Chapter 19 - The Lord Of The Estate

"A fine break on an even finer day, no?" Althaus stated after finishing off his third sandwich.

It was true--the weather was the average definition of "perfect", at least from what he remembered in regards to Earth. The temperature was just warm enough to relax your body, while the fresh, cool breeze periodically freshened you. An array of fluffy clouds journeyed through the pale blue skies, each one carrying a unique shape as they passed onto their next destination.

"Yeah, it is," Ren commented quietly with a smile as he watched the clouds.

Staying indoors for such a long period of his life, it felt as if the natural air was trying to rejuvenate his reclusive pores back to life.

"Well, then--a break is a break for a reason, life must continue!" Althaus shot up from the grass, clapping his hands together, "huzzah, my dear underlings, there is much to be done within the mansion."

"Yes, lord," Meinhard and Mila answered in unison once again as they stood up.

--I honestly can't decide if it's creepy or impressive how they manage to speak in unison like that sometimes, probably both.

As Mila carried the basket back inside the mansion while Meinhard raced off into the kitchen, for no reason other than to expend his boundless energy, Althaus stood there silently.

"Have they treated you well so far in your stay here?" The nobleman asked as he watched them disappear into the house.

"Yeah, of course," Ren nodded his head, answering with a slight tone of confusion tinting his voice.

"That's good to hear. I'm glad Meinhard has found a friend of similar age. Finally, I suppose this is what they call a "Win-Win", yes?" Althaus smiled softly, keeping his hand on his chin as he turned towards him.

The tone the man spoke in seemed to shift from his usual almost flamboyant eccentricity to a more refined, if not, solemn tone. A tiny glisten in his irises as he uttered the name of the young chef piqued Ren's interest--there was definitely something more to their relationship.

"Can I ask you something? About Meinhard?" Ren built up the courage to intrude.

"Ah, I suppose you want to know of how he came to be under my wing?" Althaus winked, holding a smirk as if already knowing he made the correct assumption.

"Yes--wait, how did you know? Do you know some sort of telepathy magic or something--?" Ren stepped back playfully.

"No, no--only the intuition of a businessman! Although, I am quite capable of peeking into your head if that's what you want?"

"I'll pass."

Despite the clear difference in class, especially in a world that carried almighty emphasis on such stature, it seemed no matter what he said or did, it never offended Althaus. Just the negligence to refer to him as "Lord" should've been enough to get him punished, but not once did Althaus pay it any mind. If anything, it seemed Althaus put him on a pedestal of his own.

"Well I suppose I can do for a bit more time with these fabulous gardens. A lot of dedication goes into maintaining the beauty of the many gardens of my estate, yet I seldom get to appreciate them fully! Ah, I digress--let's find proper seating," Althaus gestured for him to follow.

The west courtyard garden wasn't exactly "large", at least with respect to the estate's standards. If he had to take a guess--roughly half an acre. Although, in its scarcity of pure size, it made up for with an abundance of beautiful foliage that decorated the "walls" of the garden. Many unnatural colors of leaves made themselves known to him: blue, pink, and even some neon green leaves--it was befitting of this fantastical world.

He was struck by a fit of confusion as the nobleman suddenly stopped in the middle of the humble garden, clapping his hands together with a slight smile.

"Wha-"

As if following the command of the man's clap, roots protruded from the soil below, twisting and turning until two neatly woven chairs of natural wood and a small table were formed.

"..."

"That look on your face is quite priceless," Althaus laughed briefly before seating himself, "if you're wondering if I used magic just now--I did not."

"Then...how?" Ren stammered out.

He rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times to make sure what he saw was real--it was. Althaus gestured once again for him to sit, which he obliged, carefully placing his rear down on the newly formed seat out of fear of the unknown.

"Technically, I guess you could say I used "magic" to form this seating arrangement, but not my own. Let's just say I'm friends with a little spirit who has taken abode in this land," Althaus slid his glove back over his hand.

"Right…"

"Ah, I'm getting off-topic--you want to know about Meinhard, don't you? A fantastic young man, he is. Hardworking, charismatic, a heart of gold," Althaus spoke with suave.

Somehow, it felt like the nobleman was listing traits completely opposite of Ren--then again, that is probably just his fluctuating self-esteem running rampant. Althaus cleared his throat before setting his gloved hands down atop his knees.

"Sadly, my dear Ren, I can't tell you about the young man, nothing more than about the traits you're already familiar with," Althaus suddenly told him.

"Wait, what--? I thought--"

"Ah, you must think somewhat lowly of me, dear Ren. I know the only reason you're asking me is that either you're too plagued by your own cowardice to muster the courage to ask him yourself, or that he has already denied you access to such knowledge," Althaus' smile settled.

The abrupt, sharp words stabbed into the young man as he could do nothing to reject those truthful words.

"There is but one unspoken rule in this estate that we all must respect, Ren, and that is the access to privacy," Althaus's words slipped from his mouth like silver.

"...I understand," Ren nodded his head, feeling as if he had just been scolded by a parental figure.

"Good! I'm not mad or anything, just don't do such an underhanded trick again," Althaus laughed before coughing into his hand, "ah, it seems we've lost the day."

Looking up to confirm those words, the tranquil skies of blue have shifted into a warm orange hue, signaling the end of the day.

"Perhaps it's time to check-in for the day, I believe," Althaus stood up from his seat with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess so--wait, what about dinner?"

"Ah...just grab whatever you want from the kitchen!" Althaus laughed before making his way back inside the insulated manor.

Free reign over the kitchen was a mistake Althaus didn't know he was making. Despite his slim build, he was able to throw down a respectable, almost fearful amount of food. With that--he went to bed with a full stomach, serving him enough energy to guide him through his studious days to come.