The carriage made its way towards the young master's mansion. They passed the stores and houses that Nanna was very familiar with, it gave her a nostalgic feeling making her smile as she remembered events from her childhood. Those things will be just distant memories once she arrived at the young master's mansion. Her life will be different from what she was used to, her freedom probably restricted always abiding the rules in the mansions.
Nanna sighed just thinking of what her life would be in the mansion. She hoped it won't be the ones she heard before where slaves will be subjected to maltreatment. Nanna let out another sigh.
Hearing Nanna beside her, the coachman already has a clue on what she was thinking and he wanted to make things clear to her, "You don't have to worry. The young master maybe hard headed and very serious but he never treated anyone unfairly be it a noble, a commoner, a slave or a servant."
Nanna looked at the coachman thinking that this man probably have been working for the young master for a long time. She observed the man silently. He emitted a friendly aura making one comfortable around him. His look is not bad, may be considered as a pretty boy. His overall appearance was soft making him look like he was younger than his age, Nanna thought.
She smiled at him nodding believing half of what he said. "I'm Curtis by the way. I would shake your hand but as you can see my hands are full" he said chuckling a bit showing his somewhat symmetrical teeth.
"It's ok. My name is Nanna" Nanna bowed politely at him smiling a little. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise, It's good that you look a little less anxious than earlier", Curtis said as he occasionally look at Nanna as he guide the horses where to go.
They had just passed the gate leaving the town behind them. Looking back, Nanna felt a bit sad as the town slowly get smaller and smaller from her view as the carriage drove away. Nanna bid her farewell from the town she once knew as home.
"It's not like you can't comeback." Curtis said as a-matter-of-fact seeing Nanna became quiet again. "The mansion might be far from the town but you can always have a day off. As I've told you, the young master is very fair." He added hoping his words comforted the young lady beside him.
Nanna only nodded her head as an acknowledgement of what Curtis said. It was good to know that she can have a day off, it was just that the person she wanted to see was no longer there and instead going back to the house she would go to the cemetery to visit her. This thought made Nanna smiled sadly.
Seeing this, Curtis became sympathetic towards Nanna. He doesn't really know what happened but he sure it was something that cannot be easily healed or forgotten. Curtis thought of topics to talk about wanting Nanna to feel less melancholy but he can't really think of anything.
The ride to the mansion was longer than normal maybe it was because the sun has set and the moon had risen making Curtis drive the carriage carefully.
As they rode down the road, a small village from afar came in to view. Faint flicker of lights can be seen from the houses in the village. Some villagers can be seen roaming around the streets while children were still playing around. Seeing the village Curtis smiled, at last they're almost there.
"Curtis why are you driving so slow. It took us longer than before to arrive at the village" Oswald whined peeking from the window of the carriage seeing the village. His stomach grumbled loudly while Clive just sat there, arms folded in front of his chest while his eyes were closed. Curtis chuckled a bit as he faintly heard Oswald's stomach. "It's already nighttime, I'm just being careful" he added as they arrived in the village.
Nanna looked around smiling as she saw some children played around with each other.
"This village is very lively, isn't it?" Curtis said as he saw Nanna smiling while looking at the children playing around. "The young master always make sure that the people here live peacefully and comfortably. He may be a strict lord but he always care for the people around him"
Nanna looked at Curtis as he led the carriage through the village carefully. "You really like him, don't you?" she said seeing Curtis always spoke with respect and gentleness about the young master.
Curtis nodded, "The young master saved my life a few years back. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here and since then he never treated me badly. I owe him my life from then onwards." Nanna nodded as she heard him, she hummed in response as they pass the village now on a bumpy road through the forest.
The ride through the forest wasn't that long. Probably, it was because Curtis had driven the carriage through it for a couple of times in the past year. He can traverse the whole forest like the back of his hand. Or maybe, it was also because the forest wasn���t really that dark having faint lights illuminated from the ground.
After passing two big trees that stood side by side, a clearing came in to view with a dazzling mansion at the center. Nanna was taken aback by its beauty. The mansion illuminates under the light of the moon.
"We're here." She heard Curtis utter softly.
"Young master Oswald, young master Clive we have arrived." he informed the ones inside the carriage.
"Finally! I'm so hungry I can eat a whole boar in one go" Oswald said dramatically as he peeked out of the carriage window. Seeing Nanna was looking at the mansion he teased her, "Your eyes might hurt if you look too intently."
"I-I'm not looking that hard" Nanna said, a faint red slowly creeped on her cheeks as she averted her eyes away from the beautiful mansion. "It's not that beautiful" she added her words drowned by the horse' hooves as it stopped in front of the mansion.
"OW!" she was surprised as she heard Oswald cried out in pain "What did you do that for?" Oswald was now snarling, rubbing the top of his head, at Clive who just stepped out of the carriage once it stopped.
Clive did not mind Oswald and just made his way towards the mansion leaving the others behind.
Nanna chuckled a bit seeing Oswald frowning while rubbing the part were Clive had just struck as they all got down of the carriage.
Oswald was still frowning looking at her "This was your fault" he teased her again.
"How can that be my fault?" she said surprised that she was wrongfully accused, "You did it to yourself for whatever reason" she added bowing to Curtis who was still on the carriage. Curtis reciprocated the gesture before leading the carriage back to the stables.
Oswald jog down catching up to Nanna, "It is good that you're not holding back anymore. This is way better than earlier" he said smiling at Nanna, "I was afraid you'll be indifferent once we arrived here. It doesn't matter if you're a slave let's just be friends, ok"
Before Nanna can even say something Oswald walked ahead. Once he was a few feet away from Nanna he turned back opened his arms wide and said "Welcome to Hartgilde mansion, home to the dancing moonlight" he smiled brightly before leaving Nanna there speechless but with a warm smile on her face thinking maybe her stay here wouldn't be that bad.
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"Oswald sure is really liking this young lady you bought", a man spoke his observation as he watched the newly arrived from the window of the young master's study.
"Oswald would like anyone who is interesting and this one fits that description. It's not new" the young master said as he looked at the documents on his hands.
"Well, let's see how interesting she turn out to be" the man walked towards the young master, holding the your master's shoulders massaging it before taking the documents on one of his hands placing them down on the table before tilting the young master's chin as he planted a light kiss on his lips, "They just went inside", he informed him before walked towards the door but before he disappeared completely he looked back and said "Why not welcome them".
The young master sighed standing up muttering to himself, "It seems like Oswald's interest wasn't the only one perked" he chuckled as he catches up to the man who just left.