Chapter 12: DID NOT WANT TO RAISE SUSPICION
The Grand Duchess had left for a ladies tea party hosted by her childhood friend, Duchess Alistair Anton, the wife of Duke Maxim Anton who was also Catherine's brother. She had no idea where the Grand Duke was in the mansion.
[Baby Al's asleep.] She pouted.
"Princess, here are the snacks you requested for." Adeline returned a few minutes later with a tray containing little cakes, a side of grapes and cut apples, and a cup of tea.
"Thank you, Linny." Aristia replied politely while making herself comfortable on the chair placed in front of a small round table in the garden.
Adeline's eyes revealed surprise, but that look soon faded.
Aristia enjoyed the grapes and apples while admiring the beauty of the garden. There were flowers of different sorts, colours and scents but they all blended together to produce a beautiful view and a pleasant aroma.
In no time, she was done devouring the snacks and was now rubbing her full belly.
[I just remembered that I haven't toured both the inside and the outside of the mansion since I came here this morning. Got to see things for myself. I also need a little walk around the house to help digest my food while I'm still in this world.]
She set off to complete her mission. Her first destination was the kitchen, where she assisted the cooks in checking whether the taste of the food was alright. Nothing more than that, cough cough.
Then she went to the parlor, the drawing room, and the living room, Adeline trailing behind her like a shadow the whole time. She passed by a closed room she recognized as the Grand Duke's study but the door was locked as it always was when her father was not inside because of the important and possibly confidential documents it housed.
She toured a few more rooms before she decided that she'd continue the tour of the mansion some other day, since the mansion was very large. She had spent close to an hour and yet she hadn't even explored half of it. She got lost a few times but managed to find her way.