House Rule #5 Express love with kisses and intimate gestures
Done with our dressing, we exchanged kisses before parting ways.
Sera headed to her office room, while Vina ventured outside the castle to play with some village kids.
Soon, Emma, Sera's assistant, along with the servants, entered the castle to commence their tasks. Villagers and lords from other villages, with matters to discuss with Sera also made their way to her office.
The servants are primarily responsible for cleaning the areas we use regularly, washing cooking utensils, mopping floors, managing laundry, and caring for the garden and plants. Additionally, when time permits, they attend to dusting and cleaning the unused rooms and facilities of the castle.
Typically, Mother works from the castle, occupied throughout the morning. Occasionally, she ventures outside to inspect other villages and oversee our projects. Her return in the evenings is sporadic, as she generally completes her tasks by the afternoon.
All castle staff, including maids, butlers, gardeners, work until the afternoon and leave once their tasks are complete.
On the other hand, I would roam around the castle and occasionally hide in the shadows.
Why do I do this? It's to listen to the gossip of the servants. When I was a baby, they chatted openly while working in front of me. However, as I grew up, they became more discreet around a child. Consequently, I started hiding under beds, wardrobes, behind windows, and in various areas to eavesdrop on their conversations.
"Martha, have you heard about Priest Benedict?"
"What about him?"
"He will be transferring to another branch of the shrine next year."
"Oh! Then who will take care of the shrine? Will it be closed?"
"No, apparently someone new will be sent to take over his duties."
"That's too bad. He is such a virtuous priest. I hope the new one will be as pious as him."
Their gossip has become my primary source of information since I am not allowed to go outside the castle. This way, I gathered a lot of information.
Firstly, this world is called Dystopia. I reside in the Kingdom of Aetheria, situated in a backward county within an even more backward baronet. I was reborn as the son of the Baron's fifth son, belonging to the Ravencrest household.
Apparently, they were very vile people who committed numerous wrongs, including abusing mother. When I heard this, I imagined soap opera scenarios of in-law harassment towards the new bride. Only later did I grasp the extent of their abuse. But it is still hard to imagine her in that state, considering how she smiles and behaves daily.
However, on the day of my birth, someone poisoned them, and everyone perished except for us.
Despite being part of the Ravencrest household, we have a different family name. Mother disguised me as a girl and imposed a ban on revealing our real names and family name to others. Seraphina, Corvina, and Ardentia are to be known as Sera, Vina, and Tia respectively.
By observing the servants and the village during our occasional outings, I confirmed that it is our family that acts so unusually, while others lead normal lives. The morals of this world appear to be similar to those of my previous world.
"Hey rick, I heard someone gossip at the tavern that the baroness is going to develop a sewage system in the village."
"Really? When is it going to start?" asked Gardener Rick.
"I don't know. Maybe it's still just an idea. But the workload and money will be large. It will be very chaotic at that time. Will there be enough money?"
"There should be. The baroness had cut off all luxuries. She announced that she doesn't need many comforts, preferring a simple life, and intends to use the funds for the development of the village and territory."
"She is such a virtuous person," the other one said in a fanatical expression.
‘If you see the way she roams the castle naked along with her children, you will understand how virtuous she really is,’ Tia mocked silently.
"Rick, do you know why she doesn’t allow servants and soldiers inside the castle?"
Rick exhaled sadly, "On the surface, she seems cheerful. However, because of the abuse she suffered due to the Ravencrests, she has been traumatized. Ever since she became a baroness, she has prohibited soldiers from being stationed inside the castle and instructed the servants to leave after completing their work."
‘Isn't she doing this to create a shield from the outside world, providing us with privacy and the freedom to engage in secret activities?’ Tia retorted internally.
"Rick, I think all the villagers should throw a celebration to honor the baroness."
‘I fear they will throw stones at us if it ever leaked out how scandalous our behavior when no one is present in the castle is.’ Tia shuddered.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
"No, the baroness doesn't like such stuff." Rick replied.
…..
Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
There seems to be lights in the castle and the shrine, but I don’t know how they are functioning. I did not see any traces of usage of wires or electricity.
In this alternate world, I often wonder if there is magic, but as of now, I haven't heard of such things. Currently, what I lack the most is common sense and general knowledge about this world. Mother mentioned that she will arrange a school in the village next year where we can learn about the world.
Once, feigning innocence, I asked Mother, “Mother, I heard the servants talking that our father died.”
“No dear, you don't have a father. You don't have to care about their words,” was her reply.
Sometimes, Vina asks why we are different from other families after playing with others.
“Mother, Ron says he sleeps in a different room from his mom and dad. And he also doesn't drink his mother's milk. Why are we not doing the same as others?”
Sera chuckles, “We are different from them. Make sure to hide things that you feel are different from them. Okay?”
Vina nodded, “okay, but why are we different?”
"I will tell you when Tia comes of age."
"When does Tia come of age?"
