"Remind me to never follow along with your antics!" Chronos exclaimed.
"Don't be such a baby!"
"I am n-mphf!" Sylvester's hand covered his mouth. "You are gonna get us caught!"
Currently they were huddled in a table outside a café. They had been running after nearly getting arrested. This was due to what had happened a few hours earlier…
And it was all Claudina and Sylvester's fault!
After meeting up with them, the other two led him to a nearby place. Like always Claudina was dressed in her usual formal shirts and an array of dark colored below the knee length skirts, long black stockings, a bolo tie and heeled boots while for the outing Sylvester transformed his Holy sword into a normal one, his cravat was gone and the white robe was replaced with open buttoned black suit and a grey vest.
He glanced at Claudina's clothes once more. These types of clothes were not in trend two decades ago so some people would do a double take upon seeing her clothes. He had expected that she would wear the clothes of this time; a high neckline, flowery patterns, long ruffle layered skirts with a lace train and puffed sleeves. Something more feminine. Something she was not able to wear anymore after entering the temple.
"So what exactly is your plan?"
"Disrupting peace and sowing mayhem," she answered.
Before he could say that was by no means a plan, Sylvester turned around. "Claudina what should we refer as Lord Chronos as?"
"Hmm, how about 'my younger cousin from the countryside visiting for a holiday."
"Ideal. Are you fine with it as well, 'Kain'?"
"Yes," he said accepting the title begrudgingly. He realized that his present form was shorter than her. The clothes didn't help much. He looked like a child messing around with his father's clothes.
"We are here!"
He looked up. A posh looking salon was in front of them. It had polished wooden arches and frosted windows and doors. Vibrant green creepers bought color on the white stones with small yellow, orange flowers. Overhanging on the arches was a sign reading 'Willow Gardens' decorated with white falling petals.
Sylvester was about to push open the door when "I nearly forgot! Kain!" Claudina thrust out her hand. Chronos no Kain took out the wax seal and handed it over.
Claudina bought it close to her face nearly hunching over it.
"The flowers are not damaged," Kain exasperated. "I will be the judge of it," she replied, now prodding it with a finger.
"Don't use it stamp letters if you are going to demand used flowers back."
"I only demand it back from you. Alright it seems fine." She pocketed it in her pocket while gesturing Sylvester to open the door. He snapped out from his staring. There was something adorable in seeing a frowning Claudina fussing over the wax covered flowers. Even Kain thought so too.
"I never expected you to care for flowers. I thought you hated them."
"These are the only exceptions. They remind me of someone but I don't know who."
He hummed and opened the door. Their arrival was announced by the bronze bell on the door.
The room strongly smelled of expensive perfume, tea and pastries. Young noble women who were previously chatting turned to greet the newcomers. Their gazes felt like a million mirrors criticizing their every move. Sylvester shifted uncomfortable. Kain felt sorry for the boy. He was about to call it off when Claudina walked forward with poise leading the other two by their wrists.
They sat down on an unoccupied plush sofa that smelled heavily of vanilla. The women looked on.
"I hope you ladies don't mind if my escort and cousin sit here with me. We are waiting for our carriage. It is parked quite far from here," Claudina spoke in a flattering and charming manner that everyone dropped their guards. They were quite taken by her sweet smile and elegant grace.
And when Sylvester politely gave a small smile in return they previous clamoring returned expect now many of them side eyed them behind the fluttering of fans and barely covered blushes. Shy, whispered words like 'Isn't that the 21st saint?!" "I didn't knew the saint's sister was such a beauty" and "the cousin is adorable!" reached them
"Well now, Sylvester you are quite popular in these areas," Claudina commented in an undertone.
"Oh, please. Half of these women come to the temple only for the sake of seeing the Holy Knights and me. I bet none of them can't even recite the 'first verse' used every morning for praying time," he mumbled back.
"Not like we can complain."
Both of them snickered behind their hands.
Kain regretted sitting beside them. He could hear everything. Mostly about the various torture methods they would practice on these young ladies' corrupt fathers.
He also regretted every choice he made coming here. They made no inclination of sharing what they were about to do on the way. Since they said nothing it meant they were going to do something very, very bad.
Kain looked around the room.
It was quite tastefully decorated. Comfortable sofas, oil paintings and sweet music were coming from an unknown source. The carpets were cleaned spotless; mirrors were used to decorate the wall with plants from hanging pots and vases, a few mannequins were wearing dresses that were of the coming season. The food was also delectable. It was indeed a good salon.
Such a shame it fell with the rising of the debutantes of Claudina's generation. A new salon was opened and the 'Willow Gardens' became a thing that was reminisced now and then.
The ladies offered them some of the pastries and tarts they were trying while Claudina entered a lively conversation about the current trends. Some of them already acquainted with her. They seem to think of her as a wealthy merchant's daughter who was travelling around the world before settling here. That's what she must have said as they asked her about her father's growing business.
