Midnight.
The Edgeworth Manor had just been built from the ground up; it was made like before by the same people who annually do maintenance.
It was a recreation of the original building. It was built pretty well. On the Mansion's third floor there was a balcony that was not often used. It was used for tea time, but the Countess had not been there for twenty years.
However, that changed today, on the night of Colt's wedding. In the balcony, there were three chairs and a single table. But despite there, having three chairs, only two people were there to enjoy the full moon.
Faerith finished brewing tea and poured Alpyie a cup. Alpyie accepted the tea and brought it close to her. She looked at the almost non-existent color of the tea.
The tea was almost transparent, but as it reflected the light of the moon, it showed a beautiful silver aura forming around it.
Alpyie took a sip as Faerith finished pouring her one, "You've gotten better brewing the Moonlight Tea, Fae."
Faerith placed the teacup down as she formed a smile, "Well, I trained a long time ago to show off to a weirdo…"
A bitter smile blossomed in their expression.
In that balcony, there were only two people, but Faerith poured another one for the empty seat. Faerith and Alpyie smiled as she looked at this cup of tea.
Seeing this empty teacup made Faerith and Alpyie have complicated emotions that ranged from comforting to saddening.
There was only one person who sat there… it was the late Marchioness, Maya Vera.
Faerith, Alpyie, and Maya; these three were names known throughout the Kingdom. Not only were they known for being beauties, but they were also known for being ferocious.
The three of them met one another thanks to Gilbert, Shickly, and Liron being close friends in the Army in their early days. The three of them would usually have tea and spend a pleasant day talking about the bumbling idiots that were their lover or how Gilbert was a wuss who had no balls to confess to Alpyie.
The three were good friends and as constant wars happened in the South as the contention for the Magical Beast Forest's ownership continued between the Kingdom of Regulus and the neighboring Kalionse Empire.
Those were the times when Gilbert, Shickly, Liron, and even Neun's name shook the continent for fighting against the Army of Kalionse while subjugating the Fire Dragon that was the King of the Magical Beast Forest at the time.
When these happened, Alpyie, Faerith, and Maya would go and have tea to take their mind off the problems and also to wait for their respective significant someone.
These meetings deepened their friendships, and when two of the three got married, they still gathered from time to time.
Maya would usually brew the tea, and it stayed like this for years, and her favorite tea had been the Moonlight Tea that reacted to the brilliance of the Moonlight.
It was good times.
However, when Maya and Faerith got pregnant with their child, their gathering dwindled. It was also at this time that Alpyie started going out with Gilbert and had a rather busy schedule.
They never got the chance to meet again, but after some years, Maya and Faerith decided to have tea for old times sake. Alpyie rejected, but Maya, the one who initiated it, decided that she would go no matter what.
'The Capital had been in a state of unrest since Tristan flipped out when I asked him to do something about what the Duke. Anyway, I shall head out tomorrow, I do not want to deal with more headaches, I'll have Liron do it for me. I cannot wait for Mina to meet Colt, I am sure the two of them will become good friends, who know, we might even become one who family in the future, hohoho.' That was the letter Maya's last letter to Faerith.
She left for the Wing City with her daughter. They rode a carriage out as they said goodbye to Liron. They left with excited expressions, then they passed through a forest and there, her life ended as she did her best to protect her daughter from harm.
Maya died with a smile on her face, she was killed by one of the people she tried to protect. When Faerith and Alpyie received the letter, they felt like their worlds began to shift. They cried, and with Faerith, for a long time blamed herself for her friend's death.
"…sadly, I never got to surprise her."
"Maya would have loved to have a taste of this tea." Alpyie said with a smile.
Faerith poured herself another cup as she chuckled, "But I got to hand it to her, I didn't think she'd be right about this marriage… hahaha."
As she finished pouring herself a cup of tea, her tears fell. She smiled, as she took a sipped, "Hoho…" as she finished a cup, her tears were already streaming down her face, yet she raised the empty cup with a triumphant smile," Look over our children, Sister Maya!"
Alpyie also failed to control her tears, and despite their tears, they were not saddened, but joyful.
They showed their biggest smile for this was not the time to be sad. They have to be happy for their friend who was no longer here.