She was shivering. There was a cow mooing outside and geese honking at the top of their lungs. Ayan opened her eyes from the cold and noise of farm animals in the early morning. It was still dark outside but she no longer had any interest in going back to bed. Perhaps because she slept plenty since yesterday or that it was too noisy.

Yesterday…?

Ayan sat up quickly, put on her shoes to walk towards the twin's bed. The boys are still sleeping sweetly. The brazier near the stonewall still had remaining embers, no Clayton on the other hand. There was only one room in this loft, he couldn't have slept below. Still, she wanted to make sure so she took her shawl, hurriedly went downstairs and nearly stumbled on the steep staircase. 

"Clayton?" 

Nobody answered. The parlour was still the same sparse space with its bare windows. 

No one was there but a single chair.

Her emotion began to surge, wiping away the haze from her long sleep.  

Did he go somewhere else? Yesterday he told her that he would be back in the evening. The brazier was lit proving that he did return. But where is he now?

Ayan walked around and sat on the chair near the hearth. It was too cold. She first grabbed a few firewoods and sticks placed on the right side and began rubbing the fire steel with the knife she always carried. The heat dispersed into the room after a minute.

Going back to her earlier worry, she couldn't help but feel a little panicked. No, maybe he just went outside for something. He will be back. 

Or so she thought. When sunlight entered the bare window hitting her eyes, she could no longer wait for him to appear in that door. She began to pace and went from the front to the backyard only to be angered.

Not a hair, not even a shadow. It seems she and the boys were left alone in the farmhouse!

Very good. You've managed to make me angry half an hour after leaving the bed. Ayan was ready to burst into flames. 

But even when she is mad, she keeps moving. Then stopped. Ayan was shocked to realize that aside from the things she saw the helpers tidied up, nothing seemed to have changed from the moment they arrived in this place? Err, so what about Clayton's order to deliver things? No curtains were hanging in the window to keep the damp air out. The floor was still the same stone slab without a carpet. If winter wasn't coming any time soon, Ayan wouldn't be so meticulous. Trouble is, winter is here!   

And the place was still the same empty peasant cottage that hadn't seen a tenant for ages.

Clayton said he would only be gone for half a day and return by the evening but it lasted until the sun rose from the east and hung high in the sky. Ayan was frantic all of a sudden. She went around the kitchen next hoping to see if someone returned to deliver something but found the same horror as there was in the parlour. All the cupboards were empty. 

She opened the door connecting to the storeroom and saw six eggs and vegetables in the baskets but this amount is barely enough.

This is not happening. 

She told him the fairy ring could not be opened for a few days. They urgently need something to get by until he returns! Ayan paced around the small living area with her hands crossed at her chest.

Think!

Thankfully the two rucksacks they carried were left. At least there is food inside. She quickly poured everything out to check what was remaining.

There is a kilo of white rice, her portable spice jar and seasoning bottles, a loaf of bread, three apples, two cartons of milk, some vacuumed sealed meat like honey lemon chicken, a pound of roast beef and red boar chops, two packs of the twin’s favourite sweet sausage, cheese, a bag of pancake mix and packets of honey syrup and some sugar. 

The bag of beef jerky and flavoured oatmeal was missing. It was probably Clayton who took them as snacks. 

She went back to the kitchen to start boiling water before the boys woke up. They were lucky they had a good meal before arriving but all those had already been digested. Her stomach is empty now; just imagine how the children would once they wake up.

She had fed them in the past couple of months to their current healthy state. Turning them back to those thin hungry babies hurt her heart. Damn their father leaving so abruptly without even a word!

He mentioned something about the manor yesterday, the house owned by the third lord. She didn’t want to go in there to demand provisions because her current identity does not allow her to but looking at their current state now, she is well aware that hiding and pretending to be docile would not do them any better. 

That person was a bit eccentric and she may not get the result she wanted but he is Clayton's friend anyway. Perhaps he wouldn't be too hard on them, Ayan assured herself. She just needed to know if her 'dear husband' left something, anything before she completely convinced herself that they are on their own.

Who knows where that person went and when he will come back?! 

As for the third lord, she wanted to take a gamble. The second volume of the story has already run off track, whether he already met Lucia Neu she still has to try. 

The water boiled in the pot and she poured it into an empty bucket to be used for washing. Shortly after that, she began to cook a cup of rice for breakfast. There are carrots and peas in the storeroom so she plans to make sausage and egg fried rice. First, she diced two fat sausages, washed the carrot and diced it as well on the same size. Cut onion and garlic next, saute them in the pan before adding the carrot and sausage. Set aside, Ayan took two eggs and beat them fluffy as the rice finished cooking. She poured the egg first into the same pan to soak the flavour. Wait until they are half-cooked then put in the soft rice, sweet soy sauce and vegetable sausage mix.

As the food cooked the delicious smell spread making her stomach gurgle. No choice, for now, she can only let the kids eat this.

Ayan was also done heating their milk when she heard the movements upstairs. 

"Mommy~" 

"Good morning mother."

Two boys and one leopard cub climb down the stairs carefully to watch her get busy in the tiny kitchen. 

"Wash your face first and brush your teeth, breakfast is ready soon," she told them. 

