Chapter 42: A vacation that doesn’t feel like a vacation (2)
Q6Cd0mJA moonlit night. An empty field with no one around.rEN6N
a97There was a boy there, alone, sweating.6BT6VK9
EbvN“Come on!”4ybdkt
qGsThe boy was trying.aBzxv
MX5Xj8zStriving more than any of the squires here.0Xzvw
SNE“Ha, Ha.”4ZjDsYk
eLc17P0A single drop of sweat on the boy’s chin caught the moonlight.jye9l
zHJle90But the boy hurried to wipe it away with his hand before it fell to the ground.Y02
N8VEffort was something marvelous, beautiful, and radiant, but he didn’t want it to show.4siVwYx
YDVHHe didn’t want others to see.Fsu3NI
eAwTo see himself giving it his all and spinning like a broken record.ObTQywS
KdEB7rThat might make him appear weak.6y619
KfaY“Hmph!”h4one
Mpm3odFrom the small clearing in the back street to the training ground now taken over by the squires.aH4NY2
RgdLPWHThe boy, unwilling to show his weakness to others, sought a place where no one else was and wielded his sword as he had always done.RPtZF5S
OFGP[Stretch your waist a little more; it’s too stiff.]8Lq
fEdKrVh“…Stretch?”Wrm0et
spz48WJFollowing the advice of the voice, which he could still interpret a bit differently than before, Vlad corrected his posture.fIg
ws8nThe voice and Jager had told the boy there was no quick turnaround.nFlD7
zRzMastery could only be trusted through repetition and years of experience.9tEkfI
v0QjlLz“Whoa…”CTHqX5
6tSWhat a blessing to be able to prepare with all our might for the possibilities of tomorrow.kdfn6rq
K36Compared to his life on the streets, where he couldn’t see anything, this was paradise.vjWjlOL
zjkgVlad was acutely aware that this was his golden opportunity.FB1
4a2G[That’s enough for today.]GhwOtzh
j5m“Already?”oJ69
wvXe[You’ve completed your training for the day.]jLu5N
PeYKmdThe voice understood the boy’s frustration.YvbeYo
CywSo it could only do its best to let the boy burn slowly.PY6V
Yu7So that he wouldn’t burn too fast and consume himself.7nJDcw
NbtDLnJ[The final cooldown is the most important part, but if you end up injuring yourself, all your efforts will be in vain.]EOOQuH
fYv“Alright.”UQH
iWQVlad followed the advice of the voice and relaxed his muscles while assuming the final position that Jager had indicated.phEo
HxYTHe was disappointed not to have been able to train with Jager yesterday due to circumstances beyond his control, but he wasn’t going to let that stop him.NYoKfNy
oSvYjGIt was always the prepared ones who seized the opportunity.gHBrpH8
Yu5Ux[Let’s go inside.]eg5pe
dHimfk“Hmm.”S5VOD
SF6VoDrenched in sweat, the boy entered the mansion, challenging the increasingly cold night air.9Qo5
yWzQwu“…”VF1
bMSL9But the boy wasn’t the only one awake tonight.8gx4
FPYEhA knight with narrow eyes also observed the deserted clearing, although he was too far away to hear the boy’s words.Pw9p
vPT8c4eRaising people is the hardest thing.sAVE7Q
PRfdEyQSome things only need love to thrive, but others need a biting reprimand.MDi6i
CxbIt’s the only way to keep them on the right path.4djO
JwPdvOnly after seeing the boy enter did the knight with narrow eyes leave.HhrMEa
PrRTKZIt was a night of many troubles for the two men, each uncomfortable in their place.BOs
FWUp***xXV5br
RuGB“Good.”MJ4
Ai4Joseph replied from within his well-lit office.RvCpx6t
jlas“Thank you.”Gwj3
TsrQeeIt was a somewhat blasphemous thought, but Vlad felt pity for the shadow in Joseph’s eyes that didn’t fade no matter how much light illuminated them.asAH9
cQgiIn fact, he had seen it for a few days, shortly after returning from Deirmar.xi7D0M8
yKWg“I was thinking of giving you some time off. Besides, you already have a place to go, so why not?”MW6
Z4nsi1Although Vlad had obtained Joseph’s permission, he could only look at him incredulously.9wqo
xkhpr6The knight with narrowed eyes had not responded to his constant attempts at eye contact.8Ut6n
Om9SWJoseph was aware of the uncomfortable atmosphere between them, but he said nothing. Even as the person with the higher position, there were certain relationships that needed to be respected.Rgk
LHlaB“A knight should never let go of his sword, even on vacation.”za707w
47kZBQ3It was the knight with narrowed eyes who broke the delicate silence first.Qi3h
Q5MyThough his gaze was subtly averted, Jager was clearly addressing the boy.Ev5yWC
uri“We’ll see when you come back.”8qiPgZ
1cmZYTraining was something you knew if you missed it for a day, and others knew if you missed it for a week. Jager knew he didn’t have to tell Vlad this, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say at that moment. He had no experience in raising people, not even seeds.tQI7Qnj
p8hr3“I see.”2lfrgKO
07jVlad responded loudly, turning towards Jager, who was finally addressing him.kR0nhK4
