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chapter 29
Truly, as I had felt for a long time, this family was incredibly exasperating. Linette couldn’t help but laugh at Rosemary and Cordelia’s words.
“Thank you for your kind words.”
The two women, who had abandoned their husbands over a single pancake, sat down simultaneously. Then, almost competitively, they started eating the pancakes. After cleaning up every last crumb, they looked at Linette with eyes that sparkled brightly.
“We were going to save this for Angela… but we can make more, so don’t fight over it.”
“Okay, got it.”
Though they weren’t being trained with pancakes, the mother and daughter obeyed perfectly. Seeing them, Uncle Seong shook his head in disbelief but smiled happily as he ate his own pancake.
“This is a great place for tea. I should come here more often. But how did you know about this place?”
“Oh, this? Lucy told me about it. She said she liked drinking coffee here.”
“So your brother-in-law discovered it first. He usually doesn’t talk much, but it seems this place suited his taste enough to recommend it. By the way, when will he be coming?”
“Well, he’ll come when it’s time. I think he’s struggling to get here as soon as possible.”
It was natural to worry if the heir of the house hadn’t returned yet, but Cloud seemed completely unconcerned.
“Well, he originally had his own place, so he lived there instead.”
“Right, he said our house would be too burdensome, and the ladies might not like it.”
“Perhaps the lady he’s seeing is a commoner? That would explain his hesitation.”
“I don’t know the details since he rarely talks about these things. But there must have been a reason why that quiet guy introduced this place.”
Cloud smiled faintly as he watched Linette look after Angela, who had just come back from talking with a friend.
A lady like that would always be welcome as a daughter-in-law. It wasn’t just about drinking delicious coffee every day; her character shone through in her actions.
Watching how she cared for employees and their younger siblings, or showed concern for poorly paid guards struggling to make ends meet because they had no farmland, was truly impressive.
“Angela, I’ll make one more pancake, so eat it all and then go fetch Angelo.”
“Yes!”
Linette treated Angela more like family than an employee. Otherwise, she wouldn’t take care of both her and her younger brother.
A little later, Angela returned with Angelo. Angelo, who had always been neat since staying at Linette’s home, smiled brightly and bowed when he saw her.
“Angel sister, hello.”
“Good, come eat quickly. You must be hungry.”
She handed him a pancake and a fork, speaking slightly curtly. Normally, Angelo would have eaten eagerly, but today he picked at his food and set down the fork.
“What’s wrong, Angelo? Doesn’t it taste good? Everything Linette makes is delicious. You’ve had this before.”
Having survived by scavenging scraps, Angelo rarely refused food. Especially what Linette made, he always enjoyed.
But today, he didn’t eat at first. Angela glanced nervously at Linette and asked cautiously. Angelo smiled as if it were nothing and began eating the pancake hungrily.
“Angel sister, it was really delicious.”
“I’m glad you liked it. But you seem a bit off today. Did something happen? Tell me everything. I’ll listen, even if it’s troublesome.”
Though he cleared his plate, Angelo’s sigh filled the air instead. He was a child who gave and carefully considered others, especially his older sister.
Curious about Angelo’s unusual behavior, Linette asked him. He sighed again.
“Well, it’s… um…”
He seemed about to speak, but glanced at Angela and Linette, then only moved his lips without making a sound. Seeing this, Linette sipped iced water and looked at him.
“Actually, I was playing with a friend recently and heard something… that friend is planning to enter the Knight Academy next year.”
“Oh, really? But why does that matter? Are you jealous?”
“At first, I wasn’t. But after seeing a really great knight… I also wanted to become a great knight, but I can’t go…”
Angelo’s usually bright face twisted slightly. Angela bit her lips and hugged her brother tightly.
“I’m sorry… our family doesn’t have money.”
“No, it’s fine. Thanks to you working, we can eat and survive. I know we can’t expect too much. But…”
Young as he was, envy was unavoidable. His friend Kevin’s family wasn’t wealthy but could provide for living expenses. When young Kevin wanted to become a knight, his whole family supported him.
The annual tuition for Knight Academy was 10 Gollon. Scholarships existed for good grades, but first, one had to pay the 10 Gollon to enroll. This had to be done every year for ten years, totaling 100 Gollon—a sum beyond Angelo’s wildest dreams.
To save 10 Gollon, Angela would have had to set aside her entire salary for two years. Angelo wanted to be a knight, but the astronomical tuition meant he had to give up that dream.
Hearing that his friend Kevin would enroll next year made him extremely envious, with no one to share it with.
“Angelo, we used to live scavenging through trash. If we hadn’t met Linette, we would have been driven into the streets, starving. But how can we fulfill desires beyond our means?”
Angela wanted to grant her brother’s wishes immediately, but she lacked the ability. She bit her lips, distressed. Linette gently comforted her in a soft voice.
