Chapter 6: 3.1 Estate

VOLUME 1 – Crimson Roses
Chapter 1 – Young Bard

The long journey to Duke X’s estate was finally reaching its end, and Brendel who had been feeling melancholy since coming to this territory, could not help but feel agitation in anticipation.

The car soon came to a halt and one of the guards walked over to the driver.

In front of Brendel stood a lofty gatehouse made of brick and stone, flanked on either side by hedge walls that extended on for miles. At the head of the gatehouse was a crest carved in adamantine; the material clearly showcased the wealth of the owner of the territory.

It did not take long for his wait to end, and soon after the guards recognized who the passenger was, without asking, opened the gates, and the car drove forward.

 The journey was long and he was finally here. The memories of the past came pouring in. He couldn’t help but smile a little after seeing it.

After a few distance, they finally get out of the grove of trees, and into an open clearing. Now, he could see a Villa in front of him.

The structure was half the size of Imperial palace, an impressive feat for a villa; Though it did not lose out on beauty either.

“Even after all these years, it hasn’t changed one bit.” Brendel said to himself, quietly.

The car drove and stopped in the driveway right before the stairs to the main doorway, people were already in place to welcome him.

The chauffeur got out and opened the door for him, and Brendel was greeted by rows of servants and maids on either side, who bowed in sync with respect.

“Lord Brendel, I welcome you back to the Lancaster Estate. Forgive us if you found the hospitality to be lacking. We had expected you to arrive four days later.” The head guard, who was a man of the same age as Brendel, that is, in his late 50s or 60s, bowed respectfully.

“It’s fine Ross, its none your fault, I’m the one to blame.” Brendel replied, “That said, where is Mr. Collins?”

Mr. Collins was the head butler of this estate. Usually it’d be him who’d come to greet the guests. But seeing Ross take his stead instead, he could not help but wonder if his old friend was alright.

“It is unfortunate, but Mr. Collins passed away recently just a few days ago.”

Brendel frowned. He was shocked to hear it, but did not show it on his face. To others, he currently looked merely melancholy, though one could tell he was in grief.

Brendel patted Ross’s shoulder and looked at him with empathetic eyes and a soft smile, “Let’s go meet the man of the house. Shall we?”

“Right this way my Lord.”

…

Ross opened the door for him, revealing a large room with bookshelves on either side, and a man sitting at the end of the room behind a desk, mired in paperwork.

The man on the desk looked up and saw him walk in, “Ah, Brendel, come,” the man invited him in, “I reserved a whole day to welcome you and you come the day where I had shifted all my work to,” He said with a smile. Clearly, he did not mind it and had said it merely to be witty.

Brendel entered the room¸ while Ross closed the door behind them and left. “Eren, it’s been too long.” Both shook hands and then hugged.

“Too long indeed. Sit, the servants will be here soon with some refreshments.”

Eren sat back down, followed by Brendel.

“A decade.” Eren started off with a sigh, “It’s already been a decade.”

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“Time flies by quick when you get older, they weren’t lying those old folks when they said that.”

“Especially when you have kids.” Eren chuckled, “And has my son been behaving himself, that rascal?”

“You’ve taught him well.” Then, Brendel smiled. “But not well enough. He’s a man as far as I am concerned.”

“Still a child in a parent’s eyes.” Eren replied with a smile, “Though I’d have preferred if he paid some more attention on helping me with—this.” He picked up some paper from his desk to accentuate his point.

“You seem fine with it.”

“I suppose I still believe he’d eventually change his mind, that’s why. The Lancasters have always honored the sword, but we are not a knight’s household, not for a very long time. We also rule the lands and the people of it. He ought to know that better.”

“Hmm, enough of me for now. Brendel, you must tell me more about yourself.”

Which Brendel does. Of his time in the capital. Finally, “If the rumors are true.” Eren changes the topic.

“That being?” Brendel replied, unsure of what was being asked.

“The situation in our Northern territories.”

“Apologies, but I haven’t paid much attention to politics recently. I got quite sick of it.”

“Hmm, despite being an adviser and trusted companion for the Emperor himself? If it was anyone else I wouldn’t have bought it up.”

“I’m not—” But before he could say it, he was interrupted.

“You’re his personal butler, and he trusts you more than anyone else. That makes you his right-hand man, even if not in name, no?”

