Serving Lant Agriche

Chapter 13 - Acting Normal

The fire had gone out while Mina had fallen asleep overnight. After watching Mina's pitiful attempts to strike a spark, Dion took the flint and stone from her and lit the fire.

"I'm supposed to be taking care of you," the young lady thanked him. "Yet here you are, saving me from freezing to death."

Dion saw that the Mina had misunderstood. He had only lit the fire for himself because she was useless.

He stood by the fire until the woman beckoned him to take a seat. He thought briefly about killing her, but had learned that unnecessary killing complicated his life. If he hadn't killed Wally, he would not have to put up with the beast. If he had spared the young man near the shepherd boy, he would not have had to kill the village.

He concluded that sitting down was the best course of action.

Dion sat with his knees near the fire and started to ignore the young lady as he did with all of the Agriche servants unless he required attention.

Mina seemed uncomfortable as she sat at a chair opposite him. Her hands were pressed together in her lap. She squirmed in her seat and tried to strike up a conversation.

"How are you doing, Master Dion? How did you come here today?"

Dion glanced at her but said nothing. He was not obligated to respond to a commoner.

"Would you like a drink, Master Dion?"

He shook his head.

"Would you like to change clothes or take a bath? You look like you've waded through a river." The young lady blushed. "I mean, I don't mean any harm by it. You're still a child."

Dion did not understand her nonsense but frowned at her comment. Was it that obvious that he had travelled through the countryside? He raised his wrist to his nose and sniffed.

"Prepare the bath then," Dion turned his gaze back to the fire.

Mina stood up at once and went to the kitchen to boil water in a pewter cauldron. She would have to fill the cauldron several times to fill the outdoor barrel for the bath, but she looked forward to keeping busy.

Something about that child unnerved her, as if she had been discourteous to sit in his presence.

Something about Dion made her want to treat him like a prince.

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After changing behind a curtain, Dion appeared in her husband's oversized clothes. His wet hair clung to his forehead and dripped at the back. He dropped his black uniform in a pile before strapping on his arm and shin guards.

The young lady watched Dion, fascinated as he strapped a dagger on each leg and inspect the pouches on his utility belt before putting it on.

Dion walked barefoot to his old seat and rested his wet boots against the fire.

"You look like you're going to war, Sir," Mina said respectfully. She seemed to think the weapons were decorative pieces or costumes. Her eyes kept skirting over the dagger strapped to his left leg. Dion had a suspicion that the lady wanted to touch the weapon.

She took a rough towel and stood behind him to dry his hair.

Dion didn't move. The servants back home were too afraid to touch him, but his mother had used to play with him like this. He was used to acting like a human doll.

Mina giggled when she saw rough spikes jutting out of Dion's head. "What would you like to have for lunch?" She said.

Dion considered this question carefully. "Bring me a sandwich," he said. It was something easy and filling that he could eat quickly.

As he ate, Dion thought vaguely that Wally must be starving now. He was surprised the monster had not shrieked for attention yet or attempted to leave the well.

His body may be deteriorating, Dion thought. Necropsy uses dark mana to bring its subjects back to life. His movements will slow and he will prefer darkness. I had not realised his aversion to light had grown. Enough that he would prefer starvation than come out.

A slice of tomato stuck out of Dion's mouth when he heard his name being called.

"Dion? Dion! Do your parents know where you are?" Mina said, concerned.

The maid wanted to talk again. Dion wondered why she liked to talk so much.

"I am where they want me to be," Dion said honestly. His mother did not care where he was anymore, as long as he was out of her sight. As for Lant Agriche, Dion looked at his fingers. Ten more days and he would start his return journey home. His father would not want him back before then.

"Do you have a book?" Dion said. It had taken him the whole afternoon, but he finally realised that the maid kept talking to him to make him feel at ease. His mother and siblings seemed unnerved whenever he sat too still or stared at nothing. If he acted busy, people tended to ignore his presence.

Mina smiled and went to her bedroom to retrieve something for the young master. She still had literature from her governess days that she felt all children needed to read to improve their critical thinking skills.

Dion picked at the paperback he was given, skimming the pages quickly to get an idea of what story he was going to read before he started from the beginning.

 

While he read, the maid made an indoor clothing line since it was still snowing out and began to lay out Dion's wet clothes. After that chore was done, she returned to her seat and hummed, darning her husband's socks, breeches, a torn sleeve here, and replacing some missing buttons.