Bonds of Trust

Interrupting the long moment of silence that had set in between Paul and Ningguang, Zhongli entered the room to say, "We just received word from the scouts traveling ahead of the convoy. Lord Amarant will be arriving in the next hour."

Without raising her head from Paul's shoulder, Ningguang replied, "Thank you, Zhongli. Have everyone begin preparations immediately."

After a quick bow, Zhongli closed the door and headed off to carry out Ningguang's orders. Silence once again permeated the room, but before it could settle in, Ningguang began tracing the tip of her index finger around the palm of Paul's left hand as she whispered, "You don't need to make a decision now, Paul. However, the longer it takes to form your resolve, the greater the pressure you will feel. Your family, the slaves we have saved, the Princess...these are just a few of the things that tie you to the Milbots Region. As their numbers continue to grow, you will feel less and less like you have a choice. Just remember...you always have a choice..."

Raising Paul's hand, Ningguang planted a lengthy kiss on his fingers. She wanted any true acts of intimacy between them to be initiated by Paul, so, at least for the time being, Ningguang could only tantalize and offer him advice...

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Though nothing was mandating him to be waiting outside to receive his father, Paul elected to help reinforce Ningguang's position by waiting with her for Amarant's arrival. He also wanted to be the one to notify his father of Princess Andromeda's temporary stay, so, even though it was snowing outside, he stood quietly with Ningguang's arm linked through his.

Fortunately, Amarant's large, magically reinforced carriage arrived less than three minutes after Paul, Ningguang, and Ganyu emerged from the Estate. When it pulled up, the first to disembark after the carriage driver opened the door was a stoic yet haggard-looking Flute. Her appearance reminded Paul of the message he had been consigned, but now wasn't the best time to convey it.

With his boots making a loud crunch as he descended onto the snowy ground, Paul and Ningguang bowed ahead of the servants and staff that had gathered to welcome Amarant home. However, the only person to speak was Paul, stating, "Welcome home, father. It lightens my heart to see you safely returned from your travels."

Adopting a rare and broad smile, Amarant walked forward to ruffle Paul's hair as he cheerfully replied, "It's great to see you, my boy. You've grown quite a bit since the last time I saw you."

Though he was a little taken aback by his father's return greeting, Paul managed a sincere smile as he stated, "I'm hoping to be as tall as father when I mature."

Exhaling a gratified chuckle, Amarant shifted his leafy-green gaze to Ningguang as he asked, "I trust the affairs of the Estate are in order...?"

Without raising her head, Ningguang calmly replied, "Lady Valentine has been an excellent mentor."

As it would have been inappropriate for Ningguang to take credit with her current status, Amarant nodded his head to approve of her response. As fond as he was of the brilliant and reliable young girl, he still expected her to observe proper decorum. If she couldn't, the Royal Family would tear her apart when she attempted to attain the status of Lady.

"Excellent. Now, let's make for the interior before a chill sets in. The two of you shall apprise me in my study."

Bowing their heads respectfully, Paul answered, "Understood, father." while Ningguang chorused, "Yes, my Lord." Then, while the 50 or so staff present helped to unload the carriages, the five of them, counting Flute and Ganyu, made their way into the Estate.

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"Hmmm...I'm surprised you brought her back. I had thought you would lay low for a while longer..."

During the discussion regarding Paul's stay at the Academy, the subject of Princess Andromeda eventually came up. This included the revelation that she was currently staying as a guest in the Notos Estate, specifically within one of the larger rooms located in the East Wing.

Having prepared a response in advance, Paul calmly explained, "I saw an opportunity to do what was right and took it."

"Hmmm..."

Recalling his son's past actions, Amarant wasn't particularly surprised by Paul's response. In his mind, Paul embodied the very essence of what it meant to be a Noble, so, while he knew Princess Andromeda's presence would invite trouble, he saw no reason to scold or even gently chastise his son. Instead, he asked, "Are you confident in your decision...?"

Seeing his son nod in affirmation, Amarant supplied a curt nod of his own before adding, "Then that's the end of it. At this point, I'm merely holding onto the position of Lord until you and your lot are ready to take it. Where you lead the family after that is for you to decide..."

Though he was a little surprised by his father's words, a smile developed across Paul's face as he lowered his head and said, "I...no, we will do our best. I swear it."

With Paul, Ningguang, and even Ganyu lowering her head from her little corner of the room, Amarant couldn't help feeling an immense feeling of gratification. He knew his son's nature was bound to invite conflict, but such was always the case when great men and women graced the world with their presence. Even if the entire Milbots Region was destroyed, he believed wholeheartedly that his son would eventually rise and leave his name inscribed into the very foundation of the world.

"You have never once let me down, my boy. Now, away with you. I need to cleanse myself so that I may meet with your mother."

Though he found it more than a little tedious, Amarant had been making sure to both clean himself and have Detoxification Magic applied to him before meeting with Valentine. Ningguang had explained the concept of germs, bacteria, and communicability to him, so he had been extra careful to avoid transmitting anything to his wife.

Rising to his feet alongside Ningguang, Paul was prepared to leave, but there was one final matter he needed to address, asking, "If you have no pressing need for her, might I borrow Flute for a moment?"

