The Kepper Manor

Right after the werewolf attack, Lady Kethel called two names: Lydia and Quara, and two maids suddenly showed up out of nowhere almost immediately, both of them have a pair of sharp ears of an elf, but not long enough to be considered as one, a pair of half-elves. Where Lady Kethel ordered them to escort Wyrian back to his room while she brought the unconscious werewolf elsewhere.

As the two of them; Lydia and Quara escorted Wyrian, where he noticed on both maids the outlines of what it seems to be arm guards and bulges below their waist of what it seems to be the pommel of the knives, as they came inside the manor, Wyrian asked, "Am I right to assume that both of you were assassins too?"

It stopped the two of them on their tracks, "H-have the Madam told you, my lord?" one of the maids asked, the maid with a short black hair with a face that looks like she deals things seriously but rather awkwardly, and her eyes are not as fierce as Lady Kethel is.

"If it wasn't enough to show me, she had to tell it in front of me." Wyrian replied, "So, am I right?"

"Yes Lord Kepper, indeed we were." she replied back, "We weren't trying to keep it a secret anyway."

"Will you tell me which order are you?"

"T-that is a secret." The black haired maid awkwardly replied.

"Then, who else are the former assassin in this manor?"

"You don't need to guess who the assassins are my lord!" said the other maid, with the same short hairstyle as the other but white and wears a loud and bubbly personality. "Everyone in the Krestus Ma-ack!" The black haired maid elbowed the white haired maid in her waist. "Kepper! Everyone in the Kepper Manor was under the Madam. Wait, "was" or "is"?" The white haired maid looked at the black haired maid, looking for support.

"Is..." The black haired maid replied reluctantly.

"So I guess you all followed her here." Wyrian commented.

"Yes! We'd follow Madam Crimson every-ack!" The black haired maid elbowed the white haired maid again but harder.

"Lydia you idiot!" The black haired maid roared.

*"So Lydia is the white haired maid, that makes the black haired maid; Quara."* Wyrian thought.

"Madam told us that we won't call her that to anyone!" Quara continued, realizing she is infront of the master of the manor, she then faced Wyrian and bowed apologetically, "Apologize for my rudeness and my companion, Lord Kepper."

"No need to, I'd rather listen to banter like this than aristocratic meetings." Wyrian said.

Lydia chucked silently before announcing, "We reached your room, Lord Kepper."

Wyrian walked towards the door of his room.

"Call us whenever you are in need of something." Quara announced.

"Thank you young ladies, I'd take that offer." Wyrian said.

"No need to thank us, it is our duty." Both of them responded at the same time.

"Good night ladies."

"Good night, Lord Kepper."

(Next day)

Wyrian woke up late today, the sun has already been up, usually he would wake up just before the sun rises, as a former commander, it's at least one of his responsibilities.

"Pleasant morning, Lord Kepper." A stoic voice greeted Wyrian.

"Lady Kethel?" He turned around, but did not see Lady Kethel, but instead another maid, unlike Lydia and Quara on the night before, this certain maid had a shiny blonde hair tied into a bun by their bonnet, and the ears are sharp and long for her to be an full blooded elf.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Lord Kepper, but I was assigned by Madam Kethel to accompany you with your morning routine." She said stoically, she may sound like Lady Kethel in terms of being stoic, but their eyes are completely different from each other, while Lady Kethel's eyes are sharp, this certain maid's blue eyes are more lazy than serious.

"Who are you?" Wyrian asked, half-asleep yet attentive.

"I am Ceora." She introduced, while lifting her skirt lightly and bowed gracefully in front of Wyrian, a noble greeting, "I am glad to be in your service, Lord Kepper."

"As do I." He replied, climbing down his bed in his nightwear, he walked towards the bathroom in his room, because he was half-asleep because of his fatigue on the night before, he forgot his manners and mostly ignored his surroundings. He entered the bathroom and washed his face, he tried to unbutton his shirt until he looked in the mirror, Ceora was behind him almost waiting for orders.

"Ahh!" Wyrian jumped in surprise, "Why are you here?"

"I am here to assist Lord Kepper in his morning routines." Ceora answered without a hint of shame or regret.

"Do you understand that I am taking a bath?" Wyrian asked slowly, as if he was lecturing a child, motioning towards the tub.

"Yes I do, I've heard that Lord Kepper has recently become a baron, and I am here to assist you in that activity to be accustomed to noble life, it is my duty as your servant to do so." She said with conviction in her eyes, but her voice begs differently, she may have a little fire in her voice, but it is more lazy than stoic, a kind of tone where she doesn't want to argue and force her victim to play her bullshit just so she doesn't have to deal with it any further.

"Have all of you offered this service to Lord Krestus when he was in charge?" Wyrian asked, he decided to play, but he played defensively.

"Not at all, in fact, you would be the first master of this manor to ever receive this service." Ceora proudly offered, with lazy eyes and a proud lazy tone.

"He refused, didn't he?" Wyrian quickly deducted, making Ceora silent for a few seconds.

"Yes he did..." Ceora replied, dejected.

"What makes you think I'm any different?" Wyrian asked.

"Obviously Lord Krestus would refuse as he is as pure as a white rose..." Ceora began to monologue, singing praises to Duke Krestus which Wyrian understood and listened.

But... *"Is she implying that I am not pure? But with my reputation with women, I can't blame her."*

"...And so, Lord Krestus would be different from the other nobles. So I offer this service to you, my lord who gained the respect of the Duke of Roses. I've heard from the other maids of other houses that their masters appreciate- nay! Enjoy this kind of service!" She finished proudly, so proud one can see an aura of confidence shining in her back.

*"What is there to be proud of?"* Wyrian thought, "Uh... I'd rather do the commoners' way of bathing; doing it alone without help." He stated, refusing Ceora's service, "So can you wait outside until I am done."

