Chapter : 40
“Young Duke. Did you return safely from the Herarilla Ducal Estate?”
Simon cautiously asked Lawrence, who had returned earlier than expected.
“Yeah.”
Lawrence replied with a light nod.
Even from that brief answer, Simon could sense Lawrence’s mood.
He had seemed irritable for the past few days, but now he was clearly calmer.
It seemed he had learned something at the ducal estate.
“So… did you find out?”
“Find out what?”
“…The reason the Duke of Herarilla accepted the young lady without objection.”
What did he mean, what?
Wasn’t that the very reason Lawrence had gone to the Herarilla estate—to uncover the deal between the Duke and the young lady?
Lawrence blinked slowly, then shook his head.
“Then… did you meet Duke Herarilla?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“Did he mention anything about that day? Anything strange?”
“……”
At Simon’s words, Lawrence blinked slowly again.
“Hm…”
Something strange.
Yes, it was strange.
The Duke who had tried to threaten him after letting Patricia stay the night now thanked him for taking care of her.
Another strange thing was that the Duke kept cautiously watching Lawrence’s reactions.
“It was strange. I just don’t know what yet.”
Lawrence shrugged lightly, as if he truly didn’t know.
Simon frowned at Lawrence’s unusually relaxed demeanor.
Before leaving for the Herarilla estate, hadn’t he been tense, insisting he had to uncover the secrets of House Herarilla?
If he found nothing, why was he in such a good mood?
“Then… did you meet Lady Herarilla?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“Did she say anything?”
“She said she’ll visit our estate the day after tomorrow.”
“What? The day after tomorrow? Why is she visiting?”
Lawrence hesitated briefly before answering.
“The Herarilla estate doesn’t have a training hall. She wants to practice swordsmanship.”
“…Then will the young lady be training with her family’s knights? I thought she was only learning swordsmanship lightly.”
Instead of answering directly, Lawrence changed the subject.
“I’ll be training too when Patricia comes. Leave the training hall empty.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
In the end, despite visiting the Herarilla estate, Lawrence hadn’t brought back any concrete information.
All he’d done was make an appointment with Patricia.
Does he have another plan?
Simon studied Lawrence for a moment, then nodded to himself.
Lawrence Gerhardt—if it was him, he surely had a different plan.
A plan to uncover why Patricia Herarilla had changed, and what had transpired between the Duke and his daughter.
That must be why he seemed so relaxed now.
Simon looked at the much calmer Lawrence and nodded again.
* * *
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
“Young Duke. Lady Herarilla has arrived.”
Lawrence nodded lightly at Simon’s report.
“Got it. Where is Patricia?”
“I escorted her to the training hall.”
“Alright, Simon.”
Lawrence replied without lifting his gaze from the documents piled before him.
Though he had told her to come whenever she liked, she was still his guest.
He thought he should at least greet her personally.
“It looks like this will take some time. Can you guide her for now?”
There were four documents that had to be approved today.
Feeling guilty toward Patricia, his eyes skimmed the paperwork faster.
“I’ll head down once I finish this.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure Lady Herarilla lacks nothing, so please don’t worry.”
Simon nodded and left the office.
Click.
But only a few minutes after Simon—who told him not to worry—left, Lawrence stood up.
No matter how he thought about it, she was his guest. He couldn’t just ignore her.
He could finish the remaining work after she left.
Step, step.
Lawrence headed quickly toward the training hall.
There were many things he wanted to ask her, if possible.
Why she had suddenly started learning swordsmanship.
Whether she was uncomfortable living at the ducal estate.
Creak.
But the moment he opened the training hall door, all the questions filling his mind vanished instantly.
Patricia wasn’t alone.
A small boy—about nine years old—was with her, holding a wooden sword.
“Oh? Young Duke.”
Patricia noticed Lawrence and approached him.
“Sir Simon said you might be late. Are you done with work already?”
Lawrence looked at Patricia, then turned his gaze to the boy.
“Ah, Carlos. Come here and greet him.”
The boy, who had been bowing from a distance, came to her side at her call.
“Hello, Young Duke.”
Standing close to Patricia, the boy bowed again.
“…Who is he?”
The child had hair reminiscent of ripe grapefruit flesh and a red sunset.
Judging by his manners, he wasn’t a noble.
