WCMP 12

chapter 12

The child was devoting all of his spare time entirely to physical training.

As if he were being chased by something, Amon threw himself into training with a near-mad obsession, to the point that Roderick had to step in and actively stop him. Over and over, he stressed that training beyond a proper amount would only harm someone as young as Amon, clicking his tongue in frustration.

Even among commoners’ children who clawed their way through life, it was rare to see one this relentless.

But Amon barely heard Roderick’s scolding.

All that ruled his mind was the desire to achieve results as quickly as possible—to stand proudly at his sister’s side.

Yet the training that even seasoned knights found exhausting came to an abrupt end just as it had begun, stopped by a single remark from Rieli.

“Amon, don’t you think you’ve been exercising too much lately? Anything in excess isn’t good. Make sure you don’t push your body too far.”

“Yes. I’ll train within limits so it doesn’t strain my body.”

Amon’s daily life was gradually changing because of Rieli—whether for better or worse.

Ten days turned out not to be as long as one might think. By the time I came to my senses, it was already the day Arvan had promised to visit.

I had spent each day so fully that time flew by without me noticing.

Above all, wanting to fill Amon’s empty dressing room, I’d gone on a shopping spree. Ready-made clothes, of course, but also several custom-made outfits in designs I liked.

I hadn’t expected much when I opened the catalog, thinking children’s clothing wouldn’t be anything special—but regardless of the era, the power of capital was something else. Thank goodness for money.

Still, this is fascinating.

Seeing a catalog at all made me marvel anew. It was rather crude, sure, but the fact that catalogs existed in this era! It was probably a privilege reserved for the wealthy, but still.

I was also reminded that far more items were needed for a person to live properly than I’d thought. If something caught my eye, I bought it, enjoying a rare bout of truly satisfying shopping.

“I definitely set out to buy things Amon needed… so why does it feel like I was indulging myself instead…?”

I felt like I’d been more pleased than Amon himself—but that was probably just my imagination.

After shopping, I spent a good deal of time wracking my brain to plan Amon’s daily schedule. It was time to hire a private tutor and begin formal studies.

He was still young, so I made sure he received neither more nor less than what children his age normally did.

What was I learning when I was nine?

I’d go to school, then piano academy, then math academy, then taekwondo… and except for piano, I’d hated every bit of it.

Here, however, we could hire tutors for whatever subjects were needed. So I wanted to reflect Amon’s own preferences as much as possible and focus on what he actually wanted to learn.

Having experienced the downsides of excessive private education firsthand, I knew all too well how damaging it could be to mental health.

Thankfully, Amon handled the schedule I’d prepared quite well—but that didn’t mean everything was smooth sailing.

He was far too serious about swordsmanship. Or perhaps this was simply proof that a promising tree shows its potential from its very first sprout.

According to Roderick, the knight we’d hired as his instructor, Amon headed to the training grounds whenever he had free time, pushing himself without rest.

The moment I heard that, I stationed myself in a room with a clear view of the grounds to confirm it—and promptly clutched my head.

My little brother is extreme in every way…

He was still young, smaller than his peers from years of poor nutrition, and now his activity level had suddenly skyrocketed. I couldn’t help but worry about his health.

So I casually told him not to overdo it. Fortunately, good-natured Amon listened, and he stopped training to such an excessive degree.

No matter how well I knew he was the novel’s protagonist and blessed with immense talent, worry was a separate matter altogether.

With his training hours reduced, Amon began spending his free time holed up in his room or the library, reading books.

Or he’d do some light self-directed exercise. Watching such an exemplary child made a sigh escape me.

Should I help him make some friends?

At his age, I’d hated studying, barely touched books, and detested exercise. Playing with friends and video games had been my greatest joys.

I thought it might be good to give him a hobby he’d enjoy or help him make friends—but knowing that he’d probably agree to anything I suggested, I hesitated to bring it up.

“Haa…”

With a deep sigh, I straightened my clothes and checked the mirror for anything out of place.

In the reflection, I wore an elegant ivory dress paired with a pearl necklace. It was a dress chosen after much deliberation, with heads bent together alongside the twins I’d grown much closer to over the past ten days.

Unless it’s an unexpected situation like last time, it’s only proper to put some thought into receiving a grand duke.

By now, Arvan—who had arrived after I finished lunch and tea with Amon—was likely deep in discussion with the duke about shares in the mana stone mine.

