Chương 90: “An Empty House”

Yesterday's mandatory class had gone on as usual, with nothing noteworthy. Professor Griffin had briefed the students on Floors 11 through 15. The environment was a much bigger problem than the monsters they'd encounter on the floor. Temperatures dropped sharply once you stepped onto Floor 11 and only got worse from there. Insulated clothing, fire-starting equipment, shelter materials; without those, a party could freeze before they ever encountered other threats. The trials assigned on these floors varied.

Some required traveling between points, others asked climbers to remain within the floor for a set period, or to defeat specific creatures. Griffin's recommendation was the same regardless: prepare thoroughly, complete the assigned trial, and leave as soon as possible. Deaths at this point were almost entirely a matter of preparation.

The resources one could obtain available within the floors, such as magic stones from monsters or whatever could be scavenged from their remains, were minimal and normally considered worthless. After that, the same old routine followed. The crumbly status stones were distributed. Celestia pressed hers and submitted her updated false report, adjusted just enough to suggest modest, remarkable growth. And classes were done. Thankfully, Floor 15 wouldn't be a problem for Celestia, in any case. She had a secret weapon.

As for this weekend… her parents were coming to visit. A letter had arrived a few days ago from her mother. Duchess Evelyn von Reingarde had written at considerable length about the fact that Celestia had not come home during the semester break. She was, according to the letter, heartbroken. So did several variations of "your poor mother" written in the third person, as though the Duchess were narrating her own suffering for an audience.

The dramatics were rooted in hurtful distress; Duchess Evelyn simply wanted Celestia to know that she was missed, and she communicated that in the most theatrical way available to her, which was why both of her parents were now coming to Summit this weekend to see how she was doing. Celestia had already put Martha in charge of accommodations. The best hotel in the Noble's district had been reserved, a suite with a view of the city.

Martha had handled the booking, the advance payments, and the coordination with the hotel's staff. The woman was ecstatic, clearly upset at not having been able to properly serve the heads of the Reingarde Household last time; simply one mention of the Duke and Duchess visiting had been enough to send her into a frenzy. The itinerary, however, Celestia had prepared herself.

Their last visit had been a surprise; her parents had arrived unannounced and because there had been no plan, they had spent the afternoon visiting only a few places, mainly focused on shopping. The city itself had gone largely unseen. That was why Celestia had mapped out a route through the tourist spots worth visiting: the garden terraces overlooking the districts, the glass-roofed hall in the merchant quarters where one could easily see the hustle-and-bustle of the city.

There was also the old watchtower near the city center, which had been converted into a restaurant. Places her mother would enjoy for the scenery and her father would enjoy because her mother enjoyed them. Multiple dresses had been prepared. An astonishing number of sets for the two days they were in the city for.

In fact, even letters had already been sent ahead to the establishments on the itinerary, informing them that Duke and Duchess Reingarde would be visiting and that the quality of service should reflect such grace accordingly. Celestia reviewed the itinerary several more times, and had even checked the schedules of the spots they had planned on visiting. For some reason, she was a bit excited. It had been a while since she had seen her parents.

The semester break had come and gone, and she had spent most of it working—meetings, contracts, the potion development, the mining operation. She tapped her finger against the edge of the desk. Her mother's theatrics aside, the woman had a point. Celestia had been neglecting her duties as their daughter. * The maids arrived just as the morning light was visible in the sky.

There were three of them, each carrying baskets of folded towels, small ceramic pots sealed with wax, and glass bottles of oils that clinked softly as they walked. The bath had already been drawn, and the water smelled of lavender and a cedar extract that one of the maids had mixed in the night before. Dried flower petals floated in clusters near the edges of the basin. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Celestia undressed and stepped in.

The water stung for the first few seconds, and then the heat soaked through. Her shoulders loosened. She leaned her head back against the rim of the basin and closed her eyes. The maids worked around her without speaking. One applied an oil to her hair, working it through the strands from root to tip. Another used a soft cloth to wipe along her shoulders and upper arms. After some time, they helped her out and dried her hair with warmed towels, brushing it until it fell straight and smooth past her shoulders.

