Chapter : 45
“It seems he recommended him to the captain of our family’s knight order. He said his skills were exceptional.”
“…Really?”
I’d acted in hopes that Carlos’s abilities would reach Lawrence’s ears, but Lawrence had found out far sooner than I expected.
As I thought—Carlos must truly have been born with a natural talent for swordsmanship.
“If you want, we could have him train with the other knights of our family.”
“…Then would Carlos become a knight of the Gerhardt family?”
“…No.”
“What? Why not?”
Surprised by Lawrence’s light shake of the head, I frowned. He stared at me for a moment before speaking.
“Why? Do you want him to become a knight of our family?”
“…Yes.”
“Why? Why not a knight of Herarilla instead—why ours?”
“Well, the young duke’s family has the most skilled knight order. And… I don’t want Carlos to get involved with my family.”
Lawrence looked at me silently.
After quite some time, the question he finally asked was unexpected.
“Do you like him?”
“No?”
My tone lifted slightly in disbelief.
“Then what is he to you?”
“…A friend I’m grateful to?”
Would Lawrence believe that a noble young lady could be friends with a servant of her household?
Worried he might grow suspicious since he knew the original Patricia, I trailed off at the end.
“A friend?”
As expected, Lawrence asked again, puzzled.
“He helped me whenever I was having a hard time.”
Lawrence furrowed his brow briefly, then nodded.
Whoooosh.
A cold night breeze brushed past my face.
I glanced at Lawrence, who looked lost in thought.
Was that explanation enough?
The brilliant sound of brass instruments drifted softly into the quiet terrace.
Only then did I carefully sip the drink Lawrence had handed me.
“So… you don’t like me anymore?”
“Kh—what?”
“Why? Or do you still like me?”
Leaning back and looking down at me, Lawrence made me hurriedly set my glass down.
I couldn’t answer right away and met his eyes instead.
I thought maybe I could read his thoughts if I looked closely.
But his calm gaze seemed indifferent to whatever answer I might give.
“…No. I’ve sorted out my feelings.”
“Then what am I to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you became friends with Carlos because you were grateful.”
Lawrence tilted his head.
“That’s right.”
“I think I’ve helped you quite a bit too. Haven’t I?”
“You have. A lot.”
“Then aren’t we friends too?”
Friends.
At the unexpected word coming from Lawrence Gerhardt’s mouth, I frowned without meaning to.
“You and I… friends?”
“Why? Aren’t you grateful to me?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then?”
Lawrence shrugged as if he didn’t see the problem.
“Is there any reason we can’t be friends?”
There really wasn’t.
If anything, it would be an honor if Lawrence became my friend.
My mind spun quickly once again.
But then I hated myself for immediately calculating the benefits, so I shook my head.
Lawrence looked at me as if to say, See? No problem.
“Y-You want to be friends with me, Young Duke?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
For me, being friends with Lawrence Gerhardt had plenty of advantages.
I could ask him for help if I ever needed it.
He was the future head of the Gerhardt family, after all.
There was no reason to refuse.
But why would he want this?
What would he gain from being friends with me? Probably nothing.
“Why do you want to be friends with me?”
The moments when I’d tried to deceive Lawrence flashed through my mind.
No matter how I thought about it, I wasn’t exactly a great person. Of course, he didn’t know that.
Lawrence blinked slowly.
As if selecting an appropriate answer, he blinked a few more times before speaking.
“I don’t really know.”
“…What?”
“I said I don’t know.”
But his answer didn’t ease my curiosity at all.
It felt careless—almost dismissive.
“…Hmm. Then you’re not angry with me anymore, right?”
Lawrence let out a small sigh and nodded.
“So… we’re friends now?”
He nodded again.
“Then I can go around introducing you as my friend, right?”
For a moment, Lawrence froze.
“…Do you have to?”
One eyebrow rose.
“Do you really have to do that?”
