Did he really need me to give him a reason for my desire to help others if I wished to? “Possibly. I can at least improve their lives. But if you are worried about performance, maybe consider feeding them a little better.”
“Feeding?” His eyebrows rose in surprise.
“The younger boys there looked thin.” I nodded. “Giving them more sustenance may help with productivity. Especially if any of them handle harder labor activities.”
“I can assure you they are getting a lot more here than they would otherwise.”
I snorted at his response. “Just because something is better than something else does not make it adequate.”
Clause reached for his goblet, swirling the red liquid in it. “You are free to do whatever you wish regarding the servants. And if you would like, I will see that their food rations get a boost.” He took a sip of his wine.
It momentarily stunned me by how easy that seemed. Mistrust flared to life. “Why?”
He pulled the cup from his lips, head tilting. “Why?”
“Why agree so easily?” I was certain after he asked me for the point of helping them, he was going to be harder to sway.
“Because you wish for it, and it is nothing for me to allow it. If it brings you a sense of pleasure to interact with servants, I donot care to stop you. And perhaps if it improves productivity, then things should change a bit regarding their care.”
I nearly wanted to say thank you, though stopped myself. He did not deserve my thanks. This was not something done due to kindness. He could see for himself the kind of condition his people lived in, that the food rations of those boys left something to be desired.
“So, what is your first lesson?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Lesson?”
“You said you would teach me to be stronger if I came here.”
A smile curled at his lips. “Eager to strengthen yourself in hopes of taking me out?”
“With conjuring?” That was clearly something that would not be possible as long as conjuring could not touch him.
“With that clever mind of yours.”
I nodded towards my fork. “Maybe if you teach me to use my mist in a way where I can use it to send this fork through your heart from a healthy distance.”
Helaughed. The sound rich and unbothered by the threat I threw his way.
I gritted my teeth, waiting for him to stop being so sickeningly entertained by my words.
Clause eyed my food. “Are you finished eating?”
The plate was halfway cleared off, and I had not taken a bite in a while. I ate as much as I could manage with the disgust coiling my stomach because of the company.
“Yes.”
“Care to join me for a walk?” I didn’t respond immediately. I didn’t particularly love the idea of spending more time with him if the meal had ended and I was free to go. When I did not jump at the invitation, he continued, “If you wish to learn, Iwould like to start with the history of the Spirits. And there is a place I would like to show you if we have this talk.” He stood from his seat, waiting for me to follow.
“You mean the Spirit?” I followed his lead, standing from my chair.
“No. I mean spirits. Two to be exact.”
“Lead the way,” I answered with a frown, uncertain about where this was going. He remained at my side while taking me through the vast hallways.
“Tomorrow morning, I will have a servant come by and get your measurements for a dress. You can tell her what you would like to wear for the party we will have next week to welcome your arrival.” He casually told me as we made our way down a stone hall before turning onto a staircase and rising.
“A party?” I eyed him.
“I wanted to give you a week to get settled before having you attend any events.”