Although occasionally they made backhanded comments about Claudina's getup she threw a sugarcoated snarky remark. That shut them up from saying anything else. Sylvester paid no heed to them. He simply crossed his legs and busied himself in a book he carried around.
"Ah, Miss Claudina I should warn you about the current Queen of the social circles," a young girl with pigtails styled in drills said. She sat nearest to Claudina and was around her age. "You need to be careful with her."
"Current Queen of the social circles?" she asked, feigning perfect innocence. "Oh you mean Miss Sofia Verr." She pretended to realize. "Why I heard she is quite the kind soul. Doesn't she donate to charity and orphanages?"
A serious silence filled the air. Everyone stopped talking to face them. The hostility from before was back. Claudina silently glared back. They backed down quickly. "P-pfft! We were simply joking!" The girl from before laughed. She was nervous, her hands shaking. Claudina was quick to put someone in their place.
"We think it is better for you to be warned that's all," another girl on the taller side with grey hair in a loosely tied bun spoke up. She was equally nervous. "The Queen of the social circles is something that we gave to her when she first debuted. Only we didn't know Lady Sofia's kindness was skin deep."
Kain's eyes widened. That was…surprising. Before the truth about her birth was revealed in the future he knew her as a gentle girl. He had also thought of giving her the seat as saintess if she had dormant Holy magic.
He was not aware of things outside of the temple and palace. Preferably he didn't want to meddle in his beloved humans' way of doing things.
He glanced at Claudina. Although her hand covered her mouth, he saw the widest sneer. "Could you tell me more? Of course that is if you wish to. But I assure whatever will be said will remain here."
The other girls exchanged looks. Then they smiled behind their fans. "Of course~ I heard that Lady Sofia has always been pampered by her family so she expects the same behavior from us as well," the grey haired girl said.
The others followed suit by spilling more secrets. They seemed eager to share their secrets. 'Seems like Claudina was also busy...'
"Not only that every time someone says something disagreeable to her, she forces the entire high society to isolate them."
"If the new debutantes don't become her followers she will bully them by isolating them from the rest. No one wants to be alone from the moment they debut so they are forced to agree."
"No one dares to oppose her in fear of being out casted. The reason is because of the count and some other influential people backing her."
"I heard something similar to that. Apparently she bribes some of the more prominent ones to gain their favor. I wonder why she does it?"
"Isn't it obvious? She is incompetent. Not a single good skill is why she uses bribery."
"That's true. One of my maids told me that all her so called handiwork is done by her teacher."
"She boosts about giving advice to her father about his business. The last time she did the business completely failed so the count had to start anew. Then she pretended she knew nothing about saying she helps her father's business. That they are baseless rumors."
"Did you also hear this? Lady Sofia would continue to act like Crown Prince Aranno's fiancée even when Lady Amelia asked her to stop. It was such a terrible experience for her."
"I was there too. The confrontation scene that is. Lady Sofia had the audacity to act like the victim there. Can you believe it?"
"I heard she is learning palace etiquette. She dreams of replacing Lady Amelia's spot as Queen. I would say she is quite greedy."
"Honestly the money the count spends on her to clean up her mess is enough to buy a kingdom."
"He does it because he wants her to wed a foreign prince. Oh! There were also some recent talks about Count Verr staging treason."
"Oh my! How awful!"
'Such…raw information…'
Suddenly the bell rang again. The atmosphere changed for the once more. However instead of the hostility the newcomer was greeted by reluctant agreement.
It was Madam Sofia.
No, now it was Lady Sofia Verr.
Claudina tapped on Sylvester's arm. He put away his book. He looked at Kain and nodded.
She leaned Kain's ear. "Kain let big sister here handle everything here. Just continue to eat mindlessly. When I tap your wrist start to whine about going home," she mumbled.
A tick formed on his head. 'BIG SISTER?!' Reluctant, he assented.
She walked inside skirts trailing after. "Lovely morning to you all." She curtsied. A response matching hers was swiftly given. Compliments were directed at her as she made way to sit down. Most of them were about her radiant beauty and her ever growing kindness. And Sofia soaked up all the attention.
There was something oddly similar about Sofia. Kain understood what it was. Claudina behaves like this. The only key difference was there was no antagonistic relation with anyone other than the duke's enemy and even they would sometimes be controlled by her plans if she requested.
Sofia's eyes landed on them. They were the only ones who didn't greet them back. She tensed on seeing Claudina. Clearly they had met before. She managed to remain polite. Her eyes drifted to Kain and Sylvester in interest.
"I see you even managed to get the Saint to escort you once again," Sofia said in saccharine sweet voice.
Claudina answered by linking her arms with Sylvester. "He can't bear to see me walking all over town without a guard. Isn't my beau just the sweetest?"
"I find the Holy Knights a tad bit unreliable in escorting my dearest," Sylvester answered holding her hand.
"WHAT!?" the girls shouted.
'Claudina in your timeline he is old enough to be your father! Cease this impious act!!'
'No no no no. Calm down. Calm down. They must be making use of the rumors, right? Yes using the rumors, that's all.'
'RIGHT?!?'