The inside of House Greaves was, in a word, grand. Everything was made of stone, from the columns and archways to the walls and stairs. The only things not made of stone were the various oil paintings on the walls, the checkered marble floor beneath us, the many crystaline chandelier candelabras hanging from the ceiling, and the glass windows on the upper walls.
Laurence led us through a maze of stairs and hallways until we ultimately ended up in the throne room. It, like every other room, was made of stone. Unlike the others, though, the floor here was made of red marble, statues of what I could only assume were notable figures in House Greaves' history on either side of the center marble walkway leading to the imposing throne at the head of the room. A man sat at that throne, tall and burly, with a gray-specked beard and wrinkled skin. Beside him sat a woman of similar age, with familiar purple eyes and coal-black hair. Both were dressed in what I could only assume was casual attire for royalty: cream-colored slacks with a white shirt and long black jacket for the man and a ruffled blue dress with a white sheer cardigan for the woman.
"Mother, Father, look!" Laurence began, gesturing Lyra and I with a flourish. "These two wealthy 5-Stars came to make an offer!"
The woman, Lady Greaves, nodded to the two of us as we knelt in reverence. "You, sir. You're the one who walked my daughter home yesterday, correct? My men told me they saw her leave the city center with you."
"I am," I answered, hoping that was all she knew about our little meeting. "You've raised a fierce young woman."
The woman sighed, a mix of frustration and pride evident on her face. "Unfortunately, I have."
"Too much time around my father, I'd say," The man, Lord Greaves, added. "His pride and her inability to give up is a terrifying combination," He said, nudging at his wife.
"This has been sweet, heartwarming even," Laurence butted in. "But I think we should move fast, don't you?"
"Don't waste your energy, dear Laurence," Lady Greaves said. "No matter what conclusion we come to, all of us need to be in agreeance. I will not deceive my own daughter."
"But how are we going to–"
"For better or for worse, Isobel's new friend is the one who came to make the offer," Lord Greaves interrupted. "You two. I assume you have the money to complete the purchase, and are aware of what you will be obtaining should the deal complete? You will not be buying our men, or our status. You are simply purchasing the land, our facilities, and the right to be a Noble House. Staffing is entirely your responsibility."
"I understand," Lyra and I said in unison.
"Good," Lady Greaves acknowledged. "Then the final trial is yours to complete." She smiled, the gesture slightly unsettling in a way that reminded me of Isobel. "If anyone could pass it, surely it would be you, son-in-law."
"E-excuse me?" I tried, hoping to hide the sudden panic–
The door creaked open behind us, followed by a familiar voice.
"What is it now? Another 'buyer' perhaps?" Isobel groaned.
"You knew this was happening today, Isobel." Lord Greaves answered.
Lyra and I shared a nervous glance from our spot on the floor. Her eyes widened as she ever-so-slightly angled her head back towards Isobel as if to say "go talk to her". I took a deep breath, looked up, unsurprised to find Lady Greaves looking down at me with interest while her husband continued to talk with Isobel.
"I bet you're enjoying this, aren't you?"
I stood to my full height and turned around, facing Isobel. She wore a simple black nightgown with basic slippers. Her hair was tied in a messy bun, a hint of her cleavage was exposed, and her face only had the slightest bit of makeup. For someone as "proper" as Isobel, I could only assume this "messy" appearance was her latest attempt to push people away: by looking "improper".
I could see the moment she registered what was happening. Her purple eyes turned from disinterested to surprised before settling on apprehensive.
"...Lloyd?" She asked, her voice tentative and soft.
"Isobel…" I answered, voice just as heavy.
"What are you doing here…?"
"This is bigger than you, Lloyd. Aspia's safety is at stake."
"I came to put in an offer for House Greaves."
She didn't say anything for a long time. She just stood there, watching me, as if waiting for me to say it was a joke.
"I'm sorry, Isobel. If there was any other way to proceed, I would've chosen it. This is bigger than–"
"And the girl," Isobel said, speaking over me. "Who is she?"
I turned back to Lyra, who stood and bowed to Isobel. "Lyra Knight, 5-Star Adveturer. Lloyd and I grew up at the same orphanage, and we've been combat partners ever since."
"I see," Isobel said. She turned her attention to her parents, walking past the two of us without so much as a glance. "I take it you told them that you've made them aware of what they'll be getting with the purchase?"
"We have," Her mother answered, her face as cool and collected as it'd been when we first walked in.
"And suppose we do sell the House. Where do we go from there?"
"...There's a lakefront manor in Eshil that your mother and I have decided on. It has enough room for us and our men to live comfortably for the rest of our lives." Lord Greaves answered.
Isobel nodded. "What of you, brother? Will you join them?"
"O-oh, me? I… well…" Laurence stammered. "I will, though I… well… I've been thinking lately that I'd like to settle down, and Eshil is the safest place in the world, so… I'll likely end up venturing off soon after we're settled."
"You're a handsome man. I'm sure your pursuits will be fruitful."
"Thank you, dear sister."
"So you've decided to cooperate?" Lord Greaves asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"I will, after you grant me one request."
"Anything."
"Leave the House. All of you. I want to speak with Lloyd May alone."
Nobody said a word. Her mother, who'd been the picture of cool, suddenly looked worried. Her father, who'd been trying his best to imitate his wife's cool, looked even more worried. Laurence, who'd been the picture of worried, looked mortified. Lyra looked confused.
"F-for what?" Laurence asked.
"I simply wish to understand his motivation to buy our House."
"I-Isobel," Her mother noted. "I must impress upon you the statutes of the law. Murder outside of sanctioned duel is–"
"Don't forget that a sale cannot close without my signature on the papers. Leave."
"...And when would you have us return?" Lord Greaves asked.
"Should Lloyd leave out the front door, let that be your signal to resume conversation. If not, return by sundown."
"As you wish," Lord Greaves finally said, standing and ushering his family to join him on the way out.
Lyra, who'd been quiet this entire time, raised an eyebrow at me and tapped her wrist. She theoretically could've sent us back in time a few hours to try and redo this whole meeting. I shook my head. Isobel wasn't strong enough to kill me even if she wanted to. Still, it was nice to know I had that as a fallback option.
By the time the throne room was empty, I decided to speak up, if only to fill the uncomfortable silence.
"Isobel, please let me expl–"
"Follow me, Lloyd May."
"Where to?"
She never answered. Hesitantly, I followed behind Isobel to wherever she was leading me.