By the time i was finished, the sun was fully up and the day had really begun. After briefly going through my new journal one last time, i braced myself to face yet another day in this world.
And today, this time, it didn't take long until i was actually busy. Like, real, actual work.
"We have a meeting with Uncle today. So we'll probably be leaving the manor on an errand soon. I hope you're good to go, Ramiel?"
The voice belonged to Arthur of course. We were both walking down the furnished hallway of the large manor with paced steps. Arthur was dressed in a simple luxurious dress shirt with straight cream coloured pants that stopped shy of just just ankles and boots.
His dress shirt was halfway buttoned up and partially tucked into his pants, giving his whole youthful appearance a casual, homely, and effortlessly lazy vibe. This was usually what Arthur looked like in basic stay-at-home clothes. Quite chic.
On the other hand, i was suited up. Not that i minded really, after all i was Arthur's personal servant. I was in my work environment. I realised i was beginning to get used to all this lately.
"Anytime, young master." I coolly replied from behind.
An opportunity to take me beyond the Manor and outside? Wasn't that just what i wanted?
Soon we arrived right outside a particular room and Arthur briskly approached the door before knocking. Behind the door was a private Study belonging to him... Arthur's Uncle.
Edmund Vermouth.
And the Lord of this Manor.
Indeed.
Just like everyone else, Arthur Baratheon D. Vermont, had his own... circumstances. He was currently living under his Uncle's roof, a bit away from home.
Even as the son to a prominent and powerful Major Family, he had his own story, and a fair warning ahead, it wasn't really all beds and roses.
"Come on in."
A gruff and earthy voice came out muffled from the other side of the door. Arthur replied "Yes" and leaned forward to push it open.
I stared at his back, standing a step and a half just behind as i followed him in. A wide room furnished with a dark brown mahogany desk, a chandelier, tall bookshelves to the walls on the sides, and a wide circular brown rug at the center.
Off to one side of the study were couches surrounding a coffee table, and a shelf containing ground coffee, tea, and wine.
Sitting at the desk in the center was an upright bespectacled middle aged man with trimmed ashen yellow hair and a neatly styled goatee. The skin at his eyes were wrinkled slightly with age, but his shoulders were broad and his expression was firm and straight.
A tall middle aged woman in a full maid outfit was standing a few steps away behind. My body instinctively shuddered, almost cowering, as my gaze landed on her.
That was Maria. The Headmaid of the manor. But she wasn't just like any other servant in this place, and Ramiel did not have many good memories or perspectives about her.
Maria had a strict and firm expression, with thin, cold, violet-grey eyes hidden behind thin frame lens. She was of poise, head high and chin tucked. Her short grey hair was nearly packed in a bun, and an air of strict professionality.
Her cold gaze met mine forcing me to look away sharply and restrain another cower from my body.
'Dammit...'
While Arthur and Ramiel had just started staying in the mansion over a year ago, Ramiel had been thoroughly...'disciplined' by the infamous Headmaid. And on multiple occasion, leaving lasting trauma until now.
"Nephew." Arthur's uncle, Lord Edmund raised his gaze from his work pile. His stiff-looking visage and face melted warmly into a smile as he regarded Arthur.
His gaze shifted at me to the side.
"Ramiel..." He said brightly, "it's nice you could finally join us again. You were out for a while."
Despite his initial overbearing appearance, Lord Edmund of Vermont was actually a warm and amiable old man.
But the Lord of the Manor was a Vermont — just like Arthur's father and his older half-brother, he could oppressive and domineering when he chose to be.
I braced inwardly, then lowered in a calm bow. "Lord Edmund.. I hope the morning treats you well."
Since Ramiel was Arthur's personal servant and attendant, basically growing up side by side the young Vermouth, Edmund regarded me...quite neutrally actually. Despite my background, compared to all others of the Vermont clan, he never looked down on me with disregard, disgust, mockery or even contempt.
He was the second and only person after Arthur to treat me with at least the most basic human respect....
But of course in Ramiel's corrupted memories, none of this mattered to the budding malice he held for all of Vermont and those responsible for the disgrace of his family.
Arthur took a sit while i hoovered just behind him, standing tall and upright. Under the cold gaze of Maria standing at the corner quietly, i felt my body turn rigid.
"You asked to see me, uncle."
"Indeed." The relaxed smile on Lord Edmund's face receded slowly as he turned to the matter. He took off his glasses, carefully wipping the transparent lens with a small white piece of rag.
"Don't think to unkindly of this old man of yours, but i need you to do something for me, Art."
Arthur laughed mildly, dismissing his Uncle's sheepish joke as he shifted on his seat.
"Of course not, Uncle Edmund. I'm always willing to help you out with anything. It's...the least i could do after all you've done for me until now." He smiled back.
I watched this short scene that could be described as warm and touching silently, observing.
I knew Edmund was quite fond of Arthur, and the two had a very close relationship even as uncle and nephew.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Mhm. It's a task i can only entrust to you."
