Lunch passed in a strangely quiet atmosphere after the name introductions.
Eris quickly filled her belly. She glanced at Hilda, who was still absentmindedly stirring her untouched bowl of soup, then looked across the table.
—Aside from Ghislaine, who had already wolfed down her meal and was wiping her mouth, Allen, Sylphy, and Rudy had barely eaten anything. It was as if they had no appetite at all.
So, Eris hopped off her seat, declaring that she wanted to leave with the others. Hilda responded with a gentle, "It's fine," and Eris bolted out of the dining room like a storm.
She then spent the entire afternoon dragging the others through a full tour of the mansion.
By evening, they were introduced to Eris's etiquette instructor—Edna.
Edna was a middle-aged woman with fine lines around her eyes, a round face, and a gentle, warm smile that gave off a sense of kindness.
She was the matron of a noble family in Roa. Reportedly, just before Hilda married into the Boreas family, it was Edna who had re-trained her in the intricate formalities of high Asuran nobility from the ground up.
Hilda had been very satisfied with her, and thus later insisted that Edna be hired as Eris's etiquette tutor.
Thanks to her mother's favoritism, and Edna's naturally gentle demeanor, Eris—though still her straightforward and blunt self—never made things too difficult for this woman who had such a good relationship with her mother.
After everyone was introduced, Edna, noticing their tired faces and aware of the ordeal they'd endured yesterday, chose not to push too hard. She simply taught the three new tutors some basic etiquette, planned to discuss class schedules the next day, and quickly left.
It was worth mentioning that during the brief lesson, Edna spoke very highly of Allen's learning ability. Her praise included comments like: he absorbed things quickly, his posture was more correct than Sylphy's and Rudy's, and so on.
This won Young Lady Eris's approval, and she began to bask in the compliments, eventually getting completely carried away. Her expression practically shouted, "Look! This is the tutor I personally picked—pretty good, right?!" as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed, chin tilted higher and higher until it seemed like she'd poke the ceiling.
She was quite pleased with herself.
Perhaps this was Edna's true talent—the ability to win over both Hilda and Eris. No wonder she was the only surviving tutor aside from Ghislaine.
And so, by the time Edna left, Eris, in her hyper mood and two-days-without-real-sleep state, had already dozed off against the wall.
A real piece of work.
Truly a wild dog who could sleep in haystacks beside horse stalls without complaint.
The strong don't whine about their environment.
——
By the time Allen, Sylphy, and Rudy had taken their baths, the moon was high in the night sky.
The darkness hadn't crept into the Boreas estate. Candle sconces along the hallways glowed with soft light, their orange hue stretching gently into the distance.
Three shadows swayed under the flickering flames.
"Good night."
"Good night."
"Good night."
After the three exchanged their goodnights, silence fell.
No one moved.
In the candlelight, all three had their hands on their doorknobs—yet none turned them.
Rudy glanced at Allen and Sylphy beside him, then withdrew his hand and scratched his head.
"Y'know, this all feels kinda weird. It's nothing like Buena Village. The last time we stayed this close was when Miss Roxy first arrived. Or maybe not even then—back then, my parents were still around. But now it's just the three of us. It feels... different."
Sylphy's white hair was still damp. She glanced at Allen on one side, then Rudy on the other.
"Mm… It's my first time away from my parents too. It feels kinda strange. So many things happened today… and I'm sleeping by myself tonight. It's new to me. I usually sleep with Mama."
Just as they finished speaking—
They heard Allen's laughter.
Both lifted their eyes.
Allen stood stroking his chin, shaking his head, a familiar smile playing on his lips—the kind they'd often seen back in Buena Village.
The three looked at each other and burst into laughter.
It didn't really make sense.
But somehow—
The cold, tense atmosphere that had clung to the day melted away.
That uneasy discomfort of entering a new environment vanished entirely.
Because even though the place was unfamiliar, even though they had stepped into a whole new "uncertainty," even if the future was far and unknown—
In this moment, under flickering candlelight, they were still surrounded by familiar faces.
No strangers.
It felt like they were back at the Greyrat home in Buena Village—just another sleepover after two years apart.
It was a strange kind of comfort.
Rudy looked at Allen's face. The tension that had gripped him all day faded away. The atmosphere relaxed, and he asked the thing that had been weighing most on his mind.
"Allen, you seemed kinda off today. Is it because you came back to your real family? And hey! You finally smiled for real again! You had me worried all day. You sure you're okay?"
Sylphy nodded. As she did, damp strands of white hair bounced onto her face, sticking to her still slightly sweaty forehead.
"I was really worried about Allen too."
Allen shrugged, his eyes lingering on Sylphy's face for a moment before he replied.
"It was a bit uncomfortable, yeah. Even though I came as a tutor, I did feel something... being back here. Sauros didn't exactly seem thrilled to see me either. But really, I'm fine."
"Sorry for worrying you both."
He looked at Sylphy, then at Rudy.
"Let's get some rest. None of us slept well last night."
"Instead of good night… let's say 'See you tomorrow.'"
"It gives us something to look forward to, right?"
Rudy and Sylphy exchanged glances. The worry in their eyes eased. Sylphy blinked.
Just that small change in phrasing, thinking about seeing Allen and Rudy again tomorrow, was enough to sweep away the fear of being away from home for the first time.
She looked at Allen's smiling face.
"Okay. See you tomorrow."
Rudy let out a chuckle.
As an old NEET, this new environment was pure novelty to him. He didn't have the anxiety that came from sleeping away from home for the first time. He was just worried about Allen. Now that he saw Allen was actually doing okay, he could finally breathe easier.
Even though Allen clearly took the lead among the three of them, Rudy still felt like he was the oldest.
So he couldn't help but feel a bit like a worried father.
"Alright~ See you tomorrow."
With voices full of varied tones, the doorknobs turned gently.
Rudy and Sylphy stepped into their room.
Allen and Sylphy exchanged a glance.
Allen stood on the left, Sylphy on the right.
White hair floated up, then fell.
The door shut.
Allen shook his head.
Lowered it.
Turned his doorknob.
Opened the door.
Stepped inside—
Then suddenly stopped.
He blinked.
Looked up.
In front of him stood four beastfolk maids in uniform, lined up in a row.
Their voices were distinct, yet perfectly synchronized.
"Good evening."
"Allen-sama."
(End of Chapter)
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