Neia had just woken up, and was now enjoying her morning coffee and some brownies.
Today, she was going to do nothing. Nothing at all.
While the best way for her to relax was of course being with her darling, having an entire day where she could just lay in bed with no responsibilities was also something she enjoyed.
She'd probably read more of that book she was recommended by Emma. It was about the secret love of a prince and his maid. Something Neia could relate to quite a bit.
Thinking of Emma... today was the day she would bring her... a certain something...
... ... ...
Laeryn Amran walked through the streets of Hoburns.
Despite it still being dark due to the winter, most people were already working.
He was not. This was one of his days off, which he always insisted were not necessary at all.
After all, he was the head bodyguard of Her Holiness. Taking an entire day where he was not at the mansion to protect her felt wrong, even if he trusted that his second-in-command would do a fine job, and that nothing will almost certainly happen in the first place.
Still, there was no arguing with his lady when it came to such things. She would grant him this kindness, whether he liked it or not.
He was told to relax, and he considered that an order. And so, he was determined to make his days off as relaxing as possible. He'd pack his schedule absolutely full of leisure activities.
Today, he would pray to the large statue of their God and saviour, he would visit the church and listen to a different speaker's sermon for a change, he would go back to his old favourite tavern and drink a bit...
But for his first activity of the day, he was heading to the home of a trusted acquaintance, who hosted events for like-minded people. Today, one such event was taking place. He would spend the morning there, and leave after the group had lunch together.
As for what the group actually was, it could be said that they were heretics.
His lady would surely not approve of their little splinter if she were to somehow find out, and so only very trusted people were made aware of its existence.
This group shared the belief that Her Holiness was far more significant to their religion than she herself would say. Everyone respected the great prophet, of course, but she always simply portrayed herself as a humble servant and messenger.
Laeryn was one of the people who believed she was more than that, and wished for her to be made the patron saint of their faith.
Of course, she would never allow such a thing...
He picked up his pace. It looked like it was going to be particularly cold today.
... ... ...
Emma Valeria, who was unofficially the head maid of Neia Baraja, was now straining her nose quite a bit.
She was currently in a very high-class perfume shop, doing her best to pick out new scents for her lady to try out.
The previous perfume she selected was apparently very good, so she also bought more of that one. Emma felt it might've been a bit too strong, but apparently it pleased Her Holiness greatly.
Why this was, Emma could not guess.
Thinking about it more, her mistress suddenly seemed very happy with the perfume the morning after one of those odd times when she forbade anyone from disturbing her…
What was actually going on in her bedroom during that time?
And the interest in romance-focused books...
Emma's imagination was running wild trying to figure out what might be happening there, but she had to focus now. Perfumes were not cheap at all, at least not the quality ones. She wanted to make sure she selected a good variety while not spending too much. Her lady was incredibly wealthy by this point, but was very adamant about not wasting any money. She had a humble upbringing, after all.
Emma tried to get Her Holiness to come personally, but she replied that she didn't really know anything about perfumes, and Emma would know better, being an experienced maid who has served wealthy nobles in the past.
She looked at the paladin accompanying her on the shopping trip. He was already holding quite a few bottles...
And so, Emma shrugged. She did her best, and this much probably ought to be enough for now.
...
Emma walked the streets of the former capital in somewhat of a hurry, but she did not exactly rush either. It would be improper to take any more time than was necessary, but nothing she was doing today was outright time-sensitive.
When she reached the building which would be her last stop, she gestured for the paladin accompanying her to stay outside.
"This probably isn't a place men should enter unnecessarily. Please wait here."
"Alright. Will you need the money with you?"
"No, I'm just picking up a package. I'll be right back."
She opened the door and went inside quickly, happy to be somewhere warm again.
Inside, one could instantly see that the place was sort of feminine looking. It was a shop for all sorts of things specifically aimed at noblewomen.
It was also mostly empty, but that was only to be expected. Generally, it could be said that the fancier the place, the less customers there would be at any given time.
"Miss Valeria! How nice it is to see you."
From behind her, she heard a voice that was energetic, but not loud, as to not disturb the peaceful and quiet atmosphere. Its owner was a very tall woman with long blonde hair and very obvious curves, which could be seen even through the multiple layers she was wearing.
"Greetings, Miss Allaire. Is the package ready?"
The woman gave her a playful smile.
"Oh yes. Please, follow me."