Saying so, Lord Edmund sought out a piece of document from his desk and passed it across to Arthur.
"You're familiar with Captain Cor, the Guild Master of the Silver and Black Mercenary Crew, aren't you? He just returned from an expedition from the Outskirts and has an appointment to give a report and discuss some other necessary information and unfinished business. I'm a bit swamped right now, so i want you to go in my stead and hear what he has to say."
As he explained, Arthur carefully went through the document, flipping page by page through it as he listened. His expression didn't betray a glimmer of what went through his mind as he did.
I tried glancing from over his shoulder at the file, but unsurprisingly, i couldn't really make out much from it.
But the moment my eyes skimmed the document, something... shifted.
Not around me — within.
My focus narrowed sharply like the rest of the world had been pushed into the background. Time didn't slow to a crawl, instead my perception tingled; everything, the ticking room, the faint rustle of paper, the sound of conversation between Edmund and Arthur resonated like a hum, a subconscious tug at the back of my head.
A single line from the document seemed to stand out to me and i recalled the familiar voice of Lord Edmund's voice resound in my head along with it.
'Mercenary Cor...'
The words seemed to come alive inside my thoughts, floating like it was the centre piece to a puzzle i was close to filling.
My gaze flicked to Lord Edmund. His expression hadn't changed. But something about everything was... different
I looked again.
Then it was gone.
Everything stopped and reverted back to normal. The room snapped back into place, time and sounding rushing in all at once like a small wave of vertigo.
It was like I'd snapped awake from a lucid dream, now everything felt faintly like i was experiencing déjà vu. My vision swayed a little.
"Hm? Is everything alright, Ramiel?" Arthur knit his brow; sensing something off in my behaviour from over his shoulder, he asked carefully.
'Crap...'
I blinked, trying to adjust my state of mind before blurting out a response reflexively.
"Yes... It's just — this Mercenary Cor...the Guild Master, can he be trusted?" I said at Arthur, but my gaze unintentionally flicked to Lord Edmund.
The Lord of the Manor shifted and leaned forward on his seat, curious.
"Oh? And why do you say that?"
The truth was, the name Mercenary Cor did ring a bell...in Ramiel's memories. I vaguely remember Ramiel running into a suspicious and unsettling Mercenary snooping around the halls of the Manor once the day he was here for an appointment with Edmund...
But in truth, i only openly questioned Mercenary Cor's integrity right now for two reasons, not because I cared or was particularly concerned about that, but one; partly as a means of probing.
Why...did his name stand out to me?
"Pardon my impudence, my lord, but i find something unsettling about that man." I gave an excuse.
Lord Edmund hummed, then relaxed back on his seat. To the side, Arthur was still glancing at me before looking away.
The second reason i threw Cor's name out there was because of Arthur. He clearly noticed something was wrong with me just then.
I pretended to remain impassive, feeling my palm turn sweaty behind my back as i stood upright.
"Well, he is a Mercenary, after all," Lord Edmund spoke slowly then shifted his gaze to Arthur.
"He can be slippery when he needs to be. That's why this is a matter i can trust only you with, Art. I believe you're perceptive and quite the good judge of character. I trust you can handle the discussion with Cor, and if you think anything is off and he's truly untrustworthy, you let me know when you get back."
"Very well, Uncle." Arthur's expression didn't change a bit.
So that's why... I thought with a quiet realisation.
Lord Edmund wasn't just carelessly sending Arthur as a representative. Aside from being one of his most trusted in this times, he was also utilizing the Young Master's uncanny intuitive talent and perception.
This meant even Lord Edmund Vermont acknowledged Arthur's acuity.
Once again, i re-affiirmed the potent risk and danger Arthur posed to me and my secret. This conversation was sobering.
Going forward i had to take extra conscious measures when i tiptoe around Arthur. So far, the Young lord was the most dangerous person to my identity, and things would be a bit less difficult if i could stop being involved with him.
But that was currently a big stretch... Arthur and i, after all, were Master and Servant.
He was my lord...
"And Ramiel, you'll go along with him."
"Understood."
And i his slave.
***
The meeting with Lord Edmund briefly concluded with all the strange and uneasy things that happened and it seemed like i was the only one who was rattled.
But i couldn't let it show.
Not even a little.
I left Edmund's study with a wrenching gut feeling somehow.
My head was a mess full of questions and thoughts. Just when i thought i was finally beginning to slowly ease into my role and this new world, i was reminded how thin the thread i was treading was.
I first of returned to my room to get ready for our departure. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for me to write down things in my journal.
But instead, i swept through its pages.
There was something about the strange experience that haunted me. And I was finally leaving the manor for the first time, I had to make plan.
Sometime later, i was alerted by a knock on my door.
It was Arthur, and he seemed to be ready
We left shortly after the meeting, and i arranged for a carriage that would board us into town. I made sure to gather everything i personally needed. I was as ready as I could be.
I was finally going beyond the manor.
And the name Cor kept haunting my mind like a whisper.