The four of them ate a simple meal and began to familiarize themselves with the new place after. This cottage sits near the woodland surrounded by dry stone walls as protection from stray animals. An acre wide backyard stood behind serving as its garden for homegrown food. 

Not bad for a tenant's house. The conditions are generous enough meaning that their landlord was not a stingy person. Ayan went back upstairs to place the remaining contents of the rucksacks in there. A few change of clothes and thick blankets they use for travel.  

As noon approached her worry gave way to alarm.

"Boys, do you like this place?"

The twins who were playing near the hearth looked up to her and nodded softly. They refrained to ask where their father was to lessen her worry. As long as mommy is here, everything is going to be okay, they thought.

"That’s it!" Ayan muttered, jumping up. "Let's walk outside and greet the neighbours, shall we?"

Half an hour later, at the doorstep of a manor, three new people and one snow-white cub with wings can be seen walking on the devastatingly wide lawn of a country mansion. 

"Rodney?" Ayan called.

 Rodney was startled, he looked away suspiciously as if he did not expect to be seen here. 

"Madam, it is you."

Ayan had no time to mind his strange behaviour, he had always been strange towards her anyway so she went straight to the point. 

"Has your Mister left any instructions? Anything at all?"

Old Tom the butler in the estate gave Ayan and the twins a brief look then left them some privacy and returned to the house. Rodney looked at her with a blank stare and solemnly shook his head. "Mister has given no word according to what you said. He left promptly as soon as he arrived here last night and said to return indefinitely."

"Impossible," Ayan said almost in a whisper. "He cannot just leave. You were with him the whole time. Do you know where he went, by the way?"

She didn't want to sound mad but she cannot help but raise a pitch. 

"I was not informed of their specific destination." It was true which made him uncomfortable. Everything was entrusted to Kanon to handle. 

"That's not right, if he were to go somewhere he should have told me at least."

Rodney looked helpless, "A letter arrived here yesterday stating that Mister must go. They prepared to depart quickly and according to what I have observed, Mister was anxious to meet up with the person who sent the message."

A letter? From whom? Ayan's heart turned into a ball of ice. She wanted to curse out loud. 

Has Clayton gone totally stupid? That was not the impression he gave her in all these weeks they were together. By God, she could even swear he is the perfect husband material for any woman. Brave, intelligent and devoted. Be it in ancient or in modern times he is a good catch.

How could he have left his two sons with absolutely nothing now? Looks like she will have to consider her impression again.

Oh, she is furious!

"Madam, as for the things asked yesterday. I have already informed the servants and handed over the list." 

Ayan nodded, "Thank you."

When they left, Rodney wiped off the friendly look on his face and restored his calm. Old Tom came out of the house.

"Lord Morrigan is not in good health and can only ask your master to come in place of him. I pray for the tasks to go well. If there is anything your master needs, House Morrigan is ready to assist except one thing." 

Rodney's hopeful smile stiffened and did not make any further remarks. 

Old Tom added, "This matter involves not only your master but my lord's reputation. About the mistress you mentioned, milord does not want to intervene." 

There was an awkward silence in the yard all of a sudden. This talk about mistress is highly inappropriate, Old Tom tolerated Rodney's query for the sake of his master but if it were any other people, they have long been sent packing. The butler then took something from his pocket. It was a parchment with a list of things and asked Rodney if these are still needed. 

"I am not sure whether these provisions that are listed in here…" Old Tom said with a squint in his muddy eyes. 

"Since the lord does not permit it then we better leave it." Rodney gave it an indifferent glance, "This paper… take it as it never existed. I apologize for being presumptuous."

The butler did not take it to heart and generously excused him, "Will you be returning to the town or wait for your lord here?"

"I will be leaving for town in a few minutes." Rodney decided. "The lord may take a while to return."

The old man nodded, tucked the paper in his pocket and resumed his daily duties.

Upstairs in the bedroom above the hall, a man with long burgundy hair lay weakly on the bed. The sickly complexion and long confinement without seeing the sun has made his skin look almost transparent. One can see the fine veins on them. The man's fragile body is currently racked with violent spasms from his coughs. 

In order not to create too much noise, he mercilessly muffled the sound with a white cloth despite his difficulty breathing. 

"Milord?" the valet standing by the bed worriedly approached.

The man raised his hand, refusing to show weakness "The problem in Stellaris, how is it?"

"Lord— I mean, Mr Rozenberg has taken over the command. The matter of the City Counselor harassing the fishermen of Stellaris has already been sent to the courthouse. According to the testimonies, the poisoned fish in the lake has nothing to do with the fishermen. It was clearly an unjust accusation to frame others."

"The counsellor's hometown Dana lies in the upper reaches of the river, they have too little marine products to sustain their consumption, unlike Stellaris who is situated right before the water. It was true that after eating the fish from the lake the people from Dana began to get sick. However, this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated." 

"There were five households from Dana who came to seek justice. The fishermen are frightened because they not only brought a mob along with them but also threatened in the name of the City Counselor. Hopefully, Mr Rozenberg arrived on time. The dispute over there will end soon so please put your mind at ease."

He leaned back tiredly, "If only this body can get a little better…"