nearby, just a couple of fruit trees brimming with beautiful blossoms that gently gave off their rich aroma, giving the pce a fresh feeling.

  We were sitting on a sheet while enjoying a small snack. In short, a piic. I got the idea after notig the weather had stabilized quite a bit after several days of non-stop or threatening rain. Besides, I needed a real break from all the studying I had been doing tely.

  As I said as soon as my punishment began, Ki and Zenya became quite strict with me, which trao crammih information and one of the scariest things ever ied in education... homework.

  I shudder just remembering it.

  While my sister has focused oing me do simple things, like reading a specific book and writing some letters (which are real letters, addressed to Yuliana, Aria, Aunt Vec, but I'm not allowed to send them), Ki has gone more on the professional side. That is leavih more homework than I handle.

  So far, we have covered names of races of people nearby, the dar, the Eras included, something I pn to delve into soon as it is somewhat... fusing as well as iing, and a bit ion, or at least the names and domains of each of the Pilrs. Curiously, Sathalia's name has not beeio any time...

  Anyway, finished with those topics, we moved on to basic math, just teag me how tnize numbers, and how to t. It wasn't easy to pretend I didn't know how to do it. I don't know what Maki would think if I suddenly knew how to t perfectly. On top of that, she's also teag me basic social cepts, like manners, s of the empire, some family history (though she's focused only oioning a few important family aors), and, most importantly the reason I'm so stressed about the assig, family heraldry. There aren't many, but learning the different heraldry of allied, subordinate, and enemy families is, by far, exhausting.

  As I said, there aren't too many, 4 allies, 8 subordinates, and only 2 enemies, but the details and what each thing represents in them make it hard to memorize. Oh, but that wasn't even the worst of it. The real problem with this is that it's not all of them, it's just the most important ohat I nize for now. I don't want to think about how many there really will be.

  I shook my head to get that out of my mind. It was my day off; I wao enjoy my day without w. When I returned my attention to the two maids, they seemed to have finished flirting and were now talking normally.

  “Still, I'm gd we're going through all this here and not in the duchy capital,” Aelira said with a relieved sigh. She popped a piece of cake into her mouth, smiling as she happily munched on the dessert.

  “Have you been there?” asked Maeka with bright eyes full of curiosity. I couldn't share her curiosity, as I didn't know what she was referring to.

  “Ah, sometimes I fet you've only been w here for 2 years. Hmm.” Aelira lifted her gaze skyward, thoughtfully, as if sidering something important, then caught me watg her and, as if she had reached a decision, o herself and motioned for me to approach her.

  Not quite uanding what she intended, but also somewhat curious, I got up and sat beside her, expetly.

  “So, you know I've worked for the family for about 10 years, right?”

  Maeka nodded “Since before Lady Zenya was born.”

  Aelira nodded, smiling at the irl. “Well, where should I start? This mansion is just the home that is usually used when there is an important summoning of the Duke and his family, or when the social season begins. Maeka, do you know how often the season starts?”

  The girl thought momentarily, her expression refleg how hard she was trying to remember.

  Isn't it once a year? I remember that in the viories I liked to read they always said it happened once a year, although it always varied in what season it occurred.

  “It's... every 3 years?” she replied, doubtful and with a pleading look, hoping she got it right.

  “Close, it's every 4 years, during the summer and ending in the early spring of the following year. Only in the years of the fre is it forbidden to hold any social events.”

  “Ah, right, it would be too plicated to do anything when the weather is so extreme. I'm gd the fre only happens every 22 years.”

  “True.” Aelira smiled at her aly gave Maeka a small caress on one of her scaly cheeks, causing the reptilian-looking girl to smile pleasantly. “As I was saying, sihis mansion is typically used only during that season, it is mostly empty, inhabited only by a fra of the current employees. The st 4 years, have been the loime the masters have been in the capital.”

  “Because of the dy?” asked Maeka pointing at me with her eyes.

  “Correct. The Duchess found out about her pregnancy while they were still here for the social season that year, so they decided to stay sihey couldn't leave before it was over. On top of that, the following year would be the fre, so they had no choice but to stay here lohan they had pnned.”

