I was still distraught at the thought that training would be postponed. Laying on my bed awake as Feyt, I blankly stared at the ceiling as the birds chirped outside. On the other side, Carine was still sound asleep, as usual, so I just let her be.
It was quiet until the faint sound of gentle footsteps reached my door, followed by a polite knock.
“Sir Feyt? Are you awake?”
I dragged myself upright, “Yes, I am, Miss Eliza!”
I shuffled over to the door and opened it, revealing the usual cheerful smile from Eliza.
“Good morning, Sir Feyt,” she said, dipping into a slight bow. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
I shook my head gently with a smile. “Not at all.”
She straightened and clasped her hands. “I’ve come to inform you that training for today has been postponed.”
“Yes, I know,” I muttered.
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Huh? What do you mean, Sir Feyt?”
Ack–! I said that out loud?!
“N-Nothing! A-Anyway,” I quickly switched topics. “If there’s no training. What am I supposed to do in the meantime?”
Eliza tilted her head, clearly unconvinced. But she was polite enough not to press further. “About that… The Duke has asked me to deliver your instructions for the day.”
“Oh, instructions?” I blinked, curiosity momentarily overriding my awkwardness. “Let’s see…”
With a practiced motion, she produced a piece of parchment from her apron pocket and handed it to me.
As I read the contents, my heart dropped a couple of floors.
100 push-ups.
100 sit-ups.
10 laps around the garden.
And et cetera.
I wondered if it was a joke at first. But when I reluctantly looked up to see Eliza’s expression, she averted her eyes meekly.
“This… this can’t be real.”
“I-It is an order from the Duke, Sir Feyt.”
I looked back at the paper, making sure I didn’t misread it.
Y-Yeah, I must’ve misread it! Feyt’s eyes aren’t super, after all!
But no matter how hard I blinked, the paper's contents never changed. It was then that I regretted not writing my will sooner.
“Ehem.’ Eliza cleared her throat softly, catching the attention of the dread-filled me. “A butler will accompany and observe your training. You will start after a quick bath and breakfast.”
A butler… Father really did go all out for this, huh?
—
Carine was woken up by a series of knocks.
“Lady Carine, are you awake?”
I fluttered my eyes open and shuffled to the door. Opening it, I greeted the one standing before me.
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“Morning, Leila.”
She was as deadfaced as she always had. A comforting sight to be honest.
“Shall we prepare for the trip?”
Feeling a bit sluggish, I nodded.
“Very well, allow me.”
Leila entered the room and began to make the bed. Suppressing a yawn, I moved over to the closet to pick my clothes.
“It has been a while since you last visited the main estate, hasn’t it, Lady Carine?”
“Hm? Yeah, I guess.”
“I see. Then I hope today’s trip will be free of complications.” Leila straightened after finishing the bed at a record pace. “And thankfully, unlike last time, I’ll be accompanying you.”
Leila sounded weirdly enthusiastic this time. Was she really that happy to join me for a trip? I would welcome her with open arms, of course, it just caught me off guard was all.
“Thank you, Leila.”
The two of us continued with our work and then we headed for the baths. Speaking of baths…
—
I was brought by Eliza to the servants’ bath. I brought with me a change of clothes and a towel that Mom had kindly packed for me.
“Here we are, Sir Feyt,” Eliza said with an upbeat tone. “There are still some servants inside, but you don’t need to worry about bothering them. Do you know how baths work, by any chance?”
“Y-Yeah, I do.”
I was from the boonies, sure, but I wasn’t an idiot! But, I guess I couldn’t fault her for being careful. In their eyes, I was just a boy who didn’t know the ways of the high life.
“Thanks, Miss Eliza! I’ll head out soon!”
Eliza offered a gentle nod. “Of course. I’ll wait here. And please, do be careful not to slip.”
I entered the bathhouse and was… surprised. That goddamned sense of awe returned once more, as if I couldn’t believe such a place could exist despite already enjoying a more luxurious version as Carine.
I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and just headed for the shower. If I kept gawking at every fancy detail, I’d never get through the day. The butlers inside mostly chatted by themselves. I wondered if they even noticed me there.
Despite how crowded and noisy the bath was, I found myself a corner and enjoyed myself there, letting the warmth seep into my soon-to-be-tortured muscles.
Across the estate, Carine was also in her own bath, being pampered by Leila. So the relaxation came in stereo. Who would’ve thought having two bodies would come with perks like this?
…
Breakfast was as usual. Enjoying the food as Feyt by my lonesome, and eating things quietly with my parents as Carine.
With my bodies squeaky clean and my bellies full, it turned into a waiting game. Feyt was lounging in his room waiting for the assigned butler to come, and Carine was getting ready for the trip out by the garden.
With nothing to do as Feyt, I focused entirely on Carine’s point of view. I stood by Leila’s side as we waited for both Mother and Father to come out of the house. I guessed they both needed to sort a lot of things out before they could head out, so I patiently waited.
Then, I spotted two sleek horses pulling a carriage as it rolled to a halt at the front gate. This wasn’t the same one I had used when visiting the village with Father; its size alone made that clear.
This carriage was clearly designed for more than just two passengers. With Mother and Leila joining us this time, the old one would’ve had us practically hugging each other for the entire trip. That might have forced some rare “family bonding,” but, I’d rather pass.
How many carriages do we even own? The thought passed by in my mind as I studied the polished frame of this one. There was no way we used all of them. How many hadn't I seen yet?
As I let my mind wander, Father and Mother finally emerged from the estate, all meticulously dressed up, with two butlers carrying their belongings following behind them.
“Carine, Leila, sorry for the wait,” Father greeted us with a wave.
“If you had handled the paperwork last night like I told you to, there wouldn’t have been a delay to apologize for,” Mother didn’t miss a beat.
Well… at least they haven’t changed.
With everyone ready, we began the “short” walk to the front gate. With the sun already climbing, I couldn’t wait to just chill inside of the carriage. When we arrived, the two butlers accompanying us immediately set to work assisting the coachmen in loading our belongings.
I watched with mild curiosity as they stowed our luggage inside the carriage, tucked behind the passenger seats. It was a bit of a surprise, I’d expected the baggage to be piled on top, strapped down with leather cords like I’d seen in carriages that pass by sometimes.
But this arrangement made more sense, now that I thought about it. Keeping everything inside would make the carriage less tempting for bandits… not that any bandit would dare challenge this particular entourage.
Father might’ve been caught off guard once, but I doubt he would do it again after Mother’s scolding. And Mother herself was also here. I felt like her presence alone could drive off monsters.
Once everything was in place, Leila dusted her hands and motioned for me to step inside.
The carriage interior was just as luxurious as its exterior, with plush velvet seats and soft cushions that practically sunk me in. I slid in beside Leila, leaving the bench across for my parents.
I heard a crack of a whip from the front and loud neighs from the horses. The carriage rattled to life, and with that, our journey began.
To my other mansion, we go!
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image [https://i.imgur.com/RdC5Gde.png]