The life of Lady Sonia's lady-in-waiting was a frustrating one for Jessie.

The Magnolia estate was once a cheerful place where Count Magnolia lived with his adult children, Milo and Sonia, by his side. Jessie had little to worry about outside of her regular duties when serving a count of good renown. But when the count passed away, Milo was challenged to take his father's place and comfort Sonia. And when Milo himself suddenly grew ill and died, Jessie and the rest of the staff were left with a young countess overcome with grief. Since then, the estate became a sad place with the staff dispirited by Lady Sonia's gloomy presence.

It didn't help that Lady Sonia's steward, Giovanni, was a stuck-up, no-nonsense man who managed the staff as though he were the new head of the estate. Giovanni always thought himself superior to others, and with all male members of the Magnolia family gone, excluding Sonia's cousin, James, Giovanni felt more self-entitled than before as the oldest among the men in the estate, even if he was still only the head of the staff. He was very strict with the staff, making unreasonable demands and having the staff do extra chores. Such things were pragmatic if Lady Sonia was hosting parties for her fellow members of the nobility, but she found no cause to celebrate anything. Not even her birthday two weeks prior. So, Giovanni was merely abusing his power as steward while the countess was focused on mourning for the loss of her brother Milo.

Such was on Jessie's mind as she walked in the Magnolia estate courtyard Sunday morning. Lady Sonia left to attend church with Giovanni and a few attendants as her escort. Jessie wished to join them, but Giovanni coldly rejected the idea, seeing her white and red maiden dress and her long magenta hair curled in a comet-tail behind her head uncouth for mass. Jessie didn't mind missing mass, for she wasn't a devout Christian, and Giovanni attending mass with their mistress meant Jessie had time to take it easy. One might say that the few hours Giovanni was away was technically a sabbath for Jessie. Still, Jessie wished to be by Lady Sonia's side, so someone other than Giovanni and a handful of attendants would be there for her.

As Jessie passed by the courtyard fountain, she stopped to see a man with shoulder-length periwinkle hair sleeping on a bench. He lay on his side as he snored while spooning a half-empty bottle of wine like a child with his teddy bear. Jessie rolled her eyes and scooped water from the fountain to drop on the periwinkle-haired man's face, instantly waking him up.

"Huh? Wha -? What is it? What time is it?" the man asked as he sat up, still holding the bottle.

"Time to quit lying on the bench like a homeless drunk, you lazy baboon," Jessie said. "Honestly, Sir James, I hope the next generation of my lady's family isn't going to inherit an empty wine cellar."

"Next generation? Don't make me laugh," James said with a wave of his hand. "If there's ever going to be a next generation while my cousin weeps daily, I will eat the bottles I empty."

"With your intoxicated mind, I'm sure you'd try," Jessie said. "Furthermore, you don't help your cousin by partying and drinking instead of trying to cheer her up."

"That's hardly my fault when Sonia refuses to let anyone try to cheer her up. If it were up to me, I'd get her to drink with me to lift her spirits and then help her find a husband," James said.

"Her refusal to drink with you hasn't stopped you from trying to get her to marry," Jessie said. "Lady Sonia was complaining yesterday that you let that knight from Alola into the estate to stay and attempt to woo her."

"And why shouldn't I have let Sir Faba stay and try to woo her?" James challenged. "I have no claim to the title so long as she lives, but I am her only living male relative and a knight of Kanto. As such, I should ensure she gets a husband. Besides, Faba is a fine suitor. He's cheerful, rich and can speak four languages word for word from memory. His personality alone makes him a perfect suitor."

"Personality? Sir Faba is a fool," Jessie said. "In the month that he's been staying here, he's shown more capacity in throwing fits, starting quarrels, and running from said quarrels when things escalate. Hardly proof he can be an adequate suitor for my mistress. Not to mention, he drinks nightly just like you."

"Perhaps, but men can be very cheery when drunk," James said. "Admit it, Jessie. You yourself enjoy my company when I have a bottle in my hand."

"Don't be daft, Sir James. You couldn't make me enjoy being around you in this state if you tried," Jessie said.

"Oh, I doubt that," James said.