“He’s Carlos, a servant from the Herarilla estate.”
“Then why is he here?”
“Ah, Carlos is learning swordsmanship with me.”
So this must be the servant Simon mentioned.
Lawrence hadn’t expected the servant she brought along to be such a young child.
For a moment, he felt annoyed at Simon.
If the servant was this young, he should have reported that as well.
It wasn’t something he could simply overlook.
Did Patricia dote on children?
“……”
As Lawrence looked down at Carlos, his mood soured again.
The boy quickly averted his eyes, but the look he’d given Lawrence just before—
It hadn’t been gentle.
“We came to practice together. Is that not allowed?”
“I only gave permission to the young lady.”
What was that look earlier?
Lawrence studied Carlos, trying to read his intentions.
“Ah…”
Patricia let out a small sigh, clearly not expecting this reaction.
Though flustered, she pulled Carlos closer by the shoulder.
Seeing her protective gesture, Lawrence frowned slightly.
“I’m sorry. I think I misunderstood.”
Lawrence waited for her to say she would send the boy away.
But what she said next was completely unexpected.
“Then we’ll be leaving now.”
For a moment, Lawrence couldn’t say anything.
Patricia wasn’t trying to win some battle of wills to stay.
Her words about leaving were utterly sincere.
Why?
Because he wouldn’t accept that boy?
“…You’ve come all this way. Just stay and practice.”
Lawrence spoke, barely suppressing his confusion.
“But Carlos—”
“The child too.”
Just who was this boy?
“Is that really okay? Then today only—”
“……”
“If you’re alright with it, Young Duke…”
Patricia was saying something, but Lawrence couldn’t hear her.
Even though she was speaking right in front of him.
He watched as Patricia walked away with Carlos.
Carlos… had they known each other before?
What kind of relationship was it that made her keep him by her side?
A servant waiting until their master’s schedule ended was normal.
Expected, even.
But Patricia didn’t make Carlos wait.
Instead, she ended her own schedule.
Because she didn’t want to be separated from him?
Or because she didn’t want him waiting idly because of her?
“…Hoo.”
Whatever the case, Carlos clearly wasn’t just one of many servants to her.
Could she possibly like him?
“……”
No.
“That can’t be.”
Lawrence shook his head.
He was short.
Not particularly handsome.
Of low status.
And far too young for Patricia to see him romantically.
There was no way she liked him.
After reaching that conclusion, Lawrence finally followed the path Patricia had taken.
“Carlos, what comes next?”
“Milady, your footing is wrong.”
Carlos stepped closer and corrected her stance.
Patricia’s attentive gaze followed his movements.
There even seemed to be admiration mixed into it.
“……”
For some reason, that sight irritated Lawrence.
What could a child like that possibly know about swordsmanship?
“Next—”
“You need to move your right foot.”
Lawrence cut Carlos off.
“Take one step forward.”
“Ah, Young Duke. You don’t need to mind us. I can just ask Carlos—”
“What are you trying to learn from someone who can’t even choose the right sword?”
Lawrence glared at Carlos disdainfully.
“Pardon?”
“You’re small—why are you swinging around a sword like that?”
“What do you mean? What’s wrong with Carlos’s sword—?”
Lawrence shook his head at the overly long wooden sword compared to Carlos’s height.
“It’s too long. Too big.”
“But that wooden sword was chosen by the instructor—”
Patricia stopped herself mid-sentence and sighed softly.
Lawrence walked over and grabbed Carlos firmly by the shoulder.
“Ow!”
“See? You’ll ruin your shoulder at this rate.”
Lawrence looked at both of them as if they were foolish.
Why ask such a novice when someone skilled like him was right here?
What were they even doing together?
“So just ask me—”
But he couldn’t finish his sentence.
“…Carlos, let’s go look for a wooden sword on the way back today.”
“No, this one is fine for me.”
Carlos shook his head vigorously at Patricia, who looked deflated.
“No. I’ll choose one that fits you perfectly.”
Lawrence listened silently to their exchange before speaking.
“Hey. If you need a sword, follow me.”
What was the big deal if it didn’t fit perfectly?
Why did she need to choose one just for him?
Suppressing the urge for his lips to twist, Lawrence headed toward the training hall’s storage room.