  “Hmm, the dy was born in a plicated time.” Maeka moved her hand towards me and started pying with my hands smiling happily. Something that I found quite cute for some reasoe her snake-like face. “Thank the Pilrs that dy was born without any problems.”

  Aelira hummed in agreement.

  Suddenly, Maeka came crawling up to us while doing something simir to a pout. “Still, you haven't told me anything about what the main house is like.”

  “Hehe, but it's more fun if I tell you about the whole journey leading there, don't you think?” she replied while ughing, amused by the other maid's expression.

  “...I guess.” Maeka sat back down, looking at Aelira with monoyance.

  Blushing again at the snake girl's expression, the Valven had to cough to hide her embarrassment. She immediately tinued speaking. “Ahem, so, the territory of the Baelian family, is approximately 8 days southwest by carriage. To reatcordi, the capital of the Duchy where the main mansion is located, one must pass through 4 vilges and 2 walled cities. The first is the vilge of Osgil, located just outside the capital, a little more than half a day to the west. It is only a passing pce, and there is o stop there uhe weather prevents us from tinuing.”

  “I remember Dame Fiana oold me that in that vilge there was a very strange, but surprisingly delicious type of food, although she never went into details,” Maeka added to the story.

  A strange kind of food?

  “Ah, you mean the Gorch?”

  “Yes, yes, that. Dame Fiana said that, although it looked uizing, once you try it, it bee an addi.”

  “Hahaha, I get it. The st time we passed through that vilge I had a ce to try it. Hmm, let's see, gorch is a type of stew that is prepared from the guts of Alcar deer, along with some vegetables that they grow in that vilge. The reason many say it looks disgusting is because when served, it has a greenish or yellowish hue, reminding a lot of what s water looks like.”

  “That doesn't sound appetizing at all,” Maeka ented, squinting her eyes and stig out her tongue which, surprisingly enough was indeed bifid; looking disgusted as she imagined what Aelira was describing.

  “I know, but, if you ighe look of it, then it will have been the most delicious stew you've ever tasted in your life.”

  “Hmm, I hope someday I get to taste it.”

  “Maybe we could visit it on our day off. It's close enough after all.” Aelira wi Maeka, who simply looked away, looking a little embarrassed. It's not as if I could tell, since, due to her scaly skin, there was no blush at all. But her expression, hard to read at times, was quite evident at this moment.

  “M-maybe...” the reptilian girl replied vaguely, as a tapping sound was heard behind her. Perhaps her tail was reag to what she was feeling.

  “tinuing. After 2 days of travel from Osgil, you arrive at Barment, one of the most fortified cities in the empire. Its walls are so high and thick that many say the a builders who erected those walls, quarried the stones from deep in the earth, choosing only the hardest of the rocks. It is sly built on the divide of the river Agio, which runs from the silver mountains to the southerhat her floods nor armies have been able to dent its sturdy rock.”

  Aelira suddenly smoothed a little the sheet on which we were sitting, opening a rge space. Then with her finger, she traced a rge line running from a pte holding a pastry to almost where we were sitting.

  “The Agio River is that long,” she said, again running the full length of the line she made with her finger. I'd say about 40 or 50 timeters long.

  Aelira took a silver button she had on her apron and pced it a little below the middle of the line, representing the city of Barment, and from there, she traced another lio the right, leaving the buttht in the middle of both lines.

  “It is at Barment where the river splits to the southeast, entering the Jultare Duchy, where it ges its o the Lamor River. Both rivers are the main source of food for most vilges, towns, and cities in that region, as many of them are built on the banks of both rivers.” She expined, sitting back down normally and sighing from the effort of having bee over as she poio various spots along the “rivers” she had drawn on the sheet.

  I looked again at these “drawings” and imagihe enormity of that region. I could not correctly estimate the true size, but if I used the button as a refere could well be several hundred, if not thousands, of kilometers ih from its source to its mouth at the sea. My best guess would be to pare it to the full extent of the Nile River. Although I couldn't tell if I was exaggerating or falling short.

