It was breakfast time, but instead, Durandal carried the bashful maid Rita towards her room.
Speaking of which, Rita had always been an exceptional cook, well-versed in Durandal's preferences and able to prepare five delicious meals per day tailored to her taste. However, Seele, Mei, Wendy, and others were no slouches either when it came to culinary skills. Especially Zeke, being multi-talented, excelled both in evaluating food quality and mastering cooking techniques. Under his guidance, their culinary abilities also became outstanding.
In short, after regularly enjoying Rita's meals, it was refreshing for Durandal to savor equally delightful yet varied dishes. Now, she eagerly anticipated each day's three meals.
"Ahh..." In the corridor, Durandal couldn't help but sigh.
Though she had no qualms about taking care of Rita, her sigh carried a hint of disappointment despite its softness. Even so, Rita could discern it clearly.
The maid wrapped her arms around Durandal's neck and smiled lazily, gently teasing: "Lady Durandal, feeling regretful for missing breakfast?"
"...I am not!"
"You hesitated! Just like before, whenever you lie to me, Lady Durandal, you always pause. Someone as upright and kind-hearted as you truly isn't suited for deception!"
Durandal rolled her eyes, unable to respond, and lightly smacked Rita's soft, rounded buttocks with the hand supporting her.
"Ouch! Lady Durandal, please be gentle; my current state can't withstand your spanking—it might break me, ohh~"
"Ah! That's enough, Rita!" Durandal still hadn't grown accustomed to Rita's peculiar remarks. No matter the situation, Rita seemed to turn everything into something suggestive—there must be some serious issues with this woman's character!
Striding forward, Durandal couldn't resist giving Rita's backside another playful tap.
Rita shivered atop Durandal's shoulders, emitting an ambiguous gasp.
"Oh! I won't say anymore! Spare me, Lady Durandal~"
"Shut it already!" Durandal felt somewhat drained, puzzled by how Rita had appeared so weak and exhausted in Zeke's room but became remarkably talkative once on her back.
Rita pressed her face against Durandal's fragrant shoulder, giggling softly.
"Heh heh! Come to think of it, when we were younger, Lady Durandal, I often carried you—playfully mischievous yet utterly adorable—back to your room after tiring yourself out! Situations like this are quite rare indeed."
"Nonsense! There were times when I carried you back from training until we both collapsed!"
"But those instances mostly involved a princess carry, Lady Durandal."
"Don't get hung up on details! Carrying or being carried, isn't it the same? By the way, what were you doing in Sir Zeke's quarters?" Durandal turned her head, eyeing Rita suspiciously.
The smile vanished from Rita's face, replaced by a look filled with melancholy.
"Oh, nothing..."
"Don't try to deceive me. Just as you can see through my lies, I can tell when you're hiding something. What happened exactly? These past few days, I feel like you've been harboring many secrets, refusing to share them with me."
"What if I told you that, captivated by Sir Zeke's brilliance and valor, I went late at night to offer myself to him?"
"No way. You're not infatuated like that... right?" A hint of doubt crept into Durandal's voice, recalling occasional glimpses of Rita smiling oddly while looking at photos of Theresa or young Durandal herself.
Recalling instances where she had caught Rita gazing with an eerie smile at photos of Theresa or young Durandal, uncertainty crept into Lady Durandal's response.
Before Rita could press further with her accusatory tone, Durandal continued hastily:
"Although Sir Zeke's personal life seems somewhat chaotic, he isn't one to act recklessly. Besides, I know you're quite intimidated by him; you wouldn't have the courage!"
"...Indeed, your insight is truly remarkable," Rita murmured softly.
Yet why, despite being so rational and perceptive, couldn't Lady Durandal discern Zeke's subtle yet persistent feelings towards her all these years? Ah, Lady Durandal, indeed a remarkably dense goose, denser than any other.
Rita then gathered herself and countered with a question:
"Before Rita answers, would Lady Durandal kindly explain why you spent the night in Sir Zeke's bedroom alongside Lady Kiana?"
"That..."
Durandal halted both her steps and thoughts momentarily.
