“I can’t say that’s a good idea. I’m actually not on very good terms with my family, so I can’t imagine they’d be very pleasant to you. I’m just the third son, after all.” Knowing my parents, they’d probably set up some ridiculous scheme, thinking they might be able to form a connection with the marquis. I’d be better off not letting Lycoris know the extent of my family’s shamefulness.
“Oh, is that the case? My apologies. Rose can be a little thoughtless sometimes.”
“Oh no, there’s no need to apologize. It’s nothing serious.” Claus’s intervention was so timely, he must’ve noticed the conversation taking a turn for the awkward. He was a perceptive fellow.
Rose took a page from his book and mulled over my feelings before changing the subject. “Ah, that’s right! Please, take a look over there, Lord Hisui. Do you see that shop there? I’ve once visited it by myself.”
“Isn’t it a little dangerous to go alone?” I asked. The number of people here compared to Clematis was manifold. There were doubtlessly more unsavory types among the populace as well, so if she was wandering around alone, she was pretty much offering herself up like a trussed roast.
“I’m glad you agree, Hisui! Don’t let her off the hook—I’ve told her not to go off gallivanting myself, but she always manages to slip out of the manor when I take my eyes off her.”
“Please, father, you really needn’t make it sound so awful. I do make sure to have a knight escort me!”
“Whether you have a guard when you go out is an entirely different issue from whether you have permission to go out at all. You really must be more aware of your status as my daughter,” Clause reprimanded her.
She gritted her teeth in frustration, then sighed, conceding defeat. “All right, I know. I do.” Rose then fell silent, lips pursed and shoulders slumped. Claus’s lecturing must’ve made her reflect on the fact that she had her own obligations to fulfill.
But Claus’s concern was entirely warranted. I was of the same mind—if Cosmos suddenly disappeared, I’d tear my hair out with worry looking for her... Never mind the fact that I was doing the exact thing to her right this moment, of course. She must be worried sick about me, so I shouldn’t really get on my high horse about it.
“The next time I go into town, will you come with me? If you’re my bodyguard, I’m certain father would have no reason to object.”
“Uh, no, wait... I don’t think adding another child into the mix would be much help...”
“If Hisui is with you, then by all means,” Claus interjected.
“Huh?!” My jaw dropped. He hadn’t even hesitated to give his seal of approval. But he’d seemed pretty angry just a second ago! I was half expecting him to say something like “I won’t let you out of the manor ever again!”
Claus, however, went on. “Nothing would be more reassuring than to have someone strong enough to defeat a dragon escorting my daughter. You agree, don’t you?” Claus directed his question to one of the knights attending us, who glanced at my face and nodded.
“Exactly as you say, milord. Lord Hisui harbors such strength that I doubt we could land a hit on him, even if we all attacked him at once.”
“Lord Hisui really is amazing! I’d like nothing more than to have him tutor me in godcraft!” Rose clapped her hands together in excitement as she spoke. It felt a little like they were all buttering me up for something.
“You mustn’t.” Claus shook his head as though exasperated and let slip a sigh. “Your tutor has already been decided. It’d be quite the poor conduct to cancel on a whim, don’t you think? I agree that Hisui might make a better teacher, but changing last minute would bring our reliability into question.”
“That’s a shame... Then, will you come watch my practice once in a while? I don’t mind if all you can do is give me a little advice. I’ll compensate you as much as I can manage, of course!” Rose pressed me for this favor, expression entirely serious, despite the fact that Claus had just tried to shepherd her away from the idea.
Her insistence piqued my curiosity, though. Why did she want to learn godcraft so badly that she’d ask me to give her advice, even though she already had a perfectly qualified tutor?
“Pardon me if this is a bit imprudent, but...why do you want to learn godcraft so badly, Lady Rose?”
“If I can use it, then I can help my father.”
“Oh?”
“I might not be able to do much, but I eventually want to get better at godcraft and save the wounded on my own power. I don’t want to see people grieving.”
“Rose... You’ve grown into such a responsible young lady, even though you’re still so young.” Claus shed a joyful tear at his daughter’s mature words. Even the knights seemed to be touched.
They all must be quite close. Rose was leagues more responsible and respectable than me. I was still an adult on the inside, with memories from my past life, but she wasn’t anything like that at all—just through living her day-to-day life, a desire to help others had already blossomed in her. I was impressed.
In my old life, when I was eight years old, all I did was run around in the great outdoors without a care in the world. I guess that was the difference between nobility and commoners.
“O-Oh, please, father! And in front of Lord Hisui too! How embarrassing!” Seeing her father crying made her face flush red, and she began smacking him on the back. Honestly, the scene brought a smile to my face.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Lady Rose. I feel the same way as your lord father—your goal is really touching. I think it’s praiseworthy, really.”
“Y-You too?!” she squeaked. Feeling happiness and embarrassment in equal measure from being praised, Rose could only hang her head as she blushed, her mixed feelings overwhelming. Maybe she was the type who wanted to crawl into a hole when she was embarrassed, even though she wasn’t in the wrong.
✦ ✦ ✦
▼△▼
After we’d both apologized profusely to Rose, who’d curled in on herself and was practically withering away from all the embarrassment, we finally arrived at the gates of Marquis Lycoris’s estate.
As befitted for a high-ranking lord, his estate was vast. My own home, belonging to a mere baron, could hardly even begin to compare—I’d thought my home was on the large side, but the marquis’s manor was easily twice the size. And the grounds were just so open and spacious, I was surprised. Like, what the heck?! The land was pristine—I was sure someone could easily get a game of soccer started here.
“Welcome, Hisui, to our home.”
The moment the doors opened, I could see servants lined up in the hall to greet us, and they all bowed in unison. I was startled, to say the least—my own home never employed any servants. The maids and butlers eyed me curiously, as I’d been brought along to their manor by their lord. Noticing their gazes, Claus cleared his throat and explained.
“This is Hisui. He’s the savior who rescued us from a vile monster, so please treat him as you would any distinguished guest. Understood?”
“As you say, milord!” Not a single person raised an objection. They all bowed once more, their movements so disciplined they looked like a trained military unit to me. They’d even spoken more or less all together.
“Now then, Hisui, let’s head to the parlor. I’d like to reward you for everything you’ve done.”
“All right.” I obediently trailed behind Claus.
Clause led me down a hall on the first floor, and soon we entered the room at the very end. My room on the second floor of my house was so small, it might as well have been a storage room, but this parlor in the Lycoris residence was awfully huge. Since it was used to receive guests, it was probably intended to be impressive, but still... It was several times larger than my own bedroom.
“Please, have a seat.” Claus had already taken a seat on a sofa, and I followed his lead. Rose sat down next to me.
I wasn’t sure if I should say anything, but in the end, I just had to ask.