The sun had finally set, with the clear orange sky slowly darkening. As the vast adow of wilderness was gradually consud by darkness... the only source of light ca from a flickering campfire.
Gathered around it, basking in its warm comfort... were Lady Anastasia and her two aides.
The maid, Bella, was using the campfire to cook a simple at and vegetable stew... using monster at that the butler Sebas had taught her how to prepare, along with his recomnded choice of cuts.
"Humming~♫"
The blonde maid humd a gentle tune as she continued to stir and check the stew every few monts, pleased to be in her comfort zone—cooking.
She was also quite delighted, not just because she had learned new culinary techniques from their peculiar butler, but also because she had been provided with all the necessary cooking tools, spices, and 'normal' ingredients to choose from.
'Sir Sebas is quite the resourceful one,' the maid thought to herself with a touch of admiration while taste-testing the stew she was preparing.
The knight, Martha, stood a small distance away from the campfire. Her ever-watchful eyes scanned the area around the campsite, trying to discern any sort of danger that might be lurking in this perilous region.
The butler had assured them that any monsters within the vicinity of this campsite had been thoroughly eradicated by him... and yet the brunette knight couldn't let go of her unease, considering what had transpired earlier that day.
Fortunately, the pile of monster remains that had attracted those wyverns had already been hauled by the butler himself back to Florentia. Thus, he was nowhere to be found at this campsite, which he had so carefully prepared.
Still... the knight found the butler to be quite the odd one.
She had witnessed that single man not only load all of those dead monsters into the giant wooden cart—all by himself—but also clean up any trace of blood and debris that had sared the wilderness, effectively erasing the monsters' presence from the area.
And after all of that, he had then pulled said giant cart—again, all by himself.
That giant cart alone would have weighed quite a lot, but with the addition of that massive pile of monsters? It would have been an impossible feat to pull, even for a whole platoon of the kingdom's knights.
Martha mulled over the thought, her emotions in disarray—not just from her bafflent, but also from sothing else within her... a feeling of... inadequacy.
And then there was Anastasia, who sat near the campfire in silence.
The red-haired noblewoman had been staring at the flas, utterly still. The gentle, warm fire reflected in her eyes, its flickering light casting fleeting emotions across her delicate features.
She had been lost in this contemplative state, replaying every mont that had transpired today... and also events from before her journey to the Garden of Hell.
She was relieved that her trek to this perilous land had been successful... and grateful for the strong ally she had gained in the form of that enigmatic butler.
The fallen noblewoman tried to focus on what their future plans would entail—how she would begin to cultivate this land into a place she could proudly present to her father... to Duke Rosavich.
But her thoughts would often stray, dragged toward her lingering wishes, only to force her to rember the sin she had committed against the royal family of the Kingdom.
No... against the Crown Prince himself...
Her hands trembled, overwheld by the mory of that event—the one that had hamred the final nails into her coffin... where she had—
"—My Lady? Lady Anastasia?"
The sudden call startled her, breaking her out of her reverie. She looked back toward the source of the voice and found it was none other than her loyal maid Bella... holding out a bowl toward her.
"M-my lady, are you alright?" Bella asked, her voice soft with concern. "I apologize for interrupting your thoughts, your grace, but... you seed lost in them. Is sothing troubling you...?"
"It's nothing..." Anastasia replied curtly, not wanting to burden her aides with her troubling thoughts.
However, it wasn't just Bella who seed concerned; even Martha broke away from her watchful vigilance to prioritize her mistress's well-being, her brow furrowed with silent worry.
"Please do not trouble yourselves, Bella, Martha. I am... quite well," Anastasia said, offering both of them a small, reassuring smile. She reached out to take the bowl of stew Bella had prepared, gently receiving it from her hands. "And my gratitude for your cooking, Bella."
"A-ah, yes, my lady! I'm so glad it pleases you," Bella stamred, her cheeks tinged pink with a mixture of pride and relief. "I-I did my best to make it to your taste, my lady."
Seeing her maid's slightly flustered but loyal deanor eased the unease stirring inside Anastasia's heart. Bella then turned to Martha, presenting another bowl of stew.
"Miss Martha, here is yours."
"...Thanks," Martha muttered, her tone quiet but steady as she took the bowl from her fellow aide's hand.
Eventually, Bella served herself her own portion of the stew, and the three of them sat near the campfire, each holding their bowls of monster at stew in silence.
Not one of them had yet taken a bite.
An awkward silence hung in the air as both Anastasia and Martha stared at their bowls. The flickering campfire cast shadows on their faces, highlighting their unease.
"U-uhm... is there sothing wrong with the al, your grace?" Bella broke the silence, her voice tinged with worry.
"Ah, no, there's nothing wrong with it, Bella," Anastasia reassured her once more, "however, I cannot lie that it is quite unnerving to eat... monster at."
"I-it's okay, my lady! I've already taste-tested it thoroughly, and I am confident that it is edible!"
"Yeah, it slls pretty good too~."
"Yes! I'm quite proud of it... too..."
Bella's face lit up, delighted by the complint—until she realized it hadn't co from her mistress... nor from her fellow aide.
All three of them froze as the realization hit. Slowly, they turned their heads toward the source of the voice...
And it was none other than the enigmatic, smiling butler, Sebas.
"I'm back~."
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