.

.

.

"Here, Naell." Said Rinca as she handed the other a cup of coffee.

"Thank you."

By then, Naell and Rinca were all alone in that manor's living room. Yet far from being awkward with one another, their camaraderie had finally shone through.

The two had grown accustomed to the silence they brought to the table. Afterall, both of them had always been known to be nobles of few words.

Yet occasionally a random thought would be laid out for them to converse about, with the warm comfort of their drinks being there to ease their way into a greater conversation.

Rinca was the first to start. She spoke with a calm voice while swirling a teaspoon of sugar into her cup,

"Owly's quite fond of your sister isn't he?"

Naell nodded as he happily took a sip from his cup,

"Indeed he is. May I ask what brought it up?"

"Well, seeing them play so energetically reminds me that Owly really is still young." She replied, before bringing her own caffeine-filled cup to her lips.

Rinca's words were brief, and ended as quickly as it began. It was likely any other stranger would struggle to converse with the young lady.

Yet as she glanced at the young master, what greeted her were calm red eyes paying no mind to her blurted thoughts. Naell then said,

"Well, even I forget the bird's technically a toddler..."

He then sipped,

"It's times like these where..."

And sipped once more,

"...I almost feel guilty for bullying him so much."

That caught Rinca in surprise, and immediately, it brought forth a slight laugh from her.

After a while, the sound of the wind, with the soft breeze and peaceful chirps, was all one could hear. Only then did another thought emerge, and this time, it was coming from Naell.

"Great weather isn't it?"

Seeing as he was completely serious, Rinca couldn't help but giggle yet again. She somehow anticipated he would say that at one point.

Taking one long look, Rinca replied with a hint of amusement,

"It seems the young master is not an expert in this field."

Naell smiled in response, raising his gaze to let their eyes meet. Finally, with the cheekiest tone he could muster, he then replied,

"You're no better young Miss."

The two awkward potatoes then went on to further laugh and enjoy their afternoon coffee party. Unbeknownst to them, the rest of their friends were already having a blast as well.

Andrew at that moment was enjoying the soothing day with his mom, Andrea. Both had been leisurely strolling in the garden, chatting the day away as they had a lot of catching up to do.

Meanwhile, the rest of their friends, Note, Namiku, and Rizaul, toured Lily around the town together with the knights of Beryldot.

Naell also wanted to go, but after much bantering with Owly, they decided to split their jobs; one would tour Lily whereas the other would remain at the mansion to help the family get familiar with the house and its servants.

As Lilia is the wife of Fharom, the Baron of Beryldot, currently she was patrolling with Butler Lebrut as the lady of the house.

Considering how she managed to duly make her presence known in their new property, Naell did not have much to do besides introduce her.

"I'm afraid they are even better than me, Madam." Said Butler Lebrut.

Handpicked by the royal family themselves, he was impressed with the employees' skills.

Yet as the golden hair of Baroness Lilia fluttered into view, she only shook her head and with the most reassuring tone replied,

"I know your skills Leb, hence I still leave this mansion under your care."

When they first heard the news that Naell had given ownership of the mansion to the family, Fharom Beryldot quickly took charge and asked Sebastian Claus for guidance as to who should be assigned there.

It was by no means due to a lack of trust towards the employees, rather as a noble it was necessary to present your own personnel and make your ownership of such property known to all. Truly politics in nobility was still rampant in the greatest of subtleties.

After a not-so-long discussion, they came to a conclusion that they would assign Butler Lebrut to the manor.

On the day he had been appointed, Lebrut was unable to hide his gratitude towards the Beryldot family's trust. He could only bow down to them upon accepting the responsibility.

"Please rest assured, I will truly do my best."

Upon nodding and expressing her confidence in him, Lilia took Butler Lebrut's hands into her own, smiling warmly as if to thank him.

Going back, that memory had played continuously in the Butler's mind, giving him a sense of ease as he roamed the unfamiliar manor's layout.

