* * *
On the day of my departure—the same day as my tenth birthday—I stared at the tightly shut doors of the residence with a bitter smile.
Although Simon and Carlos had already been serving at the royal palace, they'd been coming home more often lately to discuss the looming possibility of war with the empire.
Even so, none of my family showed up to see me off.
'Well, I expected this. Maybe it's for the best.'
Several of the servants escorting me were sniffling quietly, some dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs.
Even Sophia and Katelyn, who were accompanying me, looked as if they might cry.
"My Lady, Mrs. Sophia, Katelyn… Please be safe on your journey, and take care of your health, okay?"
"Sob. Please don't forget to write to us, alright? I'll miss you all so much…"
They were all crying, and then Anne stepped forward with teary eyes and a smile.
"Here. These are gifts from all of us, including those who couldn't be present to bid you farewell."
Looking a little shy, Anne scratched her cheek and continued,
"It's nothing fancy—especially for you, My Lady—but we hope it'll help you remember us, even if you're living far away from the main estate. We'll be waiting for your return."
Their kindness and affection brought a warm smile to my face. I replied,
"Thank you, everyone. I'll make sure to remember you all. I'll send you a letter once we've arrived."
I stepped into the carriage. Sophia and Katelyn followed after exchanging hugs with the maids and shaking hands with the male staff.
Rattle. Rattle.
The carriage began to move.
I leaned on my elbow, gazing out the window with my chin resting on my hand.
'Even though my affection for you has long gone… I still hope you're all doing well. Mother would've worried for us, after all.'
Turning away from the view of the viscount's estate, I closed my eyes and crossed my arms.
I hadn't slept well last night… memories of that conversation with Fay and Joey from last year kept replaying in my mind—
— "Welcome back, Master," Fay said with a cheerful tone.
"Now, let's continue where we left off."
"There's something that's been bothering me. Why did you say my family would try to force me to restore the family's honor and wealth if they found out I inherited this power?"
— "We butterfly spirits can see and hear through all butterflies—both ordinary and spiritual—across the world. We also command hundreds of lesser butterfly spirits under us, acting as their high rulers. We may not know everything, but if something causes enough commotion, our children—the lesser spirits—make it their duty to investigate."
— "Joey is right. We've always lingered near the places where Master lives, particularly this mansion, hidden from human eyes. Today was no exception… we saw what led to your brothers' quarrel."
"!"
I jolted at Fay's words.
"You know? Tell me what actually happened."
— "It looks like Simon Lambton volunteered to join the army should war break out against the Hotham Empire. His formal preparations will commence after the anniversary of the late Viscountess's passing. Carlos Lambton was furious—Simon made the decision on his own, even with the anniversary fast approaching," Fay said, then added,
— "The family is still grieving the loss of the lady of the house, but Simon only intends to visit the Viscountess's grave this once. If war breaks out, there's a chance he might not return at all. And even if he survives, the war could drag on for years. We still don't know exactly when it will begin, but those who've joined the army are not allowed to leave until further notice."
— "The worst-case scenario is if we lose the war, the kingdom could fall under the empire. And because the empire practices slavery…"
"…there's a chance all nobles and citizens of the kingdom would be enslaved," I said, finishing Fay's sentence.
— "That's right. It's probably why the Viscount hasn't been looking well lately. But more importantly, if it's discovered that you've awakened, Master, you'll be forced into war. Normally, baptisms happen at sixteen, after the coming-of-age ceremony—so unless you reveal it yourself, no one will know."
Joey and Fay explained that the Viscount's family was also in a dire situation. His investment in the sea trade had ended in disaster—the ship was attacked by pirates, and the entire venture was lost. It was a crushing blow, especially since the potential profits had been enormous. Now, even the initial capital was gone. The territory's tax income was meager at best—just enough to maintain the household and cover minor repairs for the townsfolk.
Families with awakeners—spirit masters—received five percent of the kingdom's monthly revenue. That was a massive amount.
However, no aristocratic family had produced an awakened one in centuries.
One marquess family once claimed they had, but when tested at the temple, the claim turned out to be false. As punishment for deceiving the crown, their title was reduced to that of baron. Since then, no one dared make false claims about awakening—after all, the spirit orb's readings couldn't be forged.
That's why it would've caused quite a stir if the crown had found out I'd awakened.
That's just how people are—they'll gamble on anything, even if it costs someone else.
Especially when things were already so unstable. The spirits had also mentioned that the Viscount and my two brothers had brought up the topic of spirit masters more than once in their meetings. And given how strained my relationship with my family had been, letting that secret slip would've been even more dangerous.
As I slept, clear memories from the past played out in my mind—until the coachman suddenly brought the carriage to a halt. The jolt woke me, my eyes barely open.
"What's going on?" Sophia asked the coachman.
"Uh, well… There's a kitten lying in the middle of the road. What should I do?"
"I'll go check," Katelyn answered.
"I'm coming too," I said quickly.
"My lady, please stay inside. You just woke up, and it's hot out here. The climate's different from the viscount's estate," Sophia said worriedly.
"It's fine. I'll only be a moment."
"Huu, alright, alright." Sophia shook her head with a smile.
Once I stepped out, I saw an extremely skinny black kitten lying there.
"Is… is it still alive?" I asked Katelyn.
She answered, concern lacing her voice,
"I think so, but…"
"But?"
"If we leave it here until nightfall, it probably won't survive."
"Alright. Let's bring it to the villa."
"Huh?"
"It's okay. Adding one more to the family isn't a big deal," I said, giving her a small smile.
"My lady…"
Moved to tears, Katelyn pulled out her handkerchief and carefully picked up the kitten.
The carriage resumed its journey.
Once we arrived at the villa, a line of servants stood ready to greet us. The head butler, Jordan, welcomed me warmly.
"Welcome, my lady. I'm Jordan Hobart, the head butler here. Please allow me to serve you during your stay."
"Alright, Jordan. My name is Odilia, but you can call me Lia. I look forward to your help."
"It's an honor, Lady Lia."
"Ah—would you show me to my chambers and send for the physician?"
"Excuse me? Are you unwell—"
"No, no. Not me. It's this little kitten. If we leave it untreated, it might not make it."
"Understood. Please, this way."
Jordan ordered a servant to fetch the physician and bring him to my room. Once the servant nodded, I followed Jordan upstairs.
A short while later, the physician arrived.
"How is it?" I asked.
"I've administered first aid. I treated its wounds and bandaged the worst of them. The kitten is suffering from hypothermia, so it would be best to wrap it in a blanket and place a heated stone nearby."
"I see. Thank you."
"Just doing my duty, my lady. If anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me. Now then, I'll take my leave."
"Then Katelyn and I will be going too, my lady. You should rest. You must be tired after such a long journey."
"Mhm. You two should rest too."
Thud. The sound of the door closing echoed softly through the room. I stared at the kitten's face, my expression slightly conflicted.
'Did it get separated from its mother…? Or… was it cast out, just like me?'
I wondered where the kitten had gotten all those injuries… but maybe because I was still kind of exhausted, I lay down beside it and slowly drifted off again, picking up where I'd left off in the carriage.
To be continued