“If you look at it that way.” Brendel replied. “But Roiz has been very distant recently. It seems the current state of affairs, especially the foreign affairs with the eastern beastmen tribes has taken quite a toll on him.”

“You must tell me more about this. It’s the first time I’m hearing of this.”

Brendel sighed, that was just who Eren was. Despite so many years, politics hadn’t jaded him in the slightest, unlike him. “All I know is that someone is trying to unite all the eastern beastmen tribes. And unlike all the other past times, this one might just do it.”

“Hmm,” Eren leaned back on his chair, “I can only pray Lord Carden be ready for what might come for him. And then us if he so fails…”

The doors opened, and a maid came in with the beverages and began placing them next to them.

“Our eastern borders are strong; the real danger lies in the north, as you know. But, I’d rather not hear anymore politics than I already have.”

With that said, Brendel gazed out the window as he sips his tea. Right at the opposite of the doorway of the villa laid a memorial monument.

Quite a walk far away north-west from that monument was a lake and a pier that protruded outwards. 100m away from the shore was a floating pier.

 

Rough Notes,

• The story starts of by a scene with Brendel coming out of a carriage and being led to Eren’s room by servants.
• Eren is surprised that he came early than expected and apologizes that if he knew he would’ve personally come out to see him.
• Brendel tells him that it was his fault only for he came unscheduled and that Eren was not at fault.
• Then they talk about each other’s life so far. That it had been a decade since they had been together. Last time they saw each other was the Eastern Uprising. Both go sullen thinking about it. But they console again.
• Eren talks about his timing, that his previous Head Butler had just passed away. But also, that he didn’t feel it was right for Brendel to be his servant, given their past and his status. Brendel insists again, as he did in his letter, that this is what just he wants, saying that he can’t stand not working and doing something. Eren comments that both were always workaholics so he does understand to an extent.
• Eren sternly tells Brendel that his room will be the guest room and not in the servant’s quarters, for the latter is something he refuses to do to a friend. That he must have at least that much. Brendel lets out a laugh and bows and thanks him.
• This is when a maid intrudes and informs that Custis is not here. Eren rubs his temples. “This child. Who does he take it from…”
• [Scene changes to the estate’s hallway] [15 mins earlier] [Custis and Cerem are in a hallway of the top floors talking, a place where most people don’t come.]
• Custis tells Cerem that though he couldn’t convince his father to adopt him to the family, he at least convinced him to let him stay at the manor. Not only that, that he could have one of the guest rooms.
• Cerem declines the room offer though, and says that he would feel weird for having his own room for himself. He preferred other to be near other people.
• “Lowborns are weird.” Custis comments with an innocent smile.
• “Ah, then how about you sleep with me!” Custis then suggests that Cerem should come and sleep with him instead. That they could share a bed and then proceeds to explain how big his bed is.
• Cerem quickly shoots down the suggestion with a blush, interrupting Custis’s speech. “How can I do such a thing!”
• Custis then thinks and says yea that he was right, his parents would never allow such a thing. He imagines his mother in her absolute ire. “Well no can do then.” Custis relents and gives up. He then gazes outside the window, dejected.
• Cerem seeing this tries to cheer Custis up, saying that he’ll still be around so everything was fine.
• “Hmm who’s that?” Custis points outside towards the corner of the villa, near the tree line. Cerem looks outside but sees nothing.
• “I think it was a person. He went back into the tree line” | “Let’s go after him.”
• Cerem pleads him to not go. But Custis was already running downstairs. “Come on Cerem.”
• Cerem pleads but he was already too ahead, so he starts chasing after him. Downstairs, through the backdoor, through the main garden, through the large open grass field, all the way to the tree lines. Cerem finds Custis standing there right next to the tree line.
• On their way running out, a servant saw them running out but thought nothing much of it. Two gardeners tending to the flowers saw them go into the field, he thought, “Looks like Master Custis is going to get into trouble again.”. The other looks up and to where the other was staring at. “Boys will be boys.”
• Cerem says he’s going to get into trouble if he goes into the woods unattended again. Custis says this time it’s different because last time he just wanted to explore and this time he saw someone. Cerem then thinks that just makes it even worse, but before he could explain, Custis doesn’t care and runs into the woods.
• Unable to stop him, Cerem just has to follow him.

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