She was taken through a cloth imitating a door to a smaller area, where one could see items relating to more... private matters. Mostly, the displays were filled with all sorts of clothing and underwear which didn't leave much to the imagination.
But she was taken to a place even deeper within this area.
"Right here."
The shop's owner opened a large closet, and pulled out a decently sized box made of carved wood, taking it to one of the nearby tables.
When the woman opened it, Emma could see the items of interest.
The toys varied in both shape and size. There was even one which was larger than she could imagine any man could actually have between his legs.
"So... does she know how to use them properly? Will you explain, or should I write a little card?"
"I would prefer you wrote something for her, but also explained it to me. I'm not sure what she would find less awkward, so it's better to prepare for both."
"Of course. One moment."
...
As Emma was preparing to leave after hearing the detailed explanations, she was stopped for a moment by the tall woman.
"Oh, and one more thing... I suppose this might be a little strange due to the circumstances, but could you send her my regards?"
Emma could tell just from her tone alone that she must have been a very devout follower. Something she respected.
And so, she returned the smile.
"I will."
... ... ...
Inside a cold home in one of the poorest districts of Hoburns, a young girl was practising for her dream career.
"... No, not like that. Try holding the plate higher... like this. See how I do it? Try it."
She felt a little stiff due to the lack of heating, but did her best to imitate her instructor's movements as best she could.
"Hmm... still unrefined. You'll have to practise a lot if you want to be able to do that with grace. Still, it's a good start."
"Yes, Claire!"
The girl, named Amelia Lavigne, recently turned 15. Her parents, Claire, and her were all always working, and so there wasn't much of a celebration, unlike back when she was still younger.
But it was of course far better than her last birthday, which she spent in a demi-human prison camp.
She was currently being trained to become a maid by Claire, who used to serve her family as one.
That was before they lost everything during the invasion.
Finding jobs was hard for them because the skill set of a lesser noble didn't really mean much unless one had the connections and wealth associated with it.
And so, all of them were now working whatever jobs they could find.
Thankfully, the great man who saved them has recently become their King, and the undead labour made food cheap enough for all of them to survive this winter, though just barely.
"Do you want to stop now? You said you wanted to go to church today, right?"
"Yes, let's make sure to go early so we can come back before mom and dad are home. We could cook something nice for them if we make it in time."
Claire smiled.
"Alright, let's go."
... ... ...
Neia was now happily finishing her lunch.
The large portion of delicious hot soup warmed her up completely despite this being quite a cold day.
She picked up the bowl to drink from it directly, in order to avoid wasting a single drop. When she was done, she leaned back with a satisfied smile.
It really was a calm, enjoyable day for her so far.
Just a moment later, she got up energetically to put the dishes away back into the chest, locking it afterward.
But just as she was about to let herself fall face first onto her bed again, a knock was heard.
"Your Holiness?"
It was Emma.
Does that mean she brought...
"Come in."
The maid bowed after opening the door, and after she closed it, went over to the table to place down her bag.
She then pulled several perfume bottles out of it as Neia herself went closer.
"These are all the ones which fit your criteria. I tried to bring a good variety. Hopefully everything is in order."
She simply nodded along.
"And there's also the package with the toys."
Neia blushed.
"Uhm... right..."
"Your Holiness, there are some things you may want to know before you use them on yourself. There could be some pain and discomfort otherwise. I have it in written form right here, but I can also explain it to you myself."
"I... uhm, there is no need for that. I will read about it on my own..."
"In that case, will that be all?"
"Yes. Thank you, Emma."
"By the way, the merchant sends her regards. She seems a loyal follower."
"Is- is that so? Uhm… good. I see."
The then maid bowed, and left without another word.
Still a little embarrassed about this whole thing, Neia prepared to put away everything to its proper place.
Except, she was quite interested in those toys.
And so, she took the little card, looking over the instructions.
"... okay... don't start with the big sizes, especially when it comes to my butt… and it's important to be wet first..."
She had an incredibly strong blush as she read.
….
Hello. It's me, your girl, Lucy.
Hopefully this short one didn't really bore you guys, since it was mostly about the minor characters and what they are going to be doing in the future.
I felt a little bit of a break might be good, since things are about to take a big turn in the next chapter.
If you've read this far, I would also like to ask you to leave a review/comment and tell me your thoughts about what you've seen so far. Every single one makes me very happy.
Until the next.