Chapter 14

"No, No.69 definitely said- 'Delphina and Pietro haven't made their way out into society properly' so at the very least they haven't debuted." As Delphina thought this to herself, Jenkins had stopped completely, perhaps thinking she was briefly looking at the view outside the window.

"Don't worry, Jenkins, let's just get there on time, shall we?"

The automaton seemed to take personal offence at this statement, simply spinning itself around and rolling off into the distance down the almost identical corridor.

As she turned to follow Jenkins, she accidentally looked up and noticed a difference from before. "Oh, the ceiling is wood panelled here. Are those carvings instead of painted frescoes? Do they help people orient themselves inside the building?"

Glancing back at the stone and frescoed ceiling of the bedroom corridor, she thought this to herself. Noting this down mentally, Delphina quickened her pace to catch up with the sulking automaton. Who knew if this place was a maze or not? She couldn't afford to get lost so obviously.

"Jenkins, I can't help but notice you can move fast when you want to."

Nonsense, young Lady, I usually travel at this speed.

Considering that Delphina felt she was speed walking, rather than taking a stroll at this point. She knew it was talking horseshit. The light from the lamps even seemed to be streaking a little when she glanced at them in haste.

Luckily, the ever-changing ceiling decoration would help her make her way back if she were unescorted in the future.

"Jenkins, will you continue to guide me like this in the future?"

She had meant regarding the sheer speed at which they were now 'walking'. Jenkins took it a different way, though.

Yes, until you get used to being housed in the Heir's Wing, I will guide you where necessary, young Lady.

"Aha. Well, yes, it hasn't been long, has it…"

A handful of days must not be much, even to a Sword Master. Like the blink of an eye?

Delphina started mentally punching the air in victory in response to Jenkins' reply. A handful of days probably meant at most three or four days, certainly less than a week. And to a human who could live around two hundred years. Yes, that certainly would be fast.

Deciding to test the waters further, Delphina tentatively asked something she had, in fact, completely forgotten to ask No.69.

"Well, becoming a Sword Master before your coming of age ceremony isn't exactly common, is it? I mean, I am a de Velasques, but still. Moving into this wing that fast was surprising."

Jenkins had started to slow down as Delphina spoke, returning to their leisurely pace.

Yes, of course. Even for de Velasques, 50 is the average. Being hailed as the return of Maria must have put a lot of pressure on you.

Delphina stopped walking at this statement.

"Jenkins, please do not bring that up again. Pietro and I being compared to Maria & Donovan paints us in a bad light. We're unworthy to be yet compared to those…"

She almost called them heroes, but that would have been a disastrous comparison considering this world's history.

But there was a trope coming to fruition here; she could smell it. 'Linked Life' wasn't it? Tut tut, twins then and twins now. It seemed almost too obvious; she wasn't sure how she hadn't thought of it previously, probably because of the deluge of other information that still had yet to be disseminated.

Yes. I forgot it caused your relationship to sour recently. I won't bring it up again.

Jenkins continued at its leisurely pace before arriving at a door that didn't fit the previous decor and themes. Turning to face the still stationary Delphina, it explained the following.

This door is one of three that lead to the Main House. This is the backmost door and leads to the more private areas of the Main House. The middle door will lead to the completely secure inner section. And finally, the frontmost leads to the public areas.

I will not follow you through any of these doors after you have been guided for the first time.

I stay only in the Heirs Wing at all other times.

"Oh, now that's a shame, you're just too cute to leave alone, Jenkins."

Delphina could once again feel that derisive look. If the automaton could independently shake its head, it most certainly would have done so at this point.

Turning back once more to slowly open the light coloured flat wood door, Jenkins extended its leg stilts and pottered through to hold the door open for her. Causing Delphina to smile softly, she felt she was rather happy in this simple moment.

Stepping through the threshold felt like entering a whole new world. Not in the literal sense, like she had done just this very morning. But because of the decor, wallpaper, and floors. All of it was a different theme from her Wing in the House.

Calm light toned woods, thin bordered runner carpets instead of deep shag, striped cream and green wallpaper border wall panels. She'd sprang from the medieval into the modern practically.

"Jenkins, why is the Heirs Wing so… antiquated?"

The Heirs Wing and the central inner section are remnants from the Family Castle before it was partially destroyed during the events that led up to The Darkening.

Following the restoration, the outer sections were split into the public and private areas. The Madam of each generation decorates the private section to her taste, but you already know this. As you can see from the new Wallpaper. The Madam is currently following the Capitals' recent trends.

It was changed just yesterday while you were still familiarising yourself with the new Wing accommodations.

"Now that's convenient."

Pardon?

"I mean, obviously Mother thought I'd hate it, so she waited till I wasn't able to protest the change. Didn't she?"

That is most likely, yes.

Delphina chortled at this statement; it seemed like she wouldn't have to try too hard to match Delphina's previous habits. They were naturally coming to her as she spoke.