"It doesn't seem like it activates the same way as my wardrobe, though. Does it not have the same sensors?"
No, my Lady.
Currently, the Orangery only activates by resonating with automata assigned to the area. I have a greater jurisdiction than others.
The young master will have been escorted by one of the gardening automatons, as he has been previously.
Looking at Jenkins from under her lashes, Delphina wondered just what other mysteries lay behind the tall automaton who was now offering to escort her again.
Acquiescing to it, she was led into the lush decorative vegetation of the Orangery.
It took a few minutes of wandering past various benches and fountains before Delphina heard a voice calling out from above.
"Up here, Delphina!"
"Pietro?"
Not too far from them, partially hidden in what looked to be some species of giant fern, Delphina could see a glass balcony with metal railings. On top of which stood Pietro.
Whilst she had been able to sense that he was above her, for the life of her, she couldn't figure out how to get up to the second floor.
"Why have the stairs been moved, brother? Were they relocated when they updated the doors?"
All this question elicited from Pietro was a sly tilt of the head. His long hair spilling over his shoulder as he did so.
"Come see for yourself?"
With that, he simply turned and disappeared into the greenery.
Delphina grumbled and kicked at the floor childishly, "Don't think I didn't notice you calling me by my first name, you bastard. Who was the one being all mopey about being called Pietro at dinner… Two-faced prick."
Rolling her eyes, she let go of Jenkins' escort and strode off in the direction Pietro had walked away in.
It wasn't long before she discovered a wrought iron dais, vaguely enclosed like a bird cage. Aside from this, there didn't seem to be anything special about it. However, Delphina had a feeling this was the key to getting to the second floor.
The fact that Jenkins had moved from her side and was once again standing in front of her, lending out a hand, only confirmed this.
Please step up, my Lady.
Hand in… hand, they stood together on the dais, and just as Delphina was wondering if they were going to eventually teleport, or something along those lines. She could hear the sound of gears rapidly engaging below them.
The bars of the bird cage ensemble started to spread out around them, enclosing them entirely in its structure. As it did so, the floor began to gently tremble.
It took the ensemble only a few seconds to finish locking itself into this new array, and with that, they were gently and steadily lifted towards the second floor.
Blinking at the transition from her expectations to the reality of the situation, all Delphina could think about was the fact that steampunk tech seemed oddly overcomplicated.
It did look cool, though.
Narrowing her eyes at Jenkins, who was once again the only thing that could interact with the technology. She decided she would ask later how she could start the (presumed) elevator up by herself.
As the bird-cage elevator alit on the second floor of the Orangery, Delphina could finally see how she couldn't find a way to the second floor.
The stairs were completely gone.
Where the teak wood staircase was placed in the original Delphinas' memory, there now instead lay the bay for the elevator they had just come up in. Most likely, there was another one hidden on the further side of this floor.
The reflections of the greenery and the trees' flowers on the glass created an optical illusion, making it seem like the canopy reached much higher up than it truly did. So from below, unless someone were by a balcony edge, you wouldn't be able to see the second floor's location.
Rather than something insidious, it clearly was designed so the second floor didn't interfere with the lovely views that could be seen from the ground alone.
However, now they were finally at the supposed breakfast spot, Delphina still had yet to find where Pietro had gone.
Taking in a deep breath, she concentrated her senses on listening for any movement beyond the plant life. Playing hide and seek wasn't something she was interested in right now.
She was already bored.
"Jenkins, that infuriating brother of mine has hidden himself and the breakfast away somewhere in that direction."
Gesturing with her hand to the right-hand side of the bay, she flicked her fingers as she spoke.
"Can you go and tell him that unless he doesn't want that calendar I got for him, leaving a Lady here unattended like this is unfathomably rude."
Tilting its head down to her eye level, Jenkins nodded before briefly looking away in the direction she had pointed.
Give me a moment, my Lady, he must have also instructed the automata not to guide us.
They should know better. I will have a word with them first and come back.
Oho? Jenkins didn't seem too happy, which surprised her. Whilst a butler automaton, that didn't mean it oversaw all the other automata in the Castle.
Perhaps it was a perceived personal slight to its liege?
"Sure, just be quick. I don't want to make a big deal out of this. He might just be playing a prank, albeit badly."
Shaking her head wearily, Delphina was fully immersed in the role of a dutiful older sister set to chastise her younger brother. The fact that they were twins and she was only minutes older played no part in this…
Turning towards the balcony where she had seen Pietro earlier, Delphina leaned over to fully appreciate the sights of the Orangery. Or at least, she would have done, if not for a sharp metal claw gently grasping her shoulder. Preventing her from moving forward.
"Jenkins?"
My Lady, the Young Master is already on his way.
A predatory smile flickered across her face, no sign of which was to be found after she turned to face Jenkins. Peeking out around it to see where Pietro was, she noticed that he was indeed almost upon them.
"Well, well, brother, take your time. Did you personally lay breakfast out for us?"
This elicited absolutely no reaction from Pietro, who instead strode past Jenkins to grab her hand. Flushing slightly in annoyance, he promptly grumbled at her something about the food going cold and how he only meant to tease her.
Raising her eyebrow at this surprisingly cute reaction, she wasn't kind enough to just let things go so easily.
"But brother, here I've been calling you like you asked me to yesterday, and all I've got to show for it is a worn-out first name? Hardly seems fair, does it?"
"How about this, try calling me noona. I'll even settle for nee-san or jiejie. Seeing as how just calling me 'sister' is so difficult for you."
As she finished saying this, Pietro had begun to squeeze her hand like he was wringing out a cloth, causing her to frown.
Looking up to see why he was reacting like this, she noticed he was simply staring straight at her with great concentration.
"Pietro?"