Chapter 11 - Epee

"Master, I brought the builder!" Alexjin yelled early in the morning while knocking on the door to notify his presence.

Aurelie is preparing their breakfast as Geraldine is sipping her tea with a tired face. She didn't get much sleep last night as the image of Alexjin's killer face keeps appearing on her mind.

"Come in."

The builder in his 50's entered the room along with another young man with a short height but has muscular built beside him.

"Good morning Lady, I'm Ricardo Moineau, thank you for yesterday's healing, my wife is feeling well now," He greeted her with a smile and gives a light bow.

"Good morning to you too and welcome, I'm glad your wife is doing well," She gestured to them to sit beside her.

"By the way Lady, this is my eldest son, Ritzmon Moineau, he is a skillful one and also the same age as Alexjin here," He patted his son's back, feeling proud of him like any father would.

*Unlike my father, that Duke!*

"Nice to meet you I'm Geraldine," She gives out her hand as he takes it and planted a kiss on her dorsum.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Geraldine," He gives her a shy smiled as he instantly retreated to his father's side.

"I've seen the design plan and it's easy to make but there's something I'm curious about," Ricardo said as he places the outline on the table.

"As for that, I'll talk to you about it privately. For now, please enjoy breakfast first before going to work."

Ritzmon Moineau, eldest son of the poor builder is a close friend of Alexjin, they've known each other well as they've grown together since a young age. When Alexjin was brought to the palace, he took Ritzmon after a year and made him his butler. He is intelligent and skilled in organizing and attaining one's information and as an addition, he's also good at swordsmanship. Unfortunately, he died ahead of Alexjin because he trusts a person who has ill intent towards the 16th Prince.

After his death, Alexjin didn't hire another butler as a replacement to his dead friend.

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"I would like you to create a secret chamber below my room, twice the size of the room above."

Geraldine and Ricardo are standing outside as they talked privately while looking over to the area where her new room will be built.

"I understand that part as most clients who hired me to build a secret chamber to store their important things but I'm talking about this," Ricardo points at the right side of the design plan.

"Ah, that part... I'm actually planning to plant medical herbs to use in my study of medicine," Geraldine smiled as if it's a common thing but it confuses Ricardo more.

"Aren't medicinal plants much better be planted outside where there's enough sunlight than below the ground?" Ricardo scratches his head as he tried to think of a relevant answer to his own question.

She chuckled at his confused expression, "You see, bigger rats are strolling outside and once they see something that catches their attention, they will do everything to eat it, do you understand hmm?" Geraldine offered her most innocent smile to show him that there's nothing to be suspicious about her.

"Ah, thieves!" Ricardo laughed when he understand what she meant, "Haha, rats... thieves, good one," Ricardo didn't say anything but was surprised that a young girl like her could say words like that. He was actually amazed at her intelligence but still confused about her plan to build a plantation underground.

*"I'll leave it to smart people, after all, that kind of thoughts isn't compatible with a dumb like me."*

He chuckled at that thought and the rest of the day is spend planning on the construction and they intended to finish it in a month as Geraldine's request.

For the following weeks, the construction continued its progress, Ricardo with his son are working from morning to night and Aurelie diligently cooked their food. As for Geraldine, she was teaching Alexjin how to use a sword to prepare him for the upcoming future.

"Master, why are you teaching me about using a sword? I can help Ritzmon with the work so that your room will be finished in a week," Alexjin complained as he collapses from exhaustion, they have been practicing for the whole morning without break.

"If we go on a journey and we're ambushed out of nowhere and they threatened to kill us, what would you do?" She asked as she sits down in front of him, looking into his black eyes seriously.

"Of course, I would protect master with all I have," He said while putting his palm over his heart to show his sincerity.

"But how can you do that if you know nothing about wielding a sword? how can you protect me? using your body as a shield or .... do you have an ability to use to fight against your enemy?" Geraldine asked him while observing his movements as she clearly hinted about his secret.

"My apologies master, I will work well to learn swordsmanship!" He said with enthusiast and grab his sword again and readied himself for another strike.

Geraldine was a little disappointed to see nothing, even a single hint of him being nervous or flustered by her words as if he was an innocent kid that knows nothing about the world.

"Aren't you tired of it?" She asked as she picked up her sword and point it in front of him.

Alexjin tilted his head while looking at her with confusion, "I'm a little bit tired master but I can still go on."

Geraldine shakes her head as it's not the answer she was looking for but she can understand Alexjin, after all, her question is like a double edge sword, each side has an answer and she hoped someday, he would answer the question correctly even though it could open new scars.

"I see, well then, we won't be stopping from practicing until the day that you can defeat me and if that time comes, you'll graduate from being my student," Geraldine smiles as they clashed their swords once again without stopping.