Chapter 35 – Mugs Filled

Chapter 35 – Mugs Filled

"Who's the little fu-"

"Did I permit you to speak?" I asked before Yuri had a chance to finish the sentence. "Thought so. She is Luna, a maid who volunteered to show us around."

"G-greetings." She curtsied, looking shy and reserved, but I knew that she was probably crying in her head.

"They are my personal guards. Yuri and Oleg. You can ignore most of the things Yuri says as she is sick in the head."

"I am not." She answered, but after I gave her a doubtful look, she simply shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. You're the boss!"

"Leon!" My father's shout reached me, and as I looked around, I saw him hanging out from one of the windows on the first floor. "Heading out?"

"That was my plan! I want to look around the city a little!"

"Don't stray far; we may be insignificant, but that doesn't mean some other nobles wouldn't want to use us in some idiotic ploy! We are only staying for a few days, don't stir shit up for your old man! The meeting will happen tomorrow, the first thing in the morning! Getting an appointment with the Empress herself was hard, so I want no problems!"

"No worries, Dad! I got it!"

"I am not worried about you! Whatever... We will go over most things with your Uncle, and we will have a meeting after dinner. Be back by then!"

"Sure!"

"You... You will have a... meeting with the... the.. the Empress?!" Luna asked, stuttering, feeling her legs wobble like jelly.

"Yeah, why?" I asked, not getting her sudden dizziness and why her face had abruptly turned whiter than chalk.

"Meeting the Empress of Envy... I wouldn't dare do that, not even if I am a noble!"

"Huh?" We looked at each other before now surrounding Luna. "What do you mean?"

"You are really clueless, aren't you? Haaaah... bar- Khm!" She flinched, holding back her tongue and looking at me with pleading eyes, "Can we go to a place where nobody can listen in? I don't want to end up without my head! Please!"

"This sounds juicy!" Yuri grinned, licking her lips, and I couldn't help but agree.

"I'm hungry! Luna, take us to a place you think is fine, and we will sit down, chat, and have a fulfilling lunch!"

"I have no money..." She whispered, which was a surprise; I thought she would catch on quicker.

"I will pay."

"Really?" It was as if a switch had been flipped; she looked much more eager and ready, the shaking evaporating at once, her legs standing firm and travel-ready. "Okay! This... isn't a prank, yes?"

"No." I answered seriously and honestly. "We are not barbarians." That made her blush and fall silent, looking at the ground, drawing circles with her toes. "Now that we have established our first goal, let's go! I am interested in what you can tell us!"

"Maids are nice!" Yuri grinned, watching her from behind as we began walking. "They can get into nobles' beds and gain some juicy information!"

"I am not that kind of a maid!" Luna protested, looking over her shoulder, her face turning red like an apple.

"Those types of maids always say the same." Yuri countered, but then I interrupted them. I still needed Luna to spill the beans; the best course for this was being on her good side.

"Just look at her walking, her speech pattern, and how she carries herself. She is a proper maid, and you are a street kid, Yuri."

"It isn't funny!" Luna complained, pouting, turning silent while our drinks arrived.

"It is! It is precisely what I imagine that some self-centered noble would do." I countered, lifting up my mug and enjoying the aroma I had subconsciously missed for all these years. Oh yes... this needs to be imported, like, immediately.

"They say people who meet with her try to look mundane, so she doesn't find something interesting about them and takes it away! There were rumors that..." She stopped momentarily, looking around twice before whispering, "Even people have gone missing!"

"Spooky. But! I wouldn't worry. We are here to report, and our family is tasked with guarding the Frontier. I don't think our barbarian lineage has anything worthy of an Empress, hm?"

"That's true." She nodded, agreeing without hesitation before her mind realized what she had done, turning white and teary-eyed.

"Barbarian?" Oleg scoffed, his fingers squeezing the metal mug in his hand, leaving imprints on it. "What a brave observation! Have you ever visited the Frontier?"

"N-no..." Luna answered, looking up at Oleg, gulping multiple times, shaking like a lonely leaf in the wind.

"I bet she never even left the city." Yuri added, leaning back in her chair, enjoying her wine.

"Y-yes..."

"That makes me curious!" I interrupted them, "What is your background?"

"I am just a maid... um, nobody important!"

"Explain." I pressed on, resting my chin on my crossed fingers. "I can learn it in multiple ways. I just want it from the source first."

"Hauh... Well, I am Luna Gottfried. My family were the servants of Earl Sigismund, but that line died out 40 years ago, so since then, we have been dwindling in reputation and numbers. Families that lose their noble backing usually fall further and further down if they don't find a new family to serve. I just finished my training and this was my first job, taking care of an empty mansion, uuuuu! I didn't know guests were coming!"

"Why don't you strike out to do something else? A new profession?" I asked, honestly curious about her situation.

"Do what?" She moaned, lowering her head in dejection, "You don't know what it is like here, huh? It is all about background! Prestige! Rank! Families like mine have no chance to rise or change. We have been servants since we wrote memoirs within my family hundreds of years ago, and we will die out as one. Earl Sigismund's enemies are still present, and anybody taking us in would also say they are the late Earl's supporters!"

"I thought they died out?" Yuri asked, baffled, but Luna just sighed again.

"That doesn't matter. Not for nobles."

"Lucky me and my birth!" I laughed, looking towards the stairs, seeing our food arrive, "I wouldn't want to live here!"

"..."

Luna didn't really get that, but that's fine. I didn't try to explain it either. Instead, I focused on the nice roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. I need to bring back some recipes... they know how to cook!

I was just about to finish my meal, enjoying the last bites of food, when loud noises interrupted it. Looking at the stairs, I saw a group of young men coming up, wearing flashy blue, gold, orange, and green colored silk clothes. They were like a clown-troupe, stinking from cheap cologne.

"Are those silkpants?" I moaned, holding my head, rubbing my temple, not believing my darned luck.

"My Lord?" Oleg asked, not getting me, and neither did the two girls at our table.

"Of course they are. Of course, there are silkpants here... why wouldn't there be?" I continued ignoring them, praying for fate not to do it, but of course, it wasn't listening. Or it was and was laughing behind my back.

"Whose the weird guy?" One of them laughed like a hyena as they approached our table.

Of course, they are approaching me. Why the fuck wouldn't they...