Chương 428: Chapter 423 - The sisters

Evelyne stifled a yawn behind her hand as she exchanged greetings with one of the servant women carrying a basket of fresh linens down the hall, returning the woman's small curtsy with a nod. She paused before the double doors leading into the dining hall, her thoughts still tangled in the stack of paperwork waiting on her desk, then pushed them open. Bright chandeliers flooded the room with light, making her tired eyes sting for a moment. She lingered just long enough for them to adjust before stepping inside.

Her gaze settled on Garside, standing near the far end of the long dining table.

"Garside," she began.

"Could you—" She stopped short. The faint clink of spoon against porcelain echoed through the hall. Evelyne's eyes shifted to the table. Someone was already seated there. A woman sat alone near the end, a bowl of soup and a plate of bread set neatly in front of her. The woman looked up, spoon hovering halfway to her mouth. Their eyes met. They stared at one another for several seconds.

"…Garside," Evelyne said eventually, keeping her voice level as she glanced sideways at the elderly butler, "who is our guest?"

"This is Miss Skye," Garside replied smoothly, dipping his head.

"My lady instructed us to extend her and her companions our hospitality. I have therefore taken it upon myself to ensure their stay is as comfortable as circumstances allow." Evelyne's gaze returned to Skye. The woman continued to study her, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. A faint frown creased Evelyne's brow. One of them, then. One of the group that had attacked the mansion yesterday. Scarlett had mentioned them. Mentioned that Her Highness was among them.

But she hadn't realised that her sister had apparently… invited them to stay. Or that she would encounter them over breakfast.

"Lady Evelyne," Garside said, drawing her from her thoughts.

"Shall I arrange something for you as well?" She started shaking her head, then stopped. Her eyes lingered on Skye for a moment longer. The woman looked about her age, yet entirely out of place here. Her clothes were the sort one wore while travelling. Evelyne wet her lips before nodding.

"Yes. Thank you, Garside." She hadn't eaten much the night before — too keyed up after hearing that Scarlett had clashed with Her Highness. Again. If she skipped it now, she would regret it later. Awkward or not, Scarlett had clearly offered these people her hospitality for a reason, and Evelyne wasn't about to undermine that. She crossed the hall and took the seat to the left of the table's head, directly opposite Skye. Skye's eyes followed her the entire time, the spoon still suspended above her bowl.

Evelyne offered a polite smile.

"Hello. I'm Evelyne Hartford. Scarlett's younger sister." She hesitated briefly.

"You're…just Skye? Do you have a family name?"

"I don't," Skye replied, finally setting the spoon down.

"It's just Skye."

"I see." Evelyne shifted in her chair as Garside stepped up beside her, placing a neatly arranged set of empty dishes before her.

"If you would," he murmured to the air. A moment passed. Then, with a subtle shift, steaming dishes appeared on the plates.

"Thank you kindly," Garside said.

"Tea, Lady Evelyne?"

"Please." Evelyne watched as he moved to the serving table to prepare it. She turned back to Skye, who was eyeing the freshly appeared food.

"…That's handy."

"It is," Evelyne agreed. Garside had only recently begun teaching the Loci tricks like that. Evelyne had been just as surprised the first time she saw it. The house spirit was still learning, growing more capable by the day. Meals prepared before dawn could now stay warm until someone actually came to eat, which was incredibly convenient for mornings like this. Evelyne tore off a small piece of bread, dipping it lightly into the soup before tasting it.

Skye eventually returned to her own meal, lifting her spoon again. The hall settled into a quiet broken only by the soft sounds of eating. Almost immediately, Evelyne regretted not asking Garside to bring her breakfast to her office instead. It wouldn't even have been a lie to say she was busy. Instead, she now found herself trying to think of something—anything—to say to this person. Her sister might not mind this sort of silence, but Evelyne did.

Sitting across from someone in silence like this made her skin prickle.

"So," Skye suddenly said. Evelyne tensed despite herself.

"Yes?" Skye looked up at her.

"What is it that you do?" Evelyne blinked.

"Pardon?"

"You're her sister," Skye continued.

"Does that come with, like, responsibilities? She's a baroness, so she has land to manage, right?" Evelyne studied her for a moment, then nodded.

"That's correct. Our barony's fief lies further inland, to the north-west. We maintain a keep there called Stagmond."

"Oh. Do you…usually live there? Or is it more of a seasonal thing?"

"No. Traditionally, the head of our family resides here in this mansion."

"Doesn't that make ruling harder?"

"In some respects," Evelyne admitted.