James dropped his bottle on the grass with a sinister grin, walked behind Jessie, and began tickling her sides. Jessie squealed with laughter as James proceeded to wrap his arms around her as he tickled her. Jessie tried to break free by turning her upper body and smacking James' head, but James merely laughed it off. Within seconds, Jessie resigned to give in to the fun.

Eventually, James stopped tickling Jessie but kept holding her from behind. They took the time to catch their breaths before they turned to each other. Jessie smiled fondly as if to silently thank James for the moment, to which James smiled and nodded back. Then, their smiles faded as they realized their faces were inches apart, and they gazed into each other's eyes. James tightened his hold on Jessie and Jessie put her hands on top of James's'. They paused before they closed their eyes and tilted their head as they leaned toward each other.

Suddenly, Jessie and James heard someone slamming a door, and their eyes opened. They turned to see a scrawny man in a white and green suit exiting the house from the front entrance. He had pale blond hair, a goatee, and glasses with excessively large lenses. The man grumbled as he stormed to the gate, not noticing Jessie and James. Jessie furrowed her brow and freed herself from James' grasp, standing away from James with her arms crossed and her back facing James and the scrawny man. James reached out to Jessie, wanting her to return to his embrace, before he sighed and walked over to the scrawny man.

"Good Sir Faba, how are you?" James greeted with a friendly smile. "Why so down on such a sunny day, my good man?"

"I'm leaving to purchase a ticket, Sir James," Faba said as he walked past James. "I'm sailing home to Melemele Island tomorrow morning."

"Sailing home? Pourquoi?" James asked.

Faba stopped walking and turned to James, confused.

"Pourquoi? What on Earth does that mean?" he asked.

"It's a foreign word that means 'Why,' of course," James said.

"Humph. James says he knows four languages, and yet he has never heard of a phrase like pourquoi," Jessie muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised if Sir Faba simply claimed to know so many languages, and Sir James believed him while drunk off his bum."

Faba stared at James as though he had invented the phrase "pourquoi" before he shook his head and said, "I've had it with waiting for a month for nothing. I haven't seen your cousin Sonia at all, and even when she's not in her bedchambers, she refuses to see me. You've assured me I will find no woman as beautiful as her, yet she's always covering her face with her veil while still wearing funeral clothes.

"Oh, come now, my good man. Don't give up so easily," James said as he patted Faba. "Sonia is right to grieve for Milo, but she can't shun herself from the world forever. Soon, she will realize that being depressed all day and night is getting her nowhere, and when she does, that's when you'll get your audience with her and impress her."

Faba's scowl faded and he hesitated before he asked, "Do you truly think it'll be that easy?"

"Think? I know," James said. "You're a man of wit, caliber, and good renown. Not to mention more dashing than any man I know. You comb your hair every morning nicely. Your goatee shows your maturity, and if Sonia asked you to roll up your sleeves she would faint at how large your arms are."

James walked behind Faba, lifted his right arm, and rolled up his sleeve until he could see his whole arm. Jessie looked back and scoffed at the sight of Faba's arm. Faba smiled with his chest up, thinking he had muscles as rigid as iron. In reality, his arm was so thin and pale that Jessie thought it looked like a tree branch dying of a disease. Faba lifted his chin proudly with his ego well fed then turned to James while rolling his sleeve down.

"You're right, Sir James. I need to give Sonia more time," Faba said. "I shall stay for one more month. That should be more than enough time. Right?"

"Of course. You and Sonia will be courting within a month's time, or my name isn't Jamison Tobias Doogie Brian Cathcart," James said.

Faba laughed triumphantly as though he had already won the countess's heart. With their arms over each other, James and Faba walked to sit on a bench beside the gate with James still praising Faba. Jessie waited until the rowdy men had sat down before she huffed loudly. She picked up James' bottle, which was still lying on the grass, and poured the rest of the wine on the grass in case James would come back for it.

"To think Sir Faba doesn't need to be drunk to believe anything Sir James says," Jessie said. "If Lady Sonia ever gives that scraggly man the time of day, her father and brother will haunt me to my grave."

