My Lord! Please! (A Character Driven Kingdom Building Novel)

As he made his way to the room where Cora was resting, Alicia told him as much as she could along the way.

"She is very weak, My Lord...and we could barely stay near her for long without feeling the effects of the mana leaking from her..." When her words trailed off, Lucien glanced toward her even as they walked.

The maid shook her head, a faint furrow on her brow. "I asked a servant to fetch her mother, but I think I made a mistake, My Lord."

"I don't know how Cora will react if she sees what being near her does to her mother."

While Alicia had taken care of Cora most of the time, there were still a few servants who helped where they could when the maid had other duties to attend to. The manor staff were trained to keep discomfort from showing on their faces.

Cora's mother was a different matter altogether.

"It is fine, Alicia...I suspect we wouldn't be able to avoid having her come to visit her daughter anyway. Better to face it plainly than let it fester," Lucien assured her, even as he felt a faint sense of guilt at the hypocritical nature of his words.

He still hadn't told Alicia about her own blessing yet, after all.

The maid inclined her head faintly, though he could tell she still believed fetching Cora's mother had been a mistake.

When they neared the room, Lucien pushed the thoughts aside and reached for the door, only for it to swing open. A servant stepped outside, closing it behind him.

Upon seeing Lucien, he dipped his head.

"My Lord...apologies, but I..." Sweat had gathered on his forehead even as Lucien waved the matter away.

"It is fine. Alicia told me along the way, so you may return to your other duties for now. We will rotate the staff with some resistance to the effects where we can."

The man bowed once more before walking away, the usual professionalism expected of the manor staff barely visible.

Lucien turned slightly to Alicia. "Wait here, Alicia. I will visit her for as long as I can stand the effects myself."

When the maid gave him a worried look, he shook his head. "I won't force myself to remain any longer than I am able to."

Until now, Lucien had only visited Cora late at night, when most of the manor was asleep. Talia had come with him more than once, enough for them to confirm that the mana leaking from Cora affected her no more than it did him.

Though treating Cora's condition as something similar to the mana-infused area left a bad taste in their mouths.

When Alicia finally acquiesced and stepped back from him, Lucien turned to open the door and walked in.

The first thing he noticed was the air.

It was strange, yet familiar in a way he vaguely recognized the moment he stepped into the room. It reminded him of the same feeling he had felt back in the mana-infused clearing months ago.

At a glance, nothing appeared truly wrong with the room where Cora was resting. Curtains hung beside an open window, the faint drift of wind ruffling his hair. A basin filled with cool water sat on the table beside the bed, with a chair resting near it.

A small candle stand had been placed beside the basin, casting warm orange light through the dimness caused by the drawn curtains.

Cora's already small figure looked even smaller beneath the blankets Alicia had arranged so they could be removed easily whenever the girl fell into one of the hotter spells of her condition.

It was only when the wind rustled his hair once more that Lucien realized, with a slight chill crawling up his spine, that the curtains hadn't moved.

Neither had the water in the basin shown the slightest ripple.

And the candle flame had not shifted at all, despite his entrance.

"L-Lord Lucien...?"

Her voice, stripped of its usual brightness, shifted his attention toward her immediately. The girl's eyes looked blearily toward him, as though she only saw his figure instead of truly seeing him.

"Cora. I am here," he replied, taking a seat on the chair beside her.

The girl turned her head toward him, a weak smile on her face. "A-am I in trouble for leaving the village, Lord Lucien?"

Lucien exhaled through his nose. "I think your current...condition is enough for now."

At his words, she averted her eyes. "I-I only wanted to make sure...my proposal about a mage order would work. The book said it was the first step, so...I thought it'd be easy to do..."

As she spoke shakily, a small tear appeared in the corner of her eye. "Lord Lucien...I think I did it wrong...it's so cold..."

Lucien reached out to brush it away, nearly flinching at the chill of her skin. He was about to reply when, from the corner of his eye, he noticed the candle flame move for the first time.

The small flame was leaning toward Cora.

Cora's hand peeked out from underneath the blanket. "Lord Lucien...?"

Keeping his expression carefully neutral, he reached out to grasp it softly.

"Yes, Cora?"

"Can you tell me an exciting story now...?" Her voice came out weakly, even though the request itself remained painfully familiar.

Lucien's hand lightly tightened around hers before he inclined his head. "Only once you recover. I will keep the best ones to myself until then."

“Aww...then I'll get better...”

A soft knock came from the door before Alicia's voice sounded from outside.

"My Lord, Cora's mother and father are here."

At the maid's words, Cora tried to sit up from the bed, only managing a slight shift.

"Mama...?"

Releasing her hand, too cold for what should have been summer, Lucien placed it back beneath the blanket and rose from his seat.

"I will send them in, Cora."

At her small nod, he turned and opened the door, stepping aside immediately for Cora's parents to walk through.

Cora's mother had only enough presence of mind to give him a slight bow before her eyes fell upon her daughter.

Still dressed in Ashridge's guard equipment, Will made to salute, only to stop when Lucien gestured to the girl lying in the bed.

"No need for that, Will. I am just leaving now."

Lucien glanced briefly at Cora before turning back to the man, his voice lowering. "...I won't tell you not to get close to her, but if either of you feel too weak, don't force yourselves to remain by her side."

