Aristia watched the setting sun. It cast hues of pink and orange over the sky.
Millie was perched on the balcony railing in bird form.
This balcony was facing the front of the mansion.
Aristia heard the sound of a carriage approaching.
She got up and moved towards the railing. She looked towards the entrance to see who the visitor was.
Finally, the carriage stopped.
"Looks like Kai is back." She said on seeing they it was the carriage Kai had ridden in the morning.
Alaric pouted, jutting out his lips. Why was Kai back so early? Just when he was still rejoicing that Owen was busy with work!
Kai stepped out of the carriage.
As if he had sensed their gaze on him, he looked up and caught Aristia’s gaze. He smilied brightly and waved at her, deliberately ignoring Alaric’s gloomy expression and glaring eyes.
He turned and entered the mansion.
Less than five minutes later, he appeared in the balcony.
"Princess, I’m back." He said with a cheerful face. His clothes were a bit damp. His hair was too as it stuck slightly to his forehead.
Aristia stared at him curiously. "But you’re back earlier than usual."
Usually, Kai would return after they had had dinner. It had been like that since he began his training.
Kai nodded. "Yes. The mage in charge of training dismissed earlier than usual today."
Normally, he should have referred to the mage as ’master’, but Kai refused to do this.
In his heart, Aristia was his only master.
But before he could say anything, Alaric opened his mouth.
"What are you still doing here? Shouldn’t you go and take a bath? You’re sweaty and stinky." Alaric said, pinching his nose.
Kai’s eyes widened and he sniffed himself. He wasn’t really slling anything but who knew if others really could.
He turned to Aristia and his cheeks reddened with embarrassnt.
Before Aristia could even utter a word, he had already turned around and sprinted into the mansion.
"I-I need to take a bath, princess!" He yelled out.
Owen was just entering the balcony at that mont.
He looked behind him in surprise at the figure that had just swooshed past him, then turned back to Aristia.
"Kai’s back early. But why’s he running?" He asked, pointing behind him.
Alaric, "..."
Why did Owen enter just as Kai left? Did the two plan this?
Aristia turned to Alaric with her arms folded on her chest and a pointed expression.
"Why did you say he stank?"
"Because he did." Alaric said with a deadpan voice. "Maybe you can’t sll it." His voice tilted towards confusion.
Aristia was speechless. So with her enhanced sense of sll, she hadn’t perceived anything, yet Alaric could?
But Alaric’s face was so serious, and his voice so innocently confused that she even began to believe it.
She let the topic drop and turned back to Owen with raised brows. "You’re done with the reports?"
"Yes, princess." Owen nodded. "But... Miss Dahlia and Miss Dorothy asked about the search for Leilani and Leif."
When Aristia heard this, she sighed and her heart felt disturbed.
She hadn’t forgotten about Leilani... or her brother. But there just wasn’t anything she could do. She just hoped that wherever they were, they would be safe.
In the anti, she was planning to increase her information network and gain connections that would be helpful to herself.
She wasn’t talking about her father’s connections, but her own personal connection network.
It wasn’t so easy since she wasn’t allowed to leave, but she could write letters. She just had to figure out who she would approach.
She turned to Owen. "Papa’s still searching for them."
"Yes, I know." Owen nodded. "I’ve written a letter in reply. I just need your word to send it."
"You can go ahead and send it." Aristia said, walking past him to enter inside the mansion. It was almost dinnerti, but it wasn’t like Aristia actively looked forward to breakfast— not until this month was over at least.
Alaric quickly followed her.
Owen left the balcony too to send the letter.
The only one left in the balcony was Millie.
’I’m leaving!’ She said through her communication link.
’Okay. Stay safe, Millie.’ Aristia nodded.
Millie flew away in bird form, flapping her wings. She had taken the form of an eagle.
Millie planned to fly around Orrivale. She usually did this every few days.
She could be back early, like this evening or at night. But sotis she would only co back the next day.
Aristia allowed her. It wasn’t like she needed her for anything seeing as she herself couldn’t leave the house anyway.
Aristia say down in the dining table roughly an hour later.
Her family, Owen, and a freshly bathed and dressed Kai, sat in the dining table waiting for the servants to serve dinner.
The servants served dinner without delay.
Aristia’s food was the usual. She ate without a single bit of relish, even giving up on sighing and complaining in her heart.
"What do you think about Governess Andrea Sevyn, Tia?" Catherine asked Aristia.
Aristia looked up at her and smiled. "She’s not bad, mama. She teaches well."
Catherine nodded and turned to Alaric. "How about you, Allie?"
"My tutor’s not bad either." Alaric shrugged nonchalantly, copying Aristia’s words.
"And how is your training, Kai?" Catherine asked Kai, cutting the at in her plate.
"I’m improving a lot, your highness. I’m grateful that his highness found soone to teach ." Kai replied.
The only person without classes was Owen, but he had a bit of training sessions with the Estate’s steward on managent.
There wasn’t much conversation during dinner after that as the family and the two boys remained mostly silent.
After dinner, they each retired to their rooms after wishing each other goodnight.
Aristia changed into her nightwear even before Adeline could arrive, lay down on her bed, pulled the covers over her and quickly fell asleep.
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