That night went by seemingly slow, and Alois had hardly slept a wink. The entire night he was traumatized by his racing thoughts and fear that sleeping would make him vulnerable to a ghost. Laying there awake, he was for once overjoyed by seeing the rays of light seep into his room from the curtains, and hearing the morning birds chirping cheerfully from outside. "What a bloody awful night." Alois murmured to himself as he recollected the memories of what he endured last night. Alois was finally brought out of his racing thoughts, once he began to hear his door creaking open.

Alois lightly gasped and tightly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep. The last thing he wanted was for Claude to find out he had been awake and cowering under his covers the whole night over some silly 'what-if' thinking over ghosts. Claude stepping into his room, with his usual lack of expression, peered over at Alois' body that was turned away from him. Claude's bright amber eyes gleamed under his glasses, as he shook his head. He wasn't fooled by his Highness' sorry attempt at feigning rest. Claude had secretly checked him throughout the night and saw that he was awake. Apparently, his reassurance was not enough to ease the boy's over active imaginative mind.

Walking over to the curtains, he drew them back and let the light fully shine through. Alois began to shift in his bed before blinking his eyes open to see Claude. Typically, Alois would be complaining right about now over something but this time only, he looked relieved. 

"Good Morning, your Highness. Did you get a decent night's sleep?" Claude bid his good mornings, while also hinting at his awareness of Alois' charade. 

Alois sitting up, looked over at Claude with a faked smirk, "Morning Claude. Of course, I had a decent sleep. It couldn't have been better." He lied as he attempt to keep up his confident and smug attitude. "What's for breakfast? I'm hungry!"

Claude stared right through him and he shook his head, deciding to ignore the fact that he was lying. "Very good then, today you will be having exquisite apple raisin crepes with a side of-"

Alois cut Claude off as he jumped off his bed, "Yeah, yeah, okay great. Now change me! I want to go eat breakfast!" Alois demanded and stood in front of Claude, quite uncaring of whatever Claude was saying before. Claude pausing in his speech with his stoic expression, he nodded, and did as he was commanded without another word.

------ 

Later that day Alois was back to himself and was yelling at Hannah over something trivial, as always. Claude was currently busy commanding the triplets to carefully clean where Alois had ended up throwing his scolding hot tea at Hannah, which progressed to what Alois was currently doing. The glass of the teacup had shattered and made not just a mess, but also cut across Hannah's face in places, leaving lines of fresh blood streaming down her face. 

"Now you're making a mess with your blood! Clean it up, Hannah! Now! Why are you just so bloody useless at everything!? Claude! Hannah is making a mess! I thought she was supposed to be some kind of maid! Pitiful one at that!"

Claude getting done with the triplets, who were now busy cleaning. He went over to Alois' side and glared Hannah. "You are upsetting, our highness. How about you leave now, Miss. Hannah?"

The tanned-skin woman's blue eyes fell to the floor, "I'm sorry, your Highness. Forgive me." she managed to speak softly, before turning away and walking off to take care of her wounds. Alois all the while now taking a small vase nearby and throwing it at her. The vase flew across the room and smashed right beside her head on the wall. Hannah's eyes widen at the loud sound and the shards of the vase scattering beside her, before she quicken her step and fled away. 

"Stupid bitch, gets away again." Alois grumbled and began to pout again as he glared the direction she had gotten away. "She needs to be punished correctly one of these days. Her incompetence is ridiculous!"

Claude didn't say anything as he stood next to Alois as he complained. It wasn't until there was a notable knock at the front door, that caught Claude's undivided attention. "We were not expecting visitors today." Claude spoke thoughtfully to himself and began making his way to the front. Alois also hearing the door, got highly curious and scurried behind Claude to see what was going on.

Claude and Alois behind him at the door, Claude opened it to see a very old man. He was hunched over his cane and was balding with age spots and wrinkles all across his face. Alois gave a disgusted look and glanced at Claude then the old man, "Whose this old geezer?"

Claude shot Alois a warning look and then looked back at the old man. "Good day to you, sir. Might I ask who you are and what you are doing here?"

The old man coughed into his palm, disgusting Alois again, before speaking in a hoarse kind voice, "Good day to you. I apologize for showing up so abruptly but I'm afraid I must give this away. As it cannot remain at the manor no more."

Alois raising an eyebrow, decided to speak before Claude, "What do you have to give? It better be worth it." 

The nameless old man shakily brought his hand up and then pointed his bony hand at his carriage in the background. "It's in there. Please, take it as a gift. Just please, take care of it. The master would have wanted his belongings to be taken into the best hands. It's all yours."

Claude and Alois eyed over at his carriage suspiciously and finally Claude spoke up, "Who is this Master you speak of and why are you giving it to us?"

The man chuckled with a few coughs and replied back to Claude with a small smile, "My dear old master Archibald. I am giving it to you, because I just don't know how long these old bones will last. I am growing sicker and I believe it is my time coming. So I give this to you. It might not seem special but all of Master Archibald's belongings were precious to him. Take it and cherish it, please."

Claude glanced at Alois who only crunched up his face in revile for the old man, but at the prospect of having something for free was a different story entirely. "What do you want to do, your Highness?" Claude asked Alois.

Alois sighed and rolled his eyes, his hands now on his hips as if he was doing a 'big' favor for the old man, "Fine, I guess I'll take it. If it will make this geezer leave my estate. It just better be worth it!"

Claude nodded wordlessly and scanned his eyes back over to the old man, "We will take whatever it is off your hands, at my Highness' accord."

"Oh, very good then. Take it all, its all the highest quality of belongings. Master Archibald possessed nothing better than such." the old man said and began to slowly lead the two over towards his wooden carriage. Opening the back of it, there was surprisingly a lot of different things. The one object to stand-out the most was an antique looking mahogany rocking chair. 

"This just looks like a bunch of junk!" Alois commented with a glare, crossing his arms and tapping his foot in annoyance.

"I reassure you, child. It might seem as such but all has the highest prize value. This rocking-chair especially was a favorite of the Master."

"One, I'm not just some child, you old bag. Two, this isn't your chair? I thought next you'd try to give me your nasty teeth!" Alois retorted repulsively.

"Your Highness, I will take care of bringing such items into the house." Claude said and bowed before Alois spoke up again.

"Fine then, I just hope they don't make an eyesore of my other things. Being all old useless junk. You better be glad I'm being so nice, old man." Alois stated pointedly to the old man, his hands back onto his hips.

"I promise you, it won't. I thank you for your hospitality of taking these things off my hands. I would turn in my grave if such, were not taken care of for my old Master."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Alois flicked his hand carelessly and turned away on his heel from the old man, "Now that you gave us your old cruddy junk. Leave." With that said, Alois began stomping back inside the manor, awaiting Claude's return.