"It won't do for you two to collapse in front of her."

Will grimaced before giving him a firm nod.

Lucien stepped outside the room, closing the door gently behind him to give the family some privacy.

"Alicia, remain outside until they call for you. Make sure she is not left alone for long."

Folding her hands in front of her, the maid inclined her head faintly. "Yes, My Lord."

He gave one last glance toward the closed door.

From the other side, he could hear Cora's mother say her daughter's name, the word muffled by the wood between them. It was too quiet for what should have been a happy reunion between parents and a daughter who had finally opened her eyes.

He turned away before he could linger.

There were too many things in Ashridge that could not wait for him to stand outside a single door.

After the quiet of the manor, the sound of so many people gathered in one place felt almost jarring.

Voices called out from every direction, some giving orders, others answering names, ages, trades, and family ties. Carts creaked across the packed earth while children were hurried away from half-dug channels and half-raised frames by older siblings or tired-looking mothers.

Over the last few days, the second wave of refugees had already begun to be sorted into their eventual courtyard clusters. Garrick had taken charge of most of the work, given Harlon’s growing burden with the sawmill, the lever crossbow tests, and the ongoing development of the scorpion.

Lucien made a note to visit the sawmill later that day. Perhaps he might have some insight into the sawblade, though he doubted it.

For now, his attention remained on the site before him.

The first wave had mostly consisted of whole families, widows with young children, and men who could be placed into work crews with little difficulty. They were, in essence, the easiest group to settle first among those he had arranged to receive from Lord Rathenfell.

He disliked the framing, but the second wave was more...complicated.

After all, Lord Rathenfell was not going to send only the refugees with the clearest skills, strongest labor potential, and simplest household arrangements to Ashridge and Cragwatch.

From a distance, Lucien spotted a group of young women standing near one of the marked rows, looking almost lost as they tried to help where they could. Their manner of dress looked almost scandalous compared to what he had grown used to in Ashridge.

"They worked in taverns and places like that while they were in Helvarn over winter...and through spring too." Talia's voice came from behind him.

Lucien turned to see his junior walking toward him, though her eyes remained fixed on the group of women.

Coming to a stop beside him, she let out a soft breath. "I think some of them were pulled into the night trade back then, Senior. Mostly women without children, or those who were separated from their families during the Tithe."

The mention of the night trade brought back the meeting with Elias and a particular proposal from the second wave of refugees.

Lucien gave a slow nod. "So that's why they asked to set up a bathhouse."

"Bathhouse?" Talia echoed, glancing at him.

At her response, Lucien's brow lifted. "You didn't know? I thought they would have approached you to ask questions before submitting the proposal to Elias."

For a time, Talia looked confused. Then, a moment later, comprehension dawned on her face.

"Hmm...so that's why they walked off earlier yesterday," she muttered, crossing her arms.

When he continued staring at her, Talia exhaled faintly before shaking her head. "They didn't consult me at all, Senior. And I doubt they'd want to anyway."

She looked around briefly to see if anyone was within earshot. "You know how this world is when it comes to a woman's reputation. I think they probably felt like they couldn't approach me because of that."

A furrow formed on Lucien's brow. "They seemed willing to approach a noble to propose a bathhouse, though...isn't that a higher bar to cross than going through you?"

"I wouldn't say that...not when it comes to things like this," Talia replied, her eyes returning to the group of women. "Women here have to be more careful about reputation than we did back home, especially when men are involved."

She smiled lightly. "And well...I guess your own reputation precedes you too."

"...What?"

Talia chuckled as she gave him a knowing look. "Come on, Senior. You have a reputation for taking unmarried women into your household. Taking that into account, which one of us do you think those women would rather approach if they wanted to ask for a bathhouse?"

"Why bother coming to me when they can just go right to the source instead?"

Lucien rubbed his temple at her words, wanting to deny it even as he realized how futile it was.

"Maybe I should just come out and say that nothing of that sort is happening..." His words trailed off at the alarmed look on Talia's face.

"What is it?"

Talia let out a sharp breath. "It'd be better if you didn't do that, Senior. It would make things a lot worse...for all of us."

At those ominous words, he stared at her. "It can't be that bad, right? Making it clear might at least alleviate the rumors to a certain extent, even if people don't believe it."

"I have too many things to say about that, and I don't even know where to start," Talia muttered, looking around. "Also, this isn't the place to have that conversation."

She grinned cheekily at him. "I'll come by your study later, kay! It's time for another lecture from your favorite junior!"

His brow twitched before his earlier words to Elias flashed back in his mind.

Talia must have seen something in his expression, because her own smile slowly faded.

"Senior...what did you do?"

Lucien looked away from her, the corner of his mouth lifting. "I merely told Elias that you might be able to help them make the proposal more...presentable."

At his words, Talia stared at him before gritting her teeth.

He had a feeling that if they were alone, her reaction would be far more...explosive.

Then her gaze shifted past him, and her eyes widened slightly.

"You...I will deal with that later too! Anyway, I am busy. See ya!"

Immediately after, she hurried off as though fleeing from something.

Lucien exhaled faintly before turning around, expecting to see Harlon approaching him.

When it was Garrick instead, with a frown on his face, Lucien wished he could have pretended not to notice.

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