Arrival at the Atilea Estate
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah! I’ll send a carriage on the right day, so just hop on that.”
“Okay. We have to meet again. I’ll be waiting.”
Bag in hand and packed to the brim, I said my goodbyes to Anne and Cielian, who had come to see me off. We would be seeing each other again within a month anyway, yet Cielian was acting as if this were some lifelong parting—so dramatically it was almost embarrassing.
I held out my hand and offered a handshake to Anne, then to Cielian. We had already talked about everything under the sun the day before; there was no need for a long farewell. A simple, everyday goodbye—as if we would see each other tomorrow—would do. A month could feel remarkably short, depending on how you looked at it.
Anne seized the hand I offered and squeezed it tight. Even in a handshake her small fingers clamped down with that same fierce grip that said everything about her personality. I squeezed back just as hard, and we gave each other’s hands a couple of firm pumps. After two or three shakes Anne seemed satisfied; she let go as easily as she had grabbed on and beamed up at me.
Next was Cielian. She still looked so reluctant to part that she could not bring herself to take my hand first. She knew that once the handshake was over the goodbye would be real, so she was digging in her heels. At the start of the semester I never would have imagined us becoming this close, yet here we were at the end of it, closer than anyone. I reached out, gently took her hesitant hand in both of mine, and gave it a light shake. Even as I let go, Cielian stretched her fingers after mine, releasing me only with the slowest, most reluctant care.
“All right, I’m off.”
“Anne, Ciel. See you after break. Take care, both of you.”
Yuri, who had already said her goodbyes, offered one last wave and climbed into the carriage. I followed her, bag in hand, and stepped up into the cabin.
The carriage began to roll. Through the window I saw Anne waving both arms high over her head, while Cielian kept one hand demurely at her side and lifted the other in a quiet farewell.
“You know, for a carriage this thing barely jostles at all.”
“It may not look like much, but it’s layered with all sorts of magic. There’s a spell to dampen the shaking, soundproofing, temperature control, even a simple barrier—pretty much every convenience you can think of. Maintenance is expensive, sure, but it’s so useful that most nobles probably ride something like this.”
So the carriages Anne and Cielian would send would be the same, then. Until now the only carriages I had ever ridden were the rough farm carts that hauled crops between villages. Even the passenger coaches that ran the routes between towns never felt like this. Magical lamps hung from the ceiling, so there was no need to fuss with candles. It was a sudden, vivid reminder of just how high-born the girl sitting across from me really was. For a moment I considered asking how much a carriage like this cost, then decided against it—whatever number she named would probably be so absurd it would only feed my curiosity further. Better to leave it alone.
“Want something to drink?”
I knew I looked ridiculous, silently gawking around the interior, but Yuri only smiled and lifted a teapot. In any ordinary carriage, trying to drink tea would have ended with me washing my face in it. In this one, though, it was perfectly possible.
“Or there are cold drinks, if you’d rather.”
She opened a small refrigerator tucked in the corner and pulled out a bottle of juice. Looking at the setup, I seriously wondered whether this single carriage might be nicer than the dorms.
I accepted the juice instead of tea, took a long swallow, and finally stopped staring around like a tourist.
“We should arrive by evening.”
Fortunately the Atilea territory was not all that far from the academy. The roads were good, and with magically enhanced horses and carriage we would cover the distance in only a few hours.
I knew some students from farther regions spent days on the road. Imagining that journey in a carriage without any of these enchantments was enough to make me shudder. Students who had come from other kingdoms actually had it easier—they could simply use the teleportation circles set up for special inter-kingdom travel. The identity checks were a hassle, but still better than days of rattling along in a coach. Otherwise some people would burn the entire vacation just getting home, and at that point it would be smarter to stay locked in the dorms the whole break.
Once we entered the territory the carriage wound carefully through the streets and finally drew up before the manor. A whole line of servants was already waiting out front; word must have reached them the moment we passed the gates.
“Please leave your luggage to us.”
I started to climb down after Yuri, bag still in hand, when a butler standing nearby spoke up. I doubted they would go rummaging through my things, so I handed the bag over without protest.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“It is simply our duty, my lady. There is no need to thank us.”
I dipped my head in a small bow of acknowledgment, and he accepted the bag with an even deeper bow of his own. If they insisted it was their job, who was I to argue? I would not be staying long, and this much distance between us felt about right.
“Young miss, the master is waiting. Shall we go at once?”
“Mm. I’ll just change and head up. Give El the best guest room.”
“As you wish.”
The senior-looking butler began issuing quiet orders to the younger servants.
“I’ll come find you in a bit, El. We’ll go greet Father together.”
“Okay. See you soon.”
Yuri and I parted ways, and I followed the maid assigned to guide me. The manor was sprawling enough that a first-time visitor could easily get lost.
“This will be your room.”
I stepped inside after her and found myself in a chamber so large it barely qualified as a “room.” It was more like an entire house. The door opened onto a sitting room, and further doors led off to what were clearly additional chambers.
“Shall we unpack for you? We can put everything away if you like.”
“No, just leave the bag here by the door.”
“Very well. And if you need anything at all, simply ring the bell on the table. It is linked by magic, so we will know immediately and come at once. Day or night, large or small—please do not hesitate to call.”
The maid bowed and left me alone. The moment the door closed I abandoned any thought of unpacking and darted through one of the inner doors.
I had been desperate for the bathroom. The juice on the carriage ride had left me on the verge of bursting by the time we arrived. Back when I was a man, holding it had never been this hard; ever since becoming a woman, even something as simple as waiting to pee had grown noticeably more difficult. I never expected to feel the difference between male and female bodies in such a petty little detail.
Once that urgent business was finished I stepped back out and took a proper look at the suite I had been given. One door opened onto a bedroom dominated by a bed far too large for a single person. Another revealed a dressing room so spacious it mocked the handful of outfits I had brought. There was a study, and even a separate parlor for receiving guests—though I had to wonder why a guest room needed its own reception room in the first place.
Sunlight poured in through windows set to catch every ray. This really was the “best room” Yuri had promised.
I finished my tour and was just starting to unpack my meager belongings when Yuri appeared.
“Well? Do you like the room?”
“Like it? It’s way too much for me…”
“I always stayed here when I came to visit as a kid, so don’t feel awkward about it. I already checked—no other guests are expected for the whole break.”
I glanced around the room again with fresh eyes as she spoke.
“I’m going to see Father now. Want to come with me?”
“Of course.”
As a guest it was only proper to greet the master of the house. Dodging the meeting because it felt intimidating would have been rude, and an insult to Yuri’s invitation besides.
“Is it all right if I go in my uniform?”
“Father never cares about that sort of thing. The uniform is fine.”
I had been half-ready to dig out the clothes I had bought shopping with Cielian, so the answer was a relief.
We followed a butler through the corridors for what felt like a long while before stopping in front of a door that simply looked important. The butler knocked lightly; a voice answered from within.
“Enter.”
He swung the door wide, then stepped aside to usher us in rather than following.
The room beyond looked like a working study. Bookshelves lined every wall, packed with volumes of every kind, and a magnificent desk stood in the center. Behind it sat a man.
“Yuri.”
He rose as he spoke her name. This had to be Craig Atilea, head of the house. One of only eight Sword Masters on the entire continent—and even seated behind a desk he somehow filled the room with a presence that made him feel enormous.