Their graces the duke and duchess Claes did not appear for lunch.
A part of Maria was glad for that, for she did not want to be in the presence of the man who might have sired her, but she was a bit worried for the duchess. Surely this can't be healthy?
"The master and mistress asked for their lunch to be bought to them, my lady," the Claes Manor's butler said when Katarina inquired. "Have no fear, yesterday's lunch, dinner and today's breakfast was also taken to them. I assure you they are in vigorous health, merely indisposed."
"Oh, that's good," Katarina sighed in relief. She turned to Keith. "I guess this means you're finally going to be an older brother soon."
Maria and Keith both started choking on their food as every servant in the room suddenly tripped and stumbled in surprise. Even the ones just standing there not moving.
Only Katarina's cousin Matthew was physically unaffected by the declaration, and even then she was blushing in embarrassment. "Cousin Katarina!" she cried. "Don't just say such things in public!"
"Eh?" Katarina said. "But this isn't public, this is our dining room."
"Even so, one shouldn't just… imply things like that!" Matthew said.
As this was going on, Keith and Maria were giving each other horrified looks, silently asking and denying that they were the one who had told Katarina about… those things. Their eyes met, and both nodded grimly as they decided to blame Sophia and her lewd taste in books.
Katarina then brought out a strange magic tool filled with pink… stuff?... and served it to them with a happy smile. The two looked at the ping… substance… with some wariness, but Keith tasted it anyway.
Then his eyes went wide and he started shoveling it into his mouth.
Maria felt that meant it was all right to proceed, delicately using a spoon to shave up some which seemed to contain bits of strawberry and popped it into her mouth.
…
…
…
As her brains started functioning again, Maria considered that she finally understood, just a little, the feelings of the people who greatly desired Katarina.
…
But not, it was still deplorable and borderline-pedophilia in spirit. She was like a child!
Which, quite frankly, explained how she could come up with this strange but deliciously sweet and creamy food…
Maria wondered what it would taste like with blood…
After lunch and the seconds, thirds and fourths of dessert, the one time in memory that Maria could remember she or Keith eating as much as Katarina, Maria excused herself to return home to work.
Well, she planned to excuse herself, but Katarina had asked if she could come along to see the children and have them try some of her dessert– which she apparently called 'I Scream', which seemed strangely appropriate, since that was what the children would likely do when they finished their bowls– taking with her the strange magic tool and a basket of ingredients, including jars of strawberry jam. So of course Keith asked to come along as well. And then Katarina invited her cousin along, since Maria had already invited her to visit.
Suffice to say, Marria's carriage was full on the journey back, with the ingredients inside with them instead of stored on the roof since they were perishable foods.
"Hey Lady Maria?" Katarina said after a while.
"Yes, Lady Katarina?"
"Is it just me or is no one–"
Keith reached up and put a hand over his sister's mouth, shaking his head. Maria was thankful. It was getting tiring constantly being asked that question. Really, did no one know how carriages and horses worked?
Katarina appearing didn't mean Maria would have the children be let out of school early. It would be disruptive to their education, after all.
Katarina was fine with that, as she apparently needed some time to make her I Scream. Maria let her set up in the kitchen in the nook she usually used herself to make sweets. She and some of the curious kitchen staff watched as Katarina added milk, cream, and sugar together, then poured some of it with some jam into the vessel-like magic tool.
"And that's done!" Katarina said. "The magic tool will make ice on the outside to cool down the cream while mixing it up at the same time so it doesn't become one large frozen chunk. Now we just need to have bowls ready for everyone so they can eat it."
Maria suddenly realized she wanted that magic tool with an avarice and carnal desire she thought once reserved for blood and Rafael. Maybe she could ask Larna Smith to make it. Apparently, the woman was actually becoming productive at the Ministry nowadays, with Rafael controlling her budget, projects and insisting on practical, useable magic tools. The ogre-killer magic tool was still needing refinement, though. Every iteration had difficulties with size, weight, maneuverability and potentially killing the operator, with every version removing a previous problem but adding a new one. On the other hand, apparently all the dormitory showers in the Ministry were now heated.