cM98FQ“Although you better not expect too much from the horse. Your problem is difficult to solve, even for House Kannor.”YYBrDA
jOaP“That…”eQAyD
lgWSRzHowever, Vlad’s hopes were dashed again by Joseph’s following words.uZ1
rtq“I want you to get an approximate idea of how much the horses reject you, and if there’s a minor one, find out where it’s from.”daE
UWLsMwIJoseph was well aware of Vlad’s inability to ride, and he knew it wasn’t the boy’s fault. It was a very special case, but sometimes, like in Vlad’s case, horses refused to be ridden by people like him. Someone who smelled too much of blood or had a special curse. Or a knight with too much fervor.9zJ
S3xuVx‘…Although knights who have too much fervor in the first place tend to control it themselves.’OR94
v1gWuKXFor now, in the boy’s case, it’s best to keep all possibilities open. Like Alicia’s work, you never know where it might lead.rMXWBa
AnyciC“You can go now. I’ll see you in a week.”a6M7jk
LJjFgQ“Okay.”Hubf
me5cX8“No need for a gift when you come back.”9z0H
mMrF“Yes…”AGlG
0txVlad left the office with a concerned look upon hearing Joseph’s ambiguous words about whether he should bring a gift or not.9TpuL6
GnoIA“It’s the Kannor family…”R6weAXh
LjdUNLooking at the door through which Vlad had left, Joseph raised an eyebrow.c83F
yM5“I hope they don’t know each other.”b2WC4TL
kacH“Since both are so conspicuous.”DsmIlFC
8JxdLearning Vlad’s destination, Joseph pursed his lips, thinking about the “what if…” that could happen there.hYn
zruGixA“Well, if it’s urgent, they’ll take care of it.”Hch
ZNcLqO“You won’t keep an eye on him?”SqT
ooOrSJnJager asked, but Joseph simply buried his head in the papers as if there was nothing to think about.r1c
JWx6o“If he wants something, he’ll come for it. I don’t like doing things behind his back.”yR9
19fJager could only nod at Joseph’s response. Maybe Joseph was right. They knew each other better than anyone in the world.xVtcu2
M3E***ok4b1a
6EWR0cv“What I had in mind came at a very good time.”m9CvqfS
koWbj2jIn Oksana’s parlor, where even the sunlight had an orange tint, Vlad stiffened once again.HbtXsUU
3wfMaids bustled around him, trying on clothes for him.VcuKc
4v12VAs always when he visited, Vlad knew it was best to keep his distance for now.2gwP19x
EciR4E2“…”6n2w
864hv4Upon leaving Joseph’s office, Vlad was immediately stopped by a maid, as if she had been waiting for him.TDwR
wC90j2She had introduced herself as a maid of Countess Oksana, so he hadn’t even had the decency to protest; instead, he had been immobilized.NOUrkyP
TqsNWEAnd when he woke up, he looked like this.6uiVVEg
E3NM“The color suits you very well. I thought I would match it with your leather armor, but it looks better than I thought.”D7Ui
2RtDX“…Thank you.”ldY
1x3Oksana smiled satisfactorily as she looked at the black cloak that covered the boy’s shoulders.rPiZrta
4mSVlad observed Oksana’s smile and cautiously touched the cloak.THnOg
zhSNZQ4The cloak, made of warm wool, was warm enough to use as a sleeping bag when camping.YvF
lD3UN6AOksana made sure the cloak was not only beautiful but also practical.JUlYt0C
fetuNo“It has plenty of space, so it fits everything, so it’s worth it.”SQh28
aPL2L15Oksana clapped lightly as she watched the color combination, which was working much better than she expected.v3bXk
vm2EL09The boy’s precious blond hair was an excellent way to complete the outfit.azUiubh
Djvuyaj“Are you going on vacation with House Kannor?”XiF
GvN“Yes.”1Pt
nbBQCHow she knew, she asked him, even though obviously Joseph had just granted him permission.wbFC
4J1The boy, who still hadn’t realized the power of a countess in charge of everything in the mansion, could only think that he would have to behave a bit more upright in the future.Geh
qKc5“Whenever you’re invited to someone’s home,” she said, “You have to look much more handsome. It’s good manners, and that way you won’t offend their parents.”0Tys
zq7ue“…”YmCIA9P
1dThZThe boy had no parents to disrespect.oA8YTY8
Lr9v7Mu“So you can’t behave badly.”JpC2
BKl“…I wouldn’t.”F5Xn59N
M5vdOksana was saying not to worry, even though she wasn’t the boy’s mother, she would take responsibility.4nEFd
qX85klMThe support she was giving Vlad was already beyond mere patronage.tSXf
wNLI“Thank you for your work in Deirmar.”CtnqL
cFYZ“I was just doing what I had to do.”UtbwIYW
4Kl2id7“No, it’s about that.”XOvGz
4a7zcEmOksana probably wasn’t doing this just because she liked the boy named Vlad.gjeNsN
04yShe also did it because the boy in front of her was a great help to her son.pJOMYQw
t2pNaIf she could do this for a simple squire, how terrible must it be for her son, Joseph, who shared her blood.J2ZP
g6M“Then we’ll have to look for a tutor for him after these holidays, because he’ll only make such a mistake once, won’t he?”DD2XLc
XIqrET“…I’m sorry.”Sxm4
t6lioGvIf Vlad had known that