The dinner was done, and the guests had left. Even then, Bianca was forced to sit down and listen to the ramblings of her fiancé.
Obsessed couldn’t even begin to describe him. Reciting historical knowledge as if he had it memorized wouldn’t have been so strange if not for his not having a NIM installed, which would mean he dedicated a big chunk of his life to reading about the things that interest him, something that didn’t make sense considering his status in the Stahlwölfes.
Thankfully, as a Basic human with no enhancements, exhaustion got to him at some point and he was forced to call it a night. Bianca was finally able to retreat to her quarters, and once the door closed, the act dropped immediately.
"Damn it, why do I have to keep this up?"
Her two maids picked up the coat she threw on the floor then the rest of her clothes.
"Does he ever shut up?"
"Lady Bianca, I do not think it’s-"
The maid who spoke, a Tenebrosan with dark brown skin and short raven hair, winced and quickly retreated to a corner, her head bowed apologetically.
The second one went about her work as normal. She had the pale white skin of a Radmir-born and was slightly taller than her coworker, and though she shared the same raven hair, hers granted a more mature look, thanks to the way she had it up.
As she opened the door to the bath, the white lady turned around and exchanged a look with the second maid.
"Maria, charge my phone. The battery doesn’t have much life left."
The wooden door closed, and not long after, the faint sound of water echoed. After putting away her lady’s clothes, Maria took the smartphone that was tucked into the white fur coat and walked over to the bed.
Klaus Stahlwölfe had an obsession with the past. One of the ways that showed was in the aesthetics of his home, especially in the furniture and decor. No sign of synthetic material could be seen throughout the mansion. Everything is made from high-quality wood, while the fabrics were woven from authentic silk.
In such an environment, a simple piece of tech felt out of place, which is why the maids had been tasked with putting away the chargers every time they weren’t in use, meaning they would have to take them out whenever needed, too.
With barely a change in her expression, Maria opened the small drawer on the nightstand and took out a small white cube and a coiled cable. Plugging one end of the cable into the white box, she then pressed on a certain spot, which caused two pins to pop out. The next part was far from her favorite, and that reflected in how her impassive expression crumbled slightly, giving way to a frown.
Moving the nightstand aside exposed the electrical outlet that was hidden behind it, and since it was near the floor, Maria had no choice but to get down on her knees so she could insert the charger. With that done, she plugged the other end of the cable into the phone then placed it on the nightstand before putting it back into its place.
As she stared down at the device, Maria noticed that the shower went silent, which prompted her to hurry toward the bath. The brown maid was already waiting by the door with folded towels, an anxious look on her face.
"This is sickening." Said Bianca. "Would it hurt to upgrade this place a little?"
The two maids were done wiping her, so she was currently in a white bathrobe, waiting for her hair to dry. She held a glass of red wine but made no move to drink from it.
"I agree that master Klaus’s dedication is a bit overbearing," Said Maria. "But you have to remember, milady, we are still guests at his house."
"Shouldn’t they be more accommodating to their guests?"
"Indeed, but we have no say in the matter."
Swirling the deep red liquid in her glass, Bianca stared at it in silence before putting it down.
"I feel like drinking some whiskey. Miranda, take this away and bring me a proper drink."
"Understood, milady."
Bowing her head, the dark skinned maid took the tray with the wine glass and bottle and left the room in a hurry.
"When will this nightmare end?" Bianca sighed.
"Very soon, milady," Maria answered. "The preparations are done. I’m sure the wedding will proceed flawlessly."
"You say that, but... are we going to be fine?"
"There is nothing to worry about. You can rest assured that everything has been taken care of."
With her legs crossed, Bianca leaned back into her chair, her head resting against her right hand. She let out a wistful sigh and stared at empty space for some time, but her eyes then turned to her maid, narrowing ever so slightly.
"One thing I don’t understand is why he decided to invite those outsiders." She said, her tone no different from before. "He only met them today, right?"
"That seems to be the case," Maria replied. "It appears he values the relic they gifted him a great deal."
"And that’s enough to invite them to his wedding? There has to be another reason."
"I don’t believe there is anything to worry about, milady."
"I guess you have a point. It’s the kind of thing only an insane man like him would do." Pausing, the white lady went on after a few seconds. "Those outsiders, I wonder what their aim is." She glanced at her maid once more. "It’s clear that they plan on using him to propel themselves, but... do you think this will be enough to grant them success?"
"Not only have they earned themselves an audience with master Klaus, they won an invitation to your wedding as well," Maria replied. "I believe they have far exceeded their initial goals."
The door opened just then and the dark skinned maid returned, this time with a clear bottle filled with an auburn liquid, a single class, and a bucket of ice. Staring at her for a moment, Bianca rolled her eyes and stood up.
"I will be sleeping now." She said. "Make sure I’m not disturbed."
Miranda froze in her place, the tray she brought in still in her hands. Maria, on the other hand, simply bowed her head.
"Good night, milady."