WCMP 50

chapter 50

“Good. Like that. You’re doing well. Were you always good at sports?”

Following Seirin’s lead, I stopped the horse and got off.

Even though we had only had a few lessons, I felt that my movements were actually improving.

With Seirin complimenting me like that, it was impossible not to feel a bit proud.

“No, I haven’t really done much exercise, so I’m not sure.”

“I thought about it back when we traveled together in the mountains, but if you’ve never exercised before, riding a horse all day would’ve been a huge strain.”

“…That’s true.”

“Compared to other young ladies, Your Highness, your basic stamina and recovery seem quite remarkable.”

Back then, I had a firm goal, so I pushed through with sheer determination.

Also, waking up after a good night’s sleep helped me recover significantly.

We walked slowly, chatting as we went. There was still time before Amon’s training ended.

Unlike Amon, who was training with Arvan at the practice grounds, I was just practicing riding along the mansion’s paths.

The paths were wide enough for carriages to pass, so there was no difficulty riding at all.

I practiced here to avoid disturbing Amon’s concentration in the training grounds, and surprisingly, it felt very good, leaving me satisfied.

As we entered the mansion and crossed the corridor, a familiar figure caught my eye.

“…Rozny?”

I remembered that Rozny was supposed to stop by today just to greet Amon briefly.

“Hello, Your Highness. I’m pleased to run into you like this.”

She smiled gently as she greeted me.

However, her gaze seemed to slightly avoid me. Following it, I realized… ah…

“…Good afternoon, Lady Rozny. The knight beside you is Baron Seirin Adel, who’s in charge of my riding lessons.”

When I mentioned Seirin’s name, Rozny’s eyes, which had been fixed on me, flashed sharply.

“Lady Rozny Melanis of the Melanis family, entrusted with my younger brother’s riding lessons.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Melanis. I’m Seirin Adel of the Carnellowell Knights.”

Seirin introduced herself first, placing her hand on her chest, and Rozny greeted her in return.

“I’m delighted to meet you as well, Baron Adel.”

As Rozny lifted her head after the greeting, I suddenly froze.

I don’t know why, but I caught sight of her eyes, burning like molten lava.

‘Ah, no way…’

A thought crossed my mind, and I felt a cold sweat run down my back.

‘Rozny said she wanted to take the time to greet Amon… but was it really just a casual visit?’

In hindsight, it was strange.

Since combining swordsmanship and riding lessons in one day could be too much for Amon, the riding lesson was only scheduled on days without sword training.

Still, Rozny said she wanted to see Amon’s face before the lesson, and I didn’t see a reason to refuse, so I agreed.

‘But could there really have been some grand plan behind this? To check—or rather, to be introduced to—my riding instructor?’

Yet the odds of us meeting exactly at this time were extremely slim.

Even if she had roughly calculated the timing, it would likely be an overestimation.

Still, I couldn’t help but suspect Rozny because her expression and gaze were just too… intense.

I watched her naturally converse with Seirin, my expression betraying a hint of unease.

She truly was extraordinary in many ways.

“Meeting like this is fate, and though it’s embarrassing to say directly, I’m interested in you, Baron.”

Gasp. I quietly inhaled at Rozny’s words.

Wait, that line… isn’t that something one usually says when flirting?

To say that so boldly, at the very first meeting, and so suddenly…

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one surprised.

Seirin, too, blinked rapidly, her eyes wider than usual, clearly flustered by the situation.

“If it’s alright, how about we have tea together next time? Ah, of course, Your Highness, you’re welcome to join as well.”

Rozny smiled shyly, but her eyes were sharp and intense.

Seirin’s emerald eyes, dilated in astonishment, were locked on me.

It was obvious this was Seirin’s first experience with such a thing, and her embarrassment was clearly visible, but I didn’t dwell on it long.

I decided to accept Rozny’s invitation.

“That sounds good. When shall we schedule a tea time for the three of us?”

Even if Rozny’s style of speaking might seem forward to others, it felt familiar and even preferable to me.

The last comment felt like flirting, but… anyway, since the three of us were of a similar age (mentally speaking, for me), it seemed nice to get along.

“…I’d like that as well.”

