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The next day, Aresia heard a piece of news from her personal maid, Luna.
The Duchess, the Duke’s wife, had arrived.
“She came last night and it seems she came just after the banquet finished.”
Luna received this information from a reliable source. Even if Aresia didn’t explicitly inquire about it, someone informed her, allowing her to pass on the message to Aresia.
Aresia wasn’t surprised. Everyone knew that although the duke and duchess is often apart, they were still very affectionate, even with the frequent separations.
After knowing that a teleportation array was built in the mansion connected to the castle in the territory where the Duke is at the moment, the Duchess doesn’t even spare a minute, she excitedly teleported and looked for the Duke.
The couple, who hadn’t seen each other in a long time, would undoubtedly have a romantic and lengthy night. Aresia, knowing this, stayed in her room until noon to avoid disturbing them.
Now, in the early morning, her parents should have some free time. Aresia couldn’t wait any longer.
Aresia entrusted the identity of her alter ego, Isis, to the laboratory and the concerns of the mages. She planned to take advantage of the time she had to do something to increase the security of the alchemy laboratory.
After completing her tasks, Aresia decided to inspect the mage tower.
The mage tower, which had been expanded to ten stories high, had not only increased its volume but also its height. In addition to the usual production areas, Aresia requested the construction of a cafeteria, shops, and dormitories in the designated areas. However, due to her request for the construction of a drainage system in the entire area, the progress of the other buildings had been delayed, and they hadn’t even started construction yet.
The state of the mage tower pleased Aresia, and she praised the two designers and the engineering team. She also rewarded them handsomely. The designers were motivated and expressed their determination to maintain the quality while speeding up the progress, so as not to disappoint her.
Aresia was satisfied with the progress of the alchemy laboratory and decided to inspect the workshop.
The workshop was designed like other alchemy laboratories, but Aresia requested that the building be taller. Inside, the various areas had increased in size. Additionally, with the help of the mages, defensive measures were put in place throughout the workshop to ensure its security.
However, Aresia felt that these protective measures were not enough, so she pointed out the deficiencies to the mages and requested further improvements. After a thorough inspection, she was satisfied with the results.
Although the alchemy laboratory had been completed, it wasn’t immediately put into use. Aresia intended to add additional magical measures to ensure the security of the production process. After completing the necessary preparations, there was no need to rush the use of the alchemy laboratory.
Feeling accomplished, Aresia decided to return to the castle and do something to increase the security of the workshop.
Back at the castle, Aresia wanted to meet her parents. However, it was Amos who she found in the living room, engaging Andalucy in a casual conversation.
Walking into the castle’s grand hall, Aresia approached Amos curiously, “What are you doing here?”
Amos raised a letter and gestured, “It’s a letter from the Legion. I was about to hand it to Father, but it seems he’s not here at the moment.”
The letter from the Legion was marked with a special symbol indicating its urgency. However, this wasn’t the case for the letter that Amos was helping deliver, so it didn’t require immediate attention. Amos knew this and didn’t want to bother his father.
Aresia was puzzled, “Couldn’t you have given it to one of the servants to pass along?”
Amos shrugged, “I’m just waiting here. It’s not urgent.”
Aresia found it strange, “Why didn’t you send someone to deliver it?”
Amos shook his head, “Not yet. I thought I’d wait for Father.”
Aresia realized that the troops had arrived and were assigned the task of capturing magical beasts. Some members of the escort team had joined the troops, but because of Amos’s high rank, he was ordered to stay behind. The remaining guards were responsible for protecting Aresia.
“I am already armed to the teeth by my teacher, so I don’t need protection anymore.”
This was the news that Aresia deliberately passed on. In fact, it was convenient for her to have this misunderstanding and not have to worry about her safety. Some people doubted this, as although Isis was cold and difficult to get along with, Isis was very protective of her. The magical accessory that Aresia added to herself, actually meant to protect her clone, further reinforced this belief. The occasional display of certain abilities made people believe that Isis was indeed protecting her.
