Chapter 125: Off To The Salon

While Ben was taking his sweet time indulging in Isolde. Somewhere, at a distance from his current location, nested atop a hill. Inside the west wing of the Wolfe estate, in the room Ben was assigned, two young ladies were fast asleep on the mattress, and one was squinting her eyes open from the warm sunlight seeping in through the window.

"Kia..."

"Kia, wake up!"

"Wake up, Kia, Master isn’t back yet!"

Ryn’s tone was frantic and urgent, rousing Kiara from her sleep as she shot up from the mattress, drawing her gaze around the room and finding their master still wasn’t back yet.

"We dozed off, Kia... what if..."

"What if something bad has happened to master ?"

Ryn lamented, Kiara, reflecting her similar gloomy expression. They had rushed over from their report, for some reason wanting to be near their master after what happened. They expected him to be back already after having concluded his outing.

However, they met an empty room. Thinking he would be back soon, the twins held off on bringing him his dinner and simply waited for him in his room. Minutes stretched into hours, until they happened to both fall asleep.

"I am sure he’ll be fine, Ryn. Remember, Master was able to come out unscathed even when Gildhart and his goons had him cornered."

"He’s probably just sleeping off the day’s stress somewhere else."

Kiara tried saying it with confidence, but her expression was marred by worry, even more so than her sister’s.

"But what if he’s in trouble, Kia.....maybe...."

"Maybe we should go to her again?"

Ryn suggested, both ladies communicating with their eyes, but they instantly shook their heads at that idea after recalling the state in which they found the room the morning after that person had seemingly come to help.

"No... certainly not her." Kiara murmured, and Ryn nodded slowly in agreement.

"We should wait a bit more, Ryn. He might just be on his way."

"Or maybe... master ran off ?"

Ryn said, her tone breaking and eyes shimmering with burgeoning tears, Kiara nearly falling into the same state but forced herself to remain composed as she hugged her sister, saying.....

"He wouldn’t. Remember, he likes us too much for that. Lets just wait, Ryn"

Even as Kiara said these words, her conviction was shaky, thinking there was, in fact, a possibility that their master was either in trouble or had abandoned them. Two of which were just as disturbing for the twins.

"The good thing is, it’s that time of the month again when the mistress would be going to the salon at the capital..."

"So even if master spends the night out, he wouldn’t get in trouble, right ?" Ryn said to her sister, worrying about her master, as even nominal staff who reside in the estate aren’t allowed to go and come as they please.

"I sure hope so, Ryn."

Somewhere else, on the south wing of the massive Wolf estate, underneath the pagoda sat Faerwyn, taking gentle sips from her cup, her two personal maidservants standing directly behind her, two other burly-looking male guards standing in front and at the back of the pagoda, and kneeling in front of Faerwyn was one of the young guards who guarded the estate gate.

"So, he told you he didn’t need to be accompanied, and you didn’t think to send a shadow?"

Faerwyn questioned the young man, who appeared nervous, his gaze on the ground of the pagoda, stammering as he said i response....

"I am sorry, Your Grace, I....I wasn’t thinking sraight."

The guard apologised with his head on the ground. Though the duchess wasn’t particularly known for her cruelty, she was rather brutal when it came to something she cared about. But he never expected the duchess to be keeping tabs on that young man.

"Yes, you weren’t. Go back to your post and await your punishment."

"Yes, Your Grace."

The guard’s expression was gloomy as he bowed his head and exited the pagoda.

Faerwyn took a small bite of the fruit on the round table before her, dabbing her lips casually and adjusting her sexy orange gown, tilting the fedora on her head as she called to the guard behind her....

"And you are certain he’s currently with that person?"

"Yes, Your Grace. I personally confirmed this myself."

Faerwyn’s expression instantly turned sour, her gaze fixed beyond her estate gates, and then back to the fancy box in front of her, made from materials that denoted wealth and status.

"Keep watch on him for now. I have to go."

"Yes, Your Grace."

As Faerwyn said this, she picked up the box and stood from her seat, walking out of the pagoda, her two servants walking directly behind her, and the guards trailing from the back and front.

"My lady. Your carriage awaits."

Dongwhisper announced with a forty-five-degree bow as soon as Faerwyn reached the carriage, where he awaited with Nymira standing several feet away from him.

Though Faerwyn was simply attending the salon for nobles this time, she would still be paying her respects to the king. Therefore, the chancellor and Nymira usually accompanied her.

However, it would seem Faerwyn had other plans, as the next words from her took both the chancellor and Nymira by surprise.

"This time... it will just be Nymira and I going to the capital, Dongwhisper."

"I leave you to manage the estate in my absence, as you always do,"

Faerwyn instructed with a fond smile as she entered the carriage, Nymira following right after with her giant greatsword, her expression blank and unreadable.

"But... my lady. Why the sudden change of plans?. You know I have to engage in discussions with the imperial secretary concerning..."

Dongwhisper was in the middle of objecting when Faerwyn cut in....

"There will be no need for that. And cease all plans to collect any more loans unless I give the command going forward.."

"But, Your Grace, the cost to finance....."

"Dongwhisper, since when do I have to explain myself to you concerning how I want to run my duchy ?"

Faerwyn asked calmly, but her tone exuded that authority of status, her eyes staring down at the bald chancellor, clearly sending the message to remember his place.

"I have sinned greatly, my lady. Forgive me!"

Dongwhisper apologised with a small bow, and Faerwyn simply ignored him, tapping on the carriage back as they began to move, two horses pulling from the front, and six guards flanking the carriage on horseback.

Dongwhisper stood there expressionless, watching as the carriage passed the estate gate, as he intoned....

"Hmm... whats this ?. she’s changed."

"Is it because of that ?"