After hitting his arm and scolding him for 'taking advantage of her', Irina sat across him. Both of them had a pleasant chat and she seemed very interested in knowing what he had been upto. Alex could faintly sense that Irina had a little bit of interest in him, but it was not enough for her to take things further. But if Alex decided to court her, she probably won't shy away or reject his advances.
'Maybe, after things settle down and I am comfortable with my identity, it won't be a bad idea to come back and spend some time with this beauty.'
After some time, Alex glanced at the wall clock, which looked pretty similar to the clocks used on Earth and stood up.
"Irina, I am really happy to see you after such a long time and I would love to spend more time in your company, but I am afraid I need to go back to the castle. As you know, we need to depart to the capital early morning."
Irina laughed.
"I know. I can't believe Vanessa is getting married. She is such a sweetheart. From what I've heard, his Warrence guy seems to be a good man, so I am happy for her. It's a pity that only the nobles can attend the grand wedding, but I'll be sure to attend the marriage party. I guess I'll see you then."
Alex waved her goodbye and walked down the stairs. Warrence was a Duke's heir, so almost all the nobles of the empire would attend his wedding party and that was a huge number. For such cases, the wedding is normally restricted to 'nobles only'. The married couple will then hold a 'Marriage Party' in their own mansion and invite their 'friends and family' for the ring ceremony. This custom was only followed by the nobles and the upper class. Normal people still invited everyone to their weddings.
Alex was a bit confused by such customs.
'I mean, shouldn't the ring ceremony be carried out before marriage? Well, it's a different world and even Earth had customs which didn't make sense.'
Soon, Alex rejoined the trio of women waiting for him near the carriage. They looked pretty happy after buying something they liked. The four of them boarded the carriage and returned back to the castle. As soon as they entered the main hall, a maid informed them that the supper was ready. The group joined Vanessa on the humongous dining table and Alex was amazed at the variety of food laid out in front of him.
Some dishes looked familiar while others looked totally foreign. There were also variety of alcohol and beverages, but sadly Alex was still under-age and drinking after 18 was also a common law in this world. Even though Alex wanted to argue that he looked 18, he knew Vanessa wouldn't budge, so he gave up the idea.
Ingrid, Sylvia and Linda wanted to go back to the servants quarters for supper, but Vanessa insisted that everybody ate together on her last day as the lord of the castle. She also called in a few veteran maids who managed the castle and everybody sat down together to enjoy the sumptuous feast.
Alex delightedly savored the amazing flavors and ate with gusto. His favorite was 'Golden Basilisk Delight', which made his taste buds explode. Although he had no idea what kind of creature a 'Golden Basilisk' was. Soon, everybody was done and they retreated back to their rooms.
Resting his head on a soft pillow, Alex stared at the markings on the ceiling.
'Two months. Two more months and I will undergo 'Awakening'. From what I can recall, less than 1% of humanity had the potential to awaken. Though nobles, thanks to their strong lineage and inter-marriages, had more than 80% chance to awaken. This 'Awakening' Ceremony may also activate my cheat, if I even have one. Now that I think about it, isn't getting a noble's identity quite a cheat in itself?
As Alex was pondering about his future, he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in."
Alex though it might be Linda or Vanessa, but to his surprise, a beautiful young maid entered his room. She nervously glanced at him and remained standing near the door. She was also blushing real hard.
"Yes?"
Looking at the beauty who suddenly entered his room, Alex was at a loss for words. Hearing his questioning tone, the young maid looked down but still kept quiet.
Suddenly, Alex recalled something and his eyes widened.
'Shit.'
There was something in his memories. Apparently, it was quite common among young castle maids to approach unmarried nobles to flirt and do....other activities. It was a situation similar to a guy trying to flirt with a rich and beautiful celebrity. The celebrity will probably reject him, but there was a slim chance that she will flirt back if you are good looking enough. Most guys will definitely take their chances.
Similarly, if a maid thought she was pretty enough and had a crush on an unmarried noble, she could approach his quarters to....well, the rest was obvious. It was considered a big deal among maids to win a noble's favor and the quickest method was to warm his/her bed. Alex's heart starting beating wildly as he considered the implications.
'Damn, what luck! Wait, no, similar incidents have happened with the original Alex before, but he was too dumb to realize anything and always dismissed the maids straightforwardly. What should I do? Should I copy his actions? Bullshit! How can I let such a chance slip? There is a beauty expressing her desire for me and it's immoral to chase her away right? Alright!'
With his mind made, Alex stood up and slowly approached the maid. She tightened her hold on her dress, but remained still. Soon, Alex was inches away from her. He could feel her breath and inhaled the sweet aroma she had on her. Slowly, he raised his hands and raised her chin. What greeted him were two green orbs reflecting nervousness, desire and something....wild. Alex had planned to confirm with her before initiating anything, but seeing her eyes, he did not waste any more time.
The next second, Alex moved closer and his lips met hers.