"But honestly, young master Naell is truly one of a kind! Securing a place like this in Beryldot!"

Lilia's eyes widened as she resisted the urge to correct the butler. She had almost slipped up just hearing Lebrut's praise of Naell.

Truth be told, that property was one of the many conditions Naell was obliged to accept. This was to lessen his achievements, as in King Nohad words,

"In further rejection of gifts would we then post your name all over the Autumn Kingdom."

Hence Naell couldn't decline. As for his dad, Fharom, he was glad to have the manor. It was small compared to the other mansions in the inner circle, yet still, it was by no means shabby.

Three floors extended from the grassy land that the quaint structure stood on. The dark and oaken lining accentuated the cream-colored walls. Its roof was several shades darker, with the greenery creating a soothing yet modest verdant view.

Although technically that manor was Naell's, he decided to name it as another house of his family: The Beryldot Manor of Taglagas, thus securing a safe place if there was to ever be trouble in their estate.

"Uhmmm, Miss Lilia?"

"Oh yes Leb, umhmm, let's continue with our surveying."

*******

The sun had already set upon Lily's return. As the dinner started, their table was slowly flooded with delicacies varying from nation to nation, and this was only made possible due to how they were situated in the Capital of the Autumn Kingdom.

Even without having their own signature dish due to the lack of native ingredients of their own, the city of Taglagas had a lot of goods that the other villages scarcely had.

There they had meat imported from the Easterside Empire which was the most expensive and sought for product: the beast called Baka. All its cuts are well known and contain a higher percentage of fatty acids than other beasts, giving it a higher score of marbling.

In other words, it was one of the most flavorsome, tender, and juicy meats that all nobles enjoyed.

Aside from that, fruits and vegetables that only grew in the cold Country of Christmas, likewise in the hot Continent of Summer were served as part of the dishes that were cooked.

Nevertheless, what was served highlighted the ingredients and delicacies of their own Kingdom; first the so-called Dalandan, a cultivated green variant of oranges.

Second Adobo, meat cooked in soy sauce, garlic, vinegar and various herbs; lastly, a dessert whose components often varied per person, Halo-Halo, consisting of sweetened beans, flan, fresh fruit, shaved ice drizzled with evaporated milk, and a topping of ice cream.

It was such a feast that when Owly scanned the table, he almost cried HOOTing. Naell could only chortle and shake his head in embarrassment,

'What's with that reaction, I don't starve you.'

Regardless, none of them thought that way as they knew how Naell would often spoil Owly with food.

By the time all of them sat around the dining table, Lily excitedly told them what she did in her first visit to Taglagas,

Escorted by Captain Estra and his knights, Iwan and Dikolam, they first headed to the inn where they met Anna, the little lady who was saved by Naell.

Naell once mentioned Anna to Lily in one of their many letters, and because of that, she wanted to meet her.

Such was also the case for Anna who heard a lot of Lily from Naell's proud stories about her.

It was no surprise when the two hit it off quickly as they even shared hobbies and interests. Still, it was certainly a rare friendship since they do have different social standings.

Namiku and Note, who witnessed the two interact so happily, were touched. It was their first time getting acquainted with Lily, and so far, she was like a warm little lady, unlike her cold-looking brother.

Even on the very first time they saw the young golden-haired girl, their instincts told them she was raised in more humility than most noble children.

It was in fact true, as a daughter of the humble Baron of Beryldot, she had lived her life normally and free from the love of money; thus she inherited the trait of both her mother and father.

Lily actually invited Anna and her grandfather to dine with them, yet since they were busy with the inn, they could only gently refuse.

"But I promised them that I will eat there before we go back to Beryldot."

Said Lily to her brother while side-glancing and smiling at her mother for approval. The table laughed as they watched Lilia pretend to be clueless of her daughter's request.

As the joyous reunion presented itself, Naell smiled and thought with contentment,

'Perhaps you only feel at home when your family is with you.'