Even though Farlow had reassured him that he wouldn’t be arrested, Jason wasn’t a fool, and he knew that there were other members of the council with more power than even Farlow. If those members decided that Jason needed to be arrested, then Farlow might be overpowered. No, Jason needed to secure an escape route in case things went south. Jason trusted some members of the council, but he still couldn’t trust the council itself until he was sure he had at least half the council on his side, no matter what.
’I already have Lamina, Farlow, and Hesbaeth. T’arigan is a coin toss since he is Farlow’s friend rather than mine, but I’ll count him in until he gives me a reason not to trust him. Then, if I join the council, I’ll have five members supporting me. I need more members. C’thlyanu would be the obvious choice, but I still don’t know his motives for helping me before. From the way he spoke to Gina, I can tell he also suspected there was something wrong with Rubik, but he didn’t do anything about it himself, and he left the responsibility to me. I need to figure out his game plan before I can try to bring him into my corner.’
Jason frowned as he had these thoughts, and he gave small nods to the maids that passed beside him as he walked. There were a few partygoers who tried to draw Jason into their drinking and merriment, but Jason politely refused, and he just took a glass of Red Wind-Berry Wine from one of the young women who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and he quickly left before they could try to make him drink more. The wine was incredibly strong since the Elves had a very high tolerance for alcohol, so Jason could feel a pleasant tingle in his chest just from that one cup.
’Let’s try not to take any more of that. It’s strong enough to make me drunk with only a few more cups.’
This thought passed through Jason’s mind as he turned a corner, and he raised a brow when he saw Stella walking down the hallway in a full maid outfit. Stella was writing furiously into a notepad while listening attentively to another maid who was walking beside her. The maid beside Stella was probably the most regal elf Jason had ever seen! The woman had long black hair that had been tied up into a neat bun behind her, and her maid’s gown was impeccably clean and ironed to perfection! She was moderately endowed at both the breasts and hips – just like most elves – but she had on white gloves, and a pair of black glasses with a stern expression on her face that made her look like one of those sexy teachers Jason used to fantasize about as a kid! [A/N: Sexy teachers are the pinnacle of the young male fantasy!]
Once Jason came into view, both maids stopped their conversation, and Stella’s face lit up in joy as she called out:
"Master!"
Stella was about to rush towards Jason, but another voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Ah-Hem!"
The spectacled maid suddenly cleared her throat, and Stella’s entire body locked up! Stella quickly schooled her features into a more professional look, and she bowed to Jason with her hands on her stomach like a proper maid! Jason raised a brow in surprise, and he wondered what the hell Stella had been doing.
In truth, Stella had been learning a lot about what it truly meant to be a maid under the tutelage of the head maid of the Arandelle royal palace for the past week. Although Stella had dedicated her life to serving Jason, she had been a soldier before now, so she didn’t really know how to act like a proper maid. The head maid of the castle had seen Stella’s dedication, and the head maid made it her mission to make sure Stella was a proper maid before Stella left this world! The head maid gave Stella a look to show that she was disappointed in her slip-up! A maid was to maintain elegance at all times, and rushing towards your master was completely inelegant!
The head maid turned to Jason and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Jason, it is an honor to stand before you. My name is Valery, and I am the head maid of the Arandelle royal palace. I have been tutoring Miss Stella on proper etiquette in order for her to serve you better, but it appears my teaching methods are still lacking. I’ll endeavour to make sure she acts better in the future."
Jason hummed as he heard Valery’s declaration. So that’s what they were doing. Jason turned towards Stella, and he saw her looking to the side with a slightly nervous expression on her face. It was obvious that Stella had been working really hard all this time, and Stella was a bit ashamed that she didn’t put her work into practice! Jason just huffed in amusement as he walked towards Stella, and he put his hand on the shorter woman’s head as he spoke.
"I’m happy you’re trying so hard to serve me better. Elegance definitely has its charm, but if you ask me, I’d prefer it if you greeted me with a beautiful smile whenever you see me."
Stella’s cheeks reddened as she stared up at Jason, and she could feel her lips twitching up into a wide smile against her control once she heard what Jason said! Stella had been trying desperately for the past week to become more elegant and control her emotions because she thought that it would allow her to serve Jason better! But just those few words from Jason made Stella realise that she had been doing things all wrong! It was fine to be stoic in front of others, and Stella could use all her elegance to ensure no one looked down on her master, but when she was with Jason, Stella didn’t have to hide all her emotions like that! Jason wanted Stella to smile for him, and Jason’s opinion was all that mattered to Stella!
Jason grinned when he saw Stella’s smile, and he patted her head again before he turned to Valery and nodded to her while thanking her for her hard work. Both Valery and Stella bowed to Jason respectfully as Jason finally continued on his way. Once Jason was gone, the maids rose once again, and Valery hummed.
"You’re lucky to have found yourself such a good master. He is kind, but ensure you do not take advantage of that kindness. It is a maid’s job to retain our master’s authority over us even when he wishes not to use it."
"Yes, Madam Valery."
Stella nodded to Valery’s instructions, and Valery let out a small sigh when she saw the huge smile on Stella’s face! Stella’s cheeks were still painted red, and there was a happy smile that refused to disappear! It was obvious that Stella was far too happy to follow Valery’s instructions at that moment, and Valery just turned and began to walk down the hall while speaking.
"Come along, Stella, we have much work still to be done. And I know your master’s words made you immensely happy, but you’ll tear your face apart if you keep smiling so much."
"Yes, Madam Valery."
Stella said this as she tried to fight back her smile, but Stella couldn’t stop smiling, and Valery just chuckled lightly and shook her head. Valery could understand Stella’s happiness, so she decided to allow Stella to enjoy the moment as much as she wanted. After all, Valery and Stella were not so different, and Valery knew just how happy she always was whenever Farlow gave her compliments or patted her head! For a maid who had dedicated their entire life to their master, hearing their master say such kind words was the greatest gift in the world!