“Sir Eugene, Sir Eugene…Are you not going to wake up, Sir Eugene?” Mer shook him.
“I’m up,” Eugene answered as he sprang up from the bed. He wasn’t someone who usually slept for very long. It was a different thing if he was camping, but when he slept in a familiar place where some level of safety was guaranteed, then he would always wake up before daybreak. He actually woke up on his own, even if no one woke him. However, someone had started to wake him up a few days ago, even though Eugene didn’t ask for it.
“Did you sleep well?”
Mer was standing beside his bed when Eugene turned his head, rubbing his dry eyes.
After throwing a glance at the long wall clock, Eugene came down from his bed and said, “I told you you don’t need to wake me up. Why do you wake me up ”
“I can’t help it. I can’t even sleep, so I’m so bored at dawn.”
“You lived like that for hundreds of years. You must have gotten used to it.”
“I earned my freedom with difficulty after living like that for so long, so I don’t want to waste a minute or even a second of my life.” Mer sheepishly smiled as she followed Eugene.
Mer had stopped wearing her trademark robe and witch hat. Instead, she was wearing clothes that an ordinary ten-year-old girl would normally wear. However, the clothes themselves weren’t ordinary in the slightest. They were very expensive…not that Eugene cared, since he was not the one who had purchased them.
“Still, I like it here more than in Akron. There are a lot of beings to talk to while you sleep.”
Mer trotted behind Eugene and chattered. Listening to her cheerful voice, Eugene stood in front of the mirror. With his hand, Eugene roughly combed his disheveled hair backward and gestured to Mer. “Give me some space.”
“Okayy.”
Mer didn’t go far, she just leaned her forehead against the wall nearby. Meanwhile, Eugene unbuttoned his pajamas and opened the wardrobe. The wardrobe was wide, but the only clothes inside were similar-looking martial arts suits. Other kinds of clothes were in a separate dressing room. Eugene just grabbed one of the martial arts suits and put it on, then kicked the pajama on the floor into a basket near the door.
“Are you done?” Mer asked.
“Yeah.”
On the day when Eugene first brought Mer out, he had just changed his clothes without paying her any mind. Mer’s face had turned scarlet as she shrieked. After that, Eugene had to go through this troublesome process every time he changed his clothes.
This applied not only in the Red Tower but also in the main house and the annex of Lionheart.
“Have you slept well, Master Eugene?” Nina and the servants were standing outside the door. When Eugene absentmindedly nodded, Nina lowered her head and met Mer’s eyes. Mer beamed when Nina winked.
“Lady Ancilla suggested having breakfast with her in the main house,” Nina said.
“We ate together yesterday's dinner, lunch, and breakfast.”
“It isn’t wrong for a family to sit at the same table. ”
“She is being too obvious about this.” Eugene chuckled dryly as he shook his head.
It had been a week since he had returned to the main house with Mer.
At first, he had been worried. When he had come back with a hundred elves, Ancilla crushed her fan. She allowed the elves to live in the forest in the end. However, adding more members to the main house without any notice meant that Eugene was directly challenging the authority of Ancilla, the Second Mistress. It had been only a couple of days since his first transgression, but Eugene did yet another one. He had honestly expected some criticism. And yet…
“Lady Ancilla is a good person.” Mer smiled as she walked down the corridor with Eugene. “She was the one who gave me these clothes.”
It wasn’t just the clothes she was wearing right now. Ancilla had turned an empty room in the annex into a dressing room. It had only taken her a day to fill the entire wardrobe with Mer’s clothes.
“She asked me to visit the main house whenever I am bored during your training, Sir Eugene. You already know about the main house’s library, right? Of course, there are no magic texts and Akron is a better library. Still, there are many interesting books that you can’t find in Akron,” Mer excitedly explained.
…Eugene hadn’t heard the slightest bit of criticism. Instead, Ancilla had welcomed Mer. She too had heard about Aroth in the Lionheart’s main house. Although the opponent had some restrictions, Eugene had nevertheless won the fight against a proud Tower Master of Aroth.