"As you wish my lord." Ceora bowed and headed to the door of the bathroom. Wyrian started to unbutton his shirt until he heard a, "Tsk..." coming from Ceora just as she closed the door behind her.

Wyrian turned quickly in surprise, *"The audacity!"* He roared in his mind, as it was a shame to refuse an offer of assistance in the tub from a cute elf, but Wyrian knows better, his womanizing practices were nothing more than business, and duty if it were to be in use.

He had enough with his habit of dealing with women, he doesn't need it as he is a baron first and foremost nowadays.

He finished his bath wrapping a towel on his waist, realizing that his nightwear and daily attire are needed to be completely different now he's a baron, he left the bathroom with nothing but a towel on his waist.

To Wyrian's surprise he saw Ceora waiting near the bathroom door with folds of clothes, he thought she was outside his bedroom as he ordered, but it seems there's a form of miscommunication between them.

Ceora faced Wyrian after hearing the bathroom door open and saw something she didn't expect, a wet handsome young man with a semi-wide shoulder, thin waist and arms and torso that looked like it was chiseled in detail by grand sculptors, he was wearing long sleeved attires most of the time so his features were well hidden. To her surprise she faced away quickly, Wyrian thought she found the scene disgusting but to his surprise, he saw Ceora's long ear red as tomato.

Ceora faced Wyrian showing her slightly blushed cheeks and remained calm and unbothered but her lazy eyes darted somewhere, avoiding eye contact. "Here's your attire of the day, Lord Kepper." She said, handling the folds into Wyrian and she faced away towards the closet.

Wyrian, concerned and confused, faced the bathroom door to try and wear the clothes inside, when Ceora stopped him by blocking the door with her hand, still avoiding eye contact, "You shouldn't dress in the bathroom, the clothes might get wet, t-there's a folding wall right there."

And indeed there was, on the side of Wyrian's bed was a folding wall. Wyrian went there and dressed, Ceora assisted him by helping him wear his coat.

Wyrian was eating his breakfast in his room, with Ceora overlooking him. Ceora reached towards the window as what it seems to be a paper knife flew inside the room from the window, Ceora caught it with no difficulty, as expected of assassins, she pulled the what it seems to be a heavy needle and began to unfold the paper knife and read the insides, Ceora approached Wyrian telling him an information he should've heard sooner.

"I must inform you that Lady Kethel would be waiting in the pavilion in the outdoor garden after your breakfast."

Finishing Wyrian's final bite, "Then I should get going." He stood up, taking the napkin from his collar.

Wyrian did not waste time and found Lady Kethel in the only pavilion in the outdoor garden.

Lady Kethel noticed Wyrian and bowed, "Pleasant morning to you, Lord Kepper." She greeted, rather stoically.

"Pleasant morning to you too, Lady Kethel." Wyrian greeted back.

"I would like to talk to you about something." Lady Kethel said, with seriousness in her voice.

"Go on." Wyrian answered, taking the next words carefully and seriously.

"You should not work today." Lady Kethel informed with a straight face.

Lady Kethel suggested a break for the day, a whole day of Wyrian not doing any work related activities that would make any people, aristocrat or not extremely joyous.

But Wyrian reacted to the suggestion differently, with shock and disappointment.

"I demand an explanation!" Wyrian roared. Normally anyone would think Wyrian is insane for refusing a break presented on a silver platter, but Lady Kethel knew his habits of overworking from certain information and evidence from his first night. In Wyrian's case, he has worked his way in his life that he is not familiar with the term "break", especially when his work hasn't started yet.

"You were affected by the werewolf attack last night, I suggest you remain in this manor for the time being." Lady Kethel informed, unaffected by Wyrian's sudden outburst.

"Then shouldn't I be out there checking in with the ones affected by the werewolf attack?" Wyrian argued, standing his ground.

"There is no need for milord to be checking them." Lady Kethel replied with no concern in her voice.

"How can yo-"

"Really, there is no need for milord to check since we are the only ones who were affected last night, and no one has taken notice about the incident, so there is no point checking on them, Lord Kepper." Lady Kethel informed, cutting her master's sentence. Usually, their servants cutting their master's sentences would mean disrespect and would be punished necessarily, but since Wyrian hasn't learned the Lativian noble etiquette, Lady Kethel took that opportunity. "Or do you find my offer of us spending time together unappealing?" She teased, knowing they were alone in the pavilion.

"I..." Wyrian wavered, but he then realized the intention between those words, or at least how he thought it would be, Wyrian smirked at the thought, "Are you using this incident as a pretext just to spend time with me?"

"It is." Lady Kethel replied without hesitation, "Your etiquette lessons are as important as your work as a baron. Hearing about your dedication to your work and seeing it myself, I was worried that you won't have time for our lessons."

Wyrian was surprised about the explanation.

"I would always give time for you Lady Kethel." Wyrian reassured, but Lady Kethel knows better.

"It's not the matter of your will, but the matter of your duty, and your dedication is admirable, so I'll be the one to set your schedule regarding your lessons, Lord Kepper, so it won't change your lifestyle and just treat it as just another routine, would that be acceptable?" Lady Kethel clarified, her explanation is logical that he cannot find fault about it, he is, in fact, too dedicated.

"Then I'd gladly take your lessons..." Wyrian surrendered, defeated but happy.

"Then shall we start the lessons, Lord Kepper?" Lady Kethel happily announced.

Both Lady Kethel and Wyrian spent their time together in his etiquette lessons, starting from the basics of inferring noble sarcasm, ball dances and aristocratic table manners.

Despite Wyrian not struggling in the lessons, he found himself enjoying the company of Lady Kethel.