Good. I smiled faintly at Seirin’s response. She seemed a little surprised but not displeased.

“Thank you, Baron Adel. Your Highness. Then I shall take my leave for today.”

Having achieved her purpose, Rozny departed swiftly with the help of her maid.

‘Hmm?’

I thought I recognized the maid’s appearance—it was Amy, who used to be Rieli’s personal maid.

I hadn’t paid attention before, but now she was assigned to attend guests.

Seirin and I stayed in place until Rozny had completely disappeared from sight.

“…She doesn’t seem like an ordinary lady.”

Breaking the brief silence, Seirin spoke.

I completely agreed with her observation.

“…But she’s a good person.”

Probably.

It had already been a week since returning to the duke’s mansion. Yet, the duke had still not returned home.

Even I, who had little interest in the duke, became concerned enough to ask the head maid directly about him.

She explained:

“As I mentioned before, the master is away on Imperial affairs. He didn’t say much else, but he did mention that his return might be somewhat delayed.”

Honestly, I felt somewhat reassured by her explanation.

Certainly, he was a difficult person to face, but not knowing when he would appear had been quietly worrying me.

Now, I could no longer claim to be uninvolved in the original story, so the duke’s future was likely to unfold differently from the novel I knew.

‘So if something were to happen to him outside… it wouldn’t be strange at all.’

And if that were to happen… I shook my head.

I hadn’t wanted to show that I was concerned about the duke, but knowing this made me feel relieved.

Feeling lighter, I held a small tea party with Seirin and Rozny during the duke’s absence.

The embarrassed look Rozny had when we first met had completely disappeared, and they were chatting comfortably. I couldn’t help but smile.

It felt uplifting to finally have people here I could call friends.

But the good mood didn’t last long.

While resting in my room, my heart still fluttering from the earlier excitement, Eva entered with news.

“Milady. The master has returned.”

“……”

“And he has requested a meal together.”

Hearing that, I felt a small sense of relief. So he had returned safely, without incident.

But at the same time, I felt extremely annoyed.

‘Was I worrying about him just now?’

Realizing this made my mind go cold instantly.

This unease arose simply because the story had deviated from the original path.

I could no longer predict the futures of those here, which caused this vague feeling.

‘…Right. I’m not worrying about him. Anyone would feel concerned if there was no contact for this long.’

I told myself this to calm my unsettled mind. I had to offer at least this excuse.

I slowly stood up.

Though reluctant, I had to accept the invitation.

Dragging my legs, heavier than usual, I started walking.

Thinking about Amon, who would be eating alone for the first time in a while, made my heart feel even heavier.

Though it had been a long time since I last faced the duke, his greeting was unexpectedly gentle.

“Liri, you’re here? Come, sit.”

“…Yes. It’s been a while.”

His voice felt soft and calm.

Among all the times I had heard the duke’s voice, this was the calmest.

I looked at him with slightly wary eyes.

I expected an extreme reaction, but perhaps I had been mistaken.

I thought he would either greet me too warmly or be displeased, but he showed neither.

His familiar demeanor stirred something within me, but I couldn’t quite recall it, so I slightly frowned.

‘…Perhaps it’s not important.’

Also, the black aura of magic he exuded felt thicker than usual, making me subtly uneasy.

The duke had me seated, but said nothing.

The only sounds in the spacious dining room were the faint noises of eating.

Yet his persistent gaze had been fixed on me from the moment I entered, unwavering.

“You really do resemble Serina a lot, Liri.”

Comparing them… yes.

He muttered so quietly that I barely caught the last part.

After that sudden comment, he only opened his mouth when eating, never bringing up any other topic.

Being stared at like that was distracting, to say the least.

I silently recited a mantra in my head and forced food into my mouth.

I kept my eyes averted, watching him from the corner of my eye.

His usually pale face looked even paler, and he seemed thinner than before.

‘…If I leave him like this lying down, he’d almost look like a corpse.’

That worried me slightly, but I tried to continue eating steadfastly.

It wasn’t easy.

It seemed he had nothing specific to say, yet he just stared with dead fish eyes, making my mood sink further.

Eventually, I could no longer hold back and spoke first.

“If you have something to say, say it. Don’t just stare.”