  Maeka, who had been silent, looked at Aelira with sparkling eyes, full of respect. If I had to guess, I'd say she was quite impressed by the amount of knowledge the older Valven possessed.

  Notig the gaze of her reptilian panion, Aelira, with the same blush on her cheeks from before, looked away to ignore Maeka and tinued with her tale.

  Heh, there really is something going oweewo. Poor Aelira does nothing but blush.

  “Ahem. Normally, the masters usually stay a day to a maximum of two in Barment. Sometimes just to rest a bit more, and sometimes to buy some of the city's special products. But it's usually a stay of no more than ara day.”

  Aelira leaned forward a bit, returning our attention to the “drawing” she had made on the sheet, using it as a refereo mark the route the journey would take, pointing along the way as she went with her finger.

  “After leaving Barment, you tinue south, passing through the 2 vilges, Ulkelo and Marlon, through which they usually stop to rest for the night. There is not muention here, apart from the forest he vilge Marlon, which has something very special every time there is a full moon.”

  “Something special?” I asked, this time, being the one whose eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

  “I'm sorry young dy; I 't tell you. That is an experiehat is much more wonderful to live it than to hear it.”

  Hearing those words from Aelira disappointed me. I uood the point, but e on, you 't tell a girl something like that and then refuse to say anything else. I had to resort to one of my secret ons. My sad puppy dog eyes.

  “L-Lady, please, I assure you, it's much better to see for yourself.” The older Valven had to look away and muster all her strength not to give in to my powerful attack. Unfortunately for me, she was able to resist pletely, leaving me upset.

  “I-is it that impressive?” asked Maeka, driven by curiosity just as I was.

  Aelira avoided my gaze, as she answered her panion. “Almost as much as the star showers on family day.”

  I opened my eyes wide, startled by the parison. Ever since Dad first showed me that star shower, we've made it a tradition to go out together to see it every year, and each time it gets more beautiful to me. The fact that Aelira is putting it as something simir, only makes me even more curious to see it.

  I was about to insist again for her to tell me, but, seeing that I was getting up, she leaned again towards the drawing on the sheet and resumed her story.

  I narrowed my eyes, almost about to groan, but, one look at Maeka, who looked like a child excited to hear an adveory, made me sigh and give up on that. I simply sat back doaid attention to her words.

  “Finally, by the 8th or 9th day, you finally reach the st city before the duchy capital. Here-"

  “Wait, wait. Nine days? You said it takes 8 days to get there.”

  “Ah, it's 8 days, yes, but only if you don't stop at any point or if there's nothing to dey the journey. Otherwise, it takes 10 to 15 days by carriage.”

  “…”

  “…”

  “…”

  There was a short silen which Maeka looked at the Valven with accusatory eyes as if reproag her for lying. She quickly shook her head, resigned, and motioned for her to tinue.

  Aelira decided to ighe awkward moment and simply tinued.

  “As I was saying, it is the st city before reag the capital of the duchy. It is built on a high hill, surrounded by a giant wall that prevents any enemy from entering, and makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to besiege it effectively. It was formerly a military stronghold, a fortress in charge of proteg the border between the capital of the empire and the a try of Logor, where the entire Baelian duchy is now located. After these nds were quered, the fortress gradually lost its purpose and ended up being a hub for trade from the south a.” As she ted that st part, Aelira put her finger a certain distao the left of the line she had drawn. From there she redrew another 3 lines leading out from where the city was depicted. “The people who live there, especially nobles and historians, use the name “Kelvaren” in official dots and maps, but to settlers, merts, and travelers, they know it as Berentrah.”

  Both Maeka and I looked at her in awe, letting out an “Ohhh!” excitedly. Something about that story excited me a lot. A little tingle inside me, that eagero see the world, to venture beyond the grounds of my home and see all the unknown there is to see in this new life.

  Although Maeka had also bee quite excited, she suddenly frowned and became pensive. Aelira noticed this and patiently waited for the question that would definitely be asked by her fellow servant. “Why does the city have two names?”

  “Heh, excellent question.” Aelira rewarded the reptilian girl with a gentle caress on her scaled cheek, causing the girl to let out a small grunt of satisfa. Even her forked tongue flicked out a little from her mouth, exactly like a sesting the air for prey. Only this time it looked like a gesture of satisfa.