Katarina then went off to tend to her fields while the magic tool worked, taking Keith and her cousin with her. Said cousin watched in bemusement for a moment, before shrugging and moving to join her cousins with farm work. Well, Maria supposed she WAS related to Katarina…
Maria went to her own office, Sadako having started to follow her at some point. Then she sat back down and did her paperwork until she heard the faint disturbance that signified the end of classes for her wards and the town's children.
It said something that Maria felt comforted hearing the rhythms of a school in her own home. Probably that there was no hope for her soul.
When she came downstairs, she found her mother and Miss Shelley in attendance, along with Sophia and, surprisingly unsurprisingly, Nicol Ascart. Katarina was carrying the large vessel-shaped magic tool, while the servants had laid out bowls and spoons as she had requested. She set them down next to the bowls while the children, including the town's children, crowded around her curiously, Shio the dragon-kin standing out due to her tail. Amusingly, Keith already had a bowl and spoon in hand.
"Sadako, please secure a spoon and bowl for me," Maria murmured. She could feel her maid bowing to her and slipping away.
Sure, it was petty, but that I Scream was REALLY delicious!
Now, if she could just find some blood to pour on it…
Alice Campbell watched sadly as Anne spoke to Lady Katarina. Soon they would have to be parted again. Anne would have to return to working at her lady's side, while Alice… well, she'd actually been too busy to figure out what she would do, what with her mind being in a constant state of Anne-bliss when her body wasn't being wracked by so much pleasure she felt like a teenager again.
And now that would soon have to end.
She scolded herself for being spoiled. She'd endured perfectly well when she'd been raising her daughter alone. Surely she could endure the days or weeks that she'd be apart from Anne…
She could already tell she couldn't.
She could tell when the conversation between Anne and Lady Katarina ended when Anne bowed and stepped away toward the table where the butler Ghirardeli had been assigned the duty of putting the… 'ice cream'?... into bowls and distributing them. And now Lady Katarina was walking towards her, and…
"Mrs. Campbell," Lady Katarina said with that same happy, guileless smile she'd given back when she'd tried– badly– to disguise herself as a commoner when they'd first met. "I'm glad you're all right."
"Thank you, my lady," Alice said, bowing as was proper.
Surprisingly, Lady Katarina laughed. "Oh, none of that. Anyone sleeping with my maid can call me Katarina's. Anne's family after all, so that makes you family too."
Alice felt her face reddening. Though Maria still hadn't seemed to realize their relationship, more than a few people at the manor had worked it out. Rafael, the butler, some of the maids, Rafael's maid Lasciel, many of the foreign women, some of the children…
It was too much. Alice expected people to start sneering at her, snubbing her, calling her a whore… expected it would be just like it had been in their old town. It would start here, she felt. Lady Katarina would…
… hug her gently and warmly?
"Thank you for making Anne happy," Lady Katarina said, smiling at her. Were… were those tears in her eyes? "Anne deserves it, and you deserve it. I'm glad for you both."
Ah… she forgot. Lady Katarina was a good, kind girl. She was glad her Maria had such nice friends.
Lady Katarina leaned forward and whispered mischievously into her ear. "And I'll be sure to bring Anne over every day if I can so you two can have some fun time while Maria's working," she said with a wide, knowing grim and a thumbs up. "After lunch sound good?" She winked.
Alice blushed, but by the time enough blood had gone to her face to make it obvious, Lady Katarina had run off, talking to one of the foreign women in their foreign language
Anne returned carrying two bowls and spoons, staring after her mistress but making no move to follow her. "What was that about?" she said, holding out one of the bowls to Alice.
"I… think she was giving us her blessing… I think?" Alice said, still blushing. She tried to cover it up by taking a spoonful of the strange, cold food Lady Katarina had made with her magic pot.
…
!
Alice found herself making a noise she usually only made while naked.
"Should I be concerned?" Anne said.
For the first time since they'd met, Alice ignored her in favor of taking another spoonful.
!
"Are you cheating on me with a food?" Anne said, frowning down at her own bowl and taking a suspicious taste.
…
!
Anne started making a noise she usually only made while naked.
Needless to say, Katarina's popularity rose even higher in the Campbell Estate.