When the storm finally ended, Maria expected the sudden influx of visitors trying their luck. Truthfully, they weren't wrong. The days of rain had meant the crops hadn't been tended to, not to mention the damage the winds had caused, and so Maria gave Katarina the week off on knight training– except for her morning drills for muscle memory– so she could help the children deal with the damage to the crops as the estate's senior-most farmer. She had to surmise the usual suspects would be aware of the sort of damage a storm would cause, and how much work Katarina would need to fix it, and so had come pouring in.

She stood outside expectantly, waiting for her inevitable guests. Rafael had already taken the carriage back to the Ministry earlier that morning, since he didn't want to risk Larna Smith building something while he was gone. It was disappointing, but this was an adult's life. She just wished he'd ravish her already…

Maria watched as the first carriage, covered in mud and shaking slightly, no doubt having taken the muddy roads at speeds inadvisable, came into view. It was Mary Hunt, being incredibly unsubtle about her infidelity to her fiancé– even more so than usual, that is– as she went straight to the person of her lust.

Still, she at least maintained enough decorum to be dropped off in front of Maria instead of trying to make a bonewheel line to the farm fields where Katarina and the children were working.

"Good morning, Lady Hunt" Maria greeted, hiding her exasperation and amusement well. "What a complete and utterly unexpected surprise to see you. What brings you to my humble lands?"

"Lady Campbell," Lady Hunt smiled with the dangerous insincerity of a two-faced courtier twice her age. "After the recent storm, I was wondering if you needed any help with your plants. I know you and so on and so forth, where's Lady Katarina?"

"Huh," Maria said, letting her amusement show. "That façade fell apart rather quickly."

"I haven't seen Lady Katarina in days, I'm not wasting time," Lady Hunt said with forthright honesty.

Maria shrugged. "Fair enough. Sadako will show you to a changing room for you to slip into your farming clothes. Did you bring proper boots? It's very muddy out."

Lady Hunt looked offended. "Of course I did! Do you think I'm some sort of farming novice and brought high heels?"

She tugged her skirts, revealing the solid, respectable boots, of the sort a farmer would wear, without the fripperies and folds of fashionable noble wear.

"Oh my," Maria commented. "How lewd of you Lady Hunt, showing me your ankles like that. What would people say?"

"Says the woman who comes to a sleepover naked," Lady Hunt retorted.

"The invitation said to come in sleepwear, that's what I wear when I sleep," Maria said unapologetically. Really, sleeping naked was so much more comfortable.

Lady Hunt rolled her eyes. "I hope you haven't been teaching my student that nonsense," she said.

"If you don't hurry, Sophia will arrive," Maria said blandly.

Lady Hunt darted a wary look towards the gate, then gestured to her maid, Martha. The purple-haired maid followed after her mistress, bearing the farm clothes, and nodding to her fellow maid Sadako in passing. The carriage creaked towards the carriage house, where Maria already had a smith and cartwright on hand to help patch up the vehicle for the return journey.

The next to arrive was, surprisingly, Dame Matthew. Her loaned Claes carriage moved at a more sedate pace, and didn't look muddy or hard-pressed at all.

Maria smiled and waved enthusiastically as Dame Matthew stepped down, and the other knight returned the ancient gesture of greeting and camaraderie. "Good morning, Dame Matthew. What a pleasant surprise. Are you here to check up on Squire Katarina?"

"Yes," the knight said. "Auntie sent me. She thought that Katarina would be farming instead of training today because of the storm, and sent me to see how she was doing."

"She will be glad to see you," Maria said. "You will be staying for lunch and possibly dinner? Katarina already has the I Scream magic tool preparing a batch for dessert."

Dame Matthew's eyes glittered. "I'm sorry for the imposition," she said.

"Not at all," Maria said, waving her away. "I'm afraid I can't spar with you, as I have to inspect my towns and roads, but perhaps we can do so later in the week?"

"I'll look forward to it," Dame Matthew said.

The two shared eager, predatory smiles, imagining the other being struck down and taking all their souls… metaphorically, of course. It was crass to wager souls on a friendly spar between friends.

"I'm surprised Lord Keith isn't with you," Maria commented.

"Ah, he's being sent to inspect and if needed restore the unpaved roads of the Duchy after the storm we just had," Dame Matthew said. "He really wanted to come, but duty called. He asked me to give Katarina his regards."

"Duty first," Maria agreed. "Do you need to get changed?"

Dame Matthew shook her head. "No, I'm used to my light armor getting muddy," she said, indicating her purple boots, leather pants, and leather armor. "I'll change later."

Maria nodded. "Lunch will be held outside, due to mud," she said. "Well, I shall not keep you. A pleasure to see you, Dame Matthew."