The platinum-blonde hair shone under the early morning light from the window. One of the maids sat Celestia in front of the mirror and began the rest. A thin line of color was applied to her eyelids, just enough to accent the shape. Her lashes were darkened with a fine brush. Her lips received a light tint, a soft rose that sat close to the natural color already there. The rest of her face was left as it was. The maids kept everything else minimal.

After all, Celestia's features did not need much to beautify even further; the result looked like she had simply woken up this way, which had taken them the better part of an hour. Since she was meeting her parents today, this was the least amount of preparation she should do. Paimon had been busy the entire time. The other maids sent her back and forth across the room, fetching cases of cosmetics, boxes of hairpins and jewelry, and a tray of small brushes that needed to be sorted by size.

The last time Paimon had been this involved in her lady's preparation was during the tea party. She watched the maids closely between errands, her eyes tracking every step of the process. The dress had been laid out the night before. It was pale dark, light cotton with a linen underlayer. The cut sat straight across the collarbone, fitted through the waist, and fell to just below the knee. The fabric was breathable, suitable for a day of walking. The only ornament was a small silver clasp at the collar.

In her previous life, Celestia would have worn this to a casual lunch without a second thought. By this world's standards, it showed a fair amount of skin. Paimon, who had been carrying a box of hairpins back, stopped the moment Celestia stepped out in the dress. The box tilted in her hands. A few pins rolled off the edge and clinked onto the floor. She stared as her face turned red, starting at her ears and moving steadily across her cheeks.

"L-Lady Celestia…"

"Hm?"

"That is... that is what you will be wearing today?"

"Yes." Paimon's mouth couldn't help but open and close out of shock.

"It is... quite indecent." Celestia looked down at herself. The dress covered her from the collarbone to below the knee. She almost laughed. Paimon picked up the fallen hairpins one at a time, keeping her eyes on the floor. By the time the preparations were finished, it was nearing midday. The plan was for her parents to meet her at a restaurant near their accommodations in the Noble's district.

They would have arrived in Summit that morning, and after the long journey, they would need time to settle in and freshen up at the hotel. A light meal afterward was the natural next step. Celestia, Paimon, and Martha took a carriage to the restaurant. Martha sat across from Celestia with her usual composure. Paimon sat beside Martha, and throughout the ride, she kept glancing at Celestia's dress and then quickly looking away.

At some point, Paimon caught Celestia watching her and dropped her gaze to her own shoes, her ears going red again. They arrived. A private room had been arranged for the Duke, Duchess, and Lady of Reingarde. The staff were already in position; the letters Celestia had sent in advance had done their work. Celestia walked through the main dining area toward the private room. Heads turned as she passed. A few conversations went quiet.

She heard fragments before they cut off, whispers about who she was meeting and murmurs about what she was wearing. A woman at a nearby table leaned toward her companion and said something behind her hand without taking her eyes off Celestia. The private room was well-prepared and decently designed. A table set for three, porcelain plates, polished silverware, a small arrangement of flowers at the center. The window overlooked a garden courtyard. Celestia settled into her seat.

She ordered tea and waited for her parents. The tea arrived. She poured a cup, added a small amount of sugar, and sipped. It was light on the palate. She set the cup down and she waited. The first cup emptied. She poured a second. Outside the window, a gardener was trimming hedges near the courtyard wall. The sunlight had already changed elevation since she arrived, moving from the edge of the table toward the center. She waited. The second cup was empty.

She had noticed every petal in the flower arrangement by now. The sounds from the main dining area had changed; the lunch crowd was thinning, and the restaurant was growing quieter. Two hours had passed. Her parents were late, but that was fine. Travel delays happened. The roads between the Reingarde estate and Summit were far, and a carriage could be slowed by any number of things. Her mother probably insisted on stopping somewhere along the way to buy something. She poured a third cup.

The tea was lukewarm, but she drank it anyway. One more hour. The garden courtyard outside the window was empty now. The gardener had finished and left. Then there was a knock at the door. There. They were just late. She sat up straighter and smoothed the front of her dress. She folded her hands on the table and faced the door. The door opened. Martha stood in the hallway, and beside her was Paimon. Behind them were two men Celestia did not recognize, wearing the uniforms of Summit city officials.

The next few moments were a blur. Her parents' carriage had been found crashed outside the Summit borders. They were missing.