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Chapter 03
Noticing Lionel’s disappointed expression, the child panicked and blurted out her words incoherently.
“N-no! I love it. It’s just… it’s too nice for me. I-I don’t have any reason to receive something this wonderful from you, young master.”
It was exhausting.
‘I’m offering it—she could just take it. Do I have to spoon-feed her everything?’
Lionel came up with a convenient excuse.
“It’s fine. We’re friends, aren’t we? I think it’s okay to give a friend something like this.”
“F-f-friends?”
Hugging the stack of papers as big as her torso, the girl stared in a daze.
“Yeah.”
“Y-young master and I… we’re friends?”
“I thought we were, but maybe you don’t? That’s a bit disappointing.”
Lionel lowered his head with a sad face—an intentional move to stir guilt.
Sure enough, the girl rushed to respond.
“O-of course we’re friends. I like being friends. We’re friends!”
Lionel quickly lifted his head and smiled at her.
Her blushing face turned beet red. A shy smile bloomed across her face.
“Then you’ll accept this, right? It’s a gift to celebrate our friendship.”
“St-still… it’s too much for someone like me…”
She lowered her head and waved her hands as if refusing. The frayed ends of her sleeves fluttered pitifully around her tiny hands.
Sure, the gift was expensive for someone like her. But so what? If she didn’t take it, he’d just throw it away anyway.
Lionel, feeling like he was offering charity, pressed the fountain pen into her hands.
“There’s no ‘too much’ between friends. I want to give it, so take it. Come on.”
Under Lionel’s warm and coaxing tone, the girl finally nodded hesitantly.
After finishing his training, Lionel wiped his sweat and took the water offered by a servant. His Adam’s apple moved sharply as he emptied the flask in one go.
As the weather warmed, Lionel found himself sweating more and more, and the combination of dust and sweat clinging to his body was deeply unpleasant.
He’d heard that masters at the highest level could wield a sword without sweating—but for him, that was still far out of reach.
Handing the towel and empty flask back to the servant, Lionel noticed a lavish carriage pulling into the estate and stopping at the front.
Its silver body, made of poplar wood, was engraved with detailed lily patterns—there was no doubt it belonged to Count Lowellin.
Lionel asked the servant beside him,
“Was Count Lowellin scheduled to visit today?”
“Yes, sir. The kitchen is in a frenzy preparing a late lunch.”
“I see.”
Lionel narrowed his eyes, looking at the carriage in front of the mansion.
Count Lowellin stepped out first, followed by his daughter Sasha, wearing a dress adorned with delicate lace.
Sasha was quite the handful. Unlike his current peaceful and quiet playmate, she was the complete opposite.
Sasha would surely demand to see him. Just thinking about having to deal with her was already exhausting.
He’d grown far too accustomed to his well-behaved playmate.
Speak of the devil—his little playmate was passing near the training grounds.
It seemed today was supposed to be their time together. Lionel didn’t want his relaxing afternoon ruined by Sasha.
He wanted to call out to the girl to stop her, but… he couldn’t remember her name.
Only then did it occur to him—they’d never even exchanged names.
‘I should’ve at least asked her name.’
Lionel dashed across the training grounds and caught up to her quickly.
He gently tapped her shoulder, and the girl turned around with wide eyes. Her messy wheat-colored hair scattered in every direction.
“Come with me. Let’s play somewhere else today.”
“Y-young master?”
Her startled voice echoed behind him.
Lionel strode ahead confidently. He planned to hide in his secret spot until Sasha left the estate.
He knew the servants wouldn’t come looking for him anyway.
Soon, the two stood at the entrance of a small forest behind the Eduard estate.
If you went deeper into the woods, there was a low cliff, and within it was a shallow cave just big enough for three or four adults to hide.
It was Lionel’s secret space—no one else in the estate knew about it.
He brushed aside the trailing vines hanging down the cliff, revealing the hidden entrance.
Inside was a small desk, a folding chair, and a blanket. It was simple, but cozy.
Lionel lit the candles he had stored there in advance, filling the cave with warm amber light and the scent of melting wax.
Once all the candles were lit, he suddenly became aware of the strong smell of sweat rising from his shirt. He’d come here straight from training without bathing.
“I probably stink. Sorry—I forgot to wash up.”
“I-it’s okay! Y-you don’t smell at all.”
Lionel felt uncomfortably grimy, but he had no intention of returning to the mansion just to wash. If he did, Sasha would surely corner him.
“Sit here.”
Lionel offered the cave’s only chair to the girl.
When she realized there was only one chair, her wide eyes rolled like marbles.
“W-what about you, young master?”
Lionel pointed to a large log in the corner.
“I’ll sit over there.”
It wasn’t really out of consideration—it was simply more convenient for what Lionel planned to do.
“T-thank you.”
Blushing and stammering, the girl sat in the chair.
Lionel found her constantly flushed face irritating, but he forced himself to maintain a kind tone.
“By the way, what’s your name? I wanted to call you earlier, but I didn’t know what to say.”
“M-my name’s Jaylin.”
She fidgeted with the frayed hem of her sleeve and barely managed to whisper her name. She was so embarrassed she couldn’t even lift her little head.
Lionel clicked his tongue inwardly at how foolish she was.
“I’m Lionel.”
“Y-yes, young master.”
Even after he told her his name, she still called him “young master.”
Well, it didn’t really matter what she called him.
Lionel pulled something out of a nearby box and said to Jaylin,
“Then go ahead and do your thing comfortably.”
“Y-yes.”
Jaylin opened a book she always carried. It was a mid-level rune textbook. It looked even more worn out than before.
Though she clearly treated it with care, the book’s condition kept worsening.
It wasn’t just from use—today, an odd, large stain had appeared on the cover.
‘Whatever, who cares.’
Lionel turned his attention to his own work.
He opened a leather case filled with woodcarving tools.
Then he walked to the pile of firewood in the corner and carefully selected a piece.
He chose a dry, palm-sized block and rolled it in his hand.
The familiar feel of wood against his fingers was oddly satisfying.
‘What should I carve this time?’
As he pondered, his eyes landed on Jaylin.
Her droopy, puppy-like eyes were focused on the book, her brows slightly furrowed.
It looked like she didn’t quite understand something. Her messy hair kept falling over her face, making it harder to read.
She kept brushing it back in frustration.
The image of a puppy wouldn’t leave Lionel’s mind. He decided to carve a small puppy.
He sketched the outline lightly with a pencil and used a mix of saw and carving knives to rough out the shape.
What had once been a simple block of wood soon took the shape of a seated puppy with its back legs tucked under.
Who knows how long he had been working—just as he switched carving tools to shape the fur, a shadow startled him.
Jaylin had come close and was now watching him carve with wide-eyed wonder.
Her gaze, full of curiosity, didn’t leave his hands as he worked with the knife.
Pretending not to notice, Lionel continued carving. With each pass of the blade, the puppy’s fur took shape, as if it were real.
Jaylin couldn’t stop gasping in admiration.
When he finished the puppy’s round, bead-like eyes, the wooden block was no longer just a piece of wood.
A fluffy little puppy sat there with a cheerful expression.
“I-is it finished?”
“No, not yet.”
Lionel opened a box of paints. He picked out a wheat-colored shade that matched Jaylin’s hair and began mixing the paint.
Jaylin crouched in front of him, watching intently as he painted the carved puppy.
Strangely, Lionel didn’t mind it at all.
Her eyes, following every movement of his hand, reminded him of the very puppy he was carving.
“Y-young master… th-that’s a p-puppy, right?”
Jaylin looked up at Lionel with her big green eyes, her gaze so warm it made the tips of his fingers tingle.