The knight nodded, moving off to the fields carrying only a small buckler, which for her was casually lightly armed, the way Maria was only carrying a shortsword and a one-shot pistol. It occurred to the blonde they'd never tried sparring with their casual light arms. Perhaps she should suggest it…


"You're late," Maria declared when Sophia finally arrived.

"Stupid muddy roads were stupid and muddy," she said bizarrely, as if that was any sort of explanation. "But, I am here!"

Maria nodded. "Excellent," she said. "Now you can go up and meet with the new accountants. I've interviewed them for the posts of doing accounts for the workshops after the tax season, but as the co-owner, you need to do so as well."

Sophia, wearing her farming clothes, a bandanna, and a wide-brimmed hat, froze. "B-but… storm… farm… Lady Katarina time…!"

"Farming is not the business of the Nightflower Workshop or the Arsenal Workshop," Maria said relentlessly. "After the storm, we must inspect the buildings, the storage rooms, the materials, and repair or replace anything that needs repairing or replacing because of the storm."

"Didn't you just assign a manager for things like that?" Sophia said.

"What sort of responsible employers and owners would we be if we didn't inspect our facilities when they're within bowshot," Maria said, grabbing the other woman by the arm. "Let us hurry and be thorough, I still have to inspect my holdings and you need to check on our commission agents to ensure they are unhurt."

"That's not workshop work!" Sophia declared.

"It is, I will be doing workshop paperwork in the carriage," Maria explained patiently.

"Why am I the only one you're treating like this?" Sophia wailed. "You don't treat Mary like this!"

"Mary is not my business partner, you are," Maria said. "Now, stop being childish and do your share of the work for the business."

"Why are you not this unfair to Selena? She's hardly ever over!"

Maria rolled her eyes. Honestly, so childish. "Because she's not here, and she is no doubt handling her end of supply material acquisition in the capital."

"But I want to spend time with Lady Katarina!" Sophia finally declared.

"Oh my," Maria said blandly. "Someone who only wants to spend time with my squire, Katarina Claes? How absolutely surprising. This is most definitely the first that I have heard of it." She shook her head. "Sophia, we are not in the Academy anymore. We're adults now. You have responsibilities. Responsibilities you actively sought out by choosing to become my business partner. If you neglect them, our business will suffer. If our business suffers, our employees suffer. If our employees suffer, their families suffer. And as a majority of our employees are from my lands, as their lady, I cannot allow them to suffer. So, to work you go."

"Stupid adulthood!" Sophia cursed. "Stupid responsibility! Adulthood and responsibility can go to a cliff and try jumping!"

"If you don't put in your day's work, I won't let you have any of the I Scream we're making for lunch and afternoon snack," Maria said blandly.

"Come on Maria, there's work to be done and souls to be made!" Sophia declared, striding towards the front door. "Accountants, right? Let's get that done so we can go do that inspection! Come on, don't just stand there recovering your stamina, let's get to work!"

Maria couldn't help but roll her eyes. They were out of the Academy, so why was bribing with food still working? It shouldn't be working! Odeon's invisible blood dregs, the only one food bribes for work didn't seem to work on anymore was Katarina, and that was just wrong! She'd eat anything you put in front of her, but you didn't actually need to bribe her with food to get her to work!

"Maybe I should have made Katarina a partner," Maria muttered to herself as she followed after Sophia. "She'd probably get more work done…"

She looked back down the driveway. If none of the men were there, then they probably weren't coming. Well, at least they had enough responsibility to prioritize that, rather than trying once more to get into Katarina's skirts.


Cut Content: Something He's Bad At (Non-canon)


"Write it again," Alan said, throwing down the letter his brother had just written. "It's still coming off as arrogant and overbearing."

"I know!" his brother said. "Why can't I get this right? I've written apology notes before, this should be easy!"

Alan rolled his eyes. "Brother, you never meant those apology notes, and half of them was either threatening or bribing the recipient. This is a real apology."

Nicol nodded. "Perhaps we shout start with the basics?" he suggested. "Start with your message stated plainly, then find a way to build up to it?"

"Well, we've tried every other way," Alan grunted. "Try just writing, 'Duchess Claes, I'm sorry for my presumption'. Short, simple, we can use it as a beginning theme."

The blond sighed, but dutifully wrote down the words.

His brother and best friend stared at it.

"Wow," Alan said. "How in ashes do you manage to come off as arrogant from that?"

"It doesn't read like you're sorry," Nicol agreed.

"I think we've finally found something you have absolutely no talent for," Alan said. "Apologizing."

"Aren't you two supposed to be helping me?"