PBPGD

CHAPTER 126

Cahrem's three-day birthday celebration was finally over. The attendants' faces lit up, and there was a bounce in their steps as they scurried to clean the guest rooms.

Of course, Lady Ihar's personal attendants realized that their duties were only beginning when Camellia immediately took to the streets.

"A cold wave will hit any day now. Increase the number of officers on rounds for the next fortnight."

"Yes, my lady."

"Ensure that the hospitals are well stocked with fuel. How are the pigsties and stables?"

"They've started to allocate the fuel that arrived from The Neutral Territory today, my lady."

Lia nodded satisfactorily. "Good. I'll be at the nunnery. Please head over to the distribution center and make sure the fuel is all distributed before sundown."

"Yes, my lady," the attendants chorused before heading off to their respective locations.

Edith accompanied her to the nunnery. It was the one community service she never missed out on, no matter how busy she was. One of her biggest joys in life was meeting and teaching children and witnessing their growth and transformation.

She was spread thin with all the duties she'd inherited from Jasmine, but she went about her duties with determination.

"Welcome, Lady Ihar." The abbess and children ran out to greet her and Edith.

Camellia was in comfortable pants and leather boots, and her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail. She smiled brightly as she greeted the abbess.

"Thank you for the food you sent ahead of you. It was all so exquisite and lovely, and you sent so much that we were able to feed everyone and even have some left over."

"That's wonderful to hear," Lia replied happily. "Now, children. Time to play!"

The children cheered and ran to her. Lia pulled up her sleeves and threw them a ball before joining in.

Edith and the nuns smiled as they organized winter clothes for the children.

"Thanks to Lady Ihar, it'll be another warm winter."

"She is like sunshine, after all. Do you have the list of potential Academy students?"

A nun handed her a small pile of acceptance letters. "Thanks to Lady Arinne, the girls will also be able to attend Saint Alexander's Girls' School."

Arinne was the Louverian orphan whom Camellia and Claude took in as their ward.

She had become the school president at Saint Alexander's and had the school admissions policy so that those without guardians could also apply to study at the institution.

"A blessing indeed, Reverend Mother," Edith said with a smile as she flipped through the acceptance letters.

****

A line of cars sped over the bridge into Del Casa. The five cars held gentry businessmen who were successful entrepreneurs in Eteare.

They dealt primarily in tobacco, coffee, spices, and construction, rising on a steep curve of wealth that rivaled the oldest noble families.

They valued freedom and extravagance, and they coveted titles; some would go to noble families who had nothing left and purchase their titles with gold coins because, despite all their wealth, they were mere commoners without a title.

One such tobacco magnate who made his fortune in the capital was Alfred, and he was also in one of the cars crossing through downtown Del Casa. He planned to stay in Del Casa for a week, meet with the grand duke a few times, then move toward the Neutral Territory.