Part 1: Study Room (Afternoon)
Tatiana's Perspective
In the study room, Nathalia barges in, seeking advice on how to attract men. Despite Lily's reservations, we entertain her presence.
"What is it this time?" I inquire, not thrilled about the interruption from Nathalia, the maid from Sir Edmund's place.
"Can you give me tips on how to allure men, Miss Lily?" Nathalia asks, looking for guidance.
"Ufufu… You've come to the right place, Miss Nathalia," Lily responds, clearly enjoying Nathalia's company.
"What do you think this place is? A love counseling session?" I retort, not appreciating the sudden intrusion.
"This is a serious matter, Lady Tatiana," Nathalia protests, determined to make her point.
"I'm really not interested in your endeavors," I express, making it clear that I want no part in her romantic pursuits.
"Please, I might not have any more chances," Nathalia pleads.
"You're not listening at all," I sigh, growing increasingly uninterested.
"What do you think, Miss Lily?" Nathalia turns to Lily for advice.
"Me? Maybe you should push him onto the bed; everything should be solved easily," Lily suggests, as forward and direct as ever.
"That's too daring. I couldn't do that," Nathalia responds, embarrassed by Lily's bold suggestion.
"Why don't you tell us who we're talking about here?" I inquire, wanting to get to the heart of the matter.
"…Promise, princess, don't tell anyone?" Nathalia asks for confirmation.
"You don't want me to ask you again, do I?!" I assert, not wanting to be bothered repeatedly.
"It's young master, Edmund," Nathalia utters, revealing her master's name.
"Oh, we already know," I state matter-of-factly, having been aware for a long time.
"What? How?!" Nathalia exclaims, embarrassed.
"You had something going on when you were with him. I think most people would have noticed by now," Lily remarks, even she having picked up on the situation.
"Wahh… I don't think it's that obvious," Nathalia says, blushing.
"How about this? Will you leave me alone after I give you a solution?" I propose, giving her a final option.
"What is it?" Nathalia asks eagerly.
"I asked Medea to make love potions, and surely he'll fall in love instantly," I say with a mischievous grin, trying to inject some humor into the situation.
"Can they do that?" Nathalia inquires, intrigued by the idea.
"Sure, if you say it worked, he might have some brain damage after that," I joke, not fully aware of the potential consequences.
"I can't do that," Nathalia says, disappointed.
"Sigh, why don't you just tell him already?" I suggest, cutting through the nonsense.
Even though their statuses are like earth and sky, a noble can marry whoever they want. Though there might still be others who would give them weird looks.
"I can't…" Nathalia sulks.
"Why do you say that? And again, why are you acting so differently?" Nathalia is confused by my change in behavior.
"It's because Lady Tatiana wasn't satisfied yesterday," Lily comments, making a sly remark.
*Thunk* I throw a vase at Lily's head.
"Good throw, Lady Tatiana…" Lily falls down, thanking me.
"Geez, enough about me. You, on the other hand, should care about what others think and be selfish. You might not be able to get what you want, and you'll surely regret your decision," I state, not wanting Nathalia to make a foolish choice.
"Lady Tatiana…" Nathalia gains a bit of courage and is inspired by my words.
"Even though she doesn't have any partner, she talks like she's experienced one," Lily adds insult to injury.
*Step, step* I step on Lily's stomach.
"It hurts… thank you very much…" Lily is grateful, lying on the floor.
"Well, unlike this, you can do it if you put up your confidence and work your way up to become somewhat the same level as him. You might succeed," I advise, offering a more practical solution.
"I see! I need to work harder. Thank you," Nathalia says, encouraged. She bows and walks away.
"Yeah, yeah, get out of this place already," I express, relieved that Nathalia has left.
I just hope it was the best advice, and I forget that I just stepped on her stomach. As long as she's happy, I guess. I notice Lily still on the floor, but I don't mind.
Part 2: Nearby Forest (Afternoon)
Aya's Perspective
Miss Media had tasked me with searching for herbs, so Master instructed me to go. To my delight, Aeris and Lumina decided to accompany me. Aeris, being an elf, proved invaluable with his knowledge of herbs.