"But there are only a few small villages near Stagmond. It rarely requires constant oversight. It is generally more practical for us to remain here in Freybrook, where trade and political matters are centred." She paused.

"As for me, I assist Scarlett with managing the barony's businesses and land interests."

"So you're kind of the vice-baroness," Skye said, leaning forward slightly as she sipped her soup. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. Evelyne hesitated, then allowed herself a small smile.

"I suppose you could say that."

"Neat."

"Only if you enjoy being buried under endless paperwork." Skye glanced up at her again. Evelyne cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks warm slightly.

"What I mean is that our barony now carries far more influence than it once did. That brings opportunities, certainly — but also far more complications than a small barony is usually prepared to handle."

"Makes sense." Skye returned to her food. The silence crept back in. Evelyne watched her for a few moments longer before resuming her own meal. Not long after, Garside placed a teacup before her, steam curling gently from its surface as the scent of herbs rose into the air. She smiled at him.

"Thank you."

"Of course, young lady," he replied with a faint bow before returning to his place by the wall. Evelyne wrapped her fingers around the cup, letting the warmth seep in as she inhaled the scent. Her gaze drifted back to Skye.

"…If you don't mind me asking," she said carefully, "is there a reason you're up this early?" Most of the staff were awake by now, but guests usually weren't. And given the circumstances, it struck Evelyne as odd to find Skye here alone. Skye paused with her spoon close to her mouth, lips tightening slightly. She remained quiet for a few seconds before answering.

"My friend doesn't sleep too well in places like this. I got up early to sit with her, but she ended up falling asleep anyway, and I didn't want to wake her." She shrugged.

"Then I got hungry, and your butler said I could eat here."

"That's unfortunate," Evelyne said.

"About your friend, I mean. But at least she managed to get some rest." She hesitated.

"I'm…sure yesterday must have been exhausting for all of you." Skye's expression stiffened. Evelyne immediately wished she had phrased that differently. Skye stayed silent, then returned to her meal. She tore off a piece of bread and dipped it into her soup.

"Do you know where your sister is right now?" she asked without looking up.

"Scarlett?" Evelyne couldn't quite keep the surprise from her voice.

"Yeah. Unless you've got more siblings?"

"No, I don't." Evelyne considered her.

"Do you wish to speak with her?" Skye huffed quietly.

"Don't got much choice." She took another bite, then glanced towards the door.

"Is she still sleeping?"

"I doubt it," Evelyne said.

"Scarlett has been rising earlier than this most mornings. She's always occupied with something." Scarlett's tendency to overwork herself had become a recurring concern shared between Rosa and the others, and occasionally with Evelyne as well. She and Rosa sometimes had small chats in the evenings, and the bard often suggested small ways they might ease Scarlett's self-imposed burdens. Evelyne wanted to help where she could.

That was why she spent most of her days buried in administrative work, filtering reports and correspondence so Scarlett only had to deal with what truly mattered. If she couldn't help her sister contend with cabals, Viles, or gods, she could at least shoulder this much. That reminded her. She turned slightly, looking back at Garside.

"Did you make sure Scarlett ate this morning?" The man inclined his head.

"I did. Though she requested that I refrain from reminding her so frequently. She insists she is perfectly capable of remembering." Evelyne snorted softly.

"Most of the time, perhaps." Just last night, Rosa had been complaining about Scarlett nearly forgetting to eat that morning, before heading into battle on a half-empty stomach and far too little 'beauty sleep'. Evelyne knew the bard tended to exaggerate most things, but she didn't doubt the core of it for a second. As self-assured and egocentric as her sister could come across, Evelyne sometimes wondered whether Scarlett spared herself any consideration at all these days. She turned back to Skye.

"If you wish to speak with Scarlett, I'm sure she would see you whenever you ask. Simply tell Garside, and he will arrange it." Skye's hazel eyes flicked to the butler, watching him for a moment before returning to Evelyne.

"…Alright. I'll wait until the others are up, though."

"That's understandable." Evelyne took a sip of her tea, savouring the taste. When she lowered the cup, she noticed Skye was still watching her, a faintly thoughtful expression on her face.

"…Is there something you'd like to ask?" Skye kept studying her, then formed a mild frown.

"You're pretty normal." Evelyne paused.

"…Thank you?"

"I meant compared to your sister."

"Oh." Evelyne adjusted her grip on the cup.

"…Yes. We are rather different." She took another sip.

"You remind me of Regina," Skye said. That nearly made Evelyne choke. She looked up, eyes widening.

"Are you referring to Her Highness?"

