Chapter 115 - Layla, Returning Home

"I'm going to my room now mother."

"Okay, rest a bit before you start doing anything."

Layla nodded in affirmation at her mother's reply before leaving the drawing room.

After she closed the door, she sighed in exhaustion before walking away.

'Mum is as strict as ever Huh?'

Remembering the stern look on her mother's face as she reported most of the events of her school year to her made her heave a sigh once again.

The grand duchess, Iberis, always asked for these kinds of reports every time Layla came home from school.

'Even though she pretty much knows almost everything I do while in school.'

Layla was fully aware that some of the noble ladies she associated with, were practically 'spies' who reported her every move to her mother.

Even though she knew this, she still acted oblivious to it for various reasons.

'Who knows what sort of leverage mum has over their families?'

She made her way back to her room with such thoughts in her mind, occasionally glancing at the faces of the servants who had their heads bowed.

'There is not a single person I can recognize, have I really been away from home that long?'

Layla had returned to the main estate of the Grand Ducal family in the Eryrth grand duchy.

It was located on the high-level planet that served as the capital for the Eryrth grand Duchy, in a galaxy cluster that was few thousand light years west of the Burning Realms.

'The trip was just too damn long, I really feel like sleep now.'

She arrived at her room and was met with the new head maid who was waiting right outside her door.

"Greetings Lady Eryrth, I am the new head maid that has been appointed for this session."

Layla studied the brown haired woman in front of her for a few moments before nodding.

"Call all the maids who entered my room in the past few months I was away."

"Yes Lady Eryrth."

The head maid nodded and rose her hand to her lips, she began speaking into the small microphone on the edge of her sleeve ordering all the maids that were in charge of Layla's villa to come over immediately.

The servants of the grand Duke's estate were changed every year, thus the servants Layla knew before going to the academy for her second year, were not around anymore.

She walked into her room and looked around while making an effort to re-familiarize herself with it.

'I'm so used to the academy dorm room now, that's not unexpected though.'

She walked to her bed and laid down on it, staring at the ceiling in silence, bit by bit, she was slowly drifting to sleep, until-

**KNOCK KNOCK

-someone, most likely the head maid, knocked on the door, snapping her awake instantly.

"Come in."

Layla rubbed her eyes as she replied to the knock she heard and the door opened to reveal the head maid, alongside about 3 dozen other servants.

"Aren't you guys a bit too much?"

She stood up from her bed and walked over to the couch at the center of the room.

Taking a seat, she counted the amount of servants before commenting on their number.

"The number of servants was originally supposed to be 24 but the grand duchess ordered for an extra 12."

Layla raised an eyebrow hearing the head maid's reply, she didn't understand why there were an extra 12 added.

"Was there a reason given?"

"None."

Thinking it was another one of her mother's whims and deciding to ask about it later, she gestured to the maids while speaking.

"The extras move to the right."

As she spoke, the 12 extra servants who were added later, identified themselves by moving to the right side of the room in uniform motion.

Layla studied all of them before looking at the other 24 who were originally meant to be there.

"Okay good, all of you stay outside for now."

They all bowed and filed out of the room, right before the door closed, Layla spoke up again.

"Ah…Someone should get me some tea."

She didn't specify who, but the servants knew that she was speaking to them, as such one was to go over to the kitchen and have tea prepared for her immediately.

After the door closed, Layla looked around her room that was so large she could comfortably fit a basketball court inside.

And that was just the bedroom alone. There were multiple doors on each side of the room that led to other smaller rooms.

They were the rooms where she kept her dresses, jewelry and other accessories she had.

There was also a mini drink bar in one of them but she couldn't recall herself ever using that room for anything of any sort.

'I don't drink so much that I'd need a bar in my room, so why is it even there in the first place?"

With such thoughts on her mind, she walked over to one of the doors that led to her dressing room and opened it.

Upon entering the room, she looked at the hundreds of outfits hung up on the walls.

"Guess I have to get new ones huh? A lot of these would not size me anymore."

She walked around and pulled out a few dresses, trying them on, she re-confirmed her earlier words.

"They're too small, especially in the bust department."

She looked down at her chest and sighed in exasperation.

"If I said these things are too troublesome to have, a few ladies might end up fighting with me over it."

She chuckled to herself as she remembered a time when a few of her friends were staring at her chest with envious gazes while they were in the changing rooms after a sports class.

She walked over to the next room where her jewelries were kept and looked around.

"Some of these are out of season, I need to get new ones."

While she was inspecting them, she noticed something wrong.

"One is…missing?"

Her mood dampned immediately and her voice became cold.

Enormous magic power burst out from her body as she lost control of her emotions.

"Calm down Laylarica, Calm down."

After about a minute, she finally managed to calm herself down.

The jewelry room was filled with various types and styles of expensive jewelry that could buy out some interstellar businesses and corporations.

Naturally, it was impossible for her to keep track of all of them.

However, everyone had likes and dislikes. Among the thousands of jewelry, there were definitely those that she favored more than others.

She did not place them in any sort of special compartments keeping them in the normal area where the other less favored jewelries were kept.

Nevertheless, she knew how each and every one of them looked, she also knew their exact number.

That was why she could tell that one was missing.

It was a necklace that her mother gave her for her fifth birthday, one she treasured very much.

Its outward appearance made it look plain but it was actually made up of precious Pearls worth thousands of platinum coins.

"Maybe mum took it for something?

No, that can't be.

She'd definitely tell me if she did."

She placed around her room while trying to think of a possible reason why the necklace was missing.

*KNOCK KNOCK

"Who is it?!"

Her tone came off harsher than before due to her agitated state.

"L-lady E-ryrth, I b-brought your tea."

Hearing the shaky voice of the maid, Layla realized she was still not as calm as she thought she was and had inadvertently scared the maid.

"Haaa…come in."

The maid opened the door slowly and came into the room, pushing a trolley with a tea utensils on it.

It was then Layla realized a possibility that she had unconsciously ignored.

'Seriously, how did I forget that I used magic power marking on all of them, I can just use the glasses and I'd be able to tell where it is.'

She walked to her accessories room and picked up a pair of glasses, putting them on, she walked out of the room and looked at all of the maids lined up in the corridor.

'Transparent, Transparent, Transparent, Transparent… Green, Transparent…huh? Green?!'

She looked at one of the maids whose hands appeared green in her vision, she took of the glasses and out them back on but her hands still appeared as green.

'Tsk…how impudent!'

She clicked her tongue internally and called the maid whose hands appeared green in her vision.

Taking of the glasses, she walked back into the room with a look of annoyance on her face.

'Huh? There's someone?'

When she was about to take a seat, she inadvertently glanced at the door leading to her balcony as she felt a presence coming from there, however the next moment it was gone.

Deciding to deal with that later, she sat down and picked up the cup of tea placed on the table by the maid who had her head bowed.