Unaware of what her mother was planning, Amber strode through the corridors of the keep in a happy mood and a small smile on her face.
'I wonder if Edwin is sleeping? Hmm, I'd better go and have a look. Maybe I can have an opportunity to chat with him for a bit, hehehe.'
The smile on Amber's face grew as she imagined his face and began to increase her pace.
Amber descended the stairs and reached the floor where the guests were staying. After a little while she reached her destination, but when she saw so many closed doors in front of her, she felt like an idiot.
'Damn it! I should have stopped by Olivia's first and asked which room Edwin was in."
Frustrated, Amber started knocking on the doors of the surrounding rooms one after the other. There were usually no guests, so she wasn't worried if anyone was in these rooms. When she reached Ravus' room, she was startled by the sudden opening of the door and took a few steps to the side quickly.
"Amber, so it was you! You came to visit me? Hahaha, you don't need to be scared, I just wanted to check when I heard footsteps outside." When Ravus saw Amber, he started talking excitedly.
Amber looked at Ravus angrily with her right hand on her heart.
"Ravus, you mindless idiot!? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"I-I'm sorry, Amber." Said Ravus, with a tense expression, when he saw Amber's scary face.
"Hmpf, anyway, I'm in a good mood today so I forgive you. You better not make any more abrupt moves like that!"
"O-Of course, Amber! I didn't mean to startle you!"
Calming down, Amber nodded casually. "Hmm, good... Anyway, I'm a bit busy now, so remind me tomorrow that I have things to talk to you about. I'm leaving now, good night!"
Amber was about to turn around and continue her search when Ravus called out in a hurry.
"A-Amber! Are you looking for Edwin?"
Amber turned around with a puzzled expression in her beautiful face. "Huhh? How do you know Edwin?"
"... So you were really looking for him... I mean, we had the chance to meet each other because we were in the same section. But you better not search in vain." Ravus said with a forced smile.
Amber frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I was just talking to him and he said he was very tired and wanted to sleep. If you go to his room now, you'll only disturb him."
"Tch... So I'm too late." Ravus' eyebrow twitched when he heard what Amber said.
"Anyway, we're meeting for breakfast tomorrow." she said to herself in a quiet voice.
She turned her stern gaze to Ravus and nodded. "Thanks for telling me Ravus, I'll see you tomorrow then."
Seeing Amber, who turned around again and this time went to the other side, Ravus called out in a hurry again.
"Amber! If you have some free time, why don't we have a drink and talk! It's been a long time since we've seen each..." Before he could finish his words, Amber disappeared.
"... Haaa, you're indifferent as always. "
He looked in Amber's direction with amorous eyes for a moment and then muttered to himself with a twisted smile.
"But even this behavior only increases your charm, my dear Amber."
Then Ravus turned his head towards the room where Edwin was staying. This time, his eyes began to glow with a deep blue light and he spoke calmly with a frown on his face.
"You're really a dangerous person, Edwin."
Without waiting there any longer, Ravus turned around and went into his room. Then he slammed the door shut. The sound of the door slamming was so loud that it echoed in the hallway. A few seconds later a door opened and Edwin's head suddenly popped out from his room.
"What was that noise." Edwin looked around with an alarmed expression.
"... Is it a ghost or something? It's an old castle after all."
After a few more glances, he shrugged and went back into his room then closed the door. Unaware of the developments, our poor Edwin had no idea that he had been targeted by both Salina and Ravus.
...
It was getting late and the lights in the castle were slowly going out. Only the lights carried by the guards on guard duty and some magical lanterns burning constantly illuminated the red walls of the keep. On this quiet night, a tall maid walked calmly through the corridors of the keep with graceful steps.
She made no sound as she walked, and those who saw her might have mistaken her for a wandering spirit inside the keep. Her bright green hair was neatly braided in a long rope braid in front of her chest, and her long skirt swished gracefully every time her delicate feet moved. Along with her movements, her large breasts moved tantalizingly up and down, a striking contrast to her conservative attire.
With her glasses, expressionless face and confident upright posture, Aveline radiated a mesmerizing charm. She was here this evening because Salina had tasked her with summoning Edwin. As Aveline moved silently along, the guards who saw her on the road did not say anything, but respectfully made way for her.
But there were some people who failed to notice this. Impressed by Aveline's elegant beauty and mesmerizing aura, a young and relatively handsome blond guard stepped forward.
"Excuse me- Hhpmmm!"