"Yeah."

"…You call her by her name?" Skye gave her an odd look.

"It'd be kind of rude not to, wouldn't it?" Evelyne shook her head.

"Most would argue the opposite." She couldn't even imagine addressing a member of the imperial family so casually.

"Because she's a princess?" Skye asked.

"Yes."

"That sounds rude to me. Just refusing to use her name." Evelyne exhaled quietly. If anything confirmed Skye wasn't a noble, it was this.

"It isn't. It is a matter of respect and propriety," she said.

"Respect for the title, maybe," Skye replied.

"But not for her. If she asks you to call her Regina and you refuse, that just means you respect the crown more than the person wearing it, doesn't it? Regina says that's just how things are, but I don't really see why they have to be." She paused briefly.

"People should have the brainpower to tell the difference between when it's okay to treat her like a princess and when to treat her like a person. It doesn't have to be one or the other literally all the time." Evelyne regarded her earnestly. She couldn't say she was entirely wrong. But in most situations, you simply did not address royalty that way.

"If Her Highness herself has given you permission, I won't fault you for it," Evelyne finally said.

"But I would strongly advise you not to do so around Scarlett." Her sister could be very strict about those things. Skye's expression darkened slightly.

"Why? What'll she do? Lock me in a cell again?" Evelyne stilled.

"…Did she do that before?"

"Yes."

"To Her Highness as well?"

"No. Just me." A small breath of relief escaped Evelyne before she could stop it. She quickly schooled her expression.

"Given what you came here to do, that may have been a restrained response," she said. Skye picked up her spoon again, eyes dropping to her soup as she stirred it absently.

"Well… what else was I supposed to do?" Evelyne sipped her tea, uncertain about what she might say in response to that. She'd only heard fragments of what had happened the day before, but she knew that Scarlett had fought this same group before in Beld Thylelion — and spared them then. Her sister seemed to believe that they were significant. Perhaps it was tied to Fate in some way, but Evelyne didn't know what Scarlett wanted with them. Without knowing that, it was hard to determine an appropriate remark.

The situation itself was bizarre enough. Sitting here, sharing breakfast with someone who had helped assault their estate less than a day ago would leave most people at a loss for words. It was only because Scarlett somehow managed to create these types of situations so often that Evelyne had learned to maintain some semblance of calm. Still… she could understand Skye's frustration. And her unease around Scarlett.

"She's not as heartless as she appears," Evelyne found herself saying. Skye looked up.

"You mean your sister?" Evelyne nodded, lowering her gaze slightly.

"Yes. I know she can seem cold…and severe. But I've seen firsthand that there's more to her than that. She tries to be better, even when it does not come naturally." Skye's eyebrows rose somewhat.

"You're trying to say she's actually a big softie underneath?" A crease formed on Evelyne's forehead as she set her cup down.

"No. Not that." The old Scarlett wouldn't have tolerated that word. She had been about as far from it as one could get. The current Scarlett was…more complicated. But even now, it still didn't fit. Rosa might dare to call her that to her face. Evelyne did not.

"So…the overbearing big-sister type, then?" Skye said after some time.

"I know the type."

"You have a sister, then?" Evelyne asked.

"I—" Skye stopped. A deep scowl pulled across her face.

"…No. I don't. At least, I don't think I do." Her eyes narrowed, and then her whole body gave a small shiver, as though she'd brushed up against something unpleasant.

"Nope. No. Definitely not." Evelyne studied her for a long moment.

"I don't mean to offend, but you're not exactly…normal, are you?" Skye's expression relaxed.

"People have told me that before. I usually point out that it's a pretty unnormal thing to say."

"You did tell me earlier that I was 'pretty normal.'""I did. Not saying it has to make sense." The two of them sat there for a few seconds before Evelyne let out a small, amused chuckle.

"I think you would get along well with Rosa and Kat." A grimace spread across Skye's face.

"The crazy scary demon lady? Hard pass." Evelyne smiled faintly. The idea of anyone finding Rosa frightening was strangely funny to her. She knew the bard possessed terrifying power, but having never actually seen it herself, it was difficult to reconcile with the woman she knew.

"If you would prefer—" she began, but stopped as the doors to the dining hall opened. Skye turned immediately, her face lighting up.

"Regina!" Evelyne froze. She turned towards the dark-haired woman who had just entered.

"Y–Your Highness." She rose from her chair. The First Imperial Princess regarded her for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh as she turned back to Skye.

"Have you spoken with the Baroness yet? If not, I believe it would be best if we did so soon."