With a sigh, Jessie shook her head and began walking to the entrance of the house to dispose of the bottle. She was halfway to the door when the bell at the front gate rang. Jesse turned her head just as James and Faba curiously opened the gate to reveal a tall man in his 30s with shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes. He wore a green cape held together by a red gem and blue cravat over a blue vest, off-white shirt, gray trousers, and black boots. The man had a large, brown bag on his back consisting of spare clothes, an accordion, a guitar, and a harp. James's face lit up at the sight of the man, roaring with laughter as he greeted him in a tight, brotherly hug.

"Good Nando, it has been more than a fortnight since we last saw each other!" James exclaimed.

"A fortnight and then some, old friend," Nando said warmly. "My journey wasn't especially long, but finding my way home is always comforting."

Faba tilted his head as though James and Nando were speaking gibberish and asked, "Fortnite? Do you mean it has been 4 nights since you've seen this man? How did I not see this man 4 nights ago?"

James and Nando turned to Faba, with Nando looking at Faba confused and James chuckling as though Faba told a bad joke. James let go of Nando and walked to Faba to face Nando beside him, his arm over Faba's shoulder.

"Faba, this is Nando. He is Sonia's fool," James said.

"His fool? Goodness, Sir James, how can you give this fellow a friendly greeting and then insult him? And what does him being a fool have to do with Sonia?" Faba asked.

"Nay, nay, good Sir Faba. When I say fool, I mean he's Sonia's jester," James said. "Nando has been the Magnolia family's fool for years."

"Her jester? Why does he appear to have been traveling if he is under her employment?" Faba asked.

"Nando comes and goes as he pleases, earning money for his music," James said.

"And judging by the fact that you are in James's company, I assume you're someone of good renown, sir?" Nando asked.

"Indeed. I am Sir Faba, from the Alola region, and I aim to woo Sir James' cousin," Faba said. "Sir James was just telling me a few minutes ago how I am dashing and a man of wit, caliber, and mighty arms."

Faba rolled up his sleeve to show off his arm to Nando. Nando looked at Faba's arm, confused, then turned to James, who applauded Faba. It took Nando a few seconds before he put the pieces together and smirked at James for being so sly. Nando then noticed Jessie from the corner of his eye and turned to see her glaring at him with her hands on her hips like a mother about to rebuke and punish her disobedient child.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. It appears I must greet Lady Sonia's lady-in-waiting," Nando said.

Faba furrowed his brow, expecting Nando to compliment him on his arm. James patted his back, and they went back to sitting on the bench by the gate, planning for Faba to approach Lady Sonia. Nando smiled and opened his arms to hug Jessie as he approached her, but she backed away and pointed at her finger warningly.

"Don't you dare," Jessie said. "Either tell me where you've been, or I won't say anything to defend you, fool. If Lady Sonia had the power, she would hang you for leaving without a word again."

Nando stared at Jessie, taken aback, before he shrugged with an uncaring smirk.

"Well, if she wants to hang me, she can do it. A hanged man doesn't have anything to worry about when he's no longer part of the world," Nando said.

"That's a meager answer, and you know it," Jessie said.

"Perhaps," Nando said. "At any rate, where is our beloved mistress?"

"At church," Jessie coldly answered. "With her brother gone, she needs wisdom from the church that spreads God's will. Certainly, more wisdom than any fool can give."

"Well, may God grant me wisdom all the same," Nando said. "He gave us all talents to some degree or another, so let Nando the Fool use his talents to please Sonia Magnolia again."

"I doubt she'll let you try. Our mistress will likely discharge you and kick you out in the streets the moment she sees you," Jessie said.

"Oh, that wouldn't be so bad. I'd have more time to travel and play my music," Nando said. "But I believe I can make my case to convince her to keep me in her employment. After all, no fool can amuse Lady Sonia like I can."

"You honestly think she'll forgive you just because you've been the family fool for so long?" Jessie asked.

"I believe I have a better chance than Sir James' friend," Nando said. "I may be a fool, but even I can see Sir James only cares about how wealthy that skinny and dimwitted specimen is. If having lots of pretty coins qualifies him as a suitor for our beloved mistress, then being able to sing and flap my arms makes me a canary."

