"R-raven of decay?"

Celeste had just blurted that when she suddenly realized that she was holding onto something that she didn’t want anyone to catch her holding.

She immediately tried to hide it by shoving her hand behind the cushion of the velvet chair, though the movement was far too clumsy to be natural.

And then, both ladies just stared at each other like two statues caught in a moment of mutual trespassing.

Aika’s brows furrowed as her gaze dropped to Celeste’s hand. She then reached up and scratched the side of her messy hair as she broke the silence in a scratchy, disinterested voice.

"You know I do not care what you do, right?"

For some reason, Celeste felt relieved when she heard that.

"...Right."

A second passed, and then she quickly gathered herself.

’I did not even notice her at all!’

Celeste had been so engrossed in the screaming voices and the pull of the narcotic sphere that she had not noticed when or how Aika got into the room, and that gave her a small fright.

She immediately perked up and asked, "How did you get here?"

Rather than answering, Aika slowly turned to the open door that led to the extravagant bathroom. Then, her blue eyes lit up as she said in a soft voice. "I need a warm bath."

"Oh..." it was then that Celeste understood this woman, Aika, was homeless.

"Give me a second, I’ll get the maid to prepare it for you," she said as she stood up and hurried to the door. Upon opening it, she saw a maid standing near the hallway, whom she then instructed to drain the tub and refill it with fresh, hot water for her guest.

The mature woman bowed politely and immediately left to do the task. She was quite startled when she saw Aika in the room, and she even began to wonder just when the girl had entered, as she had been standing outside the door the entire time.

While the maid worked in the other room, Aika sat on the ground and leaned her back against the side of the mahogany cabinet. She looked completely drained, her eyes half-closed as she tilted her head back.

Celeste sat on the bed, and for a moment, the silence in the room between them was awkward. The only sound was the distant splashing of water from the bathroom and the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.

Celeste wanted to break the silence, because she had a lot of questions on her mind. But since Aika never used to talk to any of the party members, she wasn’t quite sure how to start a conversation.

Eventually, she asked the first thing that came to mind:

"Are you alright, Raven of Decay?"

Aika slowly raised her glassy eyes towards Celeste, but didn’t say anything and just stared through her. At this point, Celeste gave up hope for a response. But then, she was a tad bit surprised when Aika finally replied in a low voice.

"I’m famished." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

A small smile crossed Celeste’s face.

"I’ll have the maid make something for when you are done. There is a specific honey-glazed duck they prepare in the kitchens here that is famous across the district. You are going to really like it. The tenderness, good Lord. You just have to try it."

When she heard that, Aika licked her lips but tried hard not to show it. Celeste caught the small movement and added, "Oh! And we have fresh bread rolls that are still warm from the oven. Dip them in the herb-infused butter and trust that they will melt in your mouth. Then for dessert, I’ll ask Evelyn to tell the chef to make a blackberry tart topped with a dollop of chilled sweet cream. The berries were picked from the estate gardens just this morning, so they still have that sharp, wild sweetness to them. Honestly, after a bath and a meal like that, you will feel like a completely different person."

Aika was sold!

Her stomach suddenly growled, causing her cheeks to redden slightly.

She immediately covered it up with a nod and muttered sheepishly, "...Thank you."

Not long after, the maid returned and bowed to the two women. "The tub has been prepared, my lady. We have several options for the fragrance. Have you got anything specific you’d like?"

Without thinking much, Aika replied, "Wild lavender, mint and sandalwood."

***

More than half an hour later, Aika finished her bath and stepped out of the steaming tub to where the towels had been laid for her. The room was thick with the scent of sandalwood and lavender, and her skin felt tinged with the coolness of the mint.

There were clothes that had also been carefully laid out for her, like a soft silk chemise, a light summer gown, and delicate lace undergarments. But none of those were to her taste. So, when she was done drying herself off, she took out a set of dark, oversized male clothes from her inventory and put them on.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror and gave a small, tired huff. Then, grabbing her whiskey bottle, which was now mostly empty, she pushed open the door and walked back into the bedroom where the maid was waiting for her.

The maid led her out the room and down a long hall which had lots of maids who were all stealing glances at Aika.

Mind you, this entire estate was part of Marcus’s viscountcy. You see, after the cadets returned from the first ring, another person that was in a somewhat homeless position was Celeste. However, her displacement was self imposed because she didn’t want to return to her father’s barony.

And so, she had arranged to stay with her friend, Evelyn.

That aside, the two women finally reached a dining area and when the door opened, Aika could see Celeste in the center of the room. But she wasn’t the only one. Evelyn and Julius were also present, sitting around a table that was already laden with the food Celeste had promised.

While Julius was dressed in a high-collared, black silk waistcoat that made him look like a dashing vampire, Evelyn wore a simple gown of deep emerald velvet and she looked like she had been sleeping but was woken up by the news that the Raven of Decay was in her father’s viscountcy right now.

"Hey there, blood sucking..." Aika began, but before she could finish, Evelyn had rushed across the room and grabbed her by the arm.

"Welcome. I heard you stopped by to visit! Come, come. I had the chef prepare enough food stuff for you," Evelyn chirped in a burst of hospitable energy.

Although Aika had first tried to lean back a bit, she later succumbed to being dragged like a puppy to the table, after she was forced into the seat next to Celeste, who had a bright smile on her face.

Julius on the other hand, smiled handsomely, then gave a small bow, "It is a pleasure to see you, Raven of Decay."

Aika nodded, before looking away and at that moment, the maids opened the silver serving platters.

Seeing the honey-glazed duck glistening under the chandelier light, Aika felt her mouth water instantly. The aroma was a thick, sweet cloud of roasted meat and spices, and it made her blue eyes sparkle.

"I’ll help myself then."

Without even reaching for the nearest carving knife, she dug in with her hands in a way that showed etiquette be damned!

"Sure," Evelyn said with a delighted laugh. "And there’s plenty more where that came from."

...In order to avoid an awkward silence, Evelyn immediately led the other friends into gossip about the many things in the Empire they’d missed out on, and this chatter made the high-ceilinged room feel a little less like a noble’s hall and a lot more like a found home.