“Dreams are meant for everyone. Don’t let it discourage you, or Angelo will be sad.”
“But Linette, I can’t make my brother’s dream come true. We’re barely getting by…”
For commoners, Knight Academy required squeezing the family’s resources. Angela internally scolded herself for her inadequacy.
If only they had more money, she would have sent Angelo to the academy without question. But the situation made her heart ache. Angela understood too well what it meant to give up a dream due to finances.
“Angelo… didn’t you say you didn’t have a dream before? Why do you want to become a knight?”
“To protect Angel sister and our sister. Knights can protect people.”
His innocent answer made Linette chuckle. She patted his head.
“Getting into Knight Academy isn’t difficult. The problem is, most students drop out along the way.”
Tuition wasn’t refunded for dropping out, even on the first day.
“Do you know why dropout rates are so high?”
“No, I don’t.”
“They make you run as soon as dawn comes. Then theory classes, followed by practical classes once you’ve learned enough, and evening duels. Many get injured. They push everyone equally, boys and girls alike.”
In short, they were ruthlessly trained from the moment they enrolled. Many left voluntarily, despite the wasted money, unable to endure it.
Thus, while many enrolled, only half graduated. It was risky to enter with just a vague desire to become a knight.
“But I can endure that. It’s better than starving and scavenging for days.”
Having experienced rock bottom, Angelo wanted to attend Knight Academy. Angela sighed deeply in the background. Linette, noticing her, smiled.
“Even without becoming knights, Angela and I can protect you.”
“But I really want to become a knight. That way, our sister doesn’t have to struggle as much. Of course, it’s not that we struggle a lot here.”
Realizing her own exaggeration, Angelo quickly waved his hands. Work here was comfortable and well-paid, unlike anywhere else. His friend sisters envied Angela greatly.
“You don’t need to think about that because I don’t struggle.”
“But I want to put a ring on your hand, a necklace around your neck. And I want to earn money to help you marry a great man.”
This seven-year-old left no words unsaid. Linette smiled at the depth of his heart, wanting to repay his sister by becoming a knight.
“Students struggle a lot on the first day, running non-stop. Some can’t keep up and are expelled.”
“How do you know this, Angel sister?”
“I know someone who graduated from there. The Knight Academy entrance is in the fall, so not long now.”
Even after decades of earning money, there wouldn’t be enough, and now there were only a few months left. Angela bowed her head in worry.
“If you pass the test I set, I’ll make sure to help you. I’ll push you like crazy to become a knight.”
Linette couldn’t force Angelo to become a knight, but she could help him reach his potential.
She grasped his small hand.
“I’ll send you to Knight Academy. I can invest 10 Gollon for a future knight. But! Any tuition already spent, you’ll repay from your future salary once you become a knight.”
“R-really? Can I really go to Knight Academy?”
Angelo’s eyes widened in surprise. Linette nodded.
“Of course. But you’ll need to build basic stamina. If you’re behind from the start, you’ll struggle.”
Knight Academy pushed students hard from day one. Their dreamy image of studying in a neat uniform and learning swordsmanship would be shattered.
“I’ll work hard. I’ll endure everything. I’ll even earn a scholarship, so I won’t trouble our sisters.”
“Just attending Knight Academy is already troubling, ah… what a situation.”
Linette felt both joy and concern, mildly scolding Angelo, who was ecstatic.
“If you want to become a knight, run like crazy every day. Not just around the neighborhood—at least an hour at full speed. Let’s start today.”
“Yes!”
With that, Angelo felt as light as a feather and ran outside. He’d soon tire, but Linette didn’t stop him.
“Linette, are you really supporting Angelo like this? You don’t have to.”
Angela, embarrassed, teared up. Linette patted her head.
“I’ll get it all back later, so don’t worry. By the way, Angela, there are a lot of fallen leaves outside.”
Linette’s remark prompted Angela to go sweep them up with a broom. Linette watched, sipping an iced sepiano.
The Clouds widened their eyes. Nobles occasionally helped commoner children, but sending Angelo to Knight Academy? They couldn’t understand. Even as an employee’s sibling, did she need to go this far?
“Linette, are you really going to send that child to Knight Academy?”
“Yes, if he passes all the tests I set, I intend to.”
Rosemary asked worriedly. Linette placed the remaining pancakes on the table, quickly disassembling them with a fork.
“What if you invest in an incompetent child and lose everything?”
“If I’m right about him, Angelo will succeed. And when he does, letters will come from everywhere wanting to employ him.”
Linette spoke as if Angelo were already a famous knight. Cloud tilted his head.
“Still, I worry about a child’s heart changing.”
“I know you worry, but isn’t life like coffee?”
“Life is like coffee? What do you mean?”
“It’s a world of bitter and sweet. Bitter past makes sweet present, just like bitter barriers before Angelo will lead to a sweet world once he overcomes them.”