"..." Aveline looked for a moment with expressionless eyes at the middle-aged guard who was holding the young guard's mouth and continued on her way without stopping. Meanwhile, the blonde youth struggled to get out of the arms of the middle-aged guard, and when he finally achieved his goal, he turned angrily to the older man.
"What are you doing Finn!?! I was just about to ask that beautiful maid her name!"
"Heh, you idiot... I just saved your life." The middle-aged bodyguard, whose name was Finn, said in a scolding manner.
"Huhh? What do you mean?" The blond youth asked a little nervously.
"She is Aveline, Lady Salina's personal maid and she is also a powerful mage who controls the force of nature. She's not on the level of a simple guard like you, get it?"
"R-Really?" The young man shuddered.
"Yes, the next time you see her, don't say anything, just quietly make way for her. And if she asks you something, answer respectfully."
" I got it... Hey Finn, thanks. You really saved my ass out there. I'll buy you a beer in the morning."
"It's okay, Lark! It's only been a few days since they recruited you and you're not the first one to make such mistakes. Of course I'll take your beer, there's no going back on that, hahaha"
As the guards talked among themselves, Aveline finally reached Edwin's room. She raised her hand and knocked three times, elegantly but strongly.
Silence reigned for a while. Aveline raised her hand to knock once more when Edwin's sleepy voice sounded from inside the room.
"Who is it?"
"I apologize if I disturbed your sleep, Sir Edwin, but I came to tell you that Lady Salina has invited you for a drink."
"A drink? At this hour?" Edwin asked from inside, sounding confused.
Aveline continued speaking in her indifferent voice. "Because she had important things to take care of first, Lady Salina didn't have a chance to thank you for saving Lady Amber and the soldiers of the Redwood Family. That's why she could only invite you at this hour."
"Ahh! Actually, there's no need to thank me. I only did what I had to do."
"You are a truly modest man, Sir Edwin. Nevertheless, Lady Salina would like to thank you personally." Aveline insisted.
"... Very well, I'll change and be right back." he spoke after a pause.
For twenty seconds or so Aveline waited calmly in front of the door, occasionally adjusting her glasses with her hand. At the end of this time, the door slowly opened with a 'click'.
"If you're ready, follow me-" Aveline saw Edwin's hoodless face in mid-sentence and froze in place.
Edwin stood in front of Aveline wearing a simple white tunic with a blue vest and dark cloth pants. Over his tunic he wore a brown leather belt, the same color as the boots on his feet. In this state, he radiated a simple but bright aura around him.
His long blond hair was disheveled from having just gotten out of bed, but still looking as bright as ever. Although his face showed that he was sleepy, this was not Aveline's focus. Edwin's sharp masculine features and magnetic blue eyes mesmerized this mature beauty before him and momentarily made her forget why she was here.
"..."
Edwin was now experienced enough to realize that he should be the first to act in such situations.
"Madam, we can leave if you like. After all, we don't want to keep Lady Salina waiting, do we?"
"... Yes, please follow me." Aveline pulled herself together at Edwin's words then turned and started to lead the way. Her words and face carried the same air of indifference, but the redness of her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
Neither of them said anything the whole way, and together they went upstairs to Salina's study, Aveline in front and Edwin behind. Along the way, the green-haired maid walked with her usual grace. But a careful observer could see that she had accidentally stepped on the long skirt of her maid's dress and stumbled a few times.
If Edwin hadn't been slightly drowsy, he might have noticed this and asked her if she was all right. But he didn't catch onto these cues, and the entire time, he struggled to hold back a loud yawn, aware of the impoliteness it might convey.
When Aveline arrived in front of the study, she turned towards Edwin, who had followed her a few steps behind.
"This is Lady Salina's study. She is waiting for you inside. I will not be able to accompany you from now on, Sir Edwin. I wish you a good evening," Aveline said in her emotionless voice.
"I see, by the way, may I know your name, madam?"
"... My name is Aveline Sir Edwin."
Edwin shook his head. "You don't have to be so polite, just Edwin is enough."
"I understand, Edwin." Aveline spoke again emotionless.
Edwin smiled. "Good! And thank you, Aveline, for accompanying me here at this time of night."
"..."
Aveline couldn't take it anymore and turned her beautiful green eyes away from Edwin. Her fair face looked as if it was painted with a red dye. She reflexively adjusted her glasses with her hand and pressed her lips together in embarrassment.
Edwin was too focused on the door in front of him to notice the expression of the woman beside him. He just wanted to say a proper thank you out of sympathy for the maid who was working so late at night.
Finally, he reached out his hand, opened the door and entered.