When Ligeia stepped outside, she saw Yanis waiting at the door.
Yanis waved Ligeia over, then led her into the study.
Ligeia went in, plopped herself down in a seat, and asked bluntly, "Did you need me for something?"
"Why were you keeping an eye on them in your room?"
Yanis didn't answer. Instead, she countered with a question.
Ligeia immediately grinned. "Oh, that? I was just watching them."
"Watching what?"
"It'd be bad if she accidentally got pregnant."
Ligeia said without the slightest hesitation, "Her Majesty the Queen hasn't officially been crowned yet. Going by the proper ceremonial process, it won't happen until next summer at the earliest. By then, her belly would already be showing. That definitely wouldn't be proper."
"That's a reasonable concern... But what are you worried about? Isn't Lily watching them inside?"
Yanis sighed helplessly. "Worry about it when you see Lily get kicked out."
"Huh?"
Ligeia countered, "Isn't Lily that boy's personal maid? I remember she was the one who initiated Iver... He was thirteen or fourteen back then, right?"
Yanis froze for a moment. "That happened? Impossible."
"She told me herself. Apparently it's some kind of tradition, though I'm just a country girl and don't understand it."
Ligeia shrugged. "I've known for a long time that the great families of Avalon are all pretty messed up, but I never thought personal maids had a tradition like that..."
"...Tradition?"
Yanis repeated the word.
Her expression immediately turned strange.
Ligeia noticed and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Yanis countered, "Did she tell you that personal maids initiated noble young masters so they wouldn't date outside and have illegitimate children?"
"...That's exactly what she said. Is there a problem?"
Ligeia finally caught on.
Yanis burst out laughing and slapped Ligeia on the shoulder.
"That was something