Early November, afternoon, 53 Amber Street, Laine's new home, second-floor bedroom.
"Catherine, please tidy up the servants' room downstairs. You'll be staying here from now on. There's no maid at home for the time being, so I'm counting on you to temporarily… tear~ Laine, be gentle." A lazy voice said.
"Yes, Member of Parliament." The apprentice of the Jialan Witch was dressed in a red wizard apprentice robe. She had a lovely oval face and beautiful big eyes, her golden hair styled in a bun. The girl listened carefully to her mentor's instructions, seemingly unable to hide the joy on her flushed face.
At the Jialan Mansion, due to the crowd and throngs of people, only someone like Veronica, who was a Member of Parliament, could have a private room. Otherwise, everyone had to squeeze into a dormitory. Having superior living conditions here, with clean and tidy private rooms, delighted the young apprentice, especially since she would be living on Amber Street. She could boast about it if she ever went back!
"Alright, Catherine, you may go downstairs now." Veronica waved her hand, signaling her apprentice to leave. "Don't forget to change into your evening dress and accompany me to the banquet later."
"Yes." The female apprentice lifted her skirt and went downstairs.
On the other side, Laine was gently massaging Veronica's beautifully delicate feet. The woman had been wearing high heels all day and her feet were terribly sore. As soon as she got home, she flopped onto the bed, not wanting to move. "Laine, what did the Lady of the Lake say?"
"The Lady said Belte is in the place closest to Chaos." After searching to no avail, Laine directly asked the Lake Fairy about Belte's whereabouts. The Lake Fairy's response was that Belte was in Marinburg, specifically in the place closest to Chaos.
"The place closest to Chaos… Ah~" Veronica softly exclaimed, instinctively pulling back her beautiful feet.
"I've told you not to wear such high heels every day." Laine said, slightly reproachfully, while massaging her.
"I only wear high heels, Laine, just like how I always wear stockings. You know why." The Jialan Witch rolled her eyes at him. "I must be flawless. I have to tell everyone who I am." Official source is n0velfire.net
Laine remained silent.
Just like with noble succession, the weaker the legitimacy of the heir, the more they have to emphasize it, even if it means doing many thankless tasks. In contrast, the first-in-line heir doesn't need to emphasize their legitimacy because it's unnecessary.
For example, Savior Ludwig wearing hunting attire to an Imperial Court banquet is called fashion, it's trendy. But if a baron dared to wear hunting attire to a court banquet, it would be considered blasphemous and audacious, and he would be dragged out by other nobles.
Veronica didn't come from a family of wizards, nor did she possess her own background. Her reputation outside was not as good as Laine's. Under these circumstances, the strong-willed witch had to dress every day, showcasing that she is the wealthy and noble Jialan Witch, emphasizing her identity.
She needed a hard shell to protect her sensitive heart.
Only Laine could see her soft and defenseless side.
"…It's okay. If you get tired of walking, I can carry you. If your feet are sore, I'll massage them for you. Do what you want to do." The man said gently.
"Great, I've been waiting for you to say that. You can't go back on your word, okay!" Who knew the witch's melancholy would vanish, and she jubilantly jumped onto Laine, playfully making a V-sign with her fingers. "Then it's decided! This is a promise with no expiry date! You can't break it!"
"…I've been tricked by you again." Laine's gaze turned dangerous.
When the young apprentice came to the bathroom to tidy up, she was stunned by the scene before her. Why was her mentor's bath making the entire bathroom drenched, with even water splashes on the dressing table and mirror?
In the second-floor bedroom, Veronica had changed into a purple evening gown with rose patterns, her dark brown curly hair gleaming. Her face was rosy as she picked out a pair of white high heels from her cabinet full of shoes and casually said, "So, have you confirmed that Belte docked in Marinburg?"
Laine had already changed into a standard noble black tailcoat, with a large cravat and gold epaulettes. "Absolutely. According to the workers at Dock No.6, the Aesthetic Society rented out the entire dock that day and transported a large amount of luxury goods."
"And we also found those crew members from Dock No.8 in the Canal District… Those men's eyes really disgust me, like a pack of wolves." Veronica turned around, signaling the man to help her pull up the zipper and tie the ribbon. Their conversation continued uninterrupted.
"They were obviously a bunch of sailors looking for fun. Didn't they say they had just shipped a load of grain and made a fortune?" Laine helped her with the zipper and tied her favorite bow in her hair. "They partied for days in a brothel, each one looking exhausted, yet still drinking frantically, spending every Copper Coin they earned."
After both were dressed, Laine saw that there was still some time and gestured for them to wait downstairs.