As most of the Tea Parties had already ended, the maids of the Duke's Mansion gathered once more. This time, the atmosphere of the meeting was somewhat subtle.
They first confirmed the whereabouts of Claire, Trina, and the others belonging to Artemis's faction.
Then Capel, the deputy head maid of Capricorn Palace, announced that Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth, had invited her to become a first-class Chosen One.
As Capel spoke, she also revealed her hesitation. She did not want to completely leave the Duke's Mansion.
But Hestia placed great importance on the affiliation of her Chosen Ones. To become Hestia's Chosen One, one had to become part of her family.
And according to her understanding of "family," after Capel joined her family, that family had to become her first priority.
That was equivalent to having Capel leave the Duke's Mansion, her home. "There is nothing to hesitate over, Capel."
In response to Capel's hesitation, Alvitr merely gently rubbed her head and said, "Escorting my daughter into a new and better family is my responsibility and duty."
Feeling the warmth from Alvitr's palm, Capel's eyes reddened in an instant.
No matter how much experience she had gained, she was still only a sixteen-year-old girl, at the age when emotions were at their richest and most overwhelming.
She choked out that she would not go, but Alvitr merely held her and whispered, "No matter where you go, the Duke's Mansion will always be your family home."
There was no second choice.
Whether emotionally or practically, Capel should not refuse Hestia's invitation.
Together with the other maids, Dark watched Capel's emotions shift from calm to agitation, then back to calm again, feeling nothing but blessings for her.
However, tonight had brought not only good news, but bad news as well. Janice's