Though he raised his brows slightly, Amarant didn't need to consider his response as he waved his hand and declared, "Everything in the Estate is yours to do with as you will. I will only interfere in if things get out of hand or if you need advice."

Surprised yet again, Paul was beginning to feel a little emotional. He knew his father's attitude was likely the result of Ningguang's performance and his Chamberlain's treason, but still. It was nice to feel trusted...

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Though she was initially confused as to why Paul would want to speak with her, Flute wasn't even remotely surprised by what he had to say. In response, she just closed her eyes and exhaled an inaudible sigh before opening them, lowering her head, and saying, "Thank you for telling me..."

Furrowing his brows, Paul asked, "What are you going to do? If you want, I can hire you as a permanant member of our staff. I'm sure Lilia would be happier to have you around than not..."

Offering the briefest hint of a smile, Flute replied, "Master Paul truly is a very kind young man...unfortunately, my continued presence at the Estate will only cause tension further down the line. I would rather you take care of my daughter than inconvenience yourself with concerns about me..."

Though he wasn't surprised by Flute's response, Paul couldn't just let her leave the Estate once her service period had ended. He seriously doubted Augusta would leave any money for her, and the stipend she earned from her service would run out quickly if she wanted to live a comfortable life.

As Paul was thinking of ways to convince Flute to stay, Ganyu whispered something into Ningguang's ear. When the latter heard what she had to say, her brows raised slightly before she promptly interposed herself into the conversation, asking, "Pardon me, Ms. Flute, but are you perhaps with child?"

Since it wasn't something she could keep hidden, Flute nodded her head, answering, "That is the case, Mistress Ningguang..."

"Wait, what...?"

Reaching the most obvious conclusion, Paul's expression hardened into a severe grimace as he asked, "Is it my father's...?"

Though she was concerned that Paul would take exception to the fact he would have a half-sibling with the blood of a commoner coursing through their veins, Flute lowered her head, answering, "There can be no other..."

As Amarant had appointed her to the position of his 'Relief Maiden', Flute couldn't sleep with other people even if she wanted to. Amarant had also been making use of her 'services' near-daily since her acquisition, so the chances of the child belonging to anyone but him were zero.

Smacking his forehead, Paul exhaled the most exasperated sigh of both his lives. He had actually expected something like this to happen, just not while his mother was pregnant.

Exacerbating matters like a sledgehammer to the head, Ningguang left Paul beyond speechless as she asked, "What are your thoughts on letting Master Paul and myself care for the child? Not in any official capacity, of course, but as practice for rearing our own. In exchange, we will Sponsor both you and your child until they graduate from an upper-level Academy of their choosing."

Though she could feel her heart racing in her chest, Flute's expression remained neutral as she shifted her amethyst eyes to him. Ningguang may be the future Lady of House Notos, but the only one who could approve a Sponsorship was the Lord.

Fortunately for Flute, Paul did his best to avoid making decisions based solely on his emotions. Since Ningguang had been the one to offer the proposal, he seriously considered it before eventually nodding his head and saying, "I trust my fiancee...if you consent, we will raise your son or daughter as our protege. With proper guidance, they should excel in any Academy throughout the Continent. After that, their path will be their own to decide..."

Feeling tremendous relief wash over her, Flute was unable to prevent a smile from developing across her face. The compensation Amarant would have provided would undoubtedly help, but it was a pittance compared to the funds they would receive from a Sponsorship. It effectively afforded her an additional ten years to remarry or get her financial situation sorted.

Bowing as low and respectfully as her condition permitted, Flute's voice quivered a bit as she said, "Thank you...truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you..."

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"My mother is pregnant...?"

Nodding his head in response to the bespectacled girl standing across from him, Paul repeated, "She is, and I would like your help in raising it. Ningguang and I have agreed to parent it as a practice run for our future children. However, due to my schooling and Ningguang's management of the Estate, we won't be able to dedicate our full attention to it. Thus, we will have you work with your mother as both a Nursemaid and the child's Governess."

Though she was still a little taken aback by the whole situation, Lilia had always been quick on the uptake. She understood this was Paul's method to give her and her mother a chance to rekindle their relationship. It was also a legitimate opportunity to accumulate experience as a Governess as she would invariably be responsible for helping her mother look after Lady Valentine's second child. After that, she would likely go on to become the Governess of Paul's actual children.

Similar to her mother, Lilia was unable to keep a smile from her face as she lowered her head and said, "Thank you so much, Master Paul. I might never be able to repay this-"

Interrupting Lilia's heartfelt expression of gratitude, Paul placed his hand on her shoulder, stating, "I'm just doing what I ought to do. Just do your best, and don't worry about things like debts or repayment, okay? So long as you, your mother, and our future half-sibling can live happily, I'm more than remunerated."

"Master Paul..."

Accompanied by a feeling of heat spreading through her cheeks, a layer of moisture rapidly developed over Lilia's eyes. She hadn't had much time to interact with him, but Paul had been kind to her from the moment they first met. It was truthfully a little overwhelming as she felt like the debts she owed him were constantly increasing. Hearing him say there were no debts between them only made her feel even more indebted to him. Thus, when he suddenly hugged her and whispered everything was going to be okay, Lilia squeezed him with all her strength and allowed herself to cry...

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