Episode will post on Sunday night - as always, I've gone just over the 15k character mark and I'm not splitting up a small chapter for Tapas. Will have to condense - thank the fates for Pixiv, Bear House, and AO3.gay
Flora gazes at the lofty Gaul. “How’d you know I—”
“-I grew up with eight sisters, they all shared rooms and, eventually, blood days. You will keep the staff on schedule since you work through your pains every month,” Welle then mumbles, “and Julia takes to her bed at the first drop,”
“I don’t get the blood anymore,” Vibia offers.
Hosta says, “I get a spot now and then, every few months,”
A portion of Caeso’s upper lip rises as he turns to Marilla.
“Are you wearing the rag right now?”
“Can we please talk about something else,” Optus begs.
Welle claps once, silencing them.
“We have a busy day ahead,”
“Yes, we should focus,” says Flora. “Since Julia’s taken to her bed, Marilla, me and you can divide the first floor,”
“I have an announcement,” Welle declares. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll be serving as Lord Skipio’s attendant,”
Niko nods to himself while Flora gives a start.
“You’re no longer overseeing us?” Marilla asks, a bit too cheerful as the boys smirk openly; at least the kitchen mavens have the sense to hide their happiness.
“Oh, I’ll still be watching,” he assures. “But after tomorrow, you’ll all be answering to Flora,”
“Are you sure, Master Welletrix?” Flora asks. “Julia Paulina’s been in this house longer than I have,”
“Yes,” he says. “And Julia retires to her room on blood days, and here you are, standing here, rag in place,”
Flora spins around, frantic, craning her neck to see her backside. “Do I have a spot?”
“No, your tunic is unstained,” Welle says as Niko nods.
A woman with an unremarkable figure, her beauty comes at the expense of a dull scar on her cheek, put there by an overzealous dog when she was no more than a toddler. Her brown eyes animate as she sets a flower for the kitchen spirits on the Larium, its shelf overflowing with flowers, nuts, and wheat tails.
The niche sits within the walkthrough to the triclinium, where simple frescoes of plated meals adorn the walls, showing how the food must look before it leaves the kitchen.
“Where’s Julia?” he asks her.
“She’s got her blood,” says Flora.
Marilla huffs, “Again?”
“It’s been four weeks,” Flora laughs. “I’d be concerned if she didn’t have it again.”
Welle lifts his voice to the boys.
“Are you two waiting for an invite from Vesta herself?”
Both young men shuffle over, their faces revealing they would rather be elsewhere. Marilla skirts around them as they arrive, separating her from their Helvetian taskmaster.
Niko grins without a word, as he is a man of no words.
Time is not on my side this week. I've sat down on multiple occasions to edit this next chapter only to have something come up to pull me away. Sunday, I've cleared my calendar and will turn off my phone!