Alex sat by the window, staring at an abandoned cottage at the far end of the mansion near the training grounds. He had decided to use the cottage for his cultivation, knowing he needed seclusion and to prevent his stepmother from interfering. That was why he had asked his butler earlier to move all the items he had bought for cultivation into the cottage.
His plan was to start cultivating before the birthday of Queen Amelia of Hensville. Every Dukedom would be invited, and it was mandatory for the Dukes and their families to attend. It was best to begin early so he wouldn't risk missing the event.
He also planned to continue working on his physical strength even after cultivating, so his body would be able to support his mana pillars.
A quick knock on the door snapped him from his thoughts. Confirming it was his butler, he opened the door.
"Good day, Young Master. I am pleased to inform you that all the items have been discreetly transferred to the cottage, and Miss Cecilia Hans has been settled in the courtyard," his butler said.
"Thank you very much, Sir Luke Anderson. I would like to call a meeting with all the servants in this courtyard to introduce Nana as my personal maid and head maid of this courtyard," Alex instructed.
"Of course. I will call everyone to the hall immediately," the butler replied and left promptly.
---
A few minutes later, all the east wing servants gathered in the hall. Some murmured rumors about the meeting, while others listened quietly.
When the young lord entered, accompanied by a woman in her late thirties, the murmurs stopped. Everyone recognized her as the late Duchess's personal maid and Alex's wet nurse. Many felt pity for her, knowing she had once been in power but had been reduced to living in a dirty, old cabin. Seeing her now with the young master was shocking.
"I want to thank you all for attending this meeting on such short notice," Alex began. "From now on, Miss Cecilia Hans will be my personal maid and the head maid in this courtyard. You must follow her lead in all matters. I expect everyone to obey her instructions—otherwise, there will be consequences."
With that, he left, leaving Cecilia in charge of the servants.
---
After the hall, Alex let out a tired sigh. He knew he had been a bit harsh, but he couldn't help it. He felt a deep connection with Nana and wanted to protect her, ensuring no one disrespected her authority.
Remembering he had promised to spend time with his younger brother Louis before starting cultivation, he sought him out. He found Louis in the garden, boredly listening to his tutor lecture on the kingdom's history.
Standing behind him, Alex waited. When Louis noticed him, his face lit up with the brightest smile.
"Brother is here! We can finally play!" Louis shouted, leaping up and hugging him tightly, forgetting his lesson.
Alex hugged him back, patting his hair affectionately. "Yes, I'm here. We'll definitely spend time together."
He then turned to the tutor. "I'm sorry for interrupting the lesson abruptly."
"No issue at all, Young Lord. Since you promised to visit him if he did well, he's been improving tremendously. Seeing him happy now, I wouldn't be a bad person to interfere. You may have him now," the tutor replied politely.
"Thank you. We'll take our leave," Alex said.
---
Back in Alex's courtyard, the brothers played various outdoor games before settling on the swing.
"Brother, are you excited about Queen Amelia's birthday?" Louis asked, barely able to contain his excitement.
"I am. Are you excited too?" Alex replied.
"Yes! Mother never lets me go out or play with friends, so this will be my chance to meet new people and make friends."
"I'm happy for you. Maybe I can make a friend or two too," Alex said wishfully. Though he was just seven, he felt the heart of a teenager. He had missed out on fun in his past life but would embrace it now—starting with rebuilding his mana pillars and cultivating his strength.
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Author's Note:
You might have noticed that I sometimes call Alex "Young Lord" or "Young Master." Here's why: "Young Lord" is used when Butler Luke or Miss Cecilia addresses Alex—it shows familiarity while still respecting his authority. Everyone else calls him "Young Master" to show respect.
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I can't wait for you all to see when the male lead appears—just a few more chapters to go! 🥳
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