Lucia running around in the garden didn’t go unnoticed and they were approached.

  “ah what seems to be the problem?” a radiant woman with shining golden eyes had intervened in their favor, she had long platinum blonde hair falling past her middle and was dressed in an elaborate, but not tacky, pastel blue dress with golden details, she must have been a noblewoman as she was accompanied by a white haired maid with red eyes carrying an open umbrella over her head, no doubt to shield her unnaturally pale skin from the sun, which thinking about it was quite unusual if it weren’t for the uniform Veronique wouldn’t even identify that woman as a maid…but aside from that why was such murderous stare being directed at her? What did she do to that maid? Were all the staff members of the Aurelia’s House convinced she was going to bring ruin to the family name like Mr Jerkings?

  No, her gut was telling her this was a more personal matter, it was like that maid was irradiating hate.

  “We don’t know how to get to the library” Veronique had sheepishly said, sweating a little under the maid’s unblinking hateful stare as she tried to ignore it.

  “I am so sorry” Lucia apologized again and this time it hit a nerve.

  “It’s not your fault, you are new and I am sure you will get better” Veronique yapped at her, she had grown tired of this girl apologizing to her and wanted Lucia to really cut that off.

  “M-my Lady” the blonde stuttered out, Lucia seemed surprised and touched by her words, while Veronique got distracted by some of the corpses clapping at her, nodding and giving her thumbs ups in approval…even if some didn’t even have thumbs and it took her a few moments to get what they were trying to do.

  What? They never reacted to something she did before!

  “Well said, now how about we show you the way just this once?” the radiant woman had interrupted her musings

  “That would be great!” Veronique jumped at the chance, vibrating and visibly cheering up at the idea

  “ahahaahah, Shall we go then?” the woman lightly laughed at her antics and showed the way, they trailed behind her and her white haired maid, which for some reason had turned smug.

  In about a quarter of hour they were in right before the doors of the Library.

  “How nice of that woman to accompany us” Veronique commented as she waved the woman away, who did the same as she turned the corner

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  “L-lady Veronique you k-know she was the D-duchess, right?” Lucia only had the guts to speak once the woman disappeared from sight

  “Duchess?” Veronique slowly repeated in confusion looking at her maid for answers

  “Lucretia Atelier” Lucia clarified with a slight concerned frown and added in a quiet voice as if she was afraid her words would hurt “…the Duke’s second wife”

  “Oh, so that was my step mother” the redhead put two and two together, feeling a bit stupid for not getting there by herself, but in her defense there were probably many Duchess around.

  How was she supposed to know this one was her step mother and not someone else in visit?

  “Y-yes” Lucia confirmed it, she was taken back by the child’s casual tone and a bit confused on why the girl didn’t seem to already know such thing.

  “Good, she seems a nice person!” Veronique commented glad that she didn’t have to deal with a stereotypical evil Step Mother, but thinking of that hateful red eyed glare maybe she did have some enemies there “Do you know why her maid seemed upset with me?”

  “…I h-have no idea my Lady” Lucia shook her head “D-do you want me to a-ask?”

  “Never mind, it’s probably not important” she brushed her off, not wanting to risk Lucia getting in trouble from being nosy as a newcomer, besides what could her Step Mother’s maid ever do to her? “Now let’s do what we have come here for” with that Veronique opened the doors to Library and stepped inside

  Meanwhile a bit more far away in the corridors

  “Amelia, could you please summon Mr Jerkings to my study?” Duchess Lucretia had asked to her maid without adverting her golden eyes from the road ahead “There is an urgent matter I wish to discuss with him”

  Amelia simply nodded, but hesitated to leave

  “Don’t be such a worry nut, I perfectly able to get to my study by myself” the woman giggled then turned serious “Now go at once”

  The maid nodded again and hurried away, not outright running cause it would be improper, but one could say it was a composed speed walk.

  The Library

  Veronique stayed stuck in awe as laid eyes on the library, sure she was expecting something grand but this completely went over anything she could have imagined.

  Rows after rows of mahogany shelves trimmed with gold were before her and she couldn’t even see the end of it; there was even a second floor where the shelves went the way up the ceiling.

  She had never seen so many books in her life and wondered what a pain in the ass it must be to just dust the place, yet as far she could tell it was all immaculate.

  “Oh well” Veronique walks towards the librarian’s post, knowing that she would never find what she was looking for without help

  “I need books about training dogs” she declared to the old man in a green suit trimmed in silver with black shiny buttons, he had half moon glasses with a thin shiny black frame that didn’t wrap around the lens themselves.

  His white hair was cut short and he had thin mustaches with the tips curving upwards.

  “I said I need books about training dogs” Veronique repeated louder thinking the Librarian had hearing problems and didn’t hear her, heck it didn’t seem as if he even noticed they were there.

  Only to frown as she realized he was totally ignoring her existence.