The Transmigrated Author

264  You!

"Rel? Who is this?"

Valencia's voice was filled with concern as her eyes were fixed on the scene unfolding before her.

 She had only stepped away for a moment to use the restroom, but when she returned, Rel was nowhere to be found.

And now, here he was, standing awfully close to a maid.

She couldn't quite put her finger on the emotion bubbling inside her, but it was definitely there, it was a feeling of confusion and something else she couldn't quite name.

"A-ah, Valencia!"

Rel stuttered robotically and his head whipped around in surprise.

Though his eyes were focused on Valencia, Vanessa, who stood before him, gently took his hands, her touch pulling his attention.

"...!"

"Rel? That's a nice name... It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a warm smile, then gracefully stepped back, her maid's dress swaying as she bowed reverently.

"I am a maid of the Montclair Household, you can call me Korine."

Valencia and Rel were both stunned with how she presented herself.

Is he always surrounded by beautiful women? Valencia's brow seemed to furrow by the second.

It seemed like wherever he went, a girl would inevitably appear by his side.

"Rel..." Valencia hurried towards him, tugging on his shirt to get his attention.

"Do you know this person?"

Her eyes were glued to the maid feeling uneasy as to why she couldn't understand why a maid in the Montclair household would be acquainted with someone like Rel.

It was stirring up a completely different feeling than when she saw him with Alice.

"We met back at the Lumières Academy in Paris," Rel explained. "She just happens to be working as a maid here."

"Oh..."

Valencia couldn't help but sigh, trying to calm herself. But the sight of the pretty maid, with her black hair, delicate features, and innocent expression, was doing little to quell the frustration building inside her.

Could it be he's into people like that? she pondered, clenching her fists.

"I'm sorry, but it seems I've overstayed my welcome. I have to get these delivered, so I'll be leaving first. Enjoy your stay at the Montclair mansion, you two."

As she turned to leave, she looked back at Rel, winking playfully.

What was that?! Valencia's mind was going crazy. Why was that maid winking at Rel? And why did he look so flustered? She felt a strange urge to grab his arm and pull him away, to keep him all to herself.

This wasn't like her at all. She usually didn't care about these things. But something about seeing Rel with another girl, even just a maid, was stirring up feelings she'd never experienced before.

**

[Rel's POV]

"Welcome, young scholars," a deep voice boomed through the grand hall.

I watched as a tall, imposing figure, Daniel Montclair III, the head of the Montclair household, stepped forward.

"It's a pleasure to have students like you who admire and appreciate our family's history and the artifacts we've gathered through countless dungeon subjugations across the world."

He gestured towards a woman standing beside him. She had an elegant air about her, a perfect match for the imposing man beside her.

"This is my wife, Eleanor. And beside her is our son, Anouz."

A young man with a sharp gaze and a confident stride stepped forward.

Anouz. It seems like he wasn't dressed for the occasion at all it's typical of his character.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Anouz said, bowing respectfully.

"Ooo... Lyraaa..." Camila's voice rang out, and I turned to see her nudging Lyra in the ribs. Lyra's face flushed as she caught sight of Anouz. It was clear she was interested in him. Good, I thought. If I play my cards right, Anouz will be more inclined to agree to my favor.

Finally, Daniel introduced the servants who would be assisting us during our stay.

"These are the individuals who ensure the smooth running of our household," he announced. "They are highly trained and dedicated to their duties. Please treat them with the respect they deserve."

As Daniel gestured, the workers of the mansion lined up in four rows of eight. Out of all of them, I spotted Christian, the 'assistant chef', and Vanessa, the assistant maid.

I couldn't help but raise a brow at how well they were blending in. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

I'd seen the group chat where Christian was asking how to cut carrots, so his culinary expertise was clearly a work in progress.

After the introductions, Daniel dismissed the group, allowing us to explore the mansion and its grounds.

"You're free to stay here until the weekend," he said. "I've heard there's a massive exam coming up, so you can relax and recharge here. In the meantime, I recommend visiting our artifact library downstairs. It houses a collection of fascinating items that many would die to see. But enough with the speeches, I'll have our servants show you to your rooms."

Click!

With a snap of his fingers, two of the head servants emerged from the line and hurried towards our group.

"All the girls, please follow the head maid, Lateya," Daniel instructed, pointing to a stern-looking woman. "And the boys, please follow Mr. Richard."

Mr. Richard, the head servant, gave a stiff nod and led us boys down a hallway. As we walked, I learned that I was once again sharing a room with Bazz and Jan, just like in France.

Lan and Louise, on the other hand, got their own rooms due to their families' close relationship with the Montclair's.

I wouldn't say that was unfair, but after my experiences with those two morons in one room, I'd much rather be on my own for the night.

We were led through winding corridors, each room grander than the last.

Finally, we reached our destination, a suite of rooms connected by a shared lounge.

"This is your room," Mr. Richard announced, gesturing towards a door.

As I stepped inside, I was met with a sight that made me want to sigh.

The room was large, with three beds lined up against one wall.

It was a stark contrast to the hotel room in France.

"Perfect!"

Bazz said, already jumping onto one of the beds and bouncing up and down.

Then Jan, immediately leaped in challenging him.

"I called that bed first!"

CRASH!!!!

Before I could even blink, the two of them were wrestling on the floor, kicking up dust and making a racket.

I rubbed my temples, wondering how I was going to survive the next few days with these two idiots.

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