Stone brick walls stood tall and firm in the distance. It took a while, but we finally reached our destination. After a short wait, the carriage reached the gates, and the guards bowed as we passed.

“Here we are,” Father said with a grin. “Arlen, our hometown. I haven't been here in ages!”

Weren't you the owner of this town? I wanted to ask that, but even I knew when to shut my mouth.

The carriage continued slowly through the cobblestone road. There weren't any more bumps thankfully, so it was smooth sailing.

The buildings here looked pristine, far better maintained than the average town in the kingdom. Smooth stone walls, neatly organized roads, clean streets, it all screamed wealth. The townsfolk strolled about dressed far finer than what you’d expect in a regular town.

A wave of nostalgia hit me like a sack of bricks. I mean, this was my hometown, after all. I found myself smiling gently as we passed the buildings and townsfolk doing their business.

“When was the last time you were here, Carine?” Mother asked.

I took a moment of silence to ponder it over. Was it four years? Possibly five? Basically, it had been forever since I was here.

“I believe it has been four years, Mother.”

Mother nodded. “Correct. Although I would love for you to visit this place more, you should focus on your studies for now.”

Mother’s comment resurfaced a question that had nagged my mind for a while now. Why was I so pushed in my studies?

The carriage rolled on, climbing the gently sloping streets toward the town’s center. Towering above everything else, perched on the highest point, was our main estate.

Somehow, it still managed to look bigger and fancier than the estate in the capital, which didn’t even make sense. How can my luxurious house be even more luxurious?! Was the estate in the capital really just a spare? Who needed this much space, anyway? What were we even storing in there?

As the carriage approached the estate, another thing came into view. The garden—No, the pseudo-forest. It was so large I think it could become an ecosystem of its own. Of course, everything was neatly trimmed, at least that was what it looked like from afar. Did I mention that we were still about a long way from the estate?

Who even needs binoculars with eyes like these?

As we approached, the streets became quieter. Fewer merchants, fewer people. It was like crossing an invisible line where only the upper crust of Arlen society dared to walk past. The carriages passing by here were sleeker and more intricately designed. The people’s clothing was more extravagant, and even without a super nose, I could smell some good grub around every corner.

Leila leaned toward the window beside me, her expression as dead as ever. “We’ve arrived at the inner district, Lady Carine,” she said softly.

I nodded, though I didn’t need her to tell me that. A long quiet wait later, my eyes had already locked onto the estate’s grand gates, which swung open the moment we came into view. The guards stationed there stood at attention, their polished armor gleaming like a bald head.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The carriage rolled past the gates, and we entered the pseudo-forest that passed for a garden. Back in the capital, the garden was annoyingly large, sure, but this? This was on a whole other level. It looked like someone built a house in a forest, forgot to clear the forest, but decided to market it as a feature instead.

ack in the capital, walking through the garden to get in and out of the estate was already a mild form of torture. This monstrosity would take an eternity if I had to walk. But thankfully, the carriage kept going.

I almost cried tears of joy.

“You seem… relieved, Lady Carine.”

“I just remembered something inconvenient,” I said vaguely, waving her off.

“Hah!” Father scoffed, probably picking up what I was referring to. “Back in my day, I used to run through this garden for exercise. It’s a good way to build stamina.”

“That’s a good idea.” Mother flicked her eyes at me with a slight smile. “You could stand to build stamina, Carine. You’ve been skipping our sword training lately.”

And who’s fault is that?

You guys are the ones who keep delaying it with sudden visits!

Okay, chill, chill. At least I won’t get kidnapped this time.

I also hoped that I didn’t just jinx myself.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably just another couple of minutes, the mansion’s towering façade came into full view. It was so massive that my jaw was hanging by a cliff, metaphorically at least. I kept a rather straight face as I tried not to gawk at the behemoth.

As the carriage came to a stop, the maids and butlers lined up in perfect formation on either side of the grand entrance, heads bowed and hands clasped respectfully. The head butler, a lanky older gentleman with a flowy gray mustache, took one step forward and spoke with a clear, steady voice:

“Welcome home, Your Grace. It is an honor to once again receive you on this fine day.”

“Oh, Scofield’s still the head butler?” Mother asked. “Then again, if he had kicked the bucket, I would’ve been notified. I guess I shouldn’t question it.”

I wondered how old this head butler was to actually make Mother double-check herself.

“Haha! That man never seems to kick the bucket.”

After the coachmen opened the carriage door, the four of us descended the carriage one by one, starting with Father, then Mother, and Leila exited before me to help me down. I felt like a kid, despite already being near an adult myself.

As the four of us walked away from the carriage, the head butler, Scofield, made sure to greet Mother properly as well.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace. I’m sure the trip was pleasant?”

“Hmph, not quite.” Mother’s signature scoff had resurfaced. “I need to have a word with Tenard about the condition of the road between the capital and Arlen. It’s quite the embarrassment.”

Mother didn’t hold back, huh? Even here she was cold as ever.

“I’m deeply sorry, Your Grace.” Scofield offered a full ninety-degree bow before straightening up smoothly. “If you wish to speak to Lord Tenard directly about this matter, he shall be working in his office.”

Mother shook her head. “No, that can wait until after the celebrations.”

I was utterly shocked. Mother was considerate for once?!

“In that case, shall I write the report in advance?”

“Yes, that will do. Thank you, Scofield.”

“My pleasure, Your Grace.”

Mother walked away and began talking to the other servants, mostly nitpicking on their poses and whatnot. I tried not to pay attention to it, as the secondhand embarrassment could actually get to me.

Then, Scofield turned his eyes towards me.

“Good afternoon as well, Young Mistress,” he said with a gentle, narrowed-eyed smile. “My, my, look how much you’ve grown.”

“A-Ah, yes. It’s good to meet you again, Scofield…”

I was so not used to being called Young Mistress. Most of the staff at home, including Leila, call me “Lady Carine”. The meaning’s the same, but the vibes are totally different.

Anyway, those things aside. I couldn’t believe that I was actually back home. Well, my actual home. And to think that I would one day inherit this gigantic box of marbles and stones…

Man, I’m rich.

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image [https://i.imgur.com/RdC5Gde.png]