That victory wasn’t just for Eugene to enjoy. The more achievements Eugene had, the higher Lionheart’s status became. With that victory alone, Ancilla could suppress her annoyance about the elves.
What was the big deal of adding a very small, cute girl?
Ancilla wasn't the first wife, but despite that, she wished to make one of her children the Patriarch. That was why Cyan and Ciel had received strict education from a very early age. They had started mastering mana and practicing with weapons right after they had started to walk.
Ancilla never regretted her parenting strategies. She went a bit overboard sometimes, to the extent of using physical punishment, but she believed that her every action was for her children’s future. It wasn’t like she only used the stick — after the stick, she always gave her children the sweet gifts they desired.
However, she sometimes thought that she wanted to stop being strict for a moment and just spend time with her children, as a family. At those moments, she wished she didn't have to physically punish her children for their faults and instead embrace and comfort them with her love.
She felt that the most whenever she saw her daughter, Ciel. She had been cute and adorable ever since she was a baby. Ancilla wanted to dress her up in clothes that suited her cuteness and give her dolls and toys instead of a sword. She hoped that she could do some shopping with her daughter and brag about her at a social party…
‘…I could never do that with Ciel,’ Ancilla thought.
Before Ciel was her daughter and a girl, she was a Lionheart. She preferred a sword over dolls in the first place, and she liked to attend swordsmanship training rather than shopping or social parties.
Ancilla was proud of Ciel. She was proud of her daughter for training hard every day for future glory. That was so much better than the empty-brain nobles who chortled as they gossiped and trash-talked others.
‘Still, even just once…’
She never said those things out loud. If Ciel had wished to go shopping or to social parties, Ancilla would have allowed it. But her daughter was tougher than Ancilla had hoped her to be.
‘I really… really didn’t think that she would have decided what to do with her future that quickly and go to the Black Lion Castle, even before we could attend the capital noble’s social party in dresses together… ’
“Can’t you go faster?”
The morning sun was coming up. Early spring morning was just as cold as the winter. Ancilla wrapped herself in a thick fur coat as she looked out the window.
“We are going as fast as we can,” said Hazard. As the Second Division Captain of the White Lion Knights, he was chosen to be Ancilla’s entourage in this early morning. He knew how sensitive the second mistress was.
“You must like Lady Mer very much, huh?” It had been already 20 years since he began to serve the main house. He had been so loyal that it wouldn’t be so weird for him to joke around like this. Of course, that sensitive second wife never took the joke. Originally, Ancilla would snap, saying don’t say such nonsense.
“…She is cute,” Ancilla quietly answered.
Ancilla was head over heels for Mer, who looked like a ten-year-old girl — maybe because her children had both left the main house. Mer was like the essence of Ancilla’s unfulfilled fantasy.
Mer politely said ‘thank you’ when Ancilla gave her sweets, and she nibbled on them with a lovely face. When someone gave her a cake, she smiled so adorably that the hearts of people nearby ached. Unlike Ciel, who hated fluffy skirts, Mer was happy with whatever clothes she received.
“Does she have to stay in the annex?”
“Master Eugene brought her, and Lady Mer wants to stay in the annex…”
“It recently came to my mind that the annex is too far from the main house. The building is pretty old since it was built a long time ago. Doesn’t it require some repairs?”
Of course, if the annex was renovated, then the people in the annex would have to stay in the main house. Ancilla continued. “No, repairments wouldn’t be enough. I think it’s better to just demolish it and build a new one right beside the main house.”
If she did so, then she wouldn’t have to ride on a carriage to the annex in the early morning. The people in the annex wouldn’t have to visit the main house for their every meal.
“We are here,” said Hazard.
The carriage stopped, and Ancilla patiently waited. The door should be opened by a person outside. Impatiently opening it herself was the far opposite of the dignity that Ancilla pursued.
Opening the door took only a few seconds. She had never felt annoyed about it or thought it took too long, but this time….
‘Have I not slept very well? Why do I feel like Hazard is terribly slow today?’
