Maria hid behind the curtains, observing for a moment. The children in the backyard were unsupervised, and indeed, there was some noise. Even several floors up, she could hear their laughter, but despite the jokes and playful chatter, not a single child was idle.

She pondered their work. The beets she had bought were almost all processed, and once they were finished, the children would be out of tasks. She would need to assign them something new.

Standing behind her, Lucia suddenly heard her ask, "Didn't Simon send soldiers to train them before? How are they doing?"

The maid quickly responded, "The boys are very enthusiastic in their learning. The...