"Mare!"

Luana rushed into Mare's arms as soon as her footsteps hit the asphalt.


The journey she and Rey had taken from Leipzig had finally brought them back to the mansion, with Mare and Jovi waiting right in front of the main door.

The servant assigned to personally serve Luana suddenly widened her smile, receiving a warm embrace from their returning mistress.

"How are you, ma'am?" asked Mare thoughtfully. "Did you enjoy your vacation?"


Rey seemed to talk with Jovi for a while, not yet entering the mansion as she was still waiting for Luana's warm welcome to be over.

Loosening her embrace slowly, Luana nodded her head happily.


"I see," she replied simply. "Leipzig is colder than here, but the scenery is nice. Next time, you should come with me."

Mare couldn't help but smile, happy that their great mistress had truly returned. Now she could serve Luana again, could be a friend to the young woman again.

Glancing briefly at Luana, Rey was silent as he watched how his legal wife treated Mare. Someone who was only a servant, but somehow Luana seemed familiar and kind to her.

Until without Rey realizing it, there was a strange feeling that suddenly crept into his chest.

So far, he had never seen a nobleman who was so fond of his own servant. Because the nobles were indeed raised to keep their distance from castes that were different from them. It is not even uncommon to find nobles who act arbitrarily towards servants.

But Luana seemed different.

The longer it went on, the more Rey discovered how warm the woman's behavior was towards everyone involved in their lives.

Never once did Luana raise her chin, instead she often bowed to give respect to others. And that, caused Rey to now smile briefly at the corner of her lips.

"Come, ma'am. I'll take you to your room," Mare then offered, to which Luana agreed with a bright smile.

Having glanced at Rey briefly, Luana whispered softly. "I'll go in first."

Rey, who seemed surprised by that sentence, could only give a deheman in response. Because Luana and Mare had already swung their steps, leaving him with Jovi who stood not far away.

It took a few moments for Rey to make sure Luana climbed the stairs, before he gave a nod to Jovi and entered the mansion with his confidant.

***

Almost a week had passed after Rey and Luana's return to the mansion.

Rey was busy with business, while Luana spent her time doing her usual activities inside the mansion.

Being a big mistress never crossed her mind, that's why Luana was more often with Mare and shared stories with other servants.

Her time was filled with reading books, embroidery, and drawing. The three things she loved the most when she had time off at Madam Collins' residence.

Don't ask how they slept during this time, because Rey had ordered Jovi to secretly renovate the main room that he had been using alone.

That was why Jovi did not go to Leipzig, as he had a task to complete at the mansion. Dividing the spacious room into two vague partitions, so that Rey and Luana did not have to sleep in the same bed. Nor did they have to feel bad for each other.

So far, only Jovi knows about the additional door in Rey's room. Even Mare doesn't know about it, because the extra door will only be opened every night by Luana.

All day, he will be in Rey's side room. None other than not to cause curiosity, to the servants who happened to enter there.

Arranged in such a way, the two chose not to mix personal matters with wedding matters.

Because now what Luana was waiting for was only one thing, namely Beatrice's return. Because after her employer's daughter appeared later, then she could go as far away as possible.

Until one afternoon when Luana was embroidering a handkerchief, Mare, who was sitting in front of her, suddenly stood up and bowed her head.

Luana realized that there was someone other than them there, so she looked back and found Rey already ruffled his waist in front of her.

Hastily getting up from the sofa, Luana greeted him even though her tone of voice was a little clumsy.

"Are you back?"