The day that followed Kedra's arrival into the Deslandes household was agitated; every single servant had been mobilized in preparation for an event of some kind, though Kedra was unaware of its nature.
Along with her usual four servants, Kedra made her way to the family's library, unbothered by the commotion, deep in reflection over the torrent of events that had transpired in just a day.
'I really threatened those maids yesterday; what the hell came over me? God, that whole day feels like a blur, like it ended as soon as I woke up.'
'Speaking of those maids, I wonder if they properly guided these four like I asked.'
"All of you, did you manage to find your rooms?" Kedra asked, briefly halting her step.
"Of course, my lady, we were shown to the appropriate dormitories." As usual, Maria was the first to respond, speaking on behalf of the other three.
"Well, I was certainly shown to a dormitory; I don't know about appropriateness, though; those guards snore louder than boars." Lionel said in a sarcastic tone.
"As long as you have a place to rest, all is well; we'll be gone in a week after all."
"What do you mean by that, my lady?"
"The duke has allowed me to attend the academy from next week onwards; from what I've read, when I enroll, I'll be staying at the academy's dormitories. And since I'm allowed to bring up to five servants along with me, you'll all be coming along."
"Do you plan on taking a fifth?" Lucie asked
"As of right now, no. But who knows? Maybe someone competent will show themselves."
Meanwhile, a nearby maid who had been diligently sweeping the floors overheard the conversation. Her interest had been caught as soon as the topic of the academy was brought up, though the first thought that came to her mind was that she wanted to immediately share this new piece of gossip with her coworkers.
Soon after Kedra entered the library, the maid made her way to the servants' quarters with a swift step, neglecting part of her cleaning duties.
Eventually she came to reach the busy quarters, where all manner of servants were coming in and out, shouting demands and orders at each other in a poor imitation of organization.
The woman eyed out the busy room and, after a while, spotted her usual gossiping circle, already formed and brimming with old maids who wanted nothing more than to get out of work for a moment.
"All of you, listen!" She said, trying to grab the ladies' attention. "I've just heard something really interesting come out of the mouth of the new arrival."
"Oh? Well, out with it, then. Don't keep us waiting."
The woman got closer, bringing everyone's heads in before saying her piece in a low whisper.
"I heard that the young lady that just arrived will be going to the academy in a week's time."
"Already? Wasn't she going to receive private tutelage beforehand?"
"Well, about that, I heard something interesting from one of the guards that escorted her to the mansion."
"And what would that be?"
"Apparently he overheard the young lady answering questions about academic subjects with remarkable speed. Now when I heard that, I was also skeptical, but Martha told me that even the patriarch recognized her talent."
Immediately, the group burst into hushed conversation; most of the maids were skeptical, doubting the validity of her words.
"No, I promise it's true; just ask Martha. Speaking of, there she is! Hey Martha, over here!" The servant called out to the old maid, who was carrying a basket full of various ingredients to the kitchen.
"What is it?!" Martha replied.
"Come and tell them what you told me yesterday!"
"Alright alright." Martha gently placed her basket on a nearby table, walking towards the group.
"So listen up; last night I was in charge of our masters' dinner, right? As I was about to go and collect the last few dishes after the lady had left, I overheard his Grace and Lord Eliseo both talk about how Kedra already had the level to get into the academy; his Grace even gave the go-ahead himself."
Despite her thick country accent, all of the maids were listening to Martha very carefully. She had a knack for telling stories that had developed over her many years of spreading gossip.
"And get this: the young lady can bring up to five servants along with her; now I'm sure she'll bring the four that are already in her service; that much is a given, but there's the thing; there's only four of them; that means that one of us has a shot."
"But why would anyone want to go and serve her anyway? Our working conditions here at the manor are great."
"Are you dense or something? Have you seen her? She's the spitting image of the Duke! Red hair and all—on top of that, she's talented enough to attend the academy without any additional tutelage! What I'm thinking is that she's got a real shot at inheriting the dukedom."
"But what about Lord Eliseo? Isn't he the confirmed heir already?"
"Of course he is, and it's probably going to stay that way. However!" Martha said, looking around to make sure no one was listening in.
"We all know that his hair's the problem; he hasn't properly inherited the blood of the Deslandes family, and you all know it."
"If the lady ends up achieving more than him, his Grace might end up making her the rightful heir."
The group fell silent in contemplation; each maid was weighing out their options. Ending up as the servant of the next heir would most likely bring great benefits, after all.
"But hey, that's just what I think; anyway, you should all get back to work; the head maid's been eyeing us for a while now." Martha said, picking her basket back up and returning to her duties.
As the group of maids scattered, each of them left with a lingering motivation to outdo their peers; their greed and competitive spirits had given them the impression that they absolutely had to end up as Kedra's fifth servant, no matter what.