As I spent more time in the mansion, I cultivated its uses. I found it difficult to learn Solkan on my own so I asked Jhon to help me with it, when he asked why I needed to learn the language, I reasoned that I once had a foreign prince as a friend and it is his language but the old butler just simply took it as my imagination and laughed. Though, he still helped me learn the language. He couldn't speak it but he guided me through it.
With my addition to the duchess' household, she hired more servants for me. Finally having the thought that I should be living in a healthier and cleaner environment. Now, the mansion has been thoroughly cleaned with 30 more servants added into the house. Because of it, it has also gotten quite crowded around here.
We simply could not take in strangers so easily, so they were strictly evaluated as we are a very careful household. My mother does not like taking in people for there are many secrets that lurks inside the Laurent walls that mustn't be exposed to the public. Which is why, everyone must follow all the rules to no exception.
Rule Number 1 - When the baroness is seen with a weapon in hand, everyone must stay away, especially protect the young lady
*The most important rule.
Rule Number 2 - Only the old servants and the young lady is allowed in the west wing of the second floor
*For it is where the family quarters are.
Rule Number 3 - Anyone who speaks of the matters of the house outside the estate, will be beheaded
*One must not invite snakes into their lair without taking away their fangs.
Rule Number 4 - No one is allowed to speak of the late Duke
*It only triggers the duchess.
Rule Number 5 - Treat the young lady as the lady of this house
Those are the general rules that everyone must obey, though the head maid and butler was the one who provided it but there are also other minor rules only for the servants. Mostly of keeping the ideals of the house and the privacy of their masters. Every one of these rules are important but why is it that Number 1 is specially the most important?
Remember when I said that every good story needs problematic characters?
The duchess is one of such character.
Being a war veteran who was exposed to countless bloodshed and killing from a young age, she later developed severe trauma that turned into disorders. Having PTSD that later then turned into her having a sort of split personality. The split only aroused in her life when it was triggered by her severe depression from the loss of the duke. As I can recall, her split was described to be very violent where her consciousness is turned into a dreamlike state with her body and senses are trapped from her time at war reacting violently with the slightest interruption. It was the utmost alertness of a soldier dispatched in battle, an exceptional skill but in her case, it has simply turned unhinged. Because of this she had even killed servants and injured many in the past.
Since then, they have taken precautions in dealing with her violent tendencies. Studying patterns of the changes in her behavior and concluding it to be the signs that she is in her mindless state where then, everyone must avoid her until it has subsided. Her most notable and most prominent sign is when she starts walking around aimlessly with a weapon in her hands. It is specially most dangerous to me that whenever it happens they simply must hide me for the rest of the day.
The duke died 8 years ago but the duchess still mourns for him to this day, even the old servants still get visibly sad with the topic of him. So I can't help but wonder, for such many people to have cared for him so much, just what kind of person was this man?
Even in the story there wasn't much talk about him only that he was described as a bright and beautiful soul that was truly one of a kind. And when I asked the servants about him, he would greatly be praised.
"Jhon, what kind of person was the Duke?
"He was the light in everyone's shadows, my lady. He was a great man"
I remember asking Jhon one time while I was curious.
Sigh. I could just leave my relationship with the duchess as it is now and the story will still progress as it should. What I need most is the power to back up Drazhan in his own rising and I could easily do so once I become of age to enter noble society, I don't need the duchess. In fact, she will just be in the way. I could wait a couple of years and then kill her to usurp my title as the next noble head, the next Duchess Laurent but then again, with my background it wouldn't conclude well in the end. Because my role is to become the epitome of a noble brat, the cruelest of the cruel though still of great power. If I get rid of the duchess now, people in the future will assume that I planned my martyrdom from the start, excusing it as how I got rid of everything in my way due to my insatiable greed for power and my real intentions will be exposed, ruining me even more than my spoiled character. And I could end up with more problems to resolve but with the duchess alive, I'll have less problems to deal with. After all, she does have a fair share of good influence to the public.
While I was out and about in the corridors overthinking again out of boredom, I didn't realize where I was going until the noise of a commotion from the direction in front of me broke my train of thoughts. Now, I just realized I was going to my room to enjoy a nap.
But I found the old servants busy, running in and out of the duchess room. No wonder why the place had been emptied of the other servants.
'She must be at it again'
Rika and Gora, the two other veteran maids ran past me with cushions in their hands, quickly rushing down the stairs while Gak and Jhon were in the room, screaming and yelling along with the duchess.
*CRASH!*
*CRASH!*
Leaning into the door to see what was happening, I found the duchess in the balcony trying to jump off of it while Jhon was busy tying a blanket around her waist and unto the stone railing, Gak was also doing her best to hold back the duchess.
"Your grace, please! Snap out of it!"
"Maevein! Don't do this! What will the Eliase say if he sees you like this?!"
"Let go of me! Just let me die already!"
"No! Your Grace, Please!"
"Think of the young miss! What well that child do without you?!"
"AHHH!!"
"Don't touch me!"
" I don't care! "
"Just leave me alone!"
" I have no child!"
"Your grace , please!"
"Get a hold of yourself, you old fool!", Grandma Gak's voice echoed in the corridors.
Sigh. I might have also dismissed the fact that she is very suicidal.
Gasp. "My Lady!", I was startled when Fina suddenly yelled from behind me. She had ropes in her hands and was out of breath, probably from running.
"What are you doing here! You are not supposed to be here!", she exclaimed, kneeling down to my height looking to make sure I was unharmed from the debris of broken glasses that was scattered all over the floor.
"Young miss!"
"Fina! Quick! Get the young miss to safety!"
The two elderly almost barked when they saw me. Fina instantly tossed the ropes over to Jhon and then carried me away.
"Come, my lady. You mustn't be seeing this"
I was taken to my room where the doors were then locked and with Fina reassuring me that everything was okay before quickly returning back to help. Now that I think about it, Rika and Gora must have taken the cushions downstairs to the ground floor where they are to catch her in case she successfully falls or jumps.Their voices can be heard even from here but luckily we didn't have neighbors near by or that would've been embarrassing. The other servants are probably wondering about the noise as well but weren't allowed to intervene and know of the full situation. Then the fuss went on like that for almost the entire night until I was no longer awake to care enough about it.
Then the next day, everything went back to normal as if nothing had happened. They even glamoured me with more toys and reassurance and they didn't leave me alone for the whole day.