TVRC 13

Chapter 13

“Hmm. Anyway, have you ever thought about learning swordsmanship from Sir Corden?”

“Well… I’m not sure someone like me could live up to Sir Corden’s expectations.”

At those words, Leblanc’s brow creased slightly. Someone like me—for some reason, little Erkis had a habit of belittling himself like that.

And to her, who loved Erkis, those words sounded particularly grating.

“Sir Corden would never offer empty flattery. If he brought it up to me first, it means he’s genuinely interested in you. And what’s wrong with you, Erkis? I’ve only seen you once, but you clearly have talent. Besides, I heard you’ve been training alone at the practice grounds for days. Don’t you like swordsmanship?”

“Ah, so you knew. I’m not sure I’d say I like it, but I don’t dislike it either. Swinging a sword helps me organize my thoughts, and moving my body outdoors is less stifling than staying cooped up in a room.”

“Most people would call that liking it. Then I’ll talk to Sir Corden for you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Here.”

Just then, Leblanc slid a plate of steak she had neatly cut into bite-sized pieces in front of him. Erkis, who had been nearly finished with his own meal, looked back and forth between the plate and Leblanc in confusion.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

“Eat this too. You like steak.”

“I have my own portion. I’m fine.”

“I like seeing you eat well. Besides, I don’t really have much of an appetite. I’d be happy if you ate this for me, okay?”

After hesitating for a moment, Erkis nodded and brought the steak she had cut to his mouth. Resting her chin on one hand, Leblanc watched him with a satisfied smile.

How can even the way he eats be so adorable? He’s like a little baby squirrel. His cheeks look so soft—would he hate it if I poked them once?

It was a side of him she hadn’t noticed in the past. While she observed Erkis with a soft, smiling face, Erkis, who had been glancing around at the dishes, spotted the duck and asked her,

“Then I should return the favor, Countess. Do you like duck?”

“You don’t have to. Well… it’s not bad.”

In truth, Leblanc didn’t have much of an appetite, but she couldn’t bring herself to refuse his kindness. In her memories, Erkis’s hands were large and sturdy, with long fingers that still had room to spare even when gripping a sword.

Seeing those soft, pale hands tightly holding a knife now, they looked nothing but cute. Leblanc couldn’t take her eyes off him as he diligently cut the duck for her.

Meanwhile, Erkis, who was cutting her meat, began to grow increasingly flustered. Even though his head was lowered, he could clearly feel Leblanc’s gaze fixed on him.

Why won’t the Countess take her eyes off me…? Is my cutting that bad? Or is she watching because it was frustrating to see me cut the meat?

As the son of a baron, Erkis had naturally been taught proper table manners from a young age. Unfortunately, due to his family’s circumstances, he hadn’t often had the chance to cut meat himself.

He had offered to cut the steak as a gentlemanly courtesy without much thought, but with Leblanc watching him so intently, he began to worry that he might have made some mistake.

The fear of looking ridiculous in front of her made him even more nervous, and the more nervous he became, the clumsier his knife work grew. By the time he reached the end, the duck looked almost mangled.

“Ah, Countess, that is…”

Faced with the mess he had made of the meat, Erkis felt his face flush red. Compared to the neatly cut steak Leblanc had given him, it looked even worse.

“Thank you, Erkis. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to eat comfortably.”

Without a single word of criticism, Leblanc picked up the ugliest piece of meat and brought it to her mouth. Once the uneven chunk was gone, the rest looked at least somewhat presentable.

Seeing Leblanc chewing happily and enjoying her meal, Erkis finally let out a small sigh of relief. With the tips of his ears slightly reddened, he savored the meat she had cut for him.

So she really does see me as a child. Maybe that’s better…

Throughout the rest of the meal, Erkis couldn’t shake that thought. A few days earlier, he had learned that Leblanc’s younger brother, Duke Legasian, was the same age as him.

She probably thought of him like a younger brother. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be this kind to him.

Just as Erkis was about to pick up another piece of steak, his movement paused. Realizing her kindness made his stomach churn again. In the end, he set his cutlery down and quietly took a sip of water.

“Are you already finished?”

“Ah, well…”

At that moment, an urgent knock echoed through the room. Leblanc frowned slightly. She had clearly dismissed all the servants, so a knock meant something important must have happened. When Leblanc gave her permission, Lily approached her with a grave expression.

“What is it?”

“Countess, it’s just that…”

Lily leaned in and whispered something into Leblanc’s ear. Leblanc’s eyes widened at the news, and she hurriedly stood up.

“Erkis, I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to excuse myself first. Something urgent came up, and I need to go out.”

“Ah, yes. Please go.”

As Leblanc and Lily hurriedly left, Erkis, left alone, let out a sigh of relief. The table, suddenly empty, looked strangely hollow.

Yet Erkis, as if used to it, quietly continued his meal. By then, the nausea in his stomach had already settled.

Time passed, and it grew late—nearly midnight. After riding in a carriage for several hours, the two arrived at a detention facility in the Arnetio territory.

Of all the detention facilities, why did it have to be in Arnetio? Leblanc was in a foul mood. Pulling the hood of her cloak low to hide her face, she asked in a low voice,

“Are you sure Siesha is here?”

“Yes. According to guild information, he was brought in this afternoon. The charge is assault, and it seems the victim still hasn’t regained consciousness. If that person dies, it’ll become a murder charge. Even if they wake up, they’ll probably lose one of their wrists.”

“We were just barely in time. If we’d been any later, it would’ve been disastrous.”

“Oh, and he’s fifteen years old.”

“Is that so?”

She sounded surprised by how young he was. Perhaps because it was late at night, there was only a single guard at the entrance of the detention facility—and even he was dozing off, head drooping. She had to make a noise to wake him.

“Ahem.”

Startled by her cough, the guard jumped to his feet. Now fully awake, he swept his wary gaze over the two figures standing before him, their faces hidden by hoods.

“What is it?”

“We’re here to take someone out.”

“What?”

“His name is Siesha. He has silver hair and blue eyes.”

At the same time, Leblanc tossed a heavy pouch of gold coins into his arms. When he opened the pouch slightly to peek inside, he flinched and glanced around nervously.

“Follow me.”

Instead of the main entrance, he led them through a narrow passage beside it. The brick-built detention facility seemed poorly ventilated, filling the air with a musty stench. Dimly lit lamps embedded in the walls cast a faint light along the corridor.

Lily shuddered at the moss and mold clinging to the walls, clearly repulsed, but Leblanc followed behind the guard with an unflinching, upright posture.

Before long, they reached an old iron door. When it was opened, the sight of Siesha locked inside a solitary cell came into view.

“This is him.”

“What the hell—who are you people?”

Startled by the sudden situation, he snapped in a sharp, guarded voice. Leblanc looked down at him in silence.

It seemed he hadn’t been able to wash properly for days—his face was caked with grime, and the clothes he wore were so tattered they barely deserved to be called clothes.

His shaggy silver hair, grown down to his waist, was so badly tangled that it was obvious at a glance. Yet the blue eyes gleaming sharply between the strands were exactly as Leblanc remembered.

“I’d like to have a word with this child alone for a moment.”

When Leblanc glanced at the guard, he nodded and stepped back far enough that he couldn’t hear their conversation. Lily, reading her expression, also withdrew.

With both arms cuffed, he continued to glare at Leblanc, his guard still up. Standing before the bars, Leblanc bent her knees to meet his eye level.

Reaching her hand through the bars, Leblanc lifted his chin. His expression stiffened in humiliation, but she paid it no mind and spoke.

“Siesha, come with me. Let’s get out of here.”