On her arrival at her estate, Maria got set to do something she'd been putting off for a while.
Choosing a permanent room for herself.
Yes, she greeted the children (who she realized she'd have to arrange schooling for, especially some of the older ones), and examined the rising frame of the building that would be the gun manufactory (thankfully the carpenters were familiar with the kinds of structures needed by smiths), congratulated the Nightflower workers on the excellent show they had launched the night before, met with her steward, met with her armsmen (fewer intruders, only three repeats, no deaths), and checked her older wards (no deaths there either) and Chiharu, all the needful things, but after all that, she had to pick a room.
Eventually, she chose a room on the top floor. It had probably been one of the good bedrooms meant for the head of the house or honored guests sometime in the past, back when the Dieke family had been more numerous and had more generations to house. There was room for a large bed, windows that faced the Nightflower Workshop, an attached sitting room, a private bath and facilities, a connecting servant's room that to Maria's commoner's eye could comfortable house two people and had probably held more, and a nearby room that she could use as an office.
Now all it needed was a bed and furniture. Unfortunately, most of the former were already in use (she wasn't getting Rafael's from his room), and there was little to choose from of the latter.
…
Well, she was sure they had something she could sleep on in the meantime. Just while the bed was being made. Something nice with compartments she could put guns and bullets and other weapons stored in case of nocturnal attack. Maybe ropes, rags for gags, strong acid in case she needed to dispose of a body… probably a compartment she could hide a body in when needed…
She made some measurements with a knotted cord before making a quick sketch and having her steward commission it from the carpenter's. Armsmen were brought in, mostly because the house staff were of the small and female sort, and tasked with moving chosen furniture into the room, including a sofa that Maria would have to sleep in for the time being. She could already feel her back and neck hating her. It was a good thing she had Light Magic.
With that out of the way, she sat on the floor of what would be her office– she might as well use it for its intended purpose– and sorted through her correspondence. The sounds of the children either playing or tending the fields Katarina had started– possibly both at the same time– drifted through the open windows, and occasionally one of the children would sidle up to the door and peek inside. Sometimes they'd just look, sometimes they'd wave try get her and attention. She stood and greeted the first few, before seriously telling them that she needed to work for the moment, and to ask the children not to interrupt her unless there was an emergency. There were many sad and downcast looks at that, so she promised to tell them a story that night. She thought she still remembered how The Giving Spirit Tree went…?
No, that story was dumb. Something else, maybe Rampion…
Since she was now no longer an Academy student, she had received several invitations to parties. Tea party, garden parties, bowling parties, musicales, dinner parties, cocktail parties, soirées, and one very vague invitation that spoke of 'exotic delights' that she should probably send to the Third Prince in case it was about anything involving slaves. They were all over the next two weeks, with at least three of them being set that afternoon and night.
She refused all that occurred over the coming week, with a short apology citing her duties and logistical issues. While it would hardly make her popular, she had things to do.
Of the other correspondence, there were seven requests to commission nightflowers. Four of them were for events she'd been invited to, all in the coming week. To these she regretfully drafted replies expressing her regrets and informing them she needed at least a week's notice to prepare a commission. Of the remaining, she invited them to discuss the commission they had in mind, and expressed a willingness to come to them to discuss their commission.
She made a note to have some sort of sitting room ready to receive clients and sent that down to her steward Ghirardeli to handle when he could.
When noon came, she descended for lunch. Her older wards all paused as they saw her descend, and those who'd sworn themselves to her all stood and gave her an Ashina-style bow, which she deliberately acknowledged and verbally ordered them to return to what they were doing. Still, there were many who were watching her as she took one of the wooden bowls and plates and helped herself to the food that had been laid out in a sort of commoner's buffet. There was a porridge with various vegetables and a little meat, as well as breads and cheese. Maria helped herself to some and sat down at a bare spot, making those closest to her– the closest being ten feet away– apparently nervous from her presence.
Maria made a note to herself to overhaul the dining room to at least be more presentable for visitors. Maybe her wards could have their breakfasts on the balcony, or in one of the larger rooms on their floors. Actually, she might have to redo the entire first floor altogether… But that would need souls…
Later that day, she received a letter from the Third Prince and Alan, thanking her for the nightflowers they had commissioned, and included a letter of rights for the rest of the souls they owed her for it. There was also included a request in advance for commissions to their shared birthday, Katarina's birthday (Maria had the amused thought that she'd be getting a LOT of commissions for that day), and Lady Hunt's birthday, which was probably Prince Alan being a thoughtful fiancé, even if his fiancée clearly loved another woman and was at best using him for his connections and power as a friend. Well, not her problem. She had enough problematic logistics with her not-even-a-fiancé.
For a moment she paused, considered, and then set aside her work for a moment to write a letter to Rafael, starting with how she missed and and regretted they had not managed to spend any time at the party and ending with a scandalously forward invitation to spend the weekend at her manor. To see the children, of course. Yup, totally to see the children. They remembered him from the trip from Noir. Well, half of them did.
Well, after deducting costs and expenses, then dividing with Sophia, she had enough to get started on fixing the first floor…
After that, she wrote to her mother. Most of it was a mere update as to her activities, but at the end written in the post script like a coward, was a tentative inquiry as to whether her mother would like to finally see her manor and estate…
She made a note to find out how much longer before her carriage was presentable.