“But you said we’re friends.”
When I shrugged, he nodded reluctantly.
Despite clearly not liking the situation, Lawrence was more lenient than usual.
“…Then I can speak casually to you now too, right?”
“What?”
“Well, you know… we’re friends now.”
Lawrence sharply furrowed his brow. I dropped my gaze for a moment, then looked straight at him again.
Honestly, I didn’t like it.
He spoke politely to other noble ladies and gentlemen—but only spoke casually to me.
Only to me.
I’d thought that was just his personality.
That he was rude to everyone.
But Lawrence was actually very well-mannered.
He just didn’t extend that courtesy to me.
That kind of discrimination was something else.
“Is that not allowed?”
“Ha.”
For a moment, I thought the newly generous young duke might allow it as a token of friendship.
But his raised eyebrow showed no sign of lowering—his mercy had already run out.
It was time to retreat.
“No, I just meant… as a sign of closeness between friends—”
“Try it.”
Lawrence lifted his chin arrogantly.
“…What?”
“Go on. Try it.”
I hesitated for a moment.
But seeing his slightly upturned red lips, no words came out.
How was I supposed to do it when he was glaring at me like that?
“…Haha, on second thought, even close friends should keep proper manners if they want things to last.”
“Suit yourself.”
Lawrence shrugged lightly.
As if it truly didn’t matter to him.
As if the choice had always been mine.
I glared at him briefly, then quickly smiled when our eyes met.
Lawrence frowned at me for a moment, then spoke again.
“By the way, is that really the end with Duke Herarilla?”
“…My father?”
“No. You said it was blackmail. Is that all you got from it—him treating you fairly?”
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
“No.”
“Then?”
“I gained my freedom. I can leave the estate whenever I want now. And there won’t be any forced marriage either.”
Lawrence stepped closer.
“Did the duke promise that? About the marriage?”
“Yes. And he said he’d arrange a place for me to live in a nearby territory.”
“Is that truly what you want?”
Concern filled Lawrence’s gaze once more.
What I truly wanted…
“…Yes. It’s what I want.”
Lawrence nodded silently.
“Then you’ll be leaving the capital.”
“Probably sometime next year.”
He nodded again without speaking.
To Lawrence, it probably looked like I was being half-driven out of the capital.
And maybe he wasn’t wrong.
I was leaving because of my father’s and brothers’ mistreatment.
If they’d been kind to Patricia from the start, I might not have wanted to leave.
But it wasn’t especially sad either.
I had no lingering attachment to my father or brothers.
“Have you decided which territory you’ll go to?”
“No, not yet.”
The Duke of Herarilla said he’d look into it, so I assumed he’d choose somewhere decent.
“If you want, come to our territory. As a duke’s daughter, you’ll be treated properly anywhere, but it’s better to go somewhere you have direct connections.”
Was that so?
Gerhardt territory…
Having someone nearby who could help me would certainly be reassuring.
Becoming friends with Lawrence Gerhardt really did seem like the greatest stroke of luck.
“Think about it.”
“Yes.”
Lawrence seemed like he had more to say, but in the end, he didn’t continue.
“Let’s get up. We’ve been out here too long.”
“Yes.”
I nodded and stood up with him.
As we reentered the ballroom, I felt the sidelong glances of the noble ladies.
Just then, a young lady with long, wavy hair approached.
“Are you done dancing for the night, Young Duke?”
Only then did I realize the meaning behind the ladies’ gazes. I carefully removed my hand from Lawrence’s arm.
Though he didn’t look particularly eager, Lawrence soon invited the young lady to dance.
A bright smile spread across her face.
“I’d love to.”
Lawrence and the lady clasped hands and moved toward the center of the hall.
Blending into the crowd, I followed them with my eyes—then forgot entirely that others were around me as I gasped in shock.
“Oh my—what is that?”
Dancing in the center of the hall was unmistakably Morgan Herarilla.
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