“I feel that it was almost a second nature for the ‘haves’ to look down upon the ‘have-nots’, whether it was because of some legitimate, practical differences, or some more vague concept like status or bloodlines. Even if one had not possessed such habits at first, nurture tended to change that, especially when their predecessors subscribed to such views.

Like in many other cases, it was simply one of the darker sides of people’s nature, that some people simply could not be satisfied unless they see others more miserable than themselves. Maybe this was one reason you get so many stories and tales of nobles who abused their populace, which were more often than not based on the truth.” - Saying attributed to the Silver Maiden.

“I see, quite fascinating, Miss deVreys,” nodded Maester Soren as he chatted amicably with Aideen. Not long after Lise had left, a couple maids of the house had brought good tea and some pastries for them to nibble on. Other than Celia, who needed some encouragement from Aideen before she finally picked some of them shyly, Aideen and the old Maester just enjoyed themselves as they talked about healing knowledge with each other. “I have to admit that I have never had the chance to have a proper discourse with a Mortality healer who knew what they were doing until today. You have shed much light on the many questions I had.”

The old Maester was of the life affinity, and he was quite enthusiastic in listening to how Aideen had reconnected the fine blood vessels and various nerves when she healed Lise’s injuries. Apparently, he was also familiar with the healer movement on Posuin - which Aideen alluded as being a member of - and had approved of their general ideas, especially about the sharing of knowledge, but had lacked a chance to find many to trade opinions and knowledge with due to the nature of his work as a retainer to a noble house.

Aideen’s rich experience and knowledge on the field naturally kept the old Maester engaged, and they talked with each other as the time flew by, while Celia watched somewhat dumbfoundedly from the side. Needless to say, for the girl, the two senior healers might as well be talking gibberish, as she lacked even the foundational knowledge to understand them properly, so she finally shrugged her shoulders and just munched on the pastries as she sipped at her tea.

After around half an hour, however, they heard a commotion from inside the room, which caused them to pause their discussion in favor of listening in on the unexpected noise. Aideen noticed that one of the voices sounded like the young woman who brought them to the mansion, but had not recognized the other, older-sounding female voice.

What she had noticed right away however, was how Maester Soren’s eyebrows scrunched up in evident disdain when he caught wind of the noise, and as the noise grew clearer, Aideen understood why. His expression must have been caused by the other woman’s complaints and diatribes, all of which seemed to hold the - arguably stereotypical - view that nobles were above commoners and that as a noble daughter the lady of the house should mind her company.

“Can’t you understand that this is for your own good!? Think of what everyone would be saying if you kept mingling with all those filthy plebians! How they would mock our house for not teaching our one daughter right! Brother always spoiled you too much and never taught you how to act properly as befit your station!” said the shrill, older voice, loud enough that the three in the waiting room could hear her words clearly.

“ENOUGH already! For the love of Tohrmut, I fell off my horse and almost brained myself and that is what you harp on instead!? I swear I’m kicking your obese behind out of this house the moment I inherit the title!” yelled Lise back at the other voice, followed by the loud noise of a door slamming shut and a faded yell of “Language!” from the other woman. A couple minutes later, a clearly emotionally incensed Lise entered the room and gulped down a couple cups of hot tea without even waiting for them to cool down first.

“My apologies that you had to bear witness to something so unsightly, Maester Soren, Miss deVreys,” apologized Lise after she collected and calmed herself with a loud sigh. The young noblewoman was clearly somewhat distraught, embarrassed, and clearly annoyed at the argument she had just had loudly, in the hearing of guests. “That was rather a poor sight I have shown you.”

“Not like it’s the first time anyway, milady,” replied the old Maester with a melancholic smile on his face as he poured the noblewoman another cup of tea. His words seemed to both mollify and further embarrass the young noblewoman at the same time, given how she sighed and blushed. “I’m afraid there’s no changing Madam Mirabella’s opinions given how long your honored father the Duke had tried to no avail.”

“Madam Mirabella is my aunt, my mother’s older sister,” said Lise with a long-suffering sigh of someone who wished to be rid of a nuisance but unable to do so. “She… always had this superiority complex over others of lower status, even other nobles of lower standing. Mother and father tried to change her views but… well… you heard for yourself.”

“And you keep her around because?” asked Aideen out of curiosity. Lise’s words made it clear that she would have kicked the older woman out to the streets if she could, so there were clearly circumstances beyond the noblewoman’s power in play.

“I blame my dad and mom for being softies. They just couldn’t take it when some of their family cried after she got her lardsack of a rear end divorced by her husband who couldn’t take any more of her,” said Lise with obvious disdain. “Fact of the matter is that she’s just too bloody lazy to find herself some proper work to do, or a husband who could stand her bitching. So instead she freeloads on my family and my parents are too nice to tell her to get out.”