It was cloudy and rainy. Although it was already early Tuesday morning, the air was terribly oppressive.
On the north shore of Green Lake, in the Rose Manor where Miss Carina stayed, in a window on the third floor of the mansion, Ajelina was putting on makeup and washing in front of the dressing table made of three large mirrors with the help of her maids, but at this time she also heard her maids talking about last night.
Ajelina went to bed early last night, which was her habit. The little princess still wanted to make herself taller and have a better figure... Even though she was already 17 years old. The maids who couldn't rest early because of work noticed something unusual in the sky last night:
"It didn't rain last night, but there were thick dark clouds in the sky. And the clouds were very strange, as if there were a lot of people walking around in them."
Ajelina's ears moved:
"Kayla, was there any movement in the city last night?"
"Your Highness, we heard that the city was originally going to be under martial law last night, but for some reason it was not implemented."
The tall maid answered, and Ajelina knew as soon as she heard it that something unusual must have happened last night, but it had been resolved.
"Oh, Your Highness, there is other news. Someone said that at around ten o'clock last night, the shadow of an angel appeared over the city."
The maid who was combing Ajelina's hair behind her said, looking at her little princess in the mirror and thinking about it, but she couldn't understand what happened. But anyway, everything is fine outside now, so no matter what happened last night, it doesn't matter.
She was in a good mood and was thinking about what to eat for breakfast. The brown-haired maid who was choosing shoes for Ajelina in front of the shoe cabinet added:
"The gentleman from last night seemed to have arrived at the manor around ten o'clock, and has not left since."
"That gentleman" naturally refers to Shad, but when the maids talk privately, they usually don't call him by his name directly. Instead, they use terms such as "that gentleman", "you know who", "he (stressed)" and so on.
"Jane, are you sure it's him?"
Seeing Ajelina in the mirror looking at her with bright eyes, the maid said with certainty:
"It should be true. Although the gentleman was in a hurry and I didn't see his face, I am sure that Miss Servet followed him with an orange cat in her arms."
"Oh, such an important thing, why are you telling me now?"
A smile suddenly appeared on Ajelina's face. She urged the maid behind her to fix her hair as soon as possible, and then suddenly thought of another question:
"Since he didn't leave last night, where did he rest? At my aunt's place?"
"It shouldn't be. Your Highness, please close your eyes."
The maid who was drawing Ajelina's eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil whispered:
"Last night, Miss Servet arranged for us to clean up the guest room of the manor. Yes, the one on the third floor. I think that gentleman should have spent the night in the guest room."
Now Ajelina understood that Shade probably had something urgent to deal with, so he stayed at Rose Manor. Thinking of this, her mood became better, and she was more looking forward to seeing Shade at the dinner table later.
After finishing her hair and washing, Ajelina held up her skirt and hurriedly led them to the manor's dining room, even after being reminded by her maid. After the maid at the door opened the door of the dining room for her, there was a dining table that was large enough to seat more than ten people. At this time, only the red-haired duchess was sitting at one end of the table.
Although Ajelina and Cavendish were not the only ones accompanying Miss Carina, the Duchess only allowed Ajelina and a few princesses to dine with her. The others were probably still washing and dressing at this time.
Miss Carina was holding a porcelain cup of black tea and reading a newspaper. There was no breakfast on the table in front of her. She was probably still waiting for others.
Ajelina then quietly greeted her great aunt at the door, then walked over to her side, and after the maid pulled out a chair for her, she sat down on her left side.
As she was trying to gather her words, she saw in the newspapers the news about the train that had crashed into the city the previous week and the follow-up report on the assassination of the princess across the lake.
"Aunt, isn't Miss Servet here?"
"I'll ask Tifa to go to the kitchen and remind them not to forget to prepare more breakfast. You'll see someone who will surprise you in a little while."
The red-haired duchess holding the newspaper in one hand said, looking at Ajelina with her golden eyes:
"You came here really early today. Didn't you get enough rest last night?"
Ajelina shook her head quickly and asked expectantly:
"A familiar person, is it the one from Tobesk?"
"Yes."
The Duchess answered again and praised her great-niece:
"You don't seem surprised at all, which is right. A girl who makes a fuss about everything will never accomplish anything great."
