Appetency

TWENTY

  "What do you mean I'm confined here?"

Laurent stood at the entrance of the estate, wanting to get out but was stopped by Miss Belinda and the other servant girls.

The woman apologetically lowers her head.

"Young Master, we have strict orders not to let you out. Lord Seamus said you have not finished your lessons."

"I have! I finished everything!"

"You did," she agreed. "But that was yesterday's portion. Your teachers have today's already planned out. Please make your way back to the study."

If it was anyone else, Laurent wouldn't have cared and just marched straight through. But he was scared facing Miss Belinda head on.

Never mind the fact that they had been raised together along with Trenton, but she carried herself firmly as if she had years-long wisdom. It's hard arguing with her, so he cursed under his breath and allowed them to escort him over to the study.

Where he stayed for hours.

He really didn't lie when he said he had no talent in money like Seamus had when it came to the family business. And it doesn't matter how much his teachers put Laurent through, he'd still refuse to properly learn anything. Because he's going to leave anyways.

It's just that... Laurent still can't get rid of the weird feeling of how everything felt familiar to him as he halfheartedly partook in the lessons. He knew the original Laurent didn't care much, only that he was raised enough to understand the dynamics of nobles.

But he cannot stop looking at this large map in front of him.

It holds the entirety of the Estierelli territory and all of the trade routes.

"Why is it like this?" Laurent mumbles to himself, still staring at it so blatantly that he hardly notices Trenton.

"Is something wrong, Young Master?"

"When was this created?"

"Just recently."

"How recent?"

Trenton tilts his head. "At the beginning of this year. Lord Seamus had instructed the pathways to be drawn from here and all the way to the towns."

"And are these routes-" He points to a few of them. "-are these being used by merchants?"

"Of course, all the lines in blue are linked between the towns. The supply centers are-"

"Why are they being used? These are... overrun by demon attacks. They can't be used anymore."

Trenton stops and stares at him questioningly. "These roads have indeed been abandoned for some time due to the attacks, but not to the point that they're overrun. Lord Seamus has plans to put them to use again."

Laurent takes a nearby pen in bright red ink, already disregarding the fact that his brother probably spent a fortune in having this map created. He holds the pen up and starts drawing across the map, trying to create better pathways.

It's not like Laurent knows just where the demons will invade the territory, but he knows enough that there would any safe routes in the future once the Estierelli territory fall. He has to secure these places first and completely abandon the ones that were already attacked.

"Here and here... and this one as well," Laurent mutters out to Trenton. "We will reroute these."

"Young Master, the map..."

"My brother will understand. The old routes aren't suitable anymore. Just do as I say and relay my message to Seamus. As for the towns, could you hand me a specific report?"