Main Pecunia Estate

"Milady, Milord, we have arrived at the estate." I hear Greg's voice from the detached coach driver's cabin as the carriage comes to a stop.

Alice snaps out of her trance and looks away from my eyes. "R-Right, okay."

The door opens. On the other side is a butler, a different one this time. "Milady, Milord," he greets with a nod.

I guess Alice had made it known to everyone that works for her.

Alice gets up from her seat and walks down to the ground with dainty steps. I follow behind her.

"Um, welcome to the main Pecunia estate," she says, still a little fazed from earlier.

The main estate? Oh right, Chloe Pecunia probably has her own.

I take a look around, and indeed, there is no better word to describe this than an estate. It's honestly hard for me to believe that where I am right now is in the same city as St. Margaret's Convent.

The carriage stopped in front of the mansion, which is huge. Now, it can't compare to the mansions I owned, but it's still impressive. Five rows of windows stack on top of each other on beautiful brown bricks. The roof seems to be an open area that makes it a sixth floor.

The front door sits above a grand case of stone stairs. Two marble pillars support an arch door frame hanging over the entrance.

The plot is not to be ignored, as well. We drove through the front yard, which is more like a park than a yard. There are statues, topiary shrubs, and quaint little gazebos here and there. Stone paths weave organically around carpets of well-trimmed grass. The gate to the estate is more than a hundred meters away from the front door, giving much space to this tranquil garden.

On the other side of the street is another mansion, which probably belongs to some other noble.

Tall, emerald arborvitae wall off the sides of the estate so I can't see the mansions beside this one, but the Grand Cathedral provides a landmark standing above it all. Its grandness becomes even more apparent from this distance. Alice's mansion is no more than a shed compared to it.

"It's… nice," I say.

"It is, isn't it? Shall we head in?" Alice asks.

"Sure. What are we doing again?"

"I just want to show you what it's like living a day as a noble," she says.

"Ah, okay."

It's not like I don't have any experience with that.

Alice leads me up the flight of stairs to the double doors. She grabs the knocking handle and gives it a couple of taps.

The doors swing open from the other side. All I see is marble. From the floor to the stairs to the ceilings. Marble is everywhere, kept so clean that it's almost blinding.

Two rows of maids await on either side and give us a synchronous bow as they say, "Welcome home, Milady, Milord," in perfect unison. How much effort did Alice put into this?

I notice that one of the maids, a rather young one, has brown, furry, triangle ears popping out of the top of her head. They look like they belong to a dog or some sort of canine. She must be a real Blessed Beast. There are also two elves among them, making the workforce quite diverse.

I follow Alice as she walks through the lobby into some sort of living room. Wood has become the prominent material here, but its quality doesn't make it any less luxurious than marble.

I hear hearty laughter coming from the set of couches located in the center of the room. Around it sits four people. One of them has slick hair and a reading monocle connected to his lavish suit by a chain of gold. He has the same eyes as Alice, same hair, too, except for a few gray strands lining around. He must be Alice's father.

There is a couple sitting across from him who I immediately recognize. They are Connor and Tessa, in the exact same clothes as when I last saw them back in South Cimavetta. Besides the three, on his separate couch, is a man in his late twenties to early thirties. He is dressed in a similarly classy fashion as everyone else here.

"Kris!" Connor calls out as he sees me entering the room. Tessa gives me a wave.

"Nice to meet you again, Connor, Tessa," I greet them back.

"Do you guys know each other?" Alice asks.

"Yeah, we met briefly during our travels," I say.

"Oh," she says and turns to her father, "Father, you didn't tell me we were going to have guests over today."

Her father looks over with a reserved smile. "Alice, there you are. Mr. and Mrs. Thomson just came back from their trip. They stopped here for a visit. Mr. Fischer here, I believe has urgent business to discuss with you."

"With me?" Alice asks.

Mr. Fischer sets down the teacup in his hand and turns over. His face is a little more serious than the others. "Yes, I heard rumors regarding your relationship with Kris Kaplan, but it seems like he is here himself," he says while giving me a glance.

"Yeah, Alice," her father speaks, "who is that dashing young man you brought with you?"

"Yeah, about that. I would like to speak with you for a moment," Alice says.

"Oh? Sure."

"Can we go to the sunroom to talk?" She asks.

"Not here?"

"No, not here."

"Alright," he says and pushes himself up from the couch, "Excuse me, lady and gentlemen, my dear daughter wishes for a word with me. I hope I am not in trouble."

Connor bursts into laughter, while his wife gives a little chuckle.

"Are you fine being by yourself for a second, Kris?" Alice asks.

"Sure, yeah, and it seems like Mr. Fischer has something to discuss with me. Go ahead," I say.

"Great, thanks." Alice walks away from the living room with her father.

I find a seat on an empty couch beside Connor and the others.

"Kris, fancy seeing you here," Connor says.

"Same."

"I didn't know you were in a relationship with Alice."

"I am not."

"Oh?"

"Dear Alice is probably battling it out, Connor," Tessa says, "She has some fierce competition, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. Kris is rather experienced with this kind of thing."

Tessa turns toward me. "Dear, this is a slippery slope you are on. Someone's heart will be broken at the end of the day, and I hope it's not sweet Alice's. She is a good girl."

What is she insinuating?

"Right… thanks for the advice."

"I think it's also in your best interest," Tessa continues, "Alice is my apprentice in the Grand Cathedral, and she has many powerful friends who are willing to go to lengths to defend her happiness."

"That's right," Connor says, "You do not want to mess with the cathedral's High Priestesses. Trust me, I can tell you that from personal experience."

Tessa laughs. "Yeah, my friends did not give Connor an easy time."

"T-That's good to know," I say.

"Sebastian, did you say you had something to discuss with Kris?" Connor asks the man sitting opposite me.

"Yes, may I have a second with him?" Mr. Fischer says.

"Of course, go ahead. Do you want us to leave?"

"No, it's fine."