The maid placed the black tea next to Ajelina. She took a sip from the cup and felt that her good mood at the moment was just like the sunshine outside the window... even though it was raining outside.
Ajelina didn't have to wait long before footsteps in the corridor came from the half-open restaurant door. So Miss Carina also put down the newspaper and looked at the door:
"I'm here. I thought I would have to wait a while. I haven't had breakfast with him for a long time. This negotiation is really troublesome."
Ajelina immediately lowered her head to adjust her skirt, then stood up with a smile from the bottom of her heart on her face.
She looked at the door. The maid opened the door completely and the footsteps were already outside.
"Good morning, Xia..."
She was halfway through her words when her eyes met with those of Lecia who had walked in.
Lecia was quite puzzled by the expression on her sister's face at this moment. She looked at Miss Carina, who had a smile on her face, and no one knew what she was happy about.
"Why don't you keep going?"
The figure of Shade with a cat on his shoulders also appeared from the door. He asked curiously. Leicia shook her head lazily, took Shade's hand and sat down at the table together, then looked at her sister who sat awkwardly opposite:
"Ajelina was very strange just now. When she saw me, she smiled from the bottom of her heart. It was just like the smile of a royal tutor when she secretly read a knight's novel and found an interesting plot. This is something that cannot be faked. Then, her expression turned into disappointment. I remember that she hadn't seen me for only half a month. Have I bored my sister so much?"
As he spoke, he touched his face. Ajelina lowered her head and looked at the tablecloth, hoping that she was still dreaming. Fortunately, Shade came to her rescue:
"Lecia, don't joke around so early in the morning."
Then, he explained to Ajelina:
"Lecia was still in Tobisk yesterday, but she appeared here because of an accident. We found her in the city last night, and Tobisk has also contacted them, telling the Yodel Palace not to worry. Fortunately, there have been many space transfers like this recently, and the church has been informed of this matter. The church will probably send someone to talk to Lecia soon. It's not a big deal."
"So, how can I explain to the people that my sister is here?"
Leicia is no small figure. If she doesn't show up in Tobesk for a long time, it will definitely arouse suspicion.
"Today or tomorrow, let Resia accompany me to the meeting, and then announce that Resia was secretly sent here to give me some secret orders from my nephew. Recently, there is a rumor in the city that because the negotiations have not produced any results, both countries intend to suspend the negotiations. Therefore, Resia's appearance at this time will only make people suspect that Palace Yodel has new ideas."
Miss Carina said that for Resia, this was certainly not a big deal, but if she used this excuse, she might not be able to return to Tobesk in a short time:
"It just so happens that I am short of manpower, so it would be nice to let Leicia stay and help me deal with some things."
The beautiful Duchess looked at Shade with the laziness that was unique to the early morning:
"I am entangled in this negotiation, but this matter involves the national border and the new trade route in the future, so I have to pay attention to it. Now that Leicia is here, the pressure on my side will be less. Ajelina, you and Leicia should learn more. Your writing skills are far behind Tifa, not to mention Leicia."
"Why do I feel like you are mocking me for not being as good as your head maid?"
Leicia asked, and the witch smiled and didn't answer:
"In some ways, you are indeed inferior to..."
Her eyes moved down from Leixia's face, the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile, and before Leixia understood, she said:
"I saw that you looked exhausted last night, so I agreed to let Shade accompany you. Little Leixia, the girls of the Cavendish family should know how to be grateful."
Being dragged into the conversation, Shade coughed and put the cat, who was looking forward to breakfast, on the high stool that the maid had just brought.
"Although Leicia's arrival was unexpected, she should stay at the manor now that she is here. Ajelina, do me a favor. Keep an eye on Leicia. If she suddenly disappears, please notify us in time."
Leicia did not object to this, she also knew that it was unusual for her and Dorothy to encounter space transfer at the same time. Ajelina nodded quickly, and seeing that Shade had a little sadness on his face, she knew that he had encountered other troubles.
The rain outside the window was pattering. Although the little princess knew a lot of things at this time, she was still on the verge of awakening. She was still an ordinary person and knew that she could not help him. The desire for power in her heart quietly emerged again. Looking at Shade across the table, Ajelina gently squeezed her right hand under the table. Someone seemed to laugh in her ear. She knew that the other self in her heart had become clearer and clearer.