"Young master, we are about to enter Durham city. Would you like to stop, or should we continue forward?"
Donovan’s voice came. I closed the small book I was reading and looked up to see that Seraph had fallen asleep.
"Yes, it’s almost dusk, we can rest here and continue tomorrow morning."
I said. Durham city was the third city we had come across. The other two we had passed through them without stopping since we were on the clock.
I changed my seat and sat beside the sleeping seraph and placed her head on my shoulder.
The journey had been a bit smoother unlike the last time. Mother had given us one of her private carriages to use.
It was fully enchanted and could take on any attack.
"Are we there yet?"
Seraph’s sleepy voice came. She moved closer to me as she pushed her body onto mine seeking my body heat.
"You are awake?"
I asked her. My hand smoothed the stray hairs that had stuck on the side of her face. Her red eyes glanced at me before she closed her eyes again.
"Mmh, I woke up the moment the driver called out."
She mumbled sleepily.
"We should be entering the town now, you can sleep in the inn after you’ve eaten."
She nodded and lifted her head to look at me. I leaned in and kissed her lightly before turning to look as the carriage passed through the over-crowded gates.
This city was also a favourite stopover for those heading towards the southern part of the duchy.
"It’s the duchess!"
A shout echoed through the crowd as our carriage passed by. Most of the people stopped and looked at our procession their eyes filled with worship.
Mother was clearly loved and well known.
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the inn.
"We’re here, young master. This is the best inn in town."
Donovan said after we got out of the carriage. I looked at our surroundings.
Well-built houses, the streets were clean, and the inn seemed to match its extravagance.
To make it better, the air smelled clean, showing the care the baron had put into taking care of the city.
"Young master, are we going to stay here in this small house?"
Nixies asked the moment she got out of the carriage, pointing at the average-sized inn in confusion.
I burst into laughter at that.
Keeping her in the tank and moving her directly into the duchy had warped her perception of the world.
"Yes, it’s an inn."
She was used to seeing large castles and even the annex was five times as big as the inn.
Nixie was the first to walk to the inn. I could see everyone’s eyes, except those of us who wouldn’t be looking.
I had five beautiful women besides me, and I was good-looking as well. It sounded even more narcissistic when I thought about it.
"Nixie slow down!"
Jeneviv shouted and ran after the awfully curious siren. Nixie was like a chick that had left the nest.
It seems that all of us need to get out once in a while.
"Young mistress, young master, " the hotel owner, a short bald man, bowed to my sister turned and did the same to me the moment we sat down.
The inn was beautifully decorated with varnished wood, tables well organised, and since it was almost dinner time, there were a few people around.
From the outside, it looked small, but inside, it was larger than I had imagined a small city inn would look like.
We were seated on the second floor, fully reserved for us.
"I apologize, young master, for this, but we do not have enough rooms to house all of our guests."
The owner said with his hands trembling.
"You are telling me you waited for me to be seated before you told me this."
I asked about my good mood plummeting. The owner flinched at my cold voice.
I had asked for eight rooms for each one of us. Everyone was too tired to be squeezing with each other.
"No, we only have seven available, i apologize."
He begged again. Seraph, who was beside me, held my hand to get my attention.
"You can sleep with me, I don’t like this strange place."
She whispered into my ears a kind smile on her face. I sighed and nodded.
Seraph had just saved him.
"Okay, I’ll be taking all that. Can you bring the food my family is hungry. "
"Yes! Yes! Yes! Young master, I won’t let you down ."
He bowed to me and hurriedly left.
"Young master, want to sleep with me?"
Kianah, who was sitting opposite me, asked. She placed her head in her hand and leaned forward. Her eye looked at me suggestively.
"Stop being a pervert. You’ve been crying about feeling hungry this whole time, and now it’s suddenly gone?"
Jeneviv hit Kianah on her hand softly causing her to turn her attention to her. I rolled my eyes.
"Didn’t you say you also wanted to kiss the young master?"
Nixie, the ever, on her own world, said loudly. Donovan, who had been drinking root beer, spit it out.
He hurriedly cleaned himself before it got anywhere near us. It was a good thing he was seated a bit further on the dining table.
Jeneviv almost skipped over the table to close Nixie’s mouth, but she was sitting opposite her.
"Ooh, I remember that, you said it wasn’t fair he kisses me every time I ask, but you’re...."
Since Kianah was next to her. Jeneviv covered her mouth and turned to look at me her face having turned a shade of pink from all the blushing.
"Master, they... lying .. no .. I do want... but ... it’s complicated."
I burst into laughter as she fumbled to come up with an excuse. These three seemed to have gotten along well, if they can talk about this.
"I get it.. you want to kiss me."
I said with a smile on my face. Jeneviv met my eyes before nervously avoiding them and covered her face with her hands.
"Her hands are even blushing."
Seraph whispered to me, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
That was enough for her. Jeneviv stood up and ran downstairs.
"Where are you going?"
Nixie shouted after her but Jeneviv didn’t answer.
"You guys went too far, you embarrassed her."
Abelion, who was leaning against Isis, said. For once, he said something reasonable.
"She’s still in the inn you don’t have to worry."
I told the others. Since I had the vantage angled seat, I couldn’t see the door.
I had also used detect and she had just gone to the reception.
"The food is here."
Donovan said cutting through the female chatter around the dining table. The servers laid out the table with food and drinks that had been ordered by Luna.
She was the one who kept and balanced our budget since Blair couldn’t come.
"Jeneviv isn’t back yet?"
I said while looking at the empty seat. We hadn’t been eating for quite a while, but she hadn’t come back.
"Do you think she went outside?"
Kianah asked, worry visible in her eyes.
From my detection, she was still at the reception but was moving around from one side to the other.
It seems she was pacing around.
There was an increase in the number of people around her, and she seemed to be blocked.
"No, she’s still in the inn. Someone just block her way that’s all."
I answered and placed down my force.
"Should I go get her master?"
Luna asked me. She also did the same and placed her cutlery down. I shook my head.
"I’ll go, it seems to be a noble."
Luna wanted to follow me, but I stopped her. This wasn’t going to take long anyway.
I hurriedly walked downstairs since I didn’t want whatever was happening to escalate.
"You will marry me!"
A cold voice said before I could see the face. I knew immediately who was being proposed to.
"As I’ve said a thousand times, I will not be marrying you. I already have a master’s. Don’t you see the collar around my neck?"
Came Jeneviv’s irritated voice. She was clearly at her whits end.
"So you are a slave, even better. You will become my concubine."
I rolled my eyes at the audacity.
"She will be no such thing, and who are you to lust after my woman?"
I stepped forward. The group of five turned to look at me. I walked to the speaker and slapped him. He flew across the room and hit the wall with a painful thud.
"Master!"
Jeneviv, seeing me, switched her expression from irritated to beaming in a flash. She ran and jumped into my arms wrapping her hands around my neck.
"Why were you entertaining him, you could have just hit him."
I said loud enough for all the others around us to hear. Most of them had moved further back from us as though I was a plague.
"Can I?"
She asked me looking at me with anticipation in her eyes. I nodded.