Precedence System: I Take My Rewards In Advance

The Holmes estate was far larger than Zishan had expected.

He had already known Elinox came from one of the most powerful noble families in Olmost. Ernest being the Crown Marshal alone should have told him that much, but knowing something and walking through the gates of an estate that looked as if several rich people had argued over who could build the largest house were two different things.

Zishan stared across the grounds as several servants passed them. ’This place is really huge. It somehow feels even larger than the first time I came here.’

Elinox continued walking beside him as if none of this was unusual. Silvy rested against Zishan’s shoulder while Ollie followed a few steps behind them, visibly more interested in everything around the estate than Zishan wanted him to be.

The last thing they needed was Ollie to disappear into a noble house and come back carrying something expensive, but Ollie was a sensible kid, so they doubted he’d do that.

Elinox glanced at Zishan as they approached the main residence. ”You can stay here temporarily.”

Zishan stopped. ”Here?”

”Yes,” she answered, nodding.

He glanced around again before looking toward the enormous residence ahead of them. ”You mean inside your house?”

Elinox gave him a strange expression. ”Where else would you stay?”

”I don’t know. An inn? Military quarters? Somewhere people won’t think I’ve somehow infiltrated a Marquess—”

”Duke.”

Zishan paused, then thought about it. ”Right. Duke’s house.”

Silvy lifted her head after hearing Elinox speak. ”Mama!”

Several servants walking near them froze.

Zishan slowly closed his eyes. ’Of course.’

Elinox continued toward the residence, without saying anything. The servants remained perfectly respectful until she finally went past them.

Then, the whispers began.

”Did she bring him here?”

”Lower your voice.”

”I am lowering it!”

”You’re whispering louder than you speak.”

But Zishan heard every word. His expression became increasingly uncomfortable as he followed Elinox toward the entrance.

Another maid farther down the corridor leaned toward one of the older servants. ”Lady Elinox brought a young man home.”

”I can see that.”

”Has she ever done that before?”

”No.”

The maid stared at Zishan again.

”And that little creature seems to be calling her Mama.”

The older servant became silent.

Both of them stared at Silvy.

Silvy stared back with her large silver-gray eyes. ”Mama!”

The maid’s jaw dropped as she looked at the cute little creature.

Zishan rubbed his forehead.

Elinox eventually stopped and turned toward the servants behind them. ”Is there something wrong?”

Every servant nearby straightened.

”No, My Lady.”

”Everything is fine, My Lady.”

”We were just discussing the weather.”

Zishan glanced through one of the enormous windows. ”There isn’t even a cloud outside. Nothing is interesting to discuss about the weather.”

Several servants stared at him.

Elinox gave him a look. If her look could talk, it would’ve said something like, ’Why did you need to spell that out? It’s clear as day that they’re trying to evade answering me directly.’

”What?” Zishan asked.

One of the younger maids lowered her head and pressed her lips together.

Elinox shook her head and just resumed walking.

Behind them, the whispers returned at almost half their previous volume. Even a few of the butlers had begun exchanging glances.

Their Lady had returned from the western front with a young man around her age, allowed him to stay within the estate, and brought a tiny black creature that kept calling her Mama.

For people who had served House Holmes long enough to know Elinox’s usual habits, the situation was far too intriguing to ignore.

Their Lady barely entertained noblemen who deliberately came seeking her attention. Now, she had brought one home herself.

Then, there was the supposed child.

A black-scaled creature with little horns, small wings, and silver-gray eyes had been sitting comfortably on Zishan’s shoulder while calling Elinox Mama.

Nobody knew what conclusion they were supposed to reach. Silvy herself became an entirely separate subject of discussion.

Several servants suspected she belonged to some draconic species because of the horns, wings, tail, and scales covering her body. Others argued that genuine dragons were not supposed to be small enough to carry around like an especially spoiled house pet. Though nobody dared make a confident judgment. ℓ.

One elderly butler studied her from several meters away before quietly deciding that regardless of what she was, she was adorable. An adorable little one.

