"Let's go"
Ms. Dawn said and lead me inside the parlour. I could see maids resting on the sofas and when they saw Ms. Dawn entered, they all stood up in attention. Ms. Dawn raised her hand as if to say "Don't mind me". They then flopped back on their seat.
'They look tired as hell... What in world did they do?'
Thinking this, I passed right by them. They didn't even noticed me entering...
"Something happened earlier"
Ms. Dawn who was walking infront of me said. I was not surprised and only nod my head. I already knew that even though my emotions doesn't manifest outside my person, as long as I keep an interest in and intently look at something, people would immediately guessed my thoughts.
The Count told me about this when I was learning the ways of etiquettes and manners. He said that there's no use for a skill that suppressed emotions if the person using it can't even control himself. From then on, I tried to suppress my curiosity on things, but habits are things that are not easy to remove.
"...You're not going to ask what is was?"
Ms. Dawn asked.
'Did she think I was that curious?' I thought. 'But I don't have any incling of wanting to know what had transpired earlier'
So, I shook my head.
"I...see" she said "Anyways. After your break start preparing for the princess's return"
The other maids nod their heads. Apparently I'm the only man in this room, yet none of them seemed to care that I'm here...
'Oh well, works for me!'
I could move however I want, and when the princess return, I could hide easily.
"Mr. Kaiser, this way"
Ms. Dawn called out to me. I once again followed behind her. The parlour is truly large, contrary to what the outer appearance of the academy shows.
'It seems like they used some kind of space manipulation magic'
Ms. Dawn showed me where the main areas of the room. The kitchen, the storage, the comfort room, the chamber and the likes. I was told not to enter the chambers until I'm told to. There were also female knights guarding the chamber. And different to the maids earlier, they seemed not too fond of me.
Open hostility. I'm quite used to them, so I ignorer their glares.
"It seems I'm not welcome" I joked.
"They are the people I have mentioned earlier. The few people that My Lady could trust"
'Hmm... I see, then I should be befriending them as well'
Ms. Dawn showed me other important area of the parlour, even if there's a chance for me to fail she did her job and I was able to memorized all the places of the parlour.
"That's for today"
She said. Tomorrow she would guide me through the academy and to the room of the second princess and other royalties that are learning here. As a personal servant my number 1 priority is the safety and happiness of my master, second would be the safety of their family. That's why I need to know the possible places they could be when an emergency occur. That's what Ms. Said as she sat down on a couch in the parlour's living room.
I didn't take a seat and went to the kitchen and the eyes of the people inside the room poured on me. Especially the glares of those female knights. As I reached the kitchen, I look for a specific cabinet and took out a jar with blue petals filling it.
---------------------
[Notification]
-Jar of Blue Hapin Petals-
A jar-filled with blue hapin petals.
~'Cooking' has been activated due to the presence of an ingredient.
~The Blue Hapin Petals are ingredients for a specific tea.
~Recipe...
--------------------
With the use 'Enhanced Discerning Eyes' I found the thing I was looking for. I looked at Ms. Dawn and pointed at the jar and as if knowing what I want to say, she nod her head.
With her confirmation I lit the magic stove, put a silver kettle on it and filled it with water. I then followed the recipe that is infront of me, when the water boiled I added the petals then took them out after a few seconds, I then lowered the heat and put the petals ealier back, this time for much longer time. After 5 minutes, I took the petals out once again and added 2 night leaves. I waited for the essence of the night leaves to permeat to the water and I finally added the petals back.
-------------
[Notification]
Rejuvination Tea - is made.
100% successful.
The tea is of a higher grade.
Due to the properties of the ingredients, additional effect have been applied
+Recovers fatigue for a short period of time.
+Ease the mind
A large amount of proficiency is received.
------------
It took quite a while, but in the end it was worth it. This is the first time I've seen two additional options on something I've made. Feeling proud I transferred the tea from the kettle to an appropriate tea pot. I then poured the tea on tea cups.
'There are 13 of them here, 10 maids and 3 knights'
Taking note of that, I glanced through my shoulder and saw that they are looking at me-not, they're eyeing the tea. I hastened my phase, and poured more tea on the cups. Eventually as the number is a lot the tea was finish before I could even pour for myself...
Nevertheless, I steeled my self. A necessary sacrifice to not incure their animosities. I put the cups on a tray and handed them over. I first gave the 3 knights their share as they have higher standing than the maids.
Their glared at me and seemed to not want to take the tea, but the aromatic scent that the tea exudes left them unable to endure the temptation, I left the tray with 3 tea cups near them and went to the maids. With a tray on my left hand I distributed the tea with the other.
"Thank you"
Said a maid as I gave her the tea.
"It's delicious, thank you"
Said another after taking a sip of the tea. Words of thanks was heard a few more times then eventually, the sound of tea cups being lifted and put down echoed, then finally gasped leaked out of their mouths.