Jessie covered her mouth to hide a giggle. Though she was too proud to admit it, she admired that the jester had more sense than all the other men in her life. It was both his wit and his humor that made Nando her best friend.

Just then, the bell rang, and James got up to open the gate again. The first to enter was a woman wearing a funeral dress, black gloves, and a long black veil covering her head. One might mistake her for the entity of death because no one could see her face through the veil on top of her black outfit covering her entire body. To say nothing of how she walked silently with her head down like a faceless ghost passing by.

Beside her was a tall, medium-built, middle-aged man who led the four attendants behind him. He had short, flat, dark hair and wore his dark red suit proudly as though he were a king dressed in gold and purple. Sonia's steward scanned the courtyard with dark eyes to ensure nothing was different from before they left for church. He noticed James, Faba, Jessie, and Nando were in the courtyard but disregarded them as though they were made of thin air.

Faba's face lit up at the sight of the woman in black, and he stepped up to approach her. He took a breath to greet Lady Sonia until he realized she had passed him as though he wasn't there. James sighed and led Faba back to the bench to assure him again that his time to woo Sonia would come. Nando turned to Jessie and smirked, confident that he would succeed where Faba did not in gaining Lady Sonia's attention. He cleared his throat and walked to Lady Sonia, Giovanni, and the attendants with a bright smile.

"God bless you, most high countess," Nando praised.

The woman in black glanced at Nando and scoffed before she passed by him.

"Take the fool away," she said coldly.

Nando laughed as though Lady Sonia told a joke and turned to Giovanni and the attendants.

"You heard her, gentlemen. Take the lady away," he said.

"No, I said take the fool away," Sonia said.

"Exactly, which means they must take you away," Nando said mockingly, like a brother nagging his sister.

The woman in black stopped walking and turned to face Nando, pointing at him warningly.

"Watch it, Nando," she said. "I am not in the mood, and your humor has become dry and tasteless."

"I hardly see how it can be, my benevolent mistress," Nando said. "You should know better than to judge a book by its cover. Yes, I have the occupation of being a fool, but that doesn't automatically make me the fool. My mind is still sharp, and I can prove you are the fool here."

Sonia paused before she crossed her arms and asked, "Can you really prove I am the fool?"

"Very easily," Nando said proudly. "Tell me, my lady. Why do you wear funeral clothes?"

Sonia paused and said with a sniffle, "Because my brother, Milo, is dead."

Nando's face fell, and he looked away from Sonia, rubbing his chin and shaking his head.

"I see. He must be in hell, then," he said softly.

Sonia's attendants looked at Nando in disbelief, while Giovanni grinned, thinking the jester had dug his own grave. Nando smirked as he waited for Lady Sonia to respond, wishing he could see her reaction through her veil.

"How dare you," Sonia snarled. "Milo is in heaven."

"Is he? I find myself under the impression that he is in hell," Nando said, pretending to be confused.

"Then you are a greater fool than I give you credit for," Sonia said. "Milo Magnolia was a noble man who never missed mass, cared for the poor, and worked to make peace with his enemies to the best of his ability. People, including me, looked up to him on how to be a Christian man or woman. As far as I am concerned, no one is more worthy to be in heaven for how they lived in this world than Milo Magnolia. Not even my father."

Nando continued to rub his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. Then he smirked and pointed at Lady Sonia teasingly again.

"If he truly loved God and his neighbor, then you are most definitely the fool," he said matter-of-factly. "If Milo Magnolia were in hell, then you would have all the reason in the world to mourn, for he would be burning, weeping, and gnashing in the teeth as we speak. As it stands, he is resting with the Lord of all Creation with his sins forgiven and the Son of Man greeted Milo by telling him that he had done well in his first life. You mourn for your brother even though the greatest thing that could ever happen to a man, woman, or child has happened to him. You'd be better off taking his death as though he has gone on a long holiday or moved to a distant land that you will sail to one day. If that is as clear as the sky being blue or that honey is sweet, then there's no reason to mourn. Thus, by choosing to grieve, you are the fool today. So, since you told your attendants to take the fool away, they are under orders to take you away, Lady Sonia."

