Setis pulled him along at a brisk pace, as if afraid he might change his mind halfway.
They crossed the main thoroughfare of the Outer City, turned into the Inner City, and headed north along King's Avenue. In less than an hour, a three-story greyish-white stone building appeared at the end of their sight.
The scale of the Duke's estate wasn't particularly flashy compared to the surrounding noble mansions. The exterior walls were built from locally sourced bluish-grey stone, with delicate ivy crawling through the crevices, looking well-tended. Two grand gates stood open at the entrance, with a guard in a deep blue uniform on either side. They straightened their backs and saluted the moment they saw Setis.
Li Yuan paused at the entrance.
He felt he really shouldn't go in. Staying in someone else's home was a different matter entirely from entertaining guests in a teahouse—especially when those guests had somewhat mysterious backgrounds. Moreover, his relationship with Setis hadn't reached the point where he could just drop in and stay at her home; the whole thing felt a bit off.
Before he could organize his words of refusal, he felt a shove against his back.
“We're here. Go on in.”
Setis's tone was casual, like she was greeting an old friend coming over for a visit, but the strength in her hand was anything but casual. Li Yuan was pushed forward two steps. He looked back at her, meeting those golden-brown eyes—they were practically screaming “Don't even think about running.”
“...At least let me walk on my own.”
“Then walk faster.”
Setis withdrew her hand and stepped past him to lead the way. Li Yuan watched her back, sighed inwardly, and followed.
The interior of the Duke's estate wasn't overly luxurious, but it was clear that everything had a history. Oil paintings hung on the walls along the corridors, their frames slightly faded, though the pigment on the canvases remained well-preserved.
The wooden floors beneath them were polished to a shine, letting out a soft creak with every step. The air held a faint, woody fragrance mixed with the scent of some nameless flowers and herbs.
Setis didn't linger in the parlor, leading Li Yuan directly to the second floor. The wooden stairs gave off a dull echo. The second-floor corridor was quieter than the first, with several closed doors on either side. Setis stopped before a door further down the hall, pushed it open, and stepped aside.
“This room is my... guest room. No one usually uses it. You can rest here for a bit.”
The room wasn't large, but it was thoughtfully arranged. A single bed with light grey sheets sat against the wall, and a magic desk lamp sat on the nightstand next to a few books. The window faced the backyard, offering a view of the gardens below and a small patch of the distant sky.
“The bedding was just changed yesterday; I checked with the butler,” Setis said, standing at the door without entering. “If you need anything, just press the bell by the headboard and a servant will come.”
Before Li Yuan could say anything, Setis had already backed out and pulled the door shut. Her footsteps receded down the corridor toward the stairs.
Standing in the room, Li Yuan surveyed the space that temporarily belonged to him. He took off his pristine cyan robe, draped it over the back of a chair, and walked to the window to look out. From here, he could see a good portion of the Duke's estate.
He drew the curtains and sat on the bed for a moment.
Whatever. I'll stay... it won't be for long anyway.
Setis went downstairs and found her mother in a pavilion in the backyard.
The Duchess was sitting in a rattan chair drinking tea, leafing through an open book of poetry. She wore a light blue lounge dress today, her long golden hair pinned up in a loose bun, and she seemed to be in a good mood. An exquisite bone china tea set sat on the stone table in the pavilion; half a cup of black tea remained in the cup, beside a small plate with a few mostly untouched cookies.
“Mother,” Setis said, entering the pavilion and sitting opposite her, hands on her knees, posture perfectly straight.
The Duchess looked up at her daughter, set down the poetry book, and a smile touched the corners of her mouth.
“You're back? How are things at the academy?”
“The ruins are still being cleared, but the damage to the teaching buildings isn't too severe. It's estimated that some parts can be used in a few days,” Setis answered seriously, then added, “Dean Napa said he'll arrange for the senior grades to prioritize resuming classes.”
“That's good.” The Duchess took a sip of tea, her gaze lingering on her daughter's face for a moment. “You seem a bit different today. Usually, the first thing you do when you get back from the academy is head to the training ground.”
Setis's hands unconsciously tightened on her knees.
“Mother, I have something to tell you.”
“Hmm?”
“I—” She took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision. “I brought someone back to stay.”
The Duchess's hand holding the tea cup paused slightly. She set the cup down, closed the poetry book, and pushed it aside. A spark of light flashed in her golden-brown eyes, which were quite similar to Setis's, and the curve of her smile deepened.
“Oh? Who?”
“It's—the tea shop owner I mentioned to you before.” Setis's words began to speed up, as if she were bolstering her own courage. “His tea shop was blown up during the Blood Moon Cult attack. He has nowhere to live now and doesn't have much money on him. Staying in a hotel isn't a long-term solution, so I... I let him stay at our house for a while.”
After finishing this long explanation, she stole a glance at her mother. The Duchess's expression was hard to describe—it wasn't anger or surprise, but rather as if she had caught the scent of something interesting.
“The young man who sold you the peace talismans in the plaza?”
“Yes.”
“The one who used an amulet to block a full-strength strike from Rank 7 magic at the academy?”
Setis's expression stiffened slightly. She hadn't told anyone about that, but her mother had somehow managed to find out the details. Then again, her mother knew half the noble ladies in the capital; there was no keeping such news from her.
“...Yes.”
“The one who is quite handsome?”
“—Mother!”
The Duchess laughed, a soft sound, but the light in her eyes grew brighter. She leaned forward, resting her chin on one hand while the fingers of her other hand tapped gently on the cover of the poetry book.
“What is his name?”
“Li Yuan.”
“How old is he?”
“...In his early twenties, I think?”
Setis wasn't sure herself; she had never asked Li Yuan his age.
“Where is he from? What does his family do?”
“He—he's from the Bacas Principality. He opened that tea shop in the capital two years ago. I'm not really sure what his family does...” Setis reached this point and suddenly realized she was being led along by a string of questions. She hurriedly interrupted, “Mother! I'm only letting him stay for a short while. He'll leave as soon as his teahouse is rebuilt. Could you please stop asking all this?”
Seeing her daughter so flustered and embarrassed, the Duchess's smile deepened. She reached out, took another sip of tea, and set it down slowly.
“Fine, I won't ask. Let him stay. We have plenty of guest rooms; it's a waste to leave them empty.”
Setis breathed a sigh of relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing.
“However—” the Duchess's tone shifted. “You'll have to tell your father yourself. If he doesn't agree, I can't help you. You know your father's temperament. If he doesn't give the nod, this man can't truly enter our family.”
Setis's face instantly flushed a deep red, the heat spreading from her neck all the way to the tips of her ears.
“What do you mean 'enter the family'! I told you, it's just a temporary stay—it's far too early for that!” She stood up, threw out those words, and turned to bolt out of the pavilion, her pace as fast as if she were fleeing for her life. Her footsteps thudded loudly against the stone steps of the pavilion, and in the blink of an eye, she had vanished down the garden path.
The Duchess watched her daughter's retreating back, the curve of her smile softening. She picked up her poetry book again, but her gaze didn't fall on the pages. Instead, she looked toward the second-floor window where the curtains had just been drawn.
“...The child has grown up.”
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