Chapter 702: Plans
The inside of the Lastlight Estate was as beautiful and graceful as the exterior. Whoever had designed it had shied away from the typical ornamentation and decor, preferring to use polished wood and silver instead of obsidian and darkly painted panels. It had a rustic, traditional feel compared to the rest of the mansions and the palace.
The front doors led directly into a spacious lobby. The ceiling was three stories up, with a grand staircase set against the far side, leading up in twin pathways to a balcony that circled the room. Doors and hallways led away on all three levels. Paintings of the Blacksand Empire’s countryside, mountains, and gardens adorned the walls, each preserved with relatively powerful enchantments.
A shining crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in soft, yellow light. The light was warm and soft like real sunlight, but made my horns itch.
A pair of maids stood at either side of the banister. They both curtseyed as we entered. They wore identical maids’ uniforms, save one wore black skirts beneath the apron and the other gold. The soldier saluted us once more, then slipped out the door, closing it behind him.
R’lissea smiled as she looked around, clapping her hands with joy.
"It’s beautiful! Does this really belong to Elise?" she asked.
One of the maids, the one wearing the gold skirt, nodded. She was an older woman with graying hair and a hooked nose.
"This property used to belong to the Nearwoods Family, a low ranking Barony. They fell from grace some time ago, and the imperial family repossessed the property. It’s quite old and traditional, and hasn’t been renovated in a hundred years. But it’s a nice place with a good view, positioned between the common markets and the upper levels of the nobility."
"And you are...?" R’lissea asked.
The maid bowed her head. "Forgive me, Hero, for forgetting to introduce myself. I am Beatrice, the Head Maid of House Lastlight, assigned yesterday by his Majesty, the emperor. This is Rosarie, my granddaughter. As of now, we and Jonathon, the guard out front, are responsible for looking after the house. Lady Lastlight has instructed us to listen and care for your every need."
Rosarie curtsied. She was a young woman in her late teens with long, black hair in a thick braid that nearly reached her waist. She was pretty, if not beautiful, with pastel green eyes. Her maid uniform was adjusted a bit to show a little cleavage, and her skirt was a few inches higher than her grandmother’s, revealing a few inches of thigh.