…
Sophia came to her manor the next day, arriving around mid-morning, which was fortunate as Maria had unfortunately thus far neglected to discuss with her their operating arrangements.
"I have commissions!" Sophia declared, triumphantly holding several envelopes.
Wordlessly, Maria help up her own stack.
"Huh, I thought I'd be more impressive," Sophia said.
They compared the letters and as a matter of course set aside those that wanted them to do it within the week. Then discarded those Maria had already sent answers for.
"Don't you have a desk for this sort of thing?" Sophia said, sitting on the floor across from Maria in her designated office. At least they had a carpet.
"They're still bringing up the rest of the furniture to my room," Maria said. "Maybe tomorrow."
Sophia shook her head. "This manor isn't very livable yet, is it?" she said.
"There are people already living in it," Maria pointed out.
"Well, yes, it's commoner-livable," Sophia allowed. "But not really noble-livable? I suppose that's why you haven't held a welcome party yet."
Maria blinked, looking up. "Am I supposed to?"
"Well, yeah," Sophia said. "Even nobles living in townhouses hold one. It's basically to let people know you're ready for visitors."
Maria looked down at the responses she'd drafted.
"Maybe I should rewrite those…" Maria said.
"You probably should," Sophia agreed. "Invite us the party, all right."
Maria considered the rest of the manor, and then the estate, and wondered whether that was ever likely to happen. Despite all the changes she'd made, all the souls she'd put into it, all the preparations for all the people living in it, the place didn't feel like a home. It felt… like a building she owned and worked at.
It was semi-familiar territory. She'd felt the same about the Research Hall, despite not owning it. As least no one was suffering here that she couldn't help…
Sophia left with the letter of rights to transfer the souls to the account they'd established at the bank at the capital. They also agreed that perhaps she should be the one to go from noble to noble meeting them about commissions while Maria took charge of building up their infrastructure and getting her affairs even more in order.
"You just like the long carriage rides to read books while traveling," Maria said.
"I'll admit, it's not a problem," Sophia said cheerfully. "See you tomorrow!"
Maria waved goodbye to her as she left, wondering why becoming a working adult as a knight felt so different about becoming a working adult as a hunter.
As she walked back into her manor, she realized she still needed a maid…
…
An Anne Interlude
Anne had been looking forward to her coming days off. The news that her dear lady would soon be leaving again in a day to visit her cousins at the Duchy of Hasard was a terrible blow, as she would not have enough time to leave and come back again.
Fortunately, the stable had told her grace the duchess that the suspension of the carriage was a little loose and needed a few minor repairs, which would take a couple of days, setting back the planned departure. Her dear lady had generously given Anne time to go on her leave. Lady Katarina's smile had been strangely smug and knowing as she'd permitted Anne to leave in the other carriage (which would be carrying their luggage and other non-personal maid servants) to go see her friend and come back. It had been very confusing. Anne would have been nervous that she had been found out if it hadn't been, well, Lady Katarina. She loved her lady, but she was denser than titanite and ate enough to be as heavy. The thought that she might have realized Anne had somehow found a lover while being completely oblivious to the affections of everyone around her, Lord Keith and Anne included, was ludicrous.
She was pretty sure the carriage driver had worked it out, but besides some amused eyebrow raises, he hadn't said anything. While the Claes weren't the sort to regularly kill their servants to preserve their dirty secrets, the way the man who'd sired Anne had been, it was best not to give the masters reason to think you were testing their mercy by having loose lips about destinations and the persons going to those destinations. Even just other servants.
Tomorrow, she'd go on a well-deserved and, hopefully, exhausting leave from her duties for a couple of days so she would have enough memories to sustain her for however long she would have to accompany her dear lady in a far-off land away from her beloved Alice. Tonight, she gave instructions to her underlings as to what to pack. Against her better judgement, she made sure her lady would have some of her favorite farming tools, if only for comfort.
Anne had to sigh. Most ladies had a beloved doll. Her dear lady had a favorite hoe. Not a favored prostitute, an actual tool for breaking up the soil and sowing literal instead of figurative oats. Not that her dear lady sowed oats, grains produced too little in the area she could grow in.
But that was her dear Katarina.
She spent the night getting things ready for her first love so that all might be in order for her journey. Only in the moments as she prepared to finally sleep, her own packing done, did she let her thoughts drift to her beloved.
As always, she felt the twinge of guilt at the betrayal she had done now-Lady Maria Campbell. She had liked the girl, who had been quiet, honest, and friendly, in her own way, and always respectful. She had been gladdened to hear she was knighted, thinking that if anyone had deserved it, it was Maria.
And now Anne was secretly sleeping with her mother.
Even among commoner circles, you could get beaten or knifed for that sort of violation of the ancient and unspoken covenant of womankind, one of whose tenets was to never sleep with someone's parent without their blessing.
Yet the feeling of being a treacherous coward could not give Anne enough reservation to stop. She closed her eyes and dreamed of her beloved Alice's face…
Then had to get up and wash in some cold water as it was superimposed on her daughter Maria's body. She REALLY hoped her dear lady made good on making Maria her own sleepwear. Finding out that Maria had inherited strongly from her mother had made for a VERY uncomfortable night.
Eventually though, she drifted off into the realm of Quella, where no blessings were needed…