I wake up feeling somewhat better. The whole Sigfrid thing still lingers like a source of stress, like the sense that something bad has happened, something whose consequences threaten my peaceful life. I deal with it by reminding myself that whatever the crown prince's planning isn't happening anytime soon; otherwise, he'd have already accused me, like in my nightmare.

I also take some time to meditate for twenty minutes. Not because I want to recover mana or HP, since those are full, but because it helps calm all those thoughts about Sigfrid and Sol swirling around in my mind. To stop overthinking. To focus on being here now.

Last night was really intense. Between Ronan, Vincent, Marco, Sigfrid, and what I had planned for Sol, I don't know what happened, but as the evening unfolded, I felt less and less like someone in control and more like a spectator—not like a specialist in the serene aetherblade path who's in command of her emotions and body.

Yeah, meditation helps.

Afterward, feeling better and more like myself again, I head to breakfast. The pup comes along, shrunk to his tiny size, and tucked inside a pocket. The divine light beast's emissary left last night, so I'm guessing that danger has passed for now, at least.

My roommate, Judith, was still asleep. I made as little noise as possible so I wouldn't wake her. It's really early. That, combined with how late everyone went to bed last night, means the dining hall is empty except for the kitchen staff.

I put a bowl of hot milk, some scrambled eggs, and a bit of bread on my tray and sit down.

I eat calmly, enjoying the taste of the food and the strange stillness of the dining hall.

Once I'm done, I realize not a single stressful thought has ambushed me. The wonders of meditation. Let's see how long it lasts, because just thinking about it seems to want to summon them. And I refuse.

(No, Sol, I'm not going to imagine your face again when you realize who you attacked, since I already asked Vincent to be merciful with you.)

I return to my room and grab the stones and a backpack I prepare with a change of clothes because I'm planning to spend a night or two at the goblin village. I leave quietly since Judith's still asleep, and halfway to the room Catrina lent us, I realize.

My parents.

They're going back home today, but they're probably planning to have lunch with me.

I need a good excuse.

Either that or delay my visit to the village, and the latter is better not to. The goblins are alone and there are more of them now. Ronan's gone, so I can't count on bringing him along, dropping him off in the forest, and coming back through the portal.

Ugh, what nonsense am I even saying to myself? Excuses. The goblins know how to take care of themselves, and I'm sure the females don't have problems with all those babies. The truth is I want to go. I want to do the town hall thing. As a gamer, since I woke up, I can't stand the anticipation.

Last night, look, because of the whole dark magic thing and how bummed out I was, I didn't really pay much attention to the notification. But right now, I just can't—don't want to—wait until the afternoon.

So I stop making excuses to myself: those are for my parents. I'm going because I want to.

Hmm, I decide to go find Berta and have her be the one to make my excuses.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I make my way to the servants' wing of the building. They're mostly maids and valets for the students. I run into one as I enter, and she tells me to wait a moment, that she'll go get Berta. Shortly after, she appears.

"Miss, do you need something? I'm at your disposal. Remember that if I don't come to your room to help you dress and fix your hair every morning, it's because you asked me not to."

We're in the middle of the hallway where people can overhear us. I ask her to accompany me to the gardens, where I look for an isolated spot to talk to her.

Ah, my bodyguard's back today. A shame—I liked it better when he had the night off. For example, I was able to deal with the whole Sigfrid thing (or try to), and I didn't have to drag Sol into some seclude women's bathrooms, which had been my first idea.

"The truth is, I need help with the counts," I tell my maid.

"With your parents?"

I'm not sure if she's correcting me or just asking for clarification because it sounds weird to her that I call them counts.

"Yes, that."

"Tell me, miss."

"Well…"

We haven't sat down. We're near some trees, and I shift my weight from one foot to the other, not quite sure how to tell her.

I decide to just blurt it out, it's simpler:

"You're loyal to me, right? It's just that I don't want to go eat with my parents—I have more interesting things to do, and I need a good excuse."

Berta looks at me disapprovingly. Okay, maybe I should've found a more tactful way to ask her.

"Miss, I don't understand you. Are you really going to avoid a meal with the counts, who came all this way to see you and haven't seen you for an entire term, just because you have something more interesting to do?"

"Well, I already had lunch and dinner with them yesterday. And my mother is too repetitive with that whole thing about how she raised me so well that I'm going to marry a prince."

"So that's it?"

Berta's stern expression relaxes. She's supposed to be like a mother to me, right? Shouldn't she show warmth or give me a hug?

Not the case.

"Yes, please. Can you come up with a good excuse?"

"What you have to do, does it have to do with your fiancé?"

"Uh, no."

"Then it's going to be a bit more complicated, but I'll think of something."

"Thank you so much, Berta. I knew I could count on you!"

Good, problem solved.

As for counting on Berta... I'm still not entirely sure, but what I've been able to figure out is that she's loyal to me, at least more than to the counts. And considering the countess is thrilled about my engagement, she definitely thinks Berta has done a great job watching to make sure I behave appropriately at the academy and find a better candidate than Marco.

"Do you need anything else, miss?"

"No, thank you. You can go."

She says goodbye with a nod and leaves. I wait a few moments to give her time to get away, then walk toward the supply room.

Once inside, I lock the door, arrange the stones in the narrow space, and cross through the portal to Clearhaven.

There, I return the greetings of the villagers I pass, go through the palisade, enter the forest, and sigh. Since Ronan isn't here, I have to walk.

I've been walking for a few minutes when I realize: I have so many things on my mind that I even forget some of them.

Sure, Ronan is so far away he wouldn't be able to reach his mental link with the undead here; but he has the vassals, those goblins. He already did it once when he ordered Galp to send his brother with two of the deer to take me to the village.

I smile.

Ronan, I ask mentally, is this a bad time?

Because I don't trust Damien's father at all; even less that whole thing about him having a sect dedicated to the dark god. So maybe I'm bothering him right when he's fighting for his life.

Not at all, my lady.

Great. Is everything all right over there?

For now, yes. We are still traveling, in the carriage. Right now I had my eyes closed, trying to sleep for a bit. Since it is such a long journey, there are two coachmen who take turns, and we only stop for a few minutes every few hours to stretch our legs.

Ugh, that sounds worse than an eight-hour car ride on Earth. Because they'll have been traveling for about that long and I think it'll take them a couple of days to get there.

You can communicate with your goblin vassals, right?

Give me a moment to check. Yes, my lady.

Great. Can you ask them to send me a deer? To the usual place.

And while it comes, I'll backtrack.

Of course.

Remember to be careful and, if you need help, contact me. I'm still worried about that silence seal.

The time they used it in the library, I found out they needed two mages and quite a few mana potions. Unless they are planning to kill me by treachery, I doubt they will waste such an expensive resource again.

Exactly, that is what I was referring to…

Do not worry, my lady, I will be careful.

Considering how powerful Ronan is, and that he's way smarter than me, I'd better trust him. Nothing that Bloodwynne schemes will catch him off guard.

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