She seemed like she wore a question mark on her face. 'Your lady of the house?'

I might have slipped that out to easily. 'I should really learn to shut up.'

'Took you long enough.' She chuckled a little. Nothing was better than seeing her smile. 'Jacob, could you bring my dinner upstairs this evening.' I nodded, 'sure, I'll be coming by for some practice.'

'Well I'll be studying, I'll see you come in.'

I left her room and tried to sneak past her mother downstairs, but she wasn't there. Instead, I heard her voice coming from the dining room we never used. I made my way around it through the living room and saw Malanda doing some dishes in the kitchen.

'How are you holding up Malanda.' She gave me a quick and careful glance 'I really can't say, master wouldn't like it if I used those words.' Nodding my head 'I think we all feel the same.'

Behind us I heard her voice. ‘Ah Jacob you're free again, do you mind joining me?' Turning away from Malanda’s soap and dishes to face her was a chore in and of itself. I smiled 'Sorry, Miss, Malanda gave me a whole list of chores to do.' She looked at or through me with her sharp eyes. 'I'm getting the sense you're not entirely truthful.' I was lying sure, but there were still chores I had to do. She carried on 'However I'm sure Malanda doesn't mind taking them over. If I ask her, or do you?'

This was just not okay. Had to make some stand 'I'm sorry miss, but I really can't make her do all that. I should at least tend to the mousetrap I set.'

'Mouse?' She seemed to be in some discomfort. 'I could exterminate it with some magic.' Her face changed a little making her look a tiny bit less beautiful. Did she hate those little things? 'Exterminating sounds extreme.' But that was exactly what I tried to do as well. With the trap I had set that is. 'Just leave it to us, you should not have to worry about trivial matters.' Malanda said.

'Okay, I'll trust that you will join me quickly after you are done.' Doing my thing nodding my head 'Of course my lady, but I will also need to practice later today.’ She smiled a little triumphantly and turned to walk away. Not paying any attention to what I said last.

I checked on the trap, cheese gone, I could see tiny pawprints in the flour I had spread over the ground but it seemed as if the little thing was toying with me as well. Its trail seemed to start nowhere and had no end it was just a twirl of incoherent nonsense. What was clear is that I had to think of something better. Like this I was just giving cheese away.

It was already late in the afternoon and we all heard the door swing open. We heard a heavy sigh and something landing on the ground with a loud noise. Lady Blevulpus voice came from the same place 'Hi dear' to him in a soft voice, as if she meant, sorry it took so long. Now a reverse was to be heard of the earlier sigh, A deep inhale making it like he was already fully restored from his shopping trip.

'Valerie? You've come, I've missed you so much!' Malanda was busy kneading dough, she looked like a bear working it, an angry one at that. She must really care for masters heart and hate his wife. I was still busy with the mousetrap. Following it all just with my ears. The two of them were definitely doing something in the hall, I thought I heard kissing, then the voice of lady  Blevulpus, 'Ow Corvelius I've missed you too' Followed by two taps of his foot and the sounds disappearing downstairs into the cellar. Malanda slammed the dough onto the kitchen counter. 'That wretched animal of a woman.' I thought that went a little too far, I've known the thing master and miss Blevulpus have is strange. She always suddenly leaves and he is heartbroken after it. I don't know if hers is too, but whenever she returns they rebound and they rebound harder than anything I've ever seen.

'I think they love each other Malanda. They may have a weird way of doing it, but still.' She raised her brow not dropping any of her inner bear 'That woman does not love anyone but herself, it's almost as if she feeds on the pain of men.' Nothing I would say would make her feel any better so I just let her ramble on about lady Blevulpus and how evil she was. Obviously I didn't pay too much attention, mainly focussing on the mouse problem and being grateful the talk between me and lady Blevulpus was postponed.

After way too much time thinking about a smart trap, I gave up. Nothing came to mind so I simply dipped to Vel's room, walking past the open part of the stairs leading down. Did I hear lady Blevulpus? Nevermind. I walked in on Vel studying something different than magic, but after she quickly mumbled something I've never heard before, my mind went blank and I forgot what it was.

She was sitting on her chair now, reading. 'You're already here Jacob, we're you released from your task by Malanda?' 'No I released myself, Malanda was pretty hot-headed and I think she will be needing them to blow off steam.' She looked at me questionably. 'Are you taking advantage of the situation?'