Since I needed to be in place before our guest arrived, I’d prepared a little early.

I checked the clock. If I wanted to see Amon’s face first, time was tight.

It hadn’t been intentional, but I felt terribly sorry about leaving Amon out of the meal. At the very least, I wanted to see him before heading to the dining hall.

“Amon, may I come in for a moment?”

I knocked softly, and a reply came immediately from inside.

When I entered, Amon closed the book he’d been reading and walked toward me.

There wasn’t time for a long conversation, so I crouched in front of him, leaving the sofa behind us.

“Amon, like I said, the Grand Duke of Canelowell is visiting today, so I don’t think I’ll be able to have dinner with you. But I’ve already spoken to the head chef, so you’ll be well taken care of as usual.”

“I’m fine. More importantly, you look truly beautiful today.”

He answered with a small smile, looking so composed.

I felt proud—yet uneasy.

He couldn’t possibly be completely unhurt, and yet he smiled without showing it.

We ate together every day, took walks now and then, and spent a lot of time together. Maybe because of that, I’d already grown attached to him.

Such a beautiful child—and the words that come out of his mouth are just as lovely.

It would be more surprising not to grow attached to him.

“Thank you. Then enjoy your dinner, and let’s eat together tomorrow morning as usual.”

“Yes. Thank you for always taking such good care of me, Sister.”

“Oh, don’t mention it.”

Judging by his manner of speech alone, he seemed more mature than I was. A perfect little gentleman.

Were children of noble families always like this, or was Amon simply unusually polite?

I cupped his small face in both hands, then gently brushed his bangs aside with one hand.

My hands weren’t particularly large, yet his face was so small it fit easily in one palm.

“I shouldn’t keep our guest waiting, so I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow.”

“Have a pleasant evening.”

“You too.”

As I left the room, I glanced back. Amon was still standing there.

When our eyes met, he gave me a faint smile. I smiled back reflexively and turned away.

A strange sense of guilt crept in, like leaving my youngest sibling alone at home while I went out to eat.

Only a few minutes after I reached the dining hall, Arvan and the duke entered through the doors.

I’d come out early, but if I’d delayed even a little longer, I would’ve been embarrassingly late.

I rose from my seat, lifting the hem of my dress as I greeted Arvan.

“It’s been ten days, Your Grace. Have you been well?”

“I have been without incident. Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Robert.”

Today again, Arvan seemed to glow, and I discreetly took the time to study him.

Black hair styled with the front half swept back, full lips, eyes the deep color of the sea, and smooth-looking skin. The dark navy suit he wore fit him well, yet strangely, the solid physique hidden beneath the fabric stood out even more.

Hmm. Easy on the eyes.

I barely managed to suppress the upward curve of my lips, oddly satisfied by his captivating presence.

“We’re the ones who should be grateful. Since you’ve taken the trouble to visit twice, we’ve prepared everything with care. This way, please.”

“Thank you.”

Arvan and I exchanged greetings with the duke left behind us. Once Arvan sat, the duke followed suit, but I paid him little mind. He could manage himself.

Ever since exchanging words with him last time, I’d felt strongly that I should keep my distance from the duke.

The meal began—and the atmosphere was better than expected.

“Does the food suit your taste?”

“Yes. It’s excellent.”

Arvan maintained a blank expression throughout, responding only briefly now and then.

Still, perhaps because of his pleasant voice, it didn’t come across as rude.

Is it because he’s handsome?

A pang of self-reproach rose at the thought that I might be such a shallow looks-first person—but I quickly dismissed it. Beautiful people are always right.

That aside, just like last time, his facial expressions were incredibly subtle.

I couldn’t tell whether he truly felt no emotional changes at all, or if he was simply adept at masking them.

This feels strange.

Talking with someone so expressionless and so sparing with words felt less like a conversation with a person and more like talking to a robot.

I think my phone used to give better responses than this guy…

Chewing carefully, I fixed my gaze on him.

Staring at something beautiful while eating made the food taste twice as good.

If even this man—merely a supporting character—was this handsome, I couldn’t help but anticipate how striking Amon would be once he grew up.

Will he have a halo glowing behind him or something?

Lost in such pointless thoughts as I studied Arvan’s face, time slipped by in a flash.

Before I knew it, my hand was already scooping up strawberry sherbet and bringing it to my mouth.

As I absently stirred the sherbet, feeling a twinge of regret, a sudden chill ran down the back of my neck.