There was a carriage that I had never seen before, and as soon as Nainiae brought our carriage to the stop, I went straight over to it.

“Who could it be?” I muttered to myself.

I wondered if it was the Church, the High Priest deciding to get my help again. But when I quietly walked over to the side of the carriage to check it’s side--the crest I saw wasn’t that of the Holy Church, but of one of the noble families.

Its overall red colour was eye catching, but the black mixed in here and there gave it a flashy look. Even at a glance, I could tell that it was an expensive carriage.

“I parked the carriage.” Nainiae said from behind me.

While I was checking out the carriage, Nainiae had parked the carriage, and untied the horses.

“I have never seen this carriage,” Nainiae looking closely at the carriage in front of us--but I had expected that answer, since she hadn’t seen many carriages.

“Well, I’ll get to know what’s going on soon enough.” I shrugged, giving up on trying to figure it out, walking towards the entrance of the mansion.

Ian was already standing there and waiting for me.

Having discovered me walking into the mansion, Ian flinch and rushed towards me like a pet  missing its owner.

“Young maasteerr!!”

He stopped instantly, and skillfully right in front of me, “You came back.”

“Shouldn’t you act your age, Ian?” I rolled my eyes at him.

“It’s not a bad thing for a servant to worry about the master he serves,” He grinned at me--then his eyes met Nainiae’s single good eye; he immediately made a violent face and started pouting.

“Did Nainiae make things uncomfortable for you in any way, young master?” His eyes were glued to Nainiae’s face.

“Of course she didn’t” I rolled my eyes at him.

He let out a childish snort.

”Anyway, what’s that carriage there for?” I pointed over my shoulder and towards the carriage behind us.

“It’s from the Morgred Family.”

“Morgred?”

“Yes, a daughter from the Morgred Family is currently visiting.”

“Hmm? Why would a daughter of the Morgred Family come here?”

“Have you forgotten?”

“...?”

“There was an engagement ceremony two years ago, it’s that Family.”

“Ah.” I nodded.

Nainiae, who was standing behind me, suddenly reached forwards and gently grasped my hand--she quickly stepped forwards and whispered in my, “Please don’t abandon me.”

I turned back and saw her puppy-like eye, looking up into mine.

“Of course I won’t” I answer her--flicking her forehead with a little more force than usual.

She shuddered and rubbed her forehead, and then looked into my eyes with a trusting expression--she stepped back behind me, where a maid normally stood.

***

“I’m sorry to hear about Lady Orelly, it was most unfortunate.”

Inside Ryan’s personal office, there was a woman wearing a lacy dress, and enjoying a cup of tea.

“My mother brought it onto herself. It’s just that I don’t think my mother is a horrible person. After all, she is my mother--the woman who gave birth to me.” Ryan, the eldest son of the Iphelleta House, was sitting in front of the woman.

“You intend to bring her back?”

“Yes. Once I become the legitimate successor, I intend to bring my mother back to the mansion--although I will have to convince my father first.” Ryan nodded with a sad look on his face, “The news I have heard about the Tes Merchant Company doesn’t sound so good. I’m worried--but it should be alright, that person is tenacious.”

“I have been using every available source to find out information--I’m sure that there will good news soon.” The woman said, looking up from the tea.

“Thank you. Thanks to you…I feel a little more at ease.” Ryan said, a sad look on his face--but he seemed to try and smile gently--holding the woman’s hand.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, the woman couldn’t stop the blush from rising in her cheeks, “Young Master…”

The ring on her finger was identical to the one on Ryan’s finger.

***

“...Young Master Ryan’s fiancee?” Nainiae asked.

Sera and Nainiae’s job for the day was washing blankets, usually Nainiae would only look after Riley’s sheets and blankets--but Sera forced her to do more, because Nainiae had taken a journey with their Young Master.

When Nainiae asked the question, Sera started to explain about the daughter of the Morgred Family, “That’s right. The daughter from the Morgred Family that visited us today is…The Young Master Ryan’s fiancee--they had their engagement ceremony two years ago.” Sera hung a large blanket on the laundry line.

Not hearing any replies, Sera turned and quickly looked at Nainiae--who was just standing there with a blank stare and a blanket in her arms.

“Nainiae?”

“...”

Although Sera called out to her, Nainiae wasn’t answering, she kept standing with a vacant look on her face.

“Nainiae!”

