Nine

"Blueprint? What for?"

"To strengthen the fortress." Jeriel said, as if it was the most basic and common thing in the world, "The town might be small and isolated, but it has walls and gates. As far as I'm concerned, strengthening the walls and gates would be the priority."

"Right, I already sent a few people of mine to Philipia. Lucienta should have ordered some wood and metal by now, sent them to the town, and have my people start working on it as soon as the resources arrive. I want you to leave before dawn to oversee the process, expanding the territory would be good as well if you can." Jannah tapped the blueprint in a smug manner, "You have a good number of warriors under you, put them to work and have them help with the expansion."

The Marques hummed, staring at the blueprint. He could tell that the Countess is serious about the outbreak, to go to this length and send stock after stock to the town means that she won't be coming back any time soon. He did heard some young nobles gossiping among themselves yesterday that the Countess sweeped the shops across the shopping district empty, even with their stocks. She paid them with cash, pointing left and right, buying whatever she deem necessary.

"Okay. We'll depart today and have our people go with us. The travel from here to Philipia can take at least two days, if you sent those people of yours yesterday, then they would arrive tomorrow morning in Philipia." Merlot muttered, "I don't know what's happening with you, but if you're this spook by the rumors, then I might as well help you prepare."

Jannah smiled at him, she truly feel blessed to have someone like him and his wife as her childhood friends. It was almost past noon when the sisters excused themselves from the Marques and his wife, they still have things to do and doesn't want to delay the married couple from preparing.

When they arrived at the mansion, two servants greeted them with enthusiastic smiles.

"Welcome back, my lady, Lady Jeriel." Kirie greeted them, "The head maid and butler still hasn't come back, they left me in charge of assisting you until they get back. So, please call for me if you need anything."

"Have Henry make something light for snacks. I'm quite hungry after the ride from Merlot's state." Jannah told Kirie with acknowledging nod, "Come to my office afterwards."

"Yes, my lady!"

Jeriel followed her big sister towards her office, her blue eyes scanning the interior of the room as she sat down on the couch. It has been awhile since she last relaxed, she doesn't have much to do because Jannah looked like she have everything under control. Usually at this time, she would be walking around the kingdom's internal walls and doing her patrol, but she's not working as a knight right now. That alone has left her sagging against the soft cushion.

A knock on the door broke the silence inside of Jannah's office, "Come in." She said without stopping herself from signing the papers.

"The snacks that the head chef made is here, my lady." Kirie informed her, Jeriel sprung up in her seat and looked over the back of the couch as Kirie walked past her to walk towards the Countess' desk.

"Pour me a tea." Jannah ordered softly, the sound of the paper being turned filling the silent space for a moment, "And pour my little sister a tea as well."

"As you wish, my lady." Kirie responded and quickly prepared the sisters she serve the tea they asked for.

Jannah stopped herself from working and nodded her head towards the maid gratefully when she placed the teacup on her desk, accompanied with a snack. The Countess stared at the sweet treat in front of her, raising the cup to her lips and took a sip. She let out a satisfied hum, knowing full well that she won't have this kind of luxury once the infection reach the capital.

Did she want to stop the infections from spreading? Well, she thought about it, but she's sure that the princess wouldn't pay her any heed. Saying that she came from the future wouldn't do her any good and might get herself locked up for saying something like that. For all she knows, she might get herself called a witch because of it.

"A coin for a thought?" Jeriel mused, snapping Jannah out of her thoughts.

"Ah, well.." She trailed off, glancing at her little sister and Kirie, who looked like as if they have been calling her for awhile now so she was quick to think of flimsy excuse, "I was just wondering if the servants and knights had left for Philipia before noon."

"Yes, my lady." Kirie took the liberty to answer the Countess' question, "The head chef, head maid, head butler, and three other servants were left behind to tend to you. If I remembered correctly, Sir Marco told the captain of the knights to have five knights stay and have the rest sent to Philipia."

"What about Jeremiah?"

"Sir Jeremiah stayed, my lady. He was making a scene at the gate when Sir Polo told him that he'll go with him to Philipia." Kirie said with a small huff.

"Did he now?" Jeriel chuckled, listening to their conversation.

—

"Huh? Who said I'll go with you?" Jeremiah sassed his captain while cleaning his sword, "I'm staying here to guard the Countess. Being left behind is voluntary and I'm a volunteer."