The truth revealed last night was indeed explosive and likely implicated many parties. Although Zeke didn't explicitly ask for secrecy, Durandal understood it might not be suitable to share casually just yet.
'There's something fishy!'
Rita narrowed her sultry, fox-like eyes, sensing something unusual from Lady Durandal's brief hesitation.
"Did Sir Zeke invite you to his bedchamber, and Lady Kiana spent all night trying to persuade you?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?! You really need to get your head checked, Rita!" Durandal flushed red, swiftly countering with raised voice.
Rita stroked her chin thoughtfully, nodding.
'She's not lying; it seems this isn't the worst-case scenario. Then what could be the issue? Access to Sir Zeke's bedroom is highly restricted, yet he indulged Lady Durandal, who, despite her strict principles, didn't refuse. There must be more at play here!'
Under Rita's observant gaze, Durandal eventually responded hesitantly:
"I...I'm still unsure if I should tell you about it. In any case, it's not a significant matter. Please give me some time to think."
"Alright, I'll leave it to your discretion, Lady Durandal. As for me...I merely went to check on you since you were away for so long. It just happened that Sir Zeke was overwhelmed with work and needed assistance, so I stayed to help him. That's all there is to it; nothing more, honest, Lady Durandal!"
"...You're still not telling the truth. However, considering I concealed information from you first, I have no right to force anything upon you now. If you don't wish to share, let it be. We've arrived. Please take some time to rest."
Durandal opened Rita's bedroom door, speaking resignedly.
After placing Rita on her bed, as Durandal made to leave, Rita gently held onto her hand.
"Lady Durandal?"
"I'm quite tired, yet I really want a bath. Could you assist me, Lady Durandal?"
"Sure, of course. Let me fetch fresh clothes and draw a warm bath while you undress."
"Yes, thank you~"
Savoring the rare opportunity of Durandal's personal care, Rita smiled sweetly.
Naturally, what started as assisting with bathing swiftly turned, thanks to Rita's expertise, into a shared, intimate soak - details omitted here for modesty's sake.
Meanwhile, Zeke had just escorted Kiana to the dining hall for their usual lively breakfast when Theresa intercepted him.
"Um, Zeke, Siegfried and I have something we'd like to discuss privately with you. Are you available now?" Theresa tilted her head, smiling sweetly and charmingly.
Zeke was more receptive to gentle persuasion; adopting a harsh attitude would only backfire on oneself. Besides, as someone wielding significant authority, it made sense for Theresa to treat Zeke courteously out of respect.
Kiana peeked from behind Zeke, blinking innocently with her wide eyes. "Auntie, Dad, what do you need Zeke for? You can tell me too—it's all the same whether he hears or not!"
'No, this matter is definitely not suitable for your ears!'
Theresa forced a loving smile onto her face, tilting her head further while standing on tiptoes to gently pat Kiana's head.
"Kiana, dear, this is official business involving plans and documents related to the Far East and Siberian branches..."
"Ah! Zeke, Auntie, I just remembered—I have a martial arts sparring session planned with Senti! Gotta go; let's chat next time. Bye!"
Kiana hastily blurted this out and vanished in a flash.
Observing how effortlessly Kiana was dismissed, Zeke glanced thoughtfully at Theresa before turning to Siegfried behind her.
Theresa remained composed, unperturbed.
Siegfried, however, displayed a series of peculiar expressions before whistling nonchalantly and diverting his gaze to the ceiling.
Zeke wasn't blind; he could clearly sense something strange about the situation.
"Let's head to the observation deck."
With the intention of enjoying some scenery and easing the fatigue from working day and night, Zeke turned towards the exit, followed closely by Theresa and Siegfried.
Upon reaching the rooftop amidst floating clouds, Zeke sat beneath a pavilion, poured three cups of tea, and leisurely sipped while observing the odd couple across from him. He asked calmly, "What's going on? Speak freely."
Silence fell over both Theresa and Siegfried as they exchanged wordless glances, subtly communicating through gestures and eye contact.
Finally, it was Theresa, who had become quite dependable lately, who spoke first with an absurd question:
"Did you know Kiana might be pregnant?"
Boom!!!
A thunderous explosion erupted in Zeke's mind, momentarily halting his thoughts.