Walking through its tall gates, we finally arrived at our destination. After asking a random maid that happened to pass by, where my elder sister is, we were told she was still in the historical district of the Manor, inside the room we used as a headquarters for this mission, for things inside were enchanted in such a way that mortals wouldn't be able to touch nor see, everything related to the Other Side. All acts relating to the Other Side, such as talking to the empty air, would also be instantly forgotten as they passed the boundary of the district.

The district itself was already there when the first Carter was gifted this mansion by the ruler at that time, and by using it after years of research, he became a renowned knight, finally ascending from his post as a baron into a duke. Though what was within was only revealed to his descendant who has officially stepped into the Other Side, bringing with her the whole Carter household.

Passing by the hallways of the district into the control room deep inside, we knocked at its doors, waiting for a reply. Not long after, a reply echoed down the darkened corridors, asking us to come inside the room. There, the knight captain was still busy monitoring the apparatus that controlled the leylines of the whole city, while also giving out orders to the knights, who were still outside, patrolling their respective premises. Waiting until she was quite free, we finally greeted her.

"Good evening elder sister." "Good evening elder sister-in-law."

"Good evening, you two. How was your day? Apart from the situation with that Wendigo, of course."

"We had lots of fun," I stated.

"We bought kebabs and chicken skewers, and we played darts while eating them!" Ciel shared.

"That's good then." she nodded.

The conversation lulled, not because we're not close per se, but because of the kind of person the knight captain of the second division was. She was as stern to inflict, as she was stern to endure. A woman of few words, apart from the times when she was having fun with her siblings, though she still talk less than the average person would.

"Have there been any more attacks after the Wendigo?" I asked.

"None. That Wendigo is the last one."

"How about the vampires and terrorists?" Ciel asked.

"They're still lurking about since no one wanted to the bait for the other."

"Can we do anything to help?" I asked.

She mulled for a bit, clearly formulating her words. After a deep breath, she spoke.

"For me personally, the both of you could help by having fun at the festival."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Although that sounds cold, I understood she doesn't want to see us hurt. I nodded, to express my affirmations, before reassuring her that she could call us through the control beads when she needed us.

"Ah, I almost forgot. Father is looking for both of you," she said.

"Where's father-in-law?" Ciel asked.

"He's in his office, he said you could see him at your own convenience."

"Alright then, we'll go meet him."

"Be careful not to chase suspicious individuals, and always contact us if both of you find something unusual. Please." she instructed us.

"Alright, elder sister." "Will do big sister-in-law!"

Thus, we went to see our father (in-law) at his office. On the way, we met quite a lot of servants working their jobs. Although they haven't really known Ciel, they still greeted her as if she was an esteemed guest of the Duchy. Since she was always accompanying me everywhere, rumours of the seventh son marrying a commoner flew around the servant's quarters. And since they're not exactly wrong, I did nothing to quell it. After all, I won't have anything to do with the nobility life anymore.

I knocked on the door of my father's office. An invitation to go inside immediately came. There, we could see him working on the city's policies while also creating strategies to combat crime and the menace we're dealing with right now. Foreign mercenaries, and vampires from Rumania's Council of Elders. Still, after we came inside, he put down his pen almost immediately and started talking to us.

"Layne, Ciel."

"Good evening, father." "Good evening, father-in-law, sir!"

"Ahem. I already said that you could drop the formalities with me, Ciel."

"R-right. Good evening, father-in-law."

"That's better. Now then, the reason I called both of you pertains to your wedding. The venue was already decided last time, and it was here in our manor. However, the timetables, the garments, and the invitations were still a work in progress. Now, as a soon-to-be newlywed, I want the two of you to collaborate and work together to take care of them."

"Should we put this as a priority? I'm asking since our Duchy is in a somewhat dire straits." I asked.

He mulled for a while, before finally deciding.

"I believe we're still in the okay, though you don't need to prioritize it. I just want you to have the best wedding possible, since that's the only thing I could help you with, as a father. You can just inform the kitchen what kinds of food you want, and how many guests will be attending. After everything's in place, you could inform Alfred about it. He's kinda sulking after you got yourself a fiancee and he was not told of the great news."

"Ah, I forgot about that. I have to make it up to Alfred, huh?"

"You do, and don't forget to train with your sister first thing in the morning. She was waiting for it, that she even told me of it."

"Don't worry father-in-law, I'll make sure Layne will be there on time!" Ciel promised.

"Great! I can now rest my tired bones with you taking care of Layne."

It seems like the promise to train made Ciel who was somewhat reticent to authority figures, quickly become her giddy and sprightly self. Hard labour awaits me tomorrow, and I had no way to run away from it. Moreover, we also need to think about our wedding timetables, garments, and invitations.

"If we wanted the wedding to be a casual one, do we need to make a timetable?" I asked.

"You need to make one, but it will be treated as a reference. Still, you need to make sure that all the traditional elements are present. Other than that, you're free to plan anything." Benjamin gave his advice, based on his own experiences.

"I also have a question. Do we really need to use specifically-made wedding garments?" Ciel asked.

"I personally believe you could wear anything you want, however, it must be of the same theme. Still, others that believed in superstitions will tell you to make a white wedding dress and a black suit. Is that all?"

Both of us nodded.

"Good. Shall we go then? It's time for dinner."