After confirming what Albus would tell Tibaut, he decided to pass the time in the guest building.
("Woah, this place is rough. I don't think I've been here since it's been built.")
After being shocked by the general damage inside, he sat next to Grace, who had also decided to stay here.
"Lo-lord Bradley!? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm curious about that potion. (I heard some buyers interested in poisons talk about it a few months ago. I hope that girl's ready to attend whoever stole that thing's funeral. Hmm, I'm pretty sure I saw her somewhere, wait a minute, she couldn't be one of the women I sold off could she!? No way, she's too recognisable. But it isn't impossible …)" As he was busy thinking, someone walked him.
"Oh my, on what occasion is the Lord of the Mansion visiting us?"
His train of thought broke and he saw the woman he was thinking about before his eyes. He looked into her eyes trying to gauge her reaction to him but it seemed she had more pressing matters in mind as she continued walking with a tray in her hand.
("Tch, shit. I was never as good at reading faces as Avis. Is she walking since something is obvious to her or does she not care if I'm here? Also, I'm the lord of this mansion, show me more respect than greeting me and immediately walking away!")
"So how'd the potion work?"
("Darn, Tina is… not here. Phew At Least I won't have to worry about her saying something and him finding holes in my explanation. I don't even remember what I told her. Did I say I got them from a relative or friend?")
"His hand is in perfect shape now. Honestly, it unnerved me when I witnessed it." She responded.
He got a good look at her this time and if there was an emotion that could be made out, it was annoyance.
"(Did the question piss her off or something?) Uh, Miss Adventurer are you okay? Your face seems a bit stiff."
She pointed with her chin to the hallway of the rooms.
"Oh, it's because of that idiot in there. Honestly, with how carelessly he fights I'm not surprised this happened to him." She turned her attention towards Grace. "Grace, can I ask you to keep an eye on him? I feel if that fool leaves the estate again he'll end up dead in a back alley somewhere."
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Yes, ma'am I'll do my best." Grace respectfully responded. Elizabeth turned around and walked down the hall.
("I know I'm not a stickler for rules but why does Grace respond to her in a more professional tone than me? You're my maid, I know that casual side of you in the maid uniform has its charms but it wouldn't hurt if you did some of that every so often.") As he was busy pouting he realised what Elizabeth said. ("So is he a brash sort of guy? Shit, this plan might actually work. Plus she said she wouldn't be surprised if he died somewhere they didn't know. Maybe we can just leave out the fact he helped us with those Lochmull Independence guys. They'll be none the wiser it even happened and just assumed he was careless again. Though that's if we decide to kill. After all, it's not like that's determined.")
After waiting for everyone else to take their turns talking to Tibaut after he woke up, Albus chatted with him about the mime and made his way out.
After leaving the room he was nearly frightened when he saw Jake standing outside.
("Hmm, what's he doing here? He has such a weak presence I barely noticed him.")
He thought nothing of it and went on with his day.
----------------------------------------
It soon became night and although the plan had a few hitches here and there, they went through the mine.
It was after their fight with Cormac that Avis and Albus were able to have their discussion. Avis had been drinking the potions they found at Albus's request.
"(Albus why are you stubborn when it comes to us? If your magic runs out before you're the only person at any risk of dying.) Master, are you sure about your decision tonight?" she whispered.
"Hmm, I'm not sure. It'd be safer but it'd feel unnecessary if nothing happened. Well, at least that leader of theirs escaped, so we still have our scapegoat. Just give the lackeys a method to escape after we leave."
"Master, there's nothing good about that gorilla escaping. I swear I'll kill him the next time we ever meet. I'll make sure to keep some of the nastier poisons from the greenhouse with me until then."
"...you weren't holding back?"
He could feel his throat dry after she gazed his way and decided to move past that topic.
"But I am kinda curious who is backing these guys."
"The obvious answer would be former nobles of this parish would it not?" Avis asked.
"Yeah, but I wanna see it with my own eyes."
She walked away to call the others over and promptly began searching the room. Albus just stood near Jake and Tibaut while waiting. After Avis tested his resolve yet again he saw the letters. The senders of which had him struggling to keep a straight face. He looked through the next and the next. It made him want to curse the world and everything but the maids that lived in it. He handed it back to Avis while trying to maintain his expression. If he didn't have his magic his teeth would have been damaged from how hard he clenched and his fists would be bleeding from how hard he held them tight.
("Half of those Letters were sent by East Anglia Exotic Enterprises. Is my life a joke to that bastard? Did he do this solely as harassment? Is my suffering that entertaining to that bastard? Sure these guys were incompetent but he honestly hired these guys to kill me.")