  After that and, clearihroat, she answered as a teacher would in a history css. “As I said before, the city used to be a border bastion, charged with proteg the empire from any invasion from the a try of Logor. After that war was over, and with its purpose lost, the city was also losing its few settlers, many of whom were soldiers sent there from other towns and cities, si that time there were not so many soldiers in the army, and the city was not fortable to house civilian families within its walls. As the non-essential soldiers were leaving the city, the then Lord of the Bastion Kelvaren, began a restru of many of the districts, to make the city much more livable for the new residents he wao attract. As time went by, and the arrival of travelers and iti merts, the city gradually prospered and increased its popution, as well as its livability. But what made the biggest difference, was a deal he made with Duke Baelian and the Emperor of that era at the time the quest of Logor was cluded.”

  “A deal?” I asked curiously, moving a little closer so I could hear her words better.

  Aelira nodded and took a small earby in which she poured some water and drank slowly to quench her thirst. “The Lord, Arobo, lord of Bastion Kelvare in the capital with both of them, and there he was given the mission, and the budget, to build three roads and improve the ohat led from the capital to his city. The first of these new roads would lead to the newly founded city of Entcordi, the capital of the Baelian Duchy. The sed would go eastward across the Agio River to meet the jun leading to the nds to the south, now known as the Duchy of Jultare. The st of the three would be built to the north, where it would also meet another jun leading into the territories of the then ty of Veeram, now Duchy, and the border city of Farenta, one of the cities of the try of Bjegolt, one of our oldest allies to the northwest of the empire.”

  There were so many questions I wao ask, so many things I wanted Aelira to keep tellihat I didn't know where to start. Unfortunately, there was no time to ask them. A maid came from the small path by the garden and called out to both maids, announg that Maki was calling them. They both looked at each other a little puzzled but nodded and began to gather up all the things.

  “Ah~ just when we were at our most iing. And you didn't even answer me what the main mansion looked like.”

  “Hehe, sorry. I didn't expect us to be called suddenly. However...” Aelira paused for a moment and looked at me a bit worried aant as if she wao tell a big secret and didn't know if she should do it in my presence. She shook her head and motioned Maeka to e closer. “This is just something I overheard, so don't take it too seriously for now,” she whispered, looking all around, making sure no one else could hear them. “I overheard Tina and Orelia talking the other day, they were saying that it was very likely that the Masters would return to the main mansio year when Lady Sarka returned from the academy.”

  Maeka put a hand to her mouth and opened her eyes wide. Then, mimig the older Valven, she looked all around, nervous and worried about being overheard. “Are you sure that's what they said?”

  “Absolutely.” She replied with plete certainty in what she was saying. “I'm not quite sure if it's just specution from both of them or something they heard from one of the Masters themselves, but I see it as possible too.”

  “You do too?”

  Aelira nodded. “There are 3 reasons why I think so. The first is because st year, Lady Zenya expressed her desire to hold her Vah ceremony in the Duchy's capital, and her parents didn't seem opposed to the idea.” Maeka nodded, expressing that it had a certain logic to it. “The sed is precisely because of Lady Orinthya. Lady Fiana seems to want to hold her fifth birthday at the main mansion. Apparently, and this is something Tina oold me, she wants to be as far away from Baroness Routsch as possible.”

  Knowing Maki, it was obvious that, after what my grandmother said on Zenya's birthday, she didn't wao be at my birthday itself. I would agree with that too. I don't want to see that woman anywhere near Ki.

  “And what's the third one?”

  “...Again, this is something I overheard, and I hope it's not true.” Maeka tilted her head in fusion at the very serious and plicated expression Aelira was making. “When Kemasa was dismissed, I heard some of the servants who follow Master Losward mutter that, wheurned, he would not be happy at all with what happened.”

  “The ones who support him? Wait, wheurns?”

  “Yes. Word is getting around among them that Master Losward would be returning very soon, and that he would be staying at the manor for an indefinite amount of time.”

  Oh... that's really bad news.

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