The door soon opened. It was because Hazard felt Ancilla’s annoyance, so he quickly got down from the carriage and escorted Ancilla. As she got down, she could feel the cold air.
“Oh, my…” Ancilla trembled as she tightly grabbed onto her coat.
‘She is too cute!’
In the training area of the annex, Mer was standing in her soft outer garment. On the other hand, Eugene was topless as he was sitting in front of Mer. He didn’t seem to mind the cold weather.
“…What is he doing right now?” Ancilla dumbfoundedly asked.
“He is meditating,” Hazard calmly answered.
“I can see that. I am asking why is he meditating outside in this cold weather without any clothes?”
Ancilla also came from a prestigious warrior family. Therefore, she had learned several martial arts since she was a child. Still, she didn’t really understand why he would do such a thing in this cold weather.
“If he wants to do it, he should do it alone. How could he do such a thing with a young child?!” Ancilla clenched her fists, trembling in anger.
“Lady Ancilla!” When Ancilla and Hazard got closer, Mer beamed as she waved her hand.
The sight! Ancilla grabbed onto her heart without realizing it. The memory of Ciel and Cyan calling her ‘mommy’ for the first time came to her mind.
“What brings you here this early in the morning?”
“Hmm.” Ancilla controlled her expression right away. Mer’s face was pale as she looked up, but Ancilla knew that it wasn’t due to the coldness. She also knew that the adorable girl wasn’t a human, but a familiar that had lived for hundreds of years. Therefore, Mer never felt cold. However, those things about Mer aroused Ancilla’s maternal love. So what if she didn’t feel the cold? The only thing that mattered right now was that the wind Ancilla could feel was cold.
Clearing her throat, she wrapped the highest-quality scarf around Mer’s neck and said, “…I came here to talk about how to greet Eugene’s important guest, since she is visiting today.”
“She isn’t really an important guest.” Eugene opened his eyes. “It’s not worth your attention, Lady Ancilla. Besides, she is just a guest I invited personally…”
“Your guest is the Lionheart family’s guest.” Ancilla glared at Eugene. Meanwhile, her two hands were busy wrapping the scarf around Mer’s cheeks and ears. “And how could she not be an important guest? I can’t agree with that. Isn’t she Aroth’s White Tower Master?”
Melkith El-Haya’s letter from Aroth had arrived last night. She wrote that she would visit the Lionheart’s main house today, since she was now ‘ready.’
“Well, she is…but she is visiting for personal reasons. So if you could open the warp gate…” Eugene trailed off.
“I can’t do that. As the second mistress of the Lionheart family, it is my duty to greet the guests.” Ancilla had no intention of backing down regarding this matter. The relationship with a celebrity like a Tower Master was something that couldn’t be bought.
Of course, there was the Red Tower Master, Lovellian. She often met him, since he was Gilead’s acquaintance and he had visited the Lionheart house every year after he had participated in the bloodline continuation ceremony. Now, besides the Red Tower Master, she was also going to meet the White Tower Master. Even if the meeting was started by her foster son, Eugene, the meeting could turn into the beginning of a relationship with the Lionhearts depending on how she handled this meeting.
‘...The White Tower Master, Melkith El-Hayah…She is the only woman among the five Tower Masters. Wait, how old is she?’
Ancilla got lost in thought for a moment. If her memory served her correctly, Melkith was already over 60.
‘But I heard that she is still beautiful.’
The Red Tower Master, Lovellian was actually also a grandpa, but he looked like he was in his twenties.
‘I do take care of myself, but it’s nothing compared to magic. I won’t have a problem for at least a decade, but after that, I may have to use magic…’
“Lady Ancilla?” Mer’s voice brought Ancilla back to reality. Surprised, she looked down at Mer. Tightly wrapped in the scarf, Mer’s big eyes were sparkling.
“Hmm.” Ancilla almost hugged her. Marveling at her own patience, she stood up.
“It looks like you are done with your morning training. Let’s have breakfast in the main house.”