"W-what is this?!" A maid screamed.
"My f-fatigue is gone?"
"My body feels so light!"
"What is this tea?"
Witht those words as signal, the other maids and eventually the knights who was last in driking the tea eventually felt the effects. They then looked at the cups in their hands, the transparent blue tea that the drank then to me.
I was currently back in the kitchen, baking sweets. Sugar is a luxury for everyone in this world, so I didn't used them. Instead I used night berries to gain the needed sweetness.
Night berries are sweet even when it's not ripe, and it's even sweeter when riped. Due to the mana inside the Seira Forest where they grow, they gained the sweetness that wasn't supposed to be part of them. I've tasted night berries that didn't grew in Seira foresr and they tasted bland. No sweetness whatsoever. That's why only their leaves are popular, though there are still some who sell the night berries for a cheap price.
After a few minutes I've finished making cookies. I put them in a big plate and gave them to the maids and the knights.
"Please have this along with your tea"
I said with the most gentlemanly tone I could muster. The knights didn't glare at me, but they are still wary of me. I didn't bother them anymore, as I might incure their hostility if I became too kind.
Distancing myself from them, I sat down on a chair near the kitchen. The female knights and maids would glance at me from time to time. Seeing their tea cups empty, I went back inside and made the same -rejuvination tea-. I pour the tea on their empty cups.
Time passed and the maids and knights regain their energy. They are not slumping on the sofas and couches anymore, insteas they sat with their back straight. They also talkes among themselves drinking tea and eating snacks, they waited for the time to passed and...
Clang! Clang! Clang!
With the mid-afternoon bell as the signal, they all stood up in sync and finished their teas. They fixed their uniforms and washed everything that they used, the tea, tea pot, kettle and such. They left the cookies on a small table, organized was it, that I doubted if they even ate a cookie. But as the number of cookies I made earlier was not small, I erased the thought in my head.
'They're leaving it for their master...?'
"Mr. Kaiser, thank you for the tea and snacks. We were able to regain our energy thanks to you"
Ms. Dawn said as she went to me.
"I'm glad I was able to help"
"From here on, let us take the kitchen and watch how our routine goes"
I nod my head. This is the part where I observe things.
I looked around the room and noticed that one of the knights is gone. I asked Ms. Dawn about it and she said...
"Sir. Alt, left to escort her highness"
I nod once again and left them to their devices and watched how they do things. Ms. Dawn didn't gave any order and just joined the other maids on cooking and making the place more comfortable than it already is. They sweep the marble floor off the crumbs and dust and some even used Ice attributed magic to cool-down the room. The one's in the kitchen ventilated it by using wind attributed magic.
I watched how all of them moved and do things. The dish they are creating and if someone is putting something strange in it. Even if I'm not yet hired, an unexpected event such as poisoning could make for a good introduction. I also don't want the count to scold me non-stop if something happened to the princess while I'm here.
I could not say if it's fortunate or not, but none of them did such things. Throughout everything I scan the room using 'Enhance Discerning Eyes' and identified everything. The cookies I made weren't poisoned either.
Time flowed like this and eventually they finished their preparations. They plated the dish and set them on a bigger table. There were a lot of food more than I expected.
'Can the princess finished this all?'
The amount of dish and plate as well as tablewares were a lot, considering that this room is for the second princess's sole use.
"Can her highness finish all this"
I asked Ms. Dawn. She then looked at the table filled with food and spoke.
"Her Highness the Third Princess is also joining her today"
I nod my head. Still, the plates are two person more, even if the Third is joining, are they expecting other people?
I didn't voiced my thoughts, as I'll be seeing them with my own eyes anyways. After waiting for a few minutes. The door finally opened. The people inside all bowed their heads. Then two beauty entered the room. One wore a saintly aura as she smiles and greet the servants. And the other wore an ice-cold facial expression.
The former with cantaloupe colored hair, amber-colored eyes, walked besides the latter, a genuine smile on her small lips. She wore not that of the Magic Academy's uniform, but of the church's. Like the two girls I saw before the punishment.
The latter on the other hand has a platinum blue hair, amethyst-colored eyes and her expression the same as I first saw her, on the day I met Leo.
They are the Second and Third princesses of the Memphis Kingdom.
Third Princess, Vanessa Welpir Lougue Memphis, the Second Consort's first child.
And. Second Princess, Eleonora Shuvan Ascorte Memphis, the sole daughter of the now deceased Third Consort, and the second born of the King.
I watched as the two of them entered the room. I was not seen nor detected. No one among them saw me as I hid in the shadows.
---------------
[Notification]
'Stealth-Shadow Assimilation' has reached Level 7.
You can merged with the shadow more proficiently.
---------------
A small smile appeared on my face, the momen I saw the notification.
'I could watch for a longer time now'