"The room is getting a bit dim. I'd like some candles for light," Lucy said, stating the obvious.
"Honored guest, this room doesn't use candles for lighting," The maid replied softly.
"Huh? No candles? Then how do you light it?" Lucy froze for a moment, then added hesitantly, "Do you use... firewood?"
Surely not? She thought. Does the castle eschew candles only to pile up logs in the middle of the room?
"Honored guests, there is a white square on the wall. If you press it, you will see," The maid said mysteriously. "These were only just finished today. It will be a grand surprise for you."
What the maid was referring to were electric lights. Last night, Lucas had installed the ammeters and switches, finally connecting the power—starting specifically with the rear courtyard guest wing and his study.
Because the power was live, Nicole had stationed maids outside the doors to prevent anyone from getting too curious and damaging the new fixtures or hurting themselves.
"Oh... alright," Lucy nodded blankly, entering the room in a complete fog.
"No candles?" Jones had just unstrapped her finger-blades. She frowned at the dazed-looking Princess.
"No, the maid said we don't need them to see," Lucy replied, her brow furrowed as she scanned the room for the white square.
"Firewood then?" Jones remarked dryly, glancing out the window at the deepening dusk. She hadn't seen a fireplace in the room either.
"Not that either." Lucy searched the perimeter. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She found the white square on the wall right next to the door. "Found it."
She stepped forward and pressed the square.
Click!
A crisp sound echoed. A split second later...
The entire room erupted in brilliance. Jones's hair literally stood on end; her hands instinctively clawed for the finger-blades on the table.
"WAAAH!!!" Lucy let out an undignified shriek of surprise. Her eyes darted around the room in disbelief. How could it be this bright? It was exactly like broad daylight.
"..." Jones's sharp eyes scanned for threats. Seeing none, she tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling. There was a glowing disc the size of a dinner plate.
"Above us," Jones whispered, narrowing her eyes at the source. How could something emit such a powerful, steady radiance?
"Incredible... is there a candle inside?" Lucy craned her neck. "But a candle couldn't possibly be this bright."
This was indeed a surprise.
"Try it again," Jones said, her eyes fixed on the wall switch.
"Okay!" Lucy scurried over and pressed it.
Click!
The light died. The room plummeted back into gray shadows.
"Amazing! One press and it's out. How is this done? Is there some kind of ignition device up there?" Lucy wondered aloud. Her entire worldview was being upended; she had never seen such magical candles in her life.
Click!
The light came on.
Click!
The light went out!
Click! Click! Click!
"Hahaha! This is fun! On, off, on, off!" Lucy pressed the switch with the enthusiasm of a toddler.
"..." Jones watched the Princess acting like a child. It was the first time in months she had seen Lucy laugh so radiantly.
"Jones, come here! You have to try it too!" Lucy shouted happily to the leopard-girl.
"Mm." Jones was equally curious about this novel invention.
Click!
Click!
If anyone had looked at the guest wing from the outside, they would have seen several windows flashing rhythmically like a haunted house. The maid standing outside Lucy's door felt her mouth twitch. What are they doing in there? She looked at the other maids down the hall; they all just shrugged and threw up their hands.
Next door:
"This is so cool!" Euphy's high-pitched scream echoed through her room. She was literally jumping up and down to hit the switch, which had been installed at a standard height of about 1.5 meters—well above the little dwarf's reach.
"..." Elisa sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Was this the electric light Lord Lucas had mentioned?
A few minutes later...
"Euphy, stop it. My eyes!" Elisa's eyes were actually watering. Staring at the flashing light for so long had made her dizzy.
"Huff... huff... me too..." Euphy slumped against the wall, hands on her knees, gasping for air. The jumping was an intense workout.
In the room beyond that:
Click!
Click!
"How is it controlled?" Catherine looked at the light source like a curious kitten. She stared at the white square, debating whether she should take it apart to see what was inside. The fact that light appeared and vanished at a touch was simply too miraculous. And the brightness! She had never seen a candle that could make a room feel like high noon.
Click!
Click!
"I can't... I'm getting dizzy." Catherine played for a bit longer before falling back onto her bed, exhausted.
"Lord Lucas is truly extraordinary," She smiled to herself. How long had it been, and he already had a new invention? "But... if I stay here, what should I do? I can't just live here for free, can I?"
"No, I have to help him. I don't want to be a nuisance."
"But what am I good at? I can only play the lute... what am I supposed to do with that?"
"God, why am I so useless?" Catherine buried her face in her hands and rolled around on the bed.
A young girl's heart is a fickle thing; one moment she was researching technology, and the next, she was drowning in the anxieties of love.
.
.
.
.
You can read advance chapters and view R-18 images of the characters on pat reon page.
pat reon.com/GreenBlue17
300 Power Stones for 1 extra chapter.
5 New reviews for 1 extra chapter.