The courtyard was silent apart from James and Faba chatting by the gate. Jessie watched Nando and Sonia, hoping Nando had redeemed himself. All eyes were on the woman in black, though they could not tell if she was glaring at Nando or pondering on his logic. Finally, there was a brief chuckle from the woman in black, and Nando's smirk grew, knowing he had won.

"What do you think, Giovanni?" Sonia asked. "Do you think Nando has improved?"

Giovanni the Stewart glanced at Nando, trying to hide his scorn. It was clear to Nando that the steward wished for him to be punished out of cruelty or for his own amusement. After a moment, Giovanni forced a smile to appear like a sensible man to his mistress.

"Yes, he has, and I believe he will till the day he dies," Giovanni said. "After all, old age and senility affect the wise but make fools bigger fools."

"Ah ha! Then let God make you old and senile so that you become a bigger fool than me," Nando said tauntingly. "I am a fool by choice for my occupation while you, steward, let delusions of grandeur give the likes of Sir James material to mock you. So, thank you in advance for becoming a bigger fool than I can ever be."

Sonia, Jessie, and the attendants covered their mouths as they snickered. Giovanni's face fell, taken aback that Nando had used his words against him effortlessly. His face turned red in embarrassment and frustration, and he turned to Sonia.

"My lady, I'm surprised that you enjoy the company of a witless delinquent," Giovanni said. "Why, just last month before he disappeared again, he lost a battle of wits to a peasant dumber than he is. I think people smarter than these jesters are no better than the jesters themselves."

"Calm yourself, Giovanni. It's all good fun," Sonia said. "If you learned to be less prideful and more friendly, you wouldn't be making mountains out of mole-hills. Professional fools like Nando are supposed to lighten the mood even if all they do is make fun of people. I would think you'd understand that after the years of Nando entertaining me, Milo, and my father."

Giovanni huffed, feeling further humiliated that the countess came to Nando's aid, while Nando lifted his head high, pleased with his handiwork. Jessie and the attendants, on the other hand, were thankful that Nando lightened the mood. Their only wish was they could see through Sonia's veil to know if she was smiling, for it would be the first time since Milo passed away.

Just then, the bell rang a third time, and James took it upon himself to open the gate. A man with short brown hair, a goatee, and green eyes entered the courtyard and took a bow before speaking to James. Four men stood at the other side of the gate; all five bore Duke Satoshi's crest in their uniforms. Sonia gasped upon seeing the crests, making Jessie and the attendants uneasy.

"Oh, James, you drunk imbecile. Letting one of the duke's men in without a care," Sonia grumbled before turning to Giovanni. "Giovanni, stop James before he tries to get an audience with me for the duke's men. Tell them I'm sick or not at home."

"At once, my lady," Giovanni said.

Sonia rushed to the house with Nando, Jessie, and the attendants following her while Giovanni headed to the gate. Sonia went in through the front door and hid behind a tapestry by a window while her staff followed her. Jessie closed the door behind her while Sonia looked through the window beside the door while still hiding behind the tapestry. Giovanni told the duke's officers to disperse while James told the men to disregard the steward. Giovanni turned to angrily rebuke James while the brown-haired man stood between them, waiting to speak. Sonia huffed in irritation as she exited her hiding place and stepped away from the window.

"How intoxicated can James be to think it's okay to let in someone representing Duke Satoshi without pause?" the countess asked before turning to Nando. "Tell me, what is it like to be a drunk man?"

"He's like a drowned man, a fool, and a madman all at once, my lady," Nando answered. "The first drink makes him a fool, the second makes him a madman, and the third drowns him."

"And how drunk do you consider my cousin to be now? The third drink?" Sonia asked.

"Nay, I think he's only drunk in the second degree, my lady," Nando said.

"In that case, go and take James away from the quarrel before he behaves more like a madman," Sonia said.

"Ah, a fool taking care of a madman. What a funny day," Nando said with a chuckle. "Leave him to me, my lady."

Nando bowed to Sonia before he exited the house. Sonia and Jessie looked through the windows on opposite sides of the door as Nando jogged to take James away. By now, Giovanni's focus was on the brown-haired man. He demanded the younger man a head shorter than him to disperse, but Satoshi's page refused to budge. In frustration, Sonia grabbed the tapestry beside the window, wishing the page would do as her steward commanded.

