“Oh, let’s go now,” announced Tessa, standing up and stretching. “I need to walk to digest all this. I’m curious about this castle too. It’s so tiny!”
Yamino and Yassim felt a bit defeated by the young woman’s honesty, but she probably had very different standards, considering where she came from. Yassim had witnessed himself that the War God’s residence was about as big as their King’s...
“We can take care of your luggage if you want!” quickly offered one of the triplets, running to the bags they had put down at the entrance.
Before she could put her hands on it, a knife flew right by her fingers, missing them only by an inch. The cutlery stabbed the wall next to her. Nupia froze and fell back in fear, her eyes wide. Her younger siblings, who were respectively holding the teapot and a full fruit plate, glanced at Tessa, both just as shocked.
“If you touch our things, I’ll cut your fingers off,” said the young woman.
“I-I’m sorry!” quickly said Nupia, backing away from their bags.
The two Counselors were in awe. Not only because they had barely seen the action, or that this kitchen knife had been thrown with such speed, strength, and precision that it literally got stuck in a wall, but also because Cessilia had barely reacted to this. In fact, her eyes had quickly gone to each of the triplets before she had taken her teacup to sip quietly as if her cousin’s action was completely normal.
“M-my lady,” said Yamino, a bit confused. “There’s nothing to worry about, all the castle’s servants are trained since childhood to serve well–”
“Th-they are not just servants,” suddenly said Cessilia.
Once again, the two old men were utterly confused, but the young Princess’ green eyes were on the two younger triplets. It was as if her previously gentle gaze had turned into an emerald-colored stare. This time, Yassim could clearly see something of her father in Cessilia’s eyes. She didn’t look so fragile anymore, all of a sudden, but she had the piercing gaze of someone who knew how to watch out for threats.
“I-I am sorry,” mumbled Nupia, bowing again and again. “We are really just servants, my lady...”
“D-do you t-train servants to f-fight?” asked Cessilia, her eyes going to Yamino.
“Of course not!”
“Then they are not j-just servants,” she quietly said.
The triplets kept exchanging glances, visibly confused. Yassim was also trying to understand. Cessilia seemed so sure, but the triplets also seemed genuinely shocked, and the look of fear on their faces too... Still, the young woman was the War God’s daughter.
“How do you know, my lady?”
“The b-boy didn’t flinch when T-Tessa sent that knife, neither d-did Lupia,” she simply said.
Yassim was astonished. He glanced aside, but... indeed, it made complete sense. If the triplets had really been shocked, they would have very briefly lost their grip on the dishes they were holding. The knife had flown close to them and almost injured their older sister, so they should have been at least shocked. Some of the contents of that teacup held on the plate would have been spilled, and those grapes on top of the fruit bowl looked like they were just about to fall, yet still there. If she hadn’t said anything, Yassim wouldn’t even have noticed their lack of physical reaction, and been floored by their acting. They were both faking their surprise so perfectly, but Cessilia had been able to notice it. Not only that, but... she even could tell those two apart? Since they had left the room and returned together, Yassim just couldn’t tell which one was the boy or the girl, but Cessilia obviously had no doubt.
A shiver went down the old man’s spine. There was definitely more to that young woman than meets the eye.
Realizing they were discovered, the triplets exchanged glances, and immediately got down on their knees, apologizing together.
“Our apologies for deceiving this Princess! We were told to quietly and secretly watch over the Princess, we would never try to harm the Princess!”
“...Who sent you?” asked Tessa, who was playing with another knife already. “Don’t you lie, I’ll really cut your tongue if you do. I only need one of you to talk.”
“The King, my lady! It’s the truth!” quickly said Nupia.
As she was repeatedly bowing and hiding her face, Yassim had no idea how to tell if the triplets were telling the truth, but Tessa and Cessilia were visibly satisfied with that. Tessa glanced toward her cousin and put the knife down.
“K-King Ashen t-told you to p-protect me...?” repeated Cessilia.
This time, she wasn’t doubting the triplets, but there was surprise in her voice. Tessa frowned subtly too. What was going on there... The triplets nodded quietly again, visibly still afraid of the cousin’s dangerous knife-throwing ability.
“...I see.”
That was all Cessilia said, and no one dared to ask anything else. Instead, as she slowly stood up, they all did, and she put back on a gentle smile as if all of that hadn’t happened.
“Is it alright if we g-go now?” she asked Yamino.
“Of course, my lady! Nothing better than a little digestive walk, right?”
“You three are coming with us,” immediately said Tessa, glaring at the triplets.
All three immediately complied and cleared the table in record time while the girls took out their coats.
“Maybe we should wear something d-different?” suggested Cessilia.
She had probably noticed the difference in clothing from the rest of the nobles.
“There will be plenty of clothes in the market if you ladies want to buy something,” nodded Yassim. “They may not be as luxurious as the Dragon Empire’s fabric, but we have some of the best clothing shops of the Kingdom in the Capital.”
“Oh, for sure! Naptunie will happily take you, Princess Cessilia,” nodded Yamino. “My niece loves going downtown.”
Their little group soon got ready to leave the room, and Cessilia did notice how Nupia carefully closed the room behind them and walked back to her, handing her the key.
“From now on, Princess Cessilia, you are the only guest allowed in the Cerulean Room and the only one to decide who will be allowed in or not. The sentence for trespassing is death, my lady.”
Tessa scoffed.
“I hope you’ll remember to let me in, Cessi.”
