Alpha's Cruel Addiction

Cora took Ophelia on a tour of the castle, starting from the top to the bottom. Ophelia knew this estate was huge, but she didn't think it'd be to this extent. By the time they went from the highest floor to ground level, her feet were aching, and the shoes might as well be worn out with use.

Cora continued her long explanation.

"Not counting the towers, we have four floors and 350 rooms, including the servant, guard, and knights sleeping quarters. Prior to your arrival, we have focused on practicality, for the lord and lady of the estate are not present to welcome guests," Cora continued, whilst gesturing to a wooden shelf in the corner that displayed bandages, salve, and ointments to be quickly used, for they were nearing the training grounds.

Ophelia's eyes widened. 350 rooms?! She pitied the servants that'd have to go through all of them. Wait a minute, then exactly how many people were working in this castle?!

"We have ten reception rooms for guests, three dining halls—the first for private usage by the masters of the house, the second is where the master and guests will be dining, and the third for the servants, knights, and guards, Madam. All of the rooms were fully furnished, as the late Alpha preferred the castle to be pristine," Cora began to count every single thing in her head.

"Next, we have a single library, for only the mage and his pupil use it, then a tea salon on every floor, but it has seldom been used ever since… the incident," Cora informed.

Ophelia blinked. What incident? There seemed to be something beyond the Forest of Blood massacre.

"Lastly, there is the throne room where the lord or lady will hold attendance for people, one seldom-used ballroom, and lastly, two banquet halls where large formal meals can be held for people, but once again, it has never been used, for there are no guests, Madam."

Ophelia's head began to spin with the information. There was a lot of work to do and she was certain it'd take over a year for everything to be tidied up.

"A-and outside?"

Cora nodded her head in approval. "Outside, we have two large gardens and another to the far end of the castle, beyond the training grounds. We initially proposed to make it a vegetable garden, but Alpha Mavez refused and said we should purchase from our hard-working farmers, which is what we've done, Madam."

Ophelia nodded.

"S-since the lord and lady of the estate have r-returned, I'd assume g-guests would be c-coming soon," Ophelia mumbled. "W-we need to have everything ready before the f-festival. I hear Mavez Dukedom i-is a prime s-spot for merchants. W-what of the town?"

"The town is controlled by the Alpha," Cora explained again.

Ophelia pressed her lips together. "I-I think Killorn wants me to start working on the gardens."

Cora nodded in agreement. "Nothing grows in those soils, Madam."

"T-then we'll get rid of it completely," Ophelia stated. "P-please call the m-merchants a-and craftsmen by t-tomorrow. We'll b-begin right away."

Cora dutifully nodded her head as she mentally jotted all of this down. A part of her was relieved by how quickly the Madam took charge. She hoped this passion wouldn't die down, for the late Madam never did anything, but cry in her room. Cora couldn't blame her. No woman could.

"I'll have them arrive by the afternoon," Cora warmly told her, catching Ophelia by surprise. "In the meantime, the other servants are quickly getting ready for the Alpha's departure."

"I-is he going alone?" Ophelia wearily asked.

"We serve as the nation's last defense, Madam," Cora stated. "As such, we're only a few hours by carriage and a shorter distance by horse."

Ophelia wasn't aware of how close Mavez Dukedom was to the empire.

Eventually, Ophelia heard rhythmic chants and unkept shouting in the distance. By the time she looked up, her eyes widened. They were now outside, the chilly air grabbing at her skin. She felt her face being stabbed from the cold, but still, she looked onwards.

Ophelia and Cora stood at the top of the staircase that overlooked an enormous training center. The snow was cleared from the sand-touched grounds, revealing tens of men training.

In the far distance, she saw young boys being taught the sword by an older man, and even further than that, a faint silhouette of Gerald instructing combat whereas Beetles were instructing a group to run a lap around the entire center.

"Everyone is training, is there something you'd like to do or say? Would you like to greet them, Madam?" Cora calmly asked, turning to her.

Ophelia took in everything she could. When they were all gone, she'd need routine speculation of what to fix and supply here. There were many training dummies, wooden equipment for practice, shelves where armors laid, and the list went on.

"N-no need, e-everyone is b-busy," Ophelia noted. "W-we'll come b-back later."

"A good idea, Madam, for Alpha Mavez hate spectators during the training sessions," Cora agreed with a nod of her head.

They began to turn on their heels. Ophelia couldn't help, but want to continue staying here until she saw her husband. However, if he disliked an audience, then she'd just have to leave in fear of upsetting him. She was raised that it was better to place a man's wishes over hers first.

"When the previous Duke ruled, a spy from an enemy pack had tried to copy our traditions for their own benefit. Since then, Alpha Mavez has always been diligent," Cora elaborated.

Ophelia quietly nodded. She couldn't open her voice, for she'd sound disappointed. She did want to see the training center when it was being used, for she could properly assess how roughly the equipment was being employed. It'd help her gauge how often to replace and mend things.

"Wait."

Suddenly, Ophelia felt a rough hand grab her from behind. She yelped and was yanked backward. Immediately, she glanced up and saw him—her husband.