Klaus left the main estate, the cold grandeur of the Throne Room fading behind him. Even in the short walk to the Annex Mansion, the true state of the Empire was visible. Soldiers hurried across the sprawling grounds, their faces taut with the severity of their sudden assignment. Messengers and high-ranking officers rushed past him, carrying orders to the farthest reaches of the Rikxia territory. The gears of war were turning with frantic, terrifying speed.
He arrived at the Annex Mansion, a beautiful but humble estate set apart from the main fortress, built for Elisabeth after her husband's fall from grace. The atmosphere here was quiet, almost entirely untouched by the military frenzy outside.
The first person to greet him was Lina, the kind-faced maid who had served the Annex Mansion for years and had, in her own subtle way, cared for Klaus since he was a young boy.
"Young Master Klaus, it has been too long," Lina said, her face lighting up with a genuine smile.