With the disappearance of the guards and the presence of a 5,000-strong troop in the castle, even with some of them capturing magical beasts, there was no need for anyone to specially protect Aresia anymore.
Aresia said, “I’m going to do something, so I’ll be busy for a while.”
Amos felt a bit uneasy. Although the Duke’s Territory was not as prosperous as Holy Lotean City, it was still a well-built city with a lively population, making it more interesting than the castle.
Amos climbed onto his horse and handed the letter to Aresia. He said, “Give this letter to Father and let them know I’ve left.”
Aresia took the letter and jokingly said, “Be careful, don’t do anything unsafe.”
Amos waved his hand without looking back. “There’s nothing unsafe. The lords from the other cities are probably on their way to the castle. The castle’s defenses have surely been strengthened. Besides, I’m not the type to look for trouble. Don’t worry.”
Plus, he wasn’t alone. He had brought a few companions, and with their flying magical beasts, they could easily travel back and forth.
Are the lords coming?
Upon hearing this news, Aresia couldn’t help but wonder about the implications.
She took the letter and went upstairs, heading straight to her parents’ bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and several servants were busy inside. It seemed they were trying to catch a glimpse.
The Duke and Duchess were already awake. The Duchess was in the process of changing her clothes with the help of her maids, while the Duke was already dressed, sitting on the side waiting.
Aresia greeted them, “Father, Mother.”
The couple turned towards her, with the Duke nodding in acknowledgment and the Duchess showing excitement. She couldn’t wait and eagerly beckoned Aresia to come closer.
Aresia approached and received a warm embrace, followed by a thorough inspection before being released.
Grysenna looked dissatisfied with the simple dress Aresia was wearing. She said, “Why are you dressed like this? My dear, you should dress up a bit more.”
Aresia silently surveyed Grysenna’s waist-cinching dress with its swaying skirt. It wasn’t practical or convenient to wear. She couldn’t help but change the subject, “Mother, are you attending a banquet today?”
Grysenna sighed, “Yes, I received an invitation. I didn’t plan to attend, but I can’t refuse now.”
After all, she had come to the Duke’s territory and couldn’t decline invitations. Fortunately, Aresia’s teacher had set up a convenient teleportation array, allowing her to easily travel back and forth.
Aresia shifted the conversation, “Mother, can I hand over this letter to Father? By the way, Amos asked me to inform you that he has already left.”
Grysenna took the letter and handed it to Duke Rogest, saying, “Where is he?”
Aresia smiled, “He’s waiting outside. He couldn’t wait any longer, so he decided to leave.”
These words made the Duke’s face blush, and he coughed before seriously focusing on the letter. He looked up and said, “It’s a list from the Legion. I will go back to make arrangements and I should be able to pick the Gryphons tomorrow.”
“Are you going back with mother? But I heard from brother that the Lords of the five Cities are on their way.”
“Let them be.”
Aresia shifted her gaze, “Then, I’ll go first, Father, Mother, goodbye.”
The couple nodded and said, “Alright then.”
After coming out of her parent’s bedroom, Aresia went to the laboratory. The teleportation array was finished, and there were many other things to be busy with.
And on the other side, the Duke waited for his wife to changed clothes, then waved away the maid, raised his hand for Grysenna to take his arm, and went downstairs with her.
Grysenna walked a few steps and suddenly said, “My dear, you look very worried, has something happened?”
Duke: “Is it really that obvious?”
The Duchess nodded and said seriously, “To me, it’s very obvious. I notice every change in you.”
These straightforward words made the Duke’s face soften, and a smile appeared on his face. He leaned over and kissed his wife’s cheek.
Grysenna playfully pushed him away, saying, “Don’t distract me.”
The Duke couldn’t hide his distress and revealed his concerns, “It’s about Aresia. It’s obvious that she has a powerful teacher now, and once the Emperor knows about it, he might try to recruit Isis.”
He didn’t want to burden his wife with this, so he didn’t mention that Isis was actually Aresia in disguise. He only told her about the inherited memory and the magic notebook of Aresia that was given by Isis.