After he separated from the touch of both women, though with regret, he then ate the cooled meal, only to summon the windows of the system when he was done.
Be it the shop windows that presented the free daily and weekly offer, or the quests he cleared one after the other, he made a second step towards one of his goal, or maybe two actually as he received three new white shards.
Knowing that he would probably had enough to do another summon by tonight, though he didn't knew yet if he would get anything good from it, it was decided that they would leave the inn, but first.. He needed Mariane to speak with the innkeeper.
- Mariane's POV -
Recently, she, a simple maid, had been making a lot of choices for her beloved master.
She wasn't displeased with it, and in fact, she was glad to be able to receive such trust from him, and his care as well, as it was evident that those choices that she was taking was for her to take things at her own pace with the man she loved, but the problem came from the type of choice she had to make.
' To accept another woman.. I'm not sure if I'm ready... '
While she accepted Stella's appearance rather easily, it was because of a sense of kinship, as they were both summon of their master, but also beastkins.
However, a part of her felt rather merciful against the smaller woman, as she was older, though by only a year, and since she took a pledge of chastity, she knew that she would be the only one able to accept the touch of her master everywhere.
Such thoughts helped her made her decision quickly, or at least, she was ready enough for her to partake in their nightly activities, but she also wanted to be the only one able to enjoy their master lust for now, which was why she wasn't accepted entirely.
Yet, thinking about how she had to choose a woman, older than her, with more experience, and a body that could rival hers.. She felt her position being threatened.
Even though it came from the uncontrolled ability of their master and he surely didn't loved her like he loved them, she was sure that if he were to had intercourses a few times, there was no way they wouldn't get closer, especially as Luce seemed to be desperate for him.
' Master.. Arthur said it would be alright to refuse her, but... '
The woman was suffering from the same love she was feeling, which was able to tear her heart apart with the single thought of being put aside by the man her emotions were directed to, so of course, she couldn't make such a choice just because she was afraid, as she knew how devastated she would end up.
' I guess.. It will be alright to take a little longer to judge her, won't it ?.. '
She just wished for more time, enough for her master to do anything he wished to her, to be the first woman with whom he'll get to experience something, just like he did by using his fingers on her before Stella.
And in the end, her mind was set on using time as her advantage to ' figure out ' if Luce had what it takes to be his, just like them.
But since she couldn't fight, and wasn't the one to cook his meals, she already had a bad start, but Mariane, for the sake of her master, was determined to learn more about her and see through the advantages and disadvantages that she could bring during their journey, and even willing to be somewhat lenient towards her.
' Everything is for Arthur's sake.. I can't disappoint him. '
With such a thought and a sharpened mind, she followed behind his steps as he departed from the room they had been using since their arrival in Litheria, and walking down the stairs, they eventually reached the hall where the saddened woman waited for their return.
" .. Mariane, we will wait for you at the guild, you can take your time. "
" I understand, master. "
Receiving an order, she knew what he meant by it, to have a lenghty conversation with Luce, and while her opinion might not be decided by that alone, it should be enough to somewhat make up her mind.
Stopping in her tracks, she lightly waved her hand to the priest and her master leaving the inn, sending them off, before she turned around to face the anxious woman.
" ... Can I know what this is about ? "
With her swallowing on her saliva, which Mariane's hearing capabilities didn't missed, she asked with a preemptive attitude, as if scared of the bigger fish, which she couldn't lie about, but was somewhat satisfied with.
" As master's maid, and a woman that loves him, I was introduced to the duty of being the one that will judge whether you are worthy of him and his care. "
" Worthy.. how can I prove myself ? "
Albeit she was slightly pale under the challenge and pressure, she knew that at the moment, it wasn't a question of proving her love, but her own value to a man of higher stature.
" For now, I will ask you a series of questions, and I will pry to obtain the truth of your value, which will be, what you can bring to master's side. "
Such value wouldn't be determined by the amount of pleasure or money she could give him, but something much more in accord to Mariane's principles as a maid.
" ... I get it, I hope you'll find my answers satisfying. "
With a deep breath in, she got serious once she understood what it would all come down, but the maid cut her short before even starting, only to give her a warning.
" However unfair it may seems, your opinions will hold no position in my judgement. "
" ... "
As the woman stayed silent in front of her cold demeanor, telling her to not have useless hope, she then started dropping questions, one after the other, but all about her skills as a caretaker.
It first started with house chores, be it cleaning or cooking, to know her forte to her weaker points, Mariane didn't hesitated a single moment as she kept asking one thing after the other, slowly showing more diversity in her questions, and it slowly evolved to her skill as a caretaker.
Be it healing injuries or mental fatigue, her attitude towards others, or how she could take care of someone else in general, and she didn't missed a single detail about it as she deemed it important.
The next and last part, was about her surviving skills in the wild, how good she was at protecting herself or others, if she knew how to build a tent or to start and maintain a fire, and even the fauna and flora around here or in other places.
And, slowly but surely, Mariane started to get a clearer idea about the skills behind the woman in front of her.
If she was a hundred points, then the woman in front would stand between fourty to sixty, with a catastrophic score in her surviving abilities, as she didn't even knew how to fight properly, nor did she had experience camping outside.
Yet, it seemed that she had skills resembling the ones of a maid, although clearly not as good as her, a previous housekeeper, she showed enough versatility to various situations by her answers alone to know that she wasn't lying about it.
' While she could do a good lower servant.. '
Her own thought, that she didn't finished as it would determine the answer for accepting Luce or not, needed to wait for a more proper judgement, one where she would take into consideration her feelings and her master's ones.
" ... Is it everything you wished to ask ? "
" Did you wished for me to ask more personal questions, like your past experiences ? "
As her master said it before, Mariane knew that he didn't minded such a topic, with everyone having a different past before meeting him, he wasn't bothered with her having already tasted other mens.
But that didn't meant that she wasn't, especially as she, Luce, already had a taste of her master as well before even Stella, which she approved the presence more than the innkeeper girl at the moment.
" N-no.. "
Probably feeling that a spike was thrown at her, the woman quickly shook her head with a pale face, which Mariane just ignored.
" Then everything is fine, I will now go and report to master my judgement of today, but like he said previously, do not expect an answer right away. "
" ... I understand, have a good afternoon. "
Nodding to her words, the maid, which confirmed more or less the value of another living being, left the inn with the thought of finally returning to her master's side, her tail lightly wagging as she walked towards him.