The Household Grows
Saturday, noon. The train carrying the diplomatic mission pulled safely into Carrington Station. Being the weekend, the platform was even noisier and more crowded than usual.
"Professor, are we supposed to head back to the Academy too?"
It was the question that had been nagging at them the entire ride home. Aidan and Eli had even placed a bet over the answer. Classes technically hadn't ended yet, and factoring in travel time, it really was a tight squeeze to make it back for any lessons.
"If you don't want to go, why ask?"
"And if we tell you to go and finish your classes, you'll go, won't you?"
When Professor Rothius and Professor Blake narrowed their eyes and teased them, Eli flashed a grin and pleaded.
"If you would see fit to graciously release us, your devoted student shall attend to his part-time job with the utmost sincerity and gratitude."
"Come to think of it, you did mention working at the dining hall this weekend, didn't you?"
"Yes, sir! Come by and I'll load your plate up with extra portions, guaranteed!"
So please, please let us go.
Eli deployed his full arsenal of aegyo, blinking his jewel-bright eyes.
"Professor, a student's duty is to study! You mustn't forget that!"
Aidan, naturally, wanted nothing more than to head straight home too. But he'd already bet a whole kuna on the professors refusing. That was enough money to cover round-trip fare home for the weekend — a small fortune, by his standards. There was absolutely no way he could let it slip away.
"Aidan, is something going on at home?"
"No, not at all."
"Then why do you look so reluctant to go? Fine then. You can go to class by yourself."
"Yesss!"
At Professor Rothius's verdict, Aidan pulled a face like a man headed to the gallows, while Eli cheered. Everyone else kept their mouths dutifully shut, but relief was written plainly across their faces. All except one.
Nine had set out, but ten made the return trip. Jared, who in ordinary times would have had a private first-class compartment to himself, had joined the mission party on the way back.
The boy was oddly subdued, nothing like his usual self. Perhaps because his band of lackeys wasn't trailing behind him as always, he picked no fights, and he sat tucked in a corner staring out the window as though Bayul and the others didn't even exist. He seemed, if anything, a little spooked.
It had never once crossed Bayul's mind that Jared might have been beaten black and blue by Duke Hector right after the sparring match and then thrown out — Bayul simply wondered whether the boy was feeling unwell.
"Right then, dismissed!"
Professor Rothius's call rang out, and with a few words of thanks for everyone's hard work over the past several days, the mission dispersed.
"Rai, I'll help you carry those."
"Much appreciated!"
Delighted, Eli handed one of his bundles over to Bayul.
"Aidan, Logan, Quinn! You're not going to pretend a friend in need doesn't exist, are you?"
Lanasa and Lubinsky were already long gone by then. Jared, too, had vanished soon after with his escort knight — not that anyone had any intention of asking him for help — leaving exactly six of them standing there.
"Elaine, Schuske, you two are on the hook as well!"
By the time they came to their senses, everyone was saddled with an extra bundle apiece. While the others had returned much as they'd left, Eli's luggage had swollen to nearly ten times its original size. The culprit: the ladies, unwilling to say goodbye, had launched an all-out campaign of gift-giving.
Eli, who had never once declined a lady's request for a dance thanks to his flawless manners, had likewise refused no gifts on the same principle. It cost him a separate freight fee into the bargain, but he'd paid it gladly, with a spring in his step.
And since they were presents from noble ladies, most of the items were genuinely valuable. Selling them off would go a long way toward living expenses — or so Eli claimed.
"Only until we reach the carriage."
"Yes, yes. Would I dream of backing out?"
To Aidan's grumbling, Eli bowed with exaggerated depth in thanks.
"By the way, Rai — did you actually open all of these?"
"No way. When would I have had the time? I'll go through them back at the dorm."
Schuske asked, and Eli shook his head as if it were a ridiculous notion.
"Fair enough. It's a lot. You'd believe me if I said I got one from every woman at the ball."
"Oh ho, you should subtract one from that count."
"One? Who?"
"You didn't see Lady Catherine biting her lip?"
"...Huh. Did that happen?"
Even if he hadn't witnessed it, Bayul could guess. She was the one who had reigned over imperial high society until Eli's entrance, after all. A beauty who'd captured the Emperor's heart and stood on the very brink of marriage — only to run headlong into Eli, the ultimate ambush. Whether that made her lucky or not was honestly hard to say.
"Being outshone on beauty alone would sting enough, but you're not even a woman. How would that make you feel?"
"I imagine it would be exceedingly, tremendously, absolutely terrible."
"One vote here that she's sharpening her knives for Rai."
"You mean she's planning revenge?"
"She's about to become a royal consort, isn't she? Watch yourself, Rai. That look in her eyes just about screamed assassin incoming."
Aidan's half-joking exaggeration set the whole group laughing. The only one who couldn't crack a smile was Eli himself, the subject of it all.
"That's a vile thing to say. You're just sore because you lost the bet, aren't you?"
"Am not! You really think I'd curse out a friend over a measly one kuna?"
"A measly one kuna? Oh, is that so?"