“...Yes? Ah, yes!” Nainiae almost fell over as she answered.

“What were you just thinking about now?”

“No. It’s nothing. It’s just…” She started to hang the blanket on the line.

Of course, Sera, both being an older and more experienced woman, wasn’t mislead.

She narrowed her eyes with a mischievous expression and asked, “What is it? Did something happen with the Young Master?”

“N-No…Nothing--” Nainiae flushed, refusing to meet Sera’s gaze .

“You have been acting strange, so it’s odd, you know?” Sera poked her tongue out, walking up behind Nainiae and draping her arms around her shoulders from behind, whispering into the flinching girl’s ear, “Did you and Young Master do anything fun?”

Nainiae shuddered slightly, her hands trembling--but she successfully hung the blanket.

Sera blew gently into Nainiae’s ear, before giggling, “I’m higher-ranked than you; so you should obey me, or I may punish you.”

“Only Young Master can do that…” Nainiae responds instantly, before flushing.

Sera laughs, releasing Nainiae, she stepped back and walked back to in front of her.

“--It’s…” Nainiae looked at Sera, lowering her head, “I felt relieved when I heard that it was Young Master Ryan’s fiancee--not my Young Master’s” She whispered.

Sera raised her eyebrows, “ ‘My’ Young Master?”

“Uhh, well, I am his personal maid.” Nainiae says, her eye swimming.

“Ms. Sera, what’s the schedule after washing the blankets?” Nainiae hurriedly changed the subject.

“Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday?”

“Yesterday…Ah, right. That starts today, right?”

“Hahaha. So, something did happen, didn’t it? Something happened, right?” Sera asked with suppressed laughter, and Nainiae shook her head.

“Alright, alright, I won’t pry anymore.” Sera said as she hung up the last blanket.

She wiped the water off her hands, using her apron. Looking at her hands, making sure they were properly dry, she turned back to Nainiae and asked, “Have you ever held a wooden sword at least?”

“No. Not even once…”

Sera laughed, thinking it couldn’t be helped, “Well, I can understand that. Actually, I only held a sword for the first time, only after coming to this mansion.”

Sera had promised Nainiae that she would give Nainiae instruction on using the sword--if they finished their work for the day earlier than planned.

It was something that Nainiae had asked, mainly because there wasn’t any servant in Iphelleta House that didn’t know how to use a sword.

“By the way…Are you right handed, Nainiae?” Sera asked carefully.

“...I was.” Nainiae answered with a bitter expression on her face.

Having lost two of her fingers on her right hand, she had no choice but to become left-handed--since it still had all of the fingers attached.

“We will be stared at by other servants if we went straight to the training field, so let’s try practicing your form, while holding a wooden sword--wait and stretch the muscles in your arm and wrists, I’ll go get a light one.”

Sera went into the storage room, to find a wooden training sword, and Nainiae was left alone.

“A sword, huh…” Nainiae started to think about swords with a blank look on her face--her thoughts quickly turned to Riley.

She first met him in Solia--their meeting was under very bad circumstances.

‘His skills were incredible.’

The way he slashed through and deflected her Magic Attacks, and when he defeated Astroa by throwing a sword at him, all she could think of was the word, ‘Incredible’.

Sera soon came out of the storage room while holding two wooden swords, “Here.”

“Yes.”

Sera gave one of the wooden swords to Nainiae.

It was relatively small and light--a wooden sword designed for a beginner.

‘It feels strange. I wonder how Young Master feels when he holds a sword?’

As she thought this, she remembered Riley’s words.

‘I hate the sword.’

She felt confusion, remembering the pain in his voice as he said those words.

Shaking her head, getting the images out of her mind.

Nainiae tried opening and closing the fingers of her left hand around the hilt of the sword.

It felt awkward.

“Now then, shall we start with the basic form?”

“Do, I just need to follow what you are doing?”

“Yes, I’ll be starting with the easiest stance.”

With Nainiae’s maid lessons concluded for the day, Sera’s sword lessons started.

“In this pose. Put strength into your shoulder! Your gaze should be to the front!”

“L-Like this? Is this right?”

It seemed like Sera was determined to properly teach Nainiae, since she was the one teaching her--Nainiae was sloppy at using a sword, since she hadn’t held one before…but she was trying her best to learn.

“...Hmm?” And there was someone hiding in a corner of the corridor, watching the two girls.