Since she came back to the past, Natalia was not sure she slept as well as she did in the mansion with her brother. Gerald and Sebastian constantly doted on her and watched over her before she went to bed and when she woke up, there were servants around her bed waiting to take care of her. In the Duke's Mansion, she had to do everything herself. The change was so drastic, it almost drove her to tears, especially since she knew she would go back soon.
Once she was done dressing, the servants went out and she sat in front of her mirror, calling out to the fairy mother.
{Your energy is brighter today}
"Yes, it is. Would it pose a problem to our contract?"
{Of course not. The human life is always filled with suffering and sorrow. It's always beneficial to make a contract with a human for a Fae. However, the rest of my kin are just too greedy sometimes}
"I understand"
{Yesterday, I sensed dark sinister energy that temporarily disrupted the order of the world. The gods must be displeased to find a hole in their jurisdiction}
"I sensed it too. Do you know the cause?"
{If my guess is correct, it must be the mother of darkness and the Fae Guardian, Leilin}
In her past life, Natalia only heard of the Fae Guardian Leilin in passing. She was as significant as the Fairy Mother, maybe just as powerful and just as mysterious. She was known to be the harbinger of evil since she was the first fairy to rebel, becoming the first Fae. However, she was nothing more than a legend, staying a legend until Natalia passed away. To hear that the Fae Guardian had been awoken from her slumber, Natalia assumed the worst.
In her past life, The Fairy Mother was contracted to the saintess. Now that the Fairy Mother already had a contract, the saintess would be left with none other than the Fae Guardian. The two combined might create a greater catastrophe than the war that ravaged the kingdom and the Empire in her past life.
"Can you tell who the Fae Guardian is contracted to?"
{Unfortunately, I cannot. The connection between me and the Fae has been severed for centuries. It's the same for Leilin. She cannot tell who I'm contracted to. The most I can do is sense her presence when she's nearby}
"If we can sense her energy, then she must be closer than we thought. It seems like we must hasten our plans. I cannot afford a clash with the saintess or whoever is contracted to...."
"Natalia, aren't you going to join us for breakfast?" Sebastian's voice cut her words short.
"I'll be right out brother. I was just delivering a message"
"I'll wait here for you"
"I'm sorry, I have to go. I don't want my brother to know about your existence yet. It might put him in danger when he returns to the capital"
{You can always summon me whenever and I'll answer your call}
The door opened and a smiling Natalia faced a scowling Sebastian. He extended his arm and she took it, giggling as they walked down to the dining room. His face softened as he saw the look of genuine happiness on her face as she walked with him. Gerald was waiting for them in the dining room, ready to start breakfast.
"Good morning my lord, my lady"
"Good morning Gerald. Your service is excellent as always. I slept like a newborn!"
"I'm glad it was to your liking, my lady. That's why I'm pleased to inform you that we would be settling in Traisen. You can come here whenever you're missing home"
"If you're so far from the Marquis, who will pay your salaries and cater to your needs? Won't it be too lonely? I might not get to come here much!"
"I asked them to do it and I would cater to their needs. I'll be staying in Traisen for a month"
"Sebastian! What about your duties?"
"I can always do them here. Now that we have a mansion here, we won't be classified as spies of the Marquis, would we?"
"Dear God, what am I going to do with the both of you?" She sighed, shaking her head. Sebastian placed a kiss on her forehead.
"In case you needed to be reminded, I'll say it again. There is nothing and no one more important to me than you, my precious"
"Urgh, this is why you can't get a wife!"
"Let's just eat breakfast, shall we?"
The news of the young lord settling in Traisen quickly spread over the town and neighboring territories. There was only one Grand Dukedom in the kingdom so the next great power was Marquis Adamantine. There were even rumors of him being promoted to a Duke by the king due to his vast influence and wealth.
His firstborn son was single, influential, and capable. If anyone was capable of getting his attention, they could be the future Duchess Adamantine. Thus numerous letters, invitations, and requests poured in from all over the Southeast, creating a huge pile in the Head Butler's office. Natalia wasn't too shocked when she saw it, helping the Butler sort out the invitations Sebastian would have outrightly refused. He truly needed the connection.
Meanwhile, back at the Duke's house, it was a quiet breakfast between two people caught in an awkward situation. The seat of the Duchess was empty and another woman sat next to the Duke, who finally smiled and relaxed while eating breakfast. Alana would have never imagined the situation would get worse.
"Is the breakfast not to your liking, your highness?"
It was. Rather, it was over and above anything, she would've imagined having it for breakfast. It was nothing compared to what the Duchess was given for dinner the other night.
"No, it's perfect. I thank the Duke for his generosity"
"Do you want to go on a walk after this like we used to do before?"
"No, I would like to visit the town of Traisen. I've heard so much about it"
"Is that so? I will accompany your highness there since it's your first time"
The sumptuous meal suddenly got harder to swallow.