Eli stroked his chin and added, voice dripping with mock thoughtfulness.
"You know, I'd actually planned to let you off the hook, seeing as I received so many gifts. But if it's just pocket change to you, I suppose I'll have to collect. A gentleman should always settle his accounts to the last copper—"
"Friend of mine, isn't that heavy? I know I don't look it, but I've got decent strength. Hand it over — I'll carry the lot!"
"Where'd this sudden burst of virtue come from?"
"I'm just worried those pretty hands of yours will get roughed up. You've got your shift today, don't you? You should rest up while you can. Here, here!"
Aidan snatched the remaining bundles right out of Eli's arms.
"Good grief, you were hauling all this by yourself? This kind of thing you leave to the strong one — that's me! If you ever need help again, just say the word. I'll give you a real bargain rate."
With his own pack on his back and Eli's gift bundles in both hands, the sheer bulk of it made him look like he was being swallowed by the luggage itself.
"Move fast, before the carriage queue gets any longer!"
His boasts about his strength, as it turned out, were no lie. Perhaps from all his years working at the library, he nimbly hoisted the heavy bundles and threaded his way through the crowds with surprising agility.
"Bayul, hand me that one."
"No, it's fine, Rai. I've got it."
"Aidan left me standing here empty-handed. It must be heavy — give it over."
"No, really, I—"
Ignoring Bayul's protests, Eli plucked the bundle from his arms as if it were nothing.
"I've got far too much luggage today to ride in the carriage with you anyway. Have a good weekend — see you Monday."
"Saying your goodbyes already?"
"Sir Ian's been following us this whole time. Go on, hurry and catch up with him."
And it wasn't just Ian. Several of Quinn's men had come into view as well, unnoticed until now. All of them had maintained a discreet distance the entire journey to and from the capital, standing guard the whole way. Whether it was Ian or Quinn's men, each had simply done his duty — but it must have been exhausting all the same.
"All right. I'll head off, then."
Much as he regretted it, this really was where he had to part from his friends. With a last farewell of have a good weekend, Bayul set off with Ian toward the mansion where Rita was waiting.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
The moment the carriage came to a halt in the front yard, the front door swung open and Rita came bounding out, curiosity written all over her face.
What was the imperial palace like? What did the capital actually look like? Was her Lord safe and well? She had a mountain of things she wanted to ask, and in her eagerness she was in a complete dither over which question should come first.
"Take this first."
What Bayul held out was a square paper envelope.
"What is it, Young Master?"
"Open it and see."
At his gentle tone, Rita's eyes sparkled with anticipation behind her spectacles. She'd guessed it instinctively — a present.
A bag? A hat? Shoes? What could it be? Oh, I can't stand it!
A woman's gift, after all, almost invariably meant one of those things.
"...Huh?"
But what came out of the envelope was nothing like what Rita had imagined.
"Young Master, this is... bread?"
"Yep!"
And not just any bread. It came from the finest bakery in the entire capital, one boasting more than two hundred years of tradition. The shop baked only a fixed quantity each day, so he'd dragged himself out of bed before dawn, fighting off sleep, just to secure some.
"Our schedule was so packed I never got a chance to see the sights. So instead, I bought bread from the most famous bakery there is. It's the cream bread you love, Rita."
"Gasp! Cream bread?!"
Rita, who had been struggling to hide her bewilderment, let out a squeal at those words.
"They say it sells out the moment it hits the shelves. It's best fresh out of the oven, but they swore it holds up fine once it cools, so I grabbed some. I haven't even tried one yet — I'm saving them to eat with you."
"Waaah, Young Master!"
Tears brimming in her eyes, Rita threw her arms around him. She was utterly moved. He had traveled all that way, and despite the grueling schedule, he'd brought back her very favorite cream bread.
Where else on the face of this earth was there a master like this?!
"I'm honestly, truly touched! Sniff!"
Wiping her tears with a finger slipped behind her spectacles, Rita made a solemn vow.
"Tonight's dinner will be nothing but your favorites, piled high! I won't nag you about being a picky eater, and I won't beg you to read to me either! Hnngh, thank you so much!"
"No nagging — do you really mean that?"
"Of course! I always keep my word!"
"Thanks."
His conscience twinged a little at receiving such an outpouring of gratitude for a single bag of bread, but escaping the nagging was undeniably a stroke of good fortune.
"And I'll keep reading to you, of course. There's still that book we started last weekend, remember?"
"But I feel like I take up too much of your time as it is. You must be tired, Young Master..."
"I've been doing it since we were little — why act like it's some grand favor all of a sudden? I love our reading time too, you know. You have nothing to worry about, so stop worrying about it."
"...Really?"
"That's what I'm telling you. Later, before dinner, we'll— hm?"
Bayul broke off mid-sentence. Beyond the open front door stood several people he'd never seen before.
"Who...?"
He glanced instinctively at Ian, but the knight wore much the same bewildered expression.
"Ah! About those people, let me explain—"
But that was just as Rita belatedly began her explanation.