Six

"Marques Merlot sent you a reply, my lady." Lucienta informed the Countess, walking through the door with a silver platter in her hands and two envelopes on top of it, "Duke Zacharias also sent a letter."

Duke Eulicies? Jannah stopped her pen from scribbling on the paper and raised her head to look at her maid, "I understand. Give it to me and prepare me some tea, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"Yes, my lady." Lucienta smiled, placing the envelopes beside her paperwork and left the room quietly.

Jannah opened the drawer on her left and pulled a letter opener, she picked up the reply of Marques Merlot and opened the envelope rather roughly. She dropped the opener on the table and pulled out the letter, unfolding it and reading it's contents.

Dear Countess Rafelon,

What happened to "Good day, how are you?" or "Happy birthday, Marques, how are you?"? No? Nothing? I know that you want my territory in the north, but please, do not think of moving into that horrendous town— Philipia was it? Surely, you were just jesting when you said that you're going to give me your mansion in the capital in an exchange for that small territory, right?

We may have not grow up together in the battlefield, but I've been your friend since we were a child! What on Starlian Kingdom's name are you trying to do in such a small and isolated town??? Didn't you know that my wife almost fainted when she heard that you were planning to move there out of nowhere??????? Come visit my manor tomorrow and discuss what you're planning in person!

With love,

Merlot and Clara

Jannah's eye twitched as she read the letter. The paper looked fancy and smelled good, obviously was previously owned by his wife, Clara. The hand writing looked nowhere close to his so she's sure that the wife also wrote the letter herself. She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples to stop the incoming headache from surfacing.

"Those.. Air heads." Jannah mumbled, imagining her friend's worried expression in the back of her mind.

The Marques' health wasn't the best when he was a child and often bedridden due to his weak immune system. His parents were worried sick about his future and got him engaged to his wife when they were ten years old. There were a lot of rumors about Merlot not making it past his childhood days, but they found a doctor who miraculously helped him get back on track.

Clara is a daughter of a count who owned a county outside of the kingdom, she was sold off to Marques Ebonics, the former Marques, and got herself engaged to his son.

The love story of the two bloomed after Jannah frequented the Marques's mansion. She was the match maker of the two, helping the Marques get his son back to shape by training with swords under the guise of being his playmate.

Being their childhood friend is one of the things she didn't want to give up, but when the outbreak happened in her previous life, she received no news from them. Jeriel dragged her out as soon as she arrived home, leaving no time to send the two a letter.

However, now that she went back, she's going to make them come with her to go to Philipia. Rousing the married couple's suspicion and worries are one thing, but convincing them that an apocalypse will happen a week from now would be another thing.

I'll worry about that tomorrow. Jannah thought as she placed the letter down and opened the letter from Duke Zacharias. Her red eyes skimmed through the greetings and when she reached the body of contents, her eyebrows reached her hairline.

After your visit today, I have come to conclusion that you were worried about my safety and wanted to do a roundabout way to ask for my hand for marriage. Thus, I would love to clarify if this conclusion of mine was true by granting me permission to visit your humble abode.

I will send Raven, my bird, tomorrow morning to await for your response.

Her lips fell agape as she read the letter over and over again. She didn't even hear Lucienta knocked on the door, making her maid go inside her office without permission to check on her. She was flabbergasted and speechless at how shameless the Duke was in his letter, he even told her that he would like to visit her home? The audacity of that man!

I shouldn't have given him a word of advice if I knew he'll jump to conclusions! Jannah screamed mentally, crumpling the paper in her hand and throwing it over her shoulder. I knew that he was different from the rumors because of our past life, but who would have thought that he would be like this as well?

"My lady, I bought the tea." Lucienta told her, startling her greatly as she did not hear her maid come inside the room due to her inner turmoil and shock, "I'm sorry for coming in without permission, but you didn't answer so I let myself in."

"It's okay." Jannah sighed out and waved her hand dismissively, "Give me a cup of tea, I need to relax."

Lucienta silently did as she was told, pouring tea over Jannah's favorite tea cup and serving it to her. She added on something to snack on to the side as well since she knows how much her mistress loves eating. Especially now that she's feeling quite stressed, something sweet to snack on would surely ease her nerves.

With her tea served, she went back to her paperwork. She sip on her tea once in a while and take a bite from the lemon shortcake Lucienta served with the tea, the paperwork she's doing right now is related to the territory that she bought in the north.

Philipia is a small town with wooden walls surrounding it. She could strengthen the walls with more woods and metals, making the gates stronger and expanding the town to however she see fits.

The small houses will have to be built a third and forth floor for her people, she will need to have firewoods delivered in that town as well. Winter is a few months away, she needs to restock on the supplies before anything else.

Clothes, she needs to order thick and warm winter clothes. Pants should be good for both men and women because a dress in the apocalypse would be disastrous. The dress she has have different layers which made it heavy, she can carry those dresses to that town, have the available tailors, handmaid, and embroiders to make clothes for the young ones or whatever rag the silk of her dress can be turn into.

Money won't be a luxury once the apocalypse starts so she needs to spend every single penny she has on her name to get whatever she may need.

Saplings that grows well on the soils in the north should be good, she remembered employing Leonardo because of the seeds, but she's not sure if he can grow tree's saplings. The gardener, Charles, on the other hand, can grow any kind of plant so she can rest assured.

Her hand continued to work, eyes moving from left to right as she read the contents of papers in front of her. She listed, contacted, written, and signed a lot of papers related to her new base. She didn't even notice how much time have passed until the door of her office slammed opened, a worried and anxious Jeriel walking inside of the room with a sleepy Lucienta hot on her trails.

"..You're back so early." Jannah commented, glancing at the maid who obviously just got off her bed to her little sister who looked like she rushed to get home.

"Who wouldn't be? You sent a letter straight to the captain just to get me back home." Jeriel stated and walked towards the desk, eyeing her sister's face with a furrowed eyebrows, "What's so important that you have to send the letter to the prince and not to me? Also, it's already 6 in the morning! Did you get some sleep since the other night?"

By hearing the time from her little sister's mouth, Jannah looked out of the window to her right and observed how the sun started to light up the world outside. Her eyebrows shot to her hair line in slight shock before she looked back to her little sister, "Right, the reason why I asked you to get back home.. It's very important and both of our lives depends on it."

Lucienta and Jeriel grew tense at that, the maid lost all of her sleepiness at how serious her mistress sounded.

"What is it?" Jeriel asked, uncertainty dripping from her voice.

Jannah placed down her pen and started putting the folded letters inside the envelopes. "It's not something to discuss without breakfast. Lucienta, have the head chef cook something for us and have everyone pack their things."

"Pardon?" The maid blurted out, confused as to why the countess is telling her to pack their things, but then, she turned pale, "Am I getting fired?! My lady—"

"No, you're not." Jannah sighed out and rubbed her temples, "Pack your things and have your measurements sent here before Lady Viola arrives, you hear? Now, hurry up! Today is another busy day!"

"Yes, my lady!"