Jessie looked sadly at her mistress, sympathizing with her frustration. Then, her frown faded, and she looked through the window on her side. The brown-haired man continued to defy Giovanni even as Giovanni began screaming with his face red. Jessie looked down in thought and then turned to Sonia,, who anxiously tightened her hold on the tapestry. The countess' lady-in-waiting bit her lip hesitantly before she walked to her mistress and put her hand on her shoulder to gain her attention.

"Forgive me, my lady, but may I suggest something?" Jessie asked.

"What is it, Jessie?" Sonia asked, still looking out the window.

"Since the duke's men are here, would it not be reasonable to allow them to deliver their message?" Jessie asked.

"Allow? Jessie, I can't love Duke Satoshi, nor do I have the desire to try. You know that better than anyone," Sonia said.

"I do, my lady, but the duke doesn't," Jessie pointed out. "In the time that the duke has been pursuing you, his messengers only know your staff refuses to let them try to speak with you. If, however, you were to grant an audience this one time, both parties have a chance to make their case. If, by mere chance, the duke's message intrigues you, then good. If not, then you take the opportunity to express how incapable you are of loving their master. Do not hold back on stating how the duke wastes his time pursuing you. With his messenger hearing everything from your mouth, the duke will have no choice but to accept that you will never love him. Only then will he leave you alone."

Sonia was silent. The lack of an immediate response made Jessie uneasy, as she couldn't tell if her mistress was staring at her in disbelief or pondering her suggestion. It was at moments like this that Jessie wished Sonia would stop wearing her veil so she could see the young lady's face. If Jessie had any reason for Satoshi's message of love to reach Lady Sonia, it was to see her mistress smile again.

As Jesse waited for a response, the front door opened, and Giovanni went in. He grumbled to himself as though he were on the verge of breaking something in irritation. Giovanni nearly passed Sonia and Jessie before he realized they were beside the window, then cleared his throat as he turned to Sonia, trying to appear calm.

"Madam, I successfully got rid of the duke's officers who stood outside the gate, but the man your cousin let in refuses to leave," Giovanni said.

"Tell him that I am sick or not at home like I said," Sonia said.

"I have, madam, but unfortunately, he saw you before you went inside and thus knew that I was lying," Giovanni said. "No matter what I told him, he insists you allow him to see you. He said he will stand by the gate like a flagpole as though he were a guardsman until you grant him an audience."

Sonia was silent again, facing Giovanni, presumably thinking about what to tell the duke's page to make him go away.

"What kind of man is he?" she asked.

"An insolent man, to say the least," Giovanni said. "He appears to be around your age, though it is hard to say for sure with his goatee."

Sonia paused before she rubbed her chin in thought. Jessie and Giovanni watched her curiously, for the rubbing of Sonia's chin was the best hint they had of her reaction. Finally, Sonia sighed and hung her head momentarily before she looked up at Giovanni again.

"Very well. Send him in," she said.

"Madam?" Giovanni asked, taken aback.

"I will allow Duke Satoshi to make his case through his messenger," Sonia said. "Have him brought to the drawing room so we may speak. After that, never allow a single person from the duke's estate in again unless I command it. Should any of his people enter my property again without my consent, throw him out even if you have to get every butler and maid to pick him up and throw him out, disregarding that they serve the ruler of Kanto."

Giovanni remained taken aback before he grinned mischievously. Jessie was uneasy at the way Giovanni looked at their mistress. It made it look like he hoped one of Satoshi's messengers would attempt to see Sonia again after being formally rejected, as though it would give him the opportunity to violently show his superiority as Countess Magnolia's steward.

"It shall be done, my lady," Giovanni said.

Giovanni bowed before he went back outside. Sonia gestured to Jessie with her hand to follow her, and Jessie bowed before she followed her mistress. As they made their way to the drawing room, Jessie quietly prayed that letting the messenger in would be as fruitful as she had hoped. Either get Satoshi to back off so Sonia could grieve in peace or for the duke's message to open her heart to give her a chance to be happy again.