“My father is still in bed,” Eugene answered.
“There is no need to forcefully wake him up. Sir Gehard would prefer sleeping till noon to having breakfast at this hour.”
“Well, that’s true.” Eugene nodded.
Ancilla’s breakfast was always simple—a balanced meal mainly consisting of vegetables and a cup of coffee with no sugar. That would be her breakfast if she was eating alone, but Mer and Eugene were joining her today. The breakfast became so excessive that it was hard to call it breakfast.
Meat, meat, meat, and meat — meat dishes including pork, beef, and chicken were lined up on the table like a parade.
Eugene had meat for virtually every meal. It was the same for Mer, too. Aside from sweet and fluffy desserts, Mer liked everything as long as it was tasty. Although the smell of these dishes was enough to upset Ancilla’s stomach, and she actually didn’t have any of them, she pleasantly watched Mer eating.
‘I have to recruit more cooks,’ Ancilla thought.
There were already plenty of cooks in the main house, though. Moreover, all of them were experts who could be called the best in the Kiehl Empire.
‘Cooks in the Kiehl won’t be enough. Hasn’t Mer eaten nothing for hundreds of years? I’m going to feed her so many dishes that will make up for her time.’
Ancilla made a promise to herself.
* * *
Melkith arrived a little after noon.
“Hi!” After she walked out from the warp gate, she joyfully waved her hand in a frivolous greeting. She was wearing a coat that almost covered her ankles, and the coat was so fluffy that it doubled Melkith’s size. Ancilla had imagined a serious Tower Master, but Melkith was nothing like that.
“Welcome to the Lionheart House.” Ancilla didn’t lose her precious dignity, although she was perplexed.
Lifting her leopard-pattern sunglasses up, Melkith stared at Ancilla. “And who are you?”
“…I am the second wife of the Patriarch, Ancilla Lionheart.”
“Aha! You didn’t have to come out and greet me like this, I heard a lot about you from the Red Tower Master.” Melkith approached Ancilla, grinning. “I am visiting the prestigious Lionheart main house, wouldn’t it be rude to come empty-handed? So I brought a gift that I think would suit you, Lady Ancilla.”
“A gift… You didn’t need to do that…”
“Come on, don’t refuse. I think you will really like it when you find out what my gift is.” Leaning forward a little, Melkith whispered something to Ancilla, whose expression slightly changed in the next moment.
Clearing her throat, Ancilla nodded.
“What gift have you brought?” Eugene asked as he stared at Ancilla who was returning with the knights.
“A bottle of rejuvenating potion,” Melkith answered.
“Pardon?”
“Aside from the spirit summoning magic, the White Tower also deals with alchemy. I am not really an expert in alchemy, but I have Aroth’s best alchemists as subordinates.” Melkith crossed her arm, bragging. “Actually it’s not really a rejuvenating potion. It’s more of a skin care thing…still, do you know how expensive that is? We only deliver it to Aroth’s royal family.”
Their interest coincided. Just as Ancilla wished for a relationship with the White Tower Master, Melkith also wanted a relationship with the Lionheart family.
“I grilled my alchemists to bring you this gift today.”
“What on earth is that?” Eugene asked as he tilted his head, but Melkith didn’t answer.
She just grinned. “What’s the rush? You will see soon enough. To be honest, I do want to show you right now.”
She lifted her head and took a look around the Lionheart’s forest.
“First… let me take you to the annex.” Eugene offered.
“The annex? Are you seriously asking a spirit summoner to leave this forest for a boring annex? Ridiculous,” Melkith murmured as she trembled. The forest was so green that it was hard to believe the weather was cold today. Mana was so abundant in the forest. As a grand spirit summoner, Melkith could feel how ridiculous this forest was.
“I have never seen a forest with this many spirits,” Melkith quietly spoke as she lowered herself to the ground. Not only did she contract the Lightning Spirit King, but also the Earth Spirit King. Therefore, she could feel how many spirits were living in this land.
“…Can I live here?”
“No, you can’t,” Eugene answered without any hesitation.
