Chapter 11: The Mysterious Soldier

"Woah, finally.....”

After a tough struggle, a lot of the work on the desk was finally completed. There were still a few tasks left, but Aeson himself told Eudoria that she could leave the rest to him and that he could handle everything on his own.

Of course, at first Eudoria was quite hesitant about that. It wasn't that she didn’t trust Aeson to do it, since Aeson had worked for the Del Korynth family for a long time, so it was very unlikely that he would do anything wrong. Especially since Alexion himself placed great trust in him. Eudoria was hesitant because she felt bad for Aeson, but after his persuasion, she eventually agreed.

“Let’s go for a walk, Phelle!”

“Eh…”

On other hand, Eudoria had already thought about doing something fun together with her daughter. She had planned to make up for the time she had lost with her daughter due to being so busy with work.

Although she did notice a lack of enthusiasm on her daughter’s face. Perhaps she was disappointed that her scheduled visit to the barracks had been canceled, especially since Eudoria had already heard reports that Seraphelle was becoming more and more familiar with the grenadiers there.

At first, she invited her to do various other activities such as gardening or learning to dance, but instead of getting happier, Seraphelle didn’t show much interest in things like that.

Not wanting to give up, Eudoria came up with a brilliant idea. Trying to help her forget her usual routine at the barracks for a while, Eudoria invited Seraphelle to visit the milk-extraction facility located outside the manor grounds.

Her daughter, upon hearing the invitation, immediately became excited, especially since she had previously not been allowed to leave the manor grounds for obvious reasons. That was why Eudoria was still willing to compromise if it involved Seraphelle going to the barracks.

On the day they had planned, they visited the extraction facility together with some staff and grenadiers who escorted them. There, they were welcomed by the person in charge of the facility.

“Looks like you’re doing your job well, Mauren.”

“All of this is thanks to your kindness, Madam.”

In addition, someone familiar appeared. It was Mauren. It was true that he had nearly killed her beloved daughter, but during the trial he had genuinely expressed deep remorse and understood if he was to be dismissed. Eudoria had felt a bit of pity and forgave him, allowing him to work here.

Aware that her daughter was already bored with the formal welcome, Eudoria decided not to delay things any longer. Together with the group, they began entering the facility. But worried that it might become too crowded, Eudoria decided to order some of the grenadiers to remain on guard outside.

“Theros, what are you doing? Come on, come in!”

“Uh, but…”

The young man could only hesitate at Seraphelle’s invitation, and at times he looked at Eudoria, waiting to see how she would respond.

“Is it okay, Mother?”

“Well, if that’s what you want, then it’s fine.”

“See? Come on!”

From Eudoria’s perspective, Theros seemed to be very liked by her daughter for reasons she had yet to understand. But for certain, she herself didn’t mind it, especially since he was also the son of a grenadier who had recently retired.

The young man’s father had also been one of the soldiers who once served under Eudoria’s father-in-law, whose loyalty to the Del Korynth family was beyond question.

They finally walked into the facility, with Seraphelle among the group looking very enthusiastic.

Inside, there were not only cows being milked, but also several goats that could also be milked. This facility was not a large one, because its products were not meant for export, but rather to increase the food supply for the people of Del Korynth.

The origin of this facility began with Eudoria’s father-in-law, who realized that the War of the Eight Monarchs had devastating consequences, and he could foresee that something like a famine would occur. Because of that, he tried to find food sources that were easy to obtain and manage. Coincidentally, he received news that one of the regions in the Middleland Region called Velstphalia was experiencing a problem of its own, namely a sudden surge in the cattle population.

Taking advantage of the situation, her father-in-law offered to buy some of the cattle at a low price. The cattle owners had no other choice, as they themselves were struggling to deal with the sudden problem.

At least, that was what was explained by the person in charge of managing the facility, who was currently telling all of this to her daughter.

“This is Selece, our pride cow.”

The person in charge stopped at one of the cow pens, where the cow's body looked very different compared to the others.

“Wow, she's huge!”

“Of course, she's a third-generation cow here, the only oldest cow that still productive in this place,” he explained to Seraphelle. “Although today is her last day here, it's time for her to retire and follow her friends.”

“...Retire? You mean slaughtered?” asked Seraphelle. Eudoria could feel her daughter’s sadness as she looked at the cow.

“Haha, don't worry, Milady. That’s usually the case, but your grandfather himself once said, ‘They have done a great service in saving our people from the terrible storm of famine, so at the very least, let us give them a comfortable life in their retirement,’” the person in charge explained with a smile. “And many of the residents here help us take care of the cows that are no longer productive by voluntarily sending plants from their farms.”

Eudoria had long been aware that her father-in-law was someone who highly valued devotion and great sacrifice, and that such actions deserved proper recognition.

Many people in the past had criticized him for that, since his actions seemed very contradictory during a time of famine. But he was not someone who merely spoke of empty honor like a naive knight. He had actually already secured other food sources instead of relying solely on cattle. He understood that in times like that, you needed backup plans too, and because of that, their region ended up being one of the least affected during the time of scarcity.

"Really, who the hell is he? Frederick the Great?"

"Who's that, Phelle?"

"Ah... erm...Nevermind!"