Silvy noticed him staring.

Her head tilted.

The butler turned his face elsewhere as though the tiny creature had caught him doing something embarrassing.

Ollie adapted to the estate much faster.

Within less than an hour, he had somehow made friends with several maids, two servants assigned to the courtyard, and an older groundskeeper who gave him a pastry after learning that he had traveled with Elinox.

Zishan did not even understand how it happened.

One moment Ollie was following him. The next, the kid was sitting near a courtyard fountain while three servants listened to him explain an increasingly questionable version of what had happened during their travels.

Silvy wandered nearby.

A maid crouched in front of her and extended one finger. The little dragon sniffed it.

The maid’s entire face brightened and blushed. ”She’s so cuteeeee!”

Silvy opened her mouth, causing the maid to pull her hand back, but instead of biting her, the little dragon merely sneezed. A tiny puff of dark smoke escaped her nostrils, making several of the servants laugh while Ollie nearly fell sideways from where he was sitting.

”She does that when she’s annoyed,” he said, only for Silvy to turn her head toward him.

Ollie’s laughter died at once. He straightened himself and added, ”You are very beautiful, Silvy.”

Silvy stared at him for a moment before seeming satisfied with the correction, which only made the servants laugh even harder.

Zishan watched them for a while before Elinox called him from the corridor. ”We have to leave.”

He looked toward her. ”Again?”

”There are several things that need to be handled before you can remain here without creating another problem.”

Zishan frowned. ”Why does staying inside someone’s house require paperwork?”

”Because you’re a military officer who was officially assigned elsewhere, you’re supposedly dead according to a noble registry, and my uncle has already started looking into House Walker.”

”Right.”

Elinox glanced toward Ollie and Silvy. ”They can remain here.”

Zishan looked toward the courtyard. Ollie was now trying to convince Silvy to return the cloth ball she had stolen from one of the maids.

Silvy hugged it tighter.

”Are you sure?” he asked, still looking at the little brother he already planned to adopt and the little dragon.

Elinox nodded and said, ”They’ll be safe here.”

Several attendants nearby also nodded with her, some of them strangely looking more eager.

Zishan considered it before looking toward Silvy. ”Baby... no... Little Silvy...”

Silvy raised her head, still hugging the cloth ball.

”Papa has to leave for a bit,” Zishan said, smiling gently.

Elinox looked at this gentle smile as she felt something else, but ignored it and looked away.

Silvy stared at him. ”Mama?”

”She’s coming too.”

Her expression changed at once, and Zishan pointed toward Ollie. ”Stay with Ollie.”

Ollie raised his hand. ”I’ll watch her!”

Zishan gave him a long look, and the boy’s confidence weakened almost instantly. ”I’ll... try to watch her.”

”That’s more believable.”

Silvy looked between Zishan and Elinox before releasing a dissatisfied little growl. Elinox approached and gently touched the top of her head. ”We’ll come back.”

The little dragon stared at her for several seconds before lowering herself beside the cloth ball.

”Mama...”

One of the maids looked as though she might melt on the spot.

Zishan and Elinox left the estate soon afterward, and the servants watched them disappear beyond the main grounds before several heads slowly turned toward one another.

”They left together, too...” one maid whispered.

The older butler beside her closed his eyes. ”Do your work.”

”But—”

”Just do your work.”

Then, the maid did. Well, for about three minutes. Afterward, the gossip quietly started again somewhere else in the courtyard while the rest of the household settled back into their work.

Ollie played with several servants while Silvy chased the cloth ball whenever it rolled close enough to interest her. Half the time she ignored the game entirely and ran away with it.

Nobody complained.

One maid had already surrendered after Silvy curled herself around the ball and stared at anyone who came close.

”Fine. Keep it,” the maid said, sighing.

Silvy hugged the ball even tighter.

The maid pressed both hands against her chest. ”I can’t deal with this. This is just too much cuteness!!!”

For some time, everything inside the courtyard remained peaceful. Then, someone suddenly entered from the western wing of the estate.

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