Sengo was lost again in the mansion.
This make him wonder if he was actually bad at direction... No way. He knows his way around, yeah, he's not someone with a bad sense of direction.
Putting that thought aside, he looked around the Hall. He decided that this time, he won't just stay in the hallway. Which may be stupid, but he'd rather be found in a bed than in a hallway... Oh wait, that doesn't sounds so good. Was he being rude? After all, this was a Count's mansion. Even though he had a last name, Sengo wasn't really a noble. Which would enact a punishment, but it was Count Henituse! He'll understand for sure.
Sengo found a good door and went towards it. It was a two door room, so it must be a bedroom or an important room.
Even knowing that, Sengo pushed the door open and he found a room full of books.
His eyes widened, it was a library!
.... Maybe he could read something while waiting for someone to notice him and take him back to his parents? Yeah, that's a good idea!
Sengo walked inside the library and look around as there were no librarian, which was weird, but he didn't think much on it. He approached the nearest shelf and picked a random book that took his interest.
His mother had taught him how to read, so he could the book just fine. Some words were much more complicated, but he got the gist of what he was reading. It was about politic, more specifically the intricacies of the Royal Families all across the continent. He didn't like politics, but reading and doing it was different, he liked reading it more than be there.
He put the book back in the shelf and then walk in deeper and search for something else that was more interesting than politics.
He found a book about the geographic of this world and eagerly read it. Knowing your own world is important in his opinion since you will know better before stepping into a forbidden or dangerous place.
Reading the book give him knowledge of the kingdoms and the single empire in this continent. Then, there was also the dangerous places that humans shouldn't venture in simply because the death rate of those who went in without any preparation or experiences.
It was very interesting...
His legs ached and he realized that he had been standing while reading, so he sat down on the floor with his back leaning on the shelf.
He keeps reading the book until he finished it and put it back where it was supposed to be.
Sengo checked the time, it was almost dark outside, so he had been in the library for quite sometimes now... His mother was going to ground him again.
Sighing, Sengo was really unfortunate. He still doesn't know which way was the exist even after Beacrox took him on a tour for a just-in-case he get lost. Like right now.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh? It's nothing... I just want to go home, but i don't know the way out of this big mansion..!" Sengo answered in an exasperated tone.
"Hm, is that so? I can take you to the exist if you want?"
Hearing this, Sengo became excited and a smile bloom on his face, he then turn towards the voice and was met with a red-brownish eyes and a familiar face that made him jump back. "C-countess!"
He quickly bowed, she was a noble after all! Even though his parents and hers were similar to friends, he can't exactly treat her like an aunt. In fact, this was their first meeting!
But instead of getting mocked, the Countess try to get him to stop bowing, "No no no, none of that. You're like my nephew, just call me Auntie or Aunt Jour!"
Sengo eyes widened as he look up at Jour's reddish brown eyes. "I..."
The eyes of the Countess were boring on him and he was sweating pretty heavily before relenting to her demand, "Alright, Co- Aunt Jour.."
The bright smile on Jour's face indicated her satisfaction.
"Now," Jour extended her hand towards Sengo, who look at it with confusion, "didn't you say you were lost? I'll take you back to Sarah, she must be worried sick again." Her soft smile assured him somehow and he, with some hesitation, take it.
Jour lead him through the maze called The Count's Mansion, which he doesn't seem to be getting a hold of even after so many times walking through it after his encounter with Beacrox weeks ago. It didn't take them long to get out of the Mansion back to the training ground, where his mother was lecturing Beacrox and the Guards, it was quite a familiar sight after so many times he got lost, though Beacrox always managed to find him in time before, though now he was getting scolded since he didn't manage to find Sengo.
"Sarah!" The Countess called for his mother, who stopped her rant and turn around at the sound of her friend's voice. Her face turn from anger to relief. "I found Sengo, he was by the Library."
Sarah walked towards them and she thanked Jour, "thank you, Jour. I apologize for burdening you with the task of finding my son."
Jour waved it off, "it was nothing. Isn't that how friends are supposed to do? Besides, i just happen to came across him by chance." Her smile was beautiful, which Sengo imagined himself wearing a sunglasses for how bright it was.
Sarah smiled in return before turning to Sengo with a dark look, "you are grounded." Sengo look down to his feet, knowing well he can't rebute his mother's punishment, especially after worrying her.
"Yes, mother.."
Seeing Sengo looking down, Jour proposed something, "We should get our sons to meet." Sengo look up from the ground at her, eyes wide with surprise.
It wasn't just Sengo, everyone who heard that look at her with wide eyes.
"... Are you sure, Jour?" Jour just smiled softly, but Sengo could see her eyes glimming with something else, as if she was hiding something else.
That make him wonder, Is the Countess trying to set them up or was it something else? Either wasn't exactly bad... No, the latter was rather unknown, all he need to do was put his guard up if ever that 'something else' was at play.
An eye contest was happening between both women, which Sengo could tell was a communication of sort. It didn't take long for his mother to make a decision, of course. Not that there was any chance at refusing, but seeing his mother relax, it make Sengo think that maybe it had been the former, Jour was trying to make Sengo her son's friend, a connection of sort.
"Alright, when do you want the meeting be?" Sarah asked, to which Jour seemingly contemplates over.
"I'll take Cale here tomorrow, might as well show him how the knights train. He had been holed inside for too long." Jour stated, which Sengo's mother nodded at.
"Alright, then.. I'll come to your training tomorrow, young man." His mother's eyes bore on him again, to which he nodded at quickly. "Good." She turned to Jour, "then, I'll see you tomorrow, Jour! I need to take my son back home, dinner is going to be cold soon if we stay longer."
Jour nodded, "don't let me hold you back, Sarah. Tomorrow, remember?"
"Yes~"
Sengo honestly never see his mother act like this. She always acted like a sweet and strict mother around him, not carefree like she was with the Countess.
That day, Sengo admitted that he learned something new.
Status doesn't make your relationship with others different. Even when you're noble or commoner. His mother was really an admirable woman.
Though he still got his ear screamed at when they arrived back home and Charlie was patting him on the back after it was done.