Lately, Eudoria had been puzzled by some of the things her daughter said. Sometimes Seraphelle would mention people she’d never heard of or say weird phrases that didn’t make any sense, whether during quiet moments like this or in her tutoring sessions. Eventually, though, Eudoria just stopped paying it much attention. It was probably just her little girl’s imagination.

"Would you like the honor of being the last one to milk Selece, milady?"

The guy who in charge offered that after explaining how the place worked.

"Eh, really? Can I!?"

"Of course. I think Selece would be happy to have you as her last."

With that, preparations got underway. A few workers grabbed clean buckets from a small storage corner, while another quickly brought over a short wooden stool and placed it beside Selece’s stall.

One of the attendants walked up to Seraphelle and gently asked her to wash her hands in the basin near the entrance.

After that, another worker showed her the basic technique for milking, moving their hands slowly and carefully so the animal wouldn’t be hurt. Seraphelle listened to all of his explanations.

"Careful, Phelle…”

“I know, Mother. Please don’t treat me like a little kid.”

Once it looked good enough, the bucket was placed under the cow’s belly, and everyone took a step back to give Seraphelle some space. The air in the open space was a little warm, filled with the soft smell of the barn mixed with fresh hay and hand soap.

"Please have a seat, Madam.”

“Thank you, Theressa.”

While watching everything unfold, Eudoria accepted the chair Theressa had wiped down earlier. She took her seat gladly, watching her daughter as if she were about to see a famous opera from the capital.

With the grassy fields behind her, Seraphelle slowly reached for the part of the cow that gave the milk she always drank at the manor. Mauren stood nearby, just in case anything went wrong, either with the cow or with Seraphelle herself.

“This feels kinda weird...”

Hearing her daughter’s remark, Eudoria couldn’t help but chuckle softly because of the confused look on Seraphelle’s face, which she found utterly adorable with a black headband attached to her
head.

To be fair, her movements were really awkward. Mauren stepped in again to guide her, since one quick demonstration clearly wasn’t enough. That was perfectly normal, at least in Eudoria’s view.

Little by little, Seraphelle started to figure it out. She began to milk properly, and the joy on her face made it obvious she was truly enjoying the experience. Mauren even stepped back, sensing she probably wasn’t needed anymore.

“Hmmm…”

Seraphelle paused for a moment, staring intently into the bucket, now decently filled with fresh milk.

“I know what you’re thinking, so please don’t—”

“Hehe… was it that obvious?”

She laughed awkwardly and scratched her head. Eudoria had clearly read her mind that of course she was thinking about drinking it straight from the bucket.

Eudoria let out a sigh at her daughter’s unpredictable behavior. Theressa and Lyra, who also standing nearby, follow her action. But the most surprising part? Even Theros, the young man on guard, sighed too. It seemed Seraphelle had already built quite the odd little reputation for herself.

Time kept passing, and her daughter was getting more comfortable. In fact, she was even starting to get good at it. When the first bucket was filled, the workers thought it was over. But to their surprise, she asked for another bucket, and of course, they had no choice but to comply.

Then, when the second bucket was full, she asked for a third. Once again, the workers didn’t really have a choice. This kept happening a few more times.

"I'm lonesome since I crossed the hill, and o'er moor and valley, such grievous thoughts my heart do fill, since parting with my Sally~"

Meanwhile, Eudoria actually felt happy seeing her daughter so caught up in her new activity. After all, how could she bear to ruin that glowing face, singing a song from who-knows-where, or maybe something she just made up on the spot?

"But now I'm bound to Brighton Camp, kind heaven, then, pray guide me. And send me safely back again, to the girl I left behind me~"

Seraphelle had just filled the fifth bucket when Eudoria finally stood and gave a small gesture that it was enough. The girl pouted a little, but in the end she nodded and gently patted Selece's head as a farewell. The workers looked relieved, though a few of them couldn’t help but smile at how seriously the little one took her task.

"Happy now, little Milk Princess?" Eudoria teased while wiping Seraphelle’s hands with a damp cloth.

“Hmph. I just wanted to make sure the supplies are safe,” she replied, trying to sound tough.

Eudoria chuckled softly and took her daughter’s hand. Together, they walked out of the facility, greeted by the warm late afternoon sun and the distant sound of birds. In the distance, the guards were preparing to return to the manor.

But just as they were nearing the front gate...

“STOP HIM!”

The shout came from the main road. Every head turned at once. A soldier, disheveled and gasping, leapt off his nearly-collapsing horse. His body was smeared with mud and road dust, and his face was dripping with sweat that wouldn’t stop pouring.

The guards rushed in to block him, but the soldier only shouted:

“I... need to... speak... with... Madam Eudoria... This is... urgent...”

He dropped to the ground, forcing his body to crawl a few steps further, then raised his battered head and said:

“There’s...riot... in Palaion...!”

Everything fell silent at once.

“A-Alexion... he...”

But no one was more shaken by the sudden news than Eudoria, especially with her husband currently in the Capital. Her body started to weaken, her head spinning faster and faster, until finally...

“Madam! MADAM!”

Theressa cried out as Eudoria collapsed, and several maids rushed to catch her head before it hit the ground.

But Eudoria was already unconscious.