"Well, it depends. Some take a long time, while some very short."
“Okay,” Vina did not question further.
In the afternoon, the servants leave the castle, and Vina returns after her games. The castle gates remain closed until the next morning. Visitors are only allowed to come to the castle before the afternoon. In emergencies, a bell at the main entrance signals someone seeking us with urgent business. However, such occurrences have been rare, maybe happening once or twice in these five years.
As soon as the castle gates are closed, we lock the doors. Sera, vina and I help each other to change. In our dress code for the day, we headed to the library, our study room filled with Mother's collection of books. It is time for our study.
Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
House Rule6# Always strive to improve ourselves
Sera would teach us various subjects. During my first two years, Sera taught Vina how to read, write, grammar in many different languages currently in use in the world, through short stories and direct conversation. She also covered basic math, pronunciation, and painting. When I turned three years old, I had to act as if I am learning, but I had already mastered reading and writing. As a result, I soon caught up to what Mother is teaching Vina, earning praise from both of them.
Since last year, Sera started teaching us some ancient languages. For some reason, Vina and I are finding it challenging to grasp them. It feels like the knowledge is slipping out of our minds easily. Despite the difficulty, we practice a lot, working hard to memorize vocabulary, words, and pronunciation. Neither Vina nor I gave up; instead, we persevered and put in extra effort.
"Starting today, we'll learn about animals, plants, and environments. Once a week, we'll visit the forest and village to inspect them directly."
"Hurray!" Vina rejoiced.
"Besides that, we will slowly start music, singing, dance, crafting, needlework, cooking, poetry, literature, and other arts. Okay?"
"Yes," we both nodded.
"Vina, I am sure that soon your playmates will begin assisting their parents with fieldwork and household chores. They will likely have less time to play with each other. Therefore, you should also reduce your playtime to only 2 or 3 times a fortnight. The rest of the time, you should focus on your studies."
"Okay," Vina nodded seriously.
"Next time, take Tia with you when you go out. She needs to get used to going out too."
"Okay" vina rejoiced.
"Tia, do you want to go out?"
"I want to." Tia nodded in joy.
"Then you must listen to your sister and stay by her side, okay?"
"Okay." Tia nodded like a chick.
"Don’t worry, Mother. I'll take care of her and won't leave her alone." Vina confidently placed her hand on her chest.
"Good girl," Sera playfully tousled Vina’s hair, eliciting a cheerful giggle.
From afternoon till nightfall, we immersed ourselves in ancient languages, the world's encyclopedia, and an art form. By night, weariness crept in after the intensive sessions.
After wrapping up our studies, we entered the bathroom, following the same bathing routine, ensuring to cover our hair for protection from water while focusing on cleaning only our bodies.
After drying ourselves, we proceeded to the kitchen where Sera, clad in her apron, prepared our meals. I often feel that the food we consume merely sustains our bodies, while our true source of energy is Mother's milk.
Watching her back, I pondered, was her behavior always like this from the beginning? I've heard that individuals, when confronted with traumatic incidents, often undergo changes in their values and personalities. Did she change because of the experiences she had to endure during her young age?
Personally, I don't feel any aversion. In fact, I appreciate my current situation. However, Is she not uncomfortable with engaging in such unconventional behaviors? Is it acceptable for us to be in this kind of relationship? Is it really alright for her to teach her children like this? Is it not immoral?
Even though I am a kid now, my mental age is of an adult. What about vina? What will she think when her mind matures enough? In her case it is also a same gender relationship. What would happen when we come to an age of marriage? Although the monk had advised me to let myself go in my desires, my morals are still restricting me.
While I am contemplating these thoughts, Mother completed her cooking.
We followed the dining rules of our household during the meal. Afterward, we went to our bedroom, where Mother would recline in the center, and both of us would sit on either side, sharing the events of our day.
"Okay, it's bedtime. Come have your milk."
Following our house rules, we quenched our thirst. Afterward, we would hug her tightly and fall asleep on her shoulders. This has been my daily routine.
One night, I awoke to find Mother absent from our bed. She returned after a while. Pretending to be asleep, I observed her quietly as she got into bed and slept. This led me to decide to continue my observations for the next few days.
I discovered that, after we had fallen asleep, she would quietly leave. She'd change into a gown, don a black cloak, and exit the castle through a secret passage built for emergencies. I'm unaware of her nocturnal activities, and if I inquire, I am sure she would insist that it's not yet time for us to know. Vina appears to have noticed too, but we silently decided to wait patiently for her to disclose it to us.
After coming into this world, I've noticed many things about my new family that seem strange, suspicious, and weird. However, I am sure that mother will clarify our doubts in the future. I firmly believe that whatever she does is for our well-being.
After all these years, despite her unusual behavior, I am sure of one thing—she loves us deeply.
----------------------------------------
Author's note:
I am changing the word for church to shrine.
----------------------------------------
Copyright © [2024] [The Rainy Imp]. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher at [[email protected]].