As we arrived in the forest, I shielded Aeris and Lumina from any monsters that dared to attack. My familiarity with the area, gained through countless training sessions and camping outside the town, allowed me to navigate with ease.
Despite the hardships, meeting Aeris and Lumina made me forget all the challenges I faced.
"Stay behind me, Aeris," I say, ready to strike and covering Aeris.
Swish Swish
"Auuu!!" A dog-like monster falls to the ground.
"Wow! Miss Aya is so strong!" Aeris exclaims, genuinely surprised at my strength.
"It's just because Master taught me well. Otherwise, I'd have no chance against this type of enemy."
Really, in any other situation, I might have faced imminent danger. Thanks to her teachings, I am now able to hold my own. I take out my hunting knife and extract some usable monster parts. If not, I could sell them for pocket money.
"It's a good thing that you came along, Aeris," I express my gratitude.
"Ahaha, Mother said I need to go out more, that's why," Aeris responds happily, clearly enjoying our time together.
"I'm thankful, as I can't tell the difference between one plant and another," I admit, grateful for Aeris's expertise.
"Kyuu… urp," Lumina lets out a sleepy sound, her bloated belly a result of a hearty breakfast. She floats around with her magic, seemingly carefree. Lumina, a fairy from Lady Tatiana, is referred to as a big sister by Aeris. It's cute to see them side by side, even though only Aeris understands Lumina's speech.
"It appears that Miss Lumina had too much for breakfast, easier for her as she can float around like a balloon," I remark, noting Lumina's bloated belly.
Lumina had indulged in a lot of food during lunch, and Aeris had his hands full handling his sister's antics.
As we continued our quest, I detected a monster with signs of movement.
"Stand behind me, Aeris," I instruct, taking a defensive stance in front of the approaching monster.
"What is that?"
A plant-like monster with ivy swinging around comes into view.
"This monster is not lethal but likes to attack females," Aeris warns me.
Thankfully, Aeris being male with a pretty face, there's no way he'll be targeted.
*Suraaa* The vines suddenly target Aeris, who stands behind me, confused.
"Ah! Please help me, Miss Aya. Not that place, please…" Aeris pleads, realizing the vines have slipped into his clothes.
...Why!? Hmm… let's enjoy the show then. The monster seems uninterested in me and politely declines my involvement, giving me a front-row seat to the spectacle.
"Big sister, help!" Aeris calls out to Lumina, but she's fast asleep on the ground.
"Thank you for your hard work," I bow, acknowledging the plant monster after it's done. I gently put Aeris back on the ground.
*Suwa* The monster seems satisfied and hands me a few materials, followed by a light bow before it departs.
"Isn't it good, Aeris? We got some free stuff," I say, approaching Aeris and showing him the materials like flowers and herbs the monster gave us.
I'm sure Miss Media will appreciate this.
"…Yeah, good for you." Aeris's body seems lifeless, lacking the energy to reply.
What is this blood dripping on my face? To think that monster had me bleeding, you truly are a formidable foe indeed.
"Really, if it weren't for you, I might be in danger, Miss Aya," Aeris expresses his gratitude.
"There's no need to thank me. Thank you," I reply, thanking Aeris.
"Huh?" Aeris is confused.
"Here, I'll put this on you so you have something to cover yourself," I say, placing a cloak on Aeris to cover his body.
"Thank you," Aeris expresses his gratitude.
*Burn* I ignite some firewood and create a campfire.
"I didn't know, Miss Aya, that you're a fire user?" Aeris is a bit surprised and asks about my abilities.
"Yes, but only a small one, as fire users need to learn more, and I'm not particularly good at it," I admit, showing that I can only ignite a small flame.
I can only start a little fire, a skill taught by Instructor Seraphina. Aeris can use Wind Magic, while Lumina possesses the rare ability to use Holy Magic, much like Lady Tatiana.
No matter what I do, my magic is limited due to my mana not being enough to cast normal spells.
"That's a warm one," Aeris says, falling asleep on my shoulder.
Having completed our quest, after the clothes dried, we return to the manor. Miss Media is very surprised by the materials, seeming eager to ask me about them. But all I can say is that I got them from Aeris's sacrifice.
Chapter 56 End