“Is that so…”
Kate could fully understand Amelia’s feelings.
After Eileen left without a word, she had felt exactly the same way.
“Your Grace, the Court Steward is already waiting outside the door.”
At that moment, a servant approached the Duke to remind him.
The Duke nodded, his gaze falling on Kate and Cassandra.
“Kate, Cassandra, I need to discuss the subsequent arrangements with Steward Nilsen. If you wish to listen, you may stay. If not, you may leave now.”
“Your Grace, I still have a guest to attend to at home, so I’ll take my leave first. If there are any arrangements later, please feel free to instruct me.”
Kate immediately indicated she would leave.
But attending to a guest was a lie.
Wanting to see Eileen as soon as possible was the truth.
How could the longing built up over five years of separation be soothed by a single night of passion?
She had already decided that upon returning, she would use her connections to find Atia a job with decent benefits, then gift her a house near the workplace so she could get rid of this third wheel and properly enjoy a world of just the two of them with Eileen.
The Duke nodded, then looked toward Cassandra.
“Father, I choose to stay. During this trip to the Demon Realm, besides discussing the magic power overflow with the Demon King, I also signed several bilateral treaties beneficial to our country that need Steward Nilsen’s review.”
After leaving the Duke’s residence, Kate rushed home at nearly her fastest speed.
At this moment, she truly regretted not electing magic courses back in school.
How convenient would it be if she had a teleportation spell right now?
“Welcome back, Lady Kate. You must have worked hard these past few days. We have already prepared hot water for you…”
The master of the estate had returned, so Trenton and the maids naturally received her with the highest standards.
In the past, Kate would greet each of them one by one, then go take a bath to relieve her fatigue, without any of the airs of a high noble.
After all, these maids and the butler weren’t hired by her herself.
Cassandra had helped arrange them.
The estate was so large that without hiring enough people, it would be impossible to clean and maintain.
Plus, Kate was often away traveling, and if the estate went unattended, it would probably soon be overgrown with weeds.
“No need. Which room is Eileen in?”
But this time, before Trenton could finish speaking, Kate urgently inquired about Eileen’s whereabouts.
Trenton had served Kate for three or four years and had never seen her so out of character.
Could it be that the young woman named Eileen was a very important friend to Kate?
It must be so.
Otherwise, why would she specially tell him via voice transmission magic to serve Eileen as he would serve herself?
“Miss Eileen is in the first guest room on the second floor.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kate shot out like a rocket, leaving Trenton looking completely dumbfounded.
Was she really in that much of a hurry?
The person was right there and couldn’t run away…
Of course, if Kate knew Trenton’s thoughts, she would definitely say he lacked insight.
Back then, hadn’t Eileen vanished from the human world for a full five years in the brief gap when she left?
That was only about half an hour before and after.
This time, she and Eileen had been apart for a full two hours, enough for Eileen to run away four times.
Arriving at the guest room where Eileen was staying, Kate first straightened her somewhat messy clothes from racing through the streets earlier, then directly pushed open the door.
“Eileen, how do you like my new home? From now on, this will be your home too…”
Halfway through her words, the scene before her eyes made Kate choke.
Eileen was indeed lying quietly on the bed, breathing evenly, looking soundly asleep, but…
What is that in your arms?
I’m asking you, why are you holding Atia while sleeping!
Kate took a quick step to the bedside and lifted Atia up with one hand.
If not for the fact that she was Eileen’s companion from Crisel, she would have thrown Atia out the window long ago.
“Umm… Where am I?”
Atia woke up instantly and was startled to find herself floating in midair.
Why was she flying?
Was this a dream?
No, it seemed someone was holding her by the back of her collar!
She turned her head and saw Kate staring coldly at her, looking very angry.
“Ka-Kate, Miss Kate, what are you doing?!”
Atia didn’t understand.
She didn’t seem to have done anything, right?
Why was Kate so angry?
“What do you think?”
Kate suppressed her anger and questioned, “Why are you sleeping together with Eileen? I remember I had Trenton arrange another guest room for you, didn’t I?”
Fortunately, she saw that both of their clothes were intact, with no signs of having been removed.
Otherwise, she might really not have been able to control herself and would have stabbed Atia into a skewer.
“Ah? This, this…”
Atia’s little face immediately turned red, and she started stammering.
She couldn’t very well say that she had sneaked onto Eileen’s bed while she was asleep, right?
That would make her sound like a pervert!
“Kate, you’re back? No, what are you doing?”
Eileen was woken by the noise, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Kate holding Atia up like a little chick, looking as if she was about to devour her.
“Eileen, do you know that she crawled onto your bed while you were sleeping…”
Kate was about to expose Atia’s “crime” right away, but halfway through her words, she saw Atia’s pleading eyes, as if she was about to cry at any moment.
In the end, Kate still softened.
“Did Atia do something while I was sleeping?”
Eileen asked in confusion.
Atia didn’t seem like the type who would do bad things.
After all, even collecting debts was like acting spoiled.
Besides, with Atia’s current affection level toward her, she couldn’t do anything harmful to her.
“Nothing, but do you know you’ve raised a ghost by your side?”
Kate switched to a more euphemistic way of putting it.
Unfortunately, Eileen didn’t understand what she meant.
“Raised what ghost?”
She was currently penniless, with combat power comparable to a ripe banana.
What kind of ghost could she raise by her side?
Did a poor ghost count?
Looking at Eileen’s clear yet foolish gaze, Kate still gave up on explaining.
Originally, she had planned to let Atia stay a bit longer in her home for Eileen’s sake, and only drive her out after helping her find a job and a place to live.
But now…
She had to drive Atia out immediately.
Anyone could see that this little girl definitely had feelings for Eileen.
If she let her continue living in the house, it probably wouldn’t stop at just climbing into bed.
This was no longer ordinary friendship.
She had to take heavy-handed action.
“Nothing. I just wanted to talk to Atia about something.”
Kate put Atia down and asked, “Do you have any jobs you like? I have some connections. As long as you want, I can find one for you, and I guarantee the salary and benefits won’t be bad.”
“Um… Thank you for your kindness, Miss Kate, but I don’t want to change careers for the time being…”
“Don’t want to change careers?”
Kate was puzzled.
“You’re a low-level adventurer, living rough every day, unsafe and with low income. Why don’t you want to switch?”
“Because…”
Atia glanced at Eileen.
“I… I want to be with Miss Eileen.”