"No, you're not." Polo stated with a vein popping on his forehead, "I told Kevin to be left behind with Ashley, Haile, Dreidel, and Anthony. The five of them followed the Countess from the battlefield and are more suitable to stay beside her."

Jeremiah scoffed, sheathing his sword and crossed his arms, "Just because the five of them went with the Countess, doesn't mean I'm not qualified to guard her."

"That's not what I meant —"

"That's how it sounded like." Jeremiah muttered, feeling offended, "I know that I'm only a commoner, but being ridiculed just because I don't have the same experience as them doesn't mean—"

"Let him go instead of me, Cap." Ashley had cut off Jeremiah's whines, "I don't mind going with you and the others to the town first. We all know how passionate he gets when it comes to the Countess and he only gets a chance like this once in a blue moon."

Ashley lets out a boisterous laugh and rubbed the beard on his chin, a teasing grin on his face. His brown eyes shone with mischief as the young knight glare at him menacingly, "I mean, I get that we want to stay close to the people we harbor feelings for, right? Right?"

"I don't harbor such thing towards the Countess!" Jeremiah exclaimed, face getting red, chasing after Ashley as the taller and bigger man runs away from him while laughing heartily.

The other knights could only watch the scene and snicker to themselves.

—

Remembering what happened, Kirie giggled and nodded her head, "Yes, Lady Jeriel. It was quite interesting as well."

Seeing that the two from the people she cares about is laughing quietly to themselves, Jannah felt at ease. It felt like the infection wouldn't happen at all because of how peaceful it is in her mansion. However, she knew better.

"They left before noon, right? Did you have your things go with them? We'll be riding on horse ourselves to go to Philipia so we won't have much room for our things." Jannah glanced at the maid, putting the teacup aside and picked up the pen, "I'll be wearing pants starting tomorrow since I sent most of my belongings to north. I trust that the workers that got left behind has their own clothing suitable for the ride?"

"Of course, my lady. The clothes you bought us this morning will be used the day after tomorrow. In fact, the head maid and the other maids have our outfits set aside just in case you want to leave before the predetermined day." Kirie assured her master almost immediately, not wanting to be seen as incompetent.

"Very well. Have the knights tend to the horses and let them run around at the back of the mansion, we need them to warm themselves up just in case." Jannah ordered softly, reading the contents of the paper in front of her.

"Understood, my lady. I'll take my leave." Kirie lowered her head and walked out of the room, leaving the tray of tea and snacks behind.

"It's almost evening." Jeriel commented as she look out of the window from her spot in the couch, munching the macaroons she got from Kirie, "We're going to meet Count Nige, right?"

"Yes, you will." Jannah corrected her little sister, "I have another business to attend to, make sure to get that deal with the Count and come back as soon as possible. If the deal with him goes smoothly, we might leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Damn, if I knew that you'll do me dirty like this then I would have asked you to give me work this morning." Jeriel complained under her breath, but didn't comment any further. She doesn't like Count Nige because of his sleazy way with words, he's too uncomfortable to be around, but if her big sister needs his help then she might as well suck it up and go with the flow.

"If he tried to do something, I give you permission to use your sword." Jannah said, smiling towards her little sister, "That noble has more gunpowder in his possession than I have. If I could, I wouldn't go to him, but it is what it is."

"What about Duke Zacharias? Duke Dhaloan? Duke Manzaniro?" Jeriel inquired, she raised an eyebrow towards her sister with a taunting glint in her blue eyes, "Duke Dhaloan didn't swear her loyalty to the crown so we might have a chance to get some gunpowder from her, Duke Manzaniro doesn't frequent capital and always stay in his territory at the west so I understand, but Duke Zacharias is in his mansion right now. He's loyal to the crown, but very reasonable."

"Jeriel." Jannah called her sister's name with a dangerous tone in her voice, "If I knew I could strike a deal with the Dukes of our kingdom then I would have done so."

"Well, you could have sent a letter to one of them about this infection you're talking about." Jeriel decided to push her sister's button, "Why didn't you do so?"

"I did, but none of them have sent me a reply." Jannah sighed out, "I sent them letters this morning. The raven I used to send a letter to Duke Manzaniro would have arrived by now and could send a reply as soon as possible, but I have received none."

Duke Zacharias did sent me a letter, but it's just about his stupid conclusion so that doesn't count. Jannah grumbled in her mind, the lower part of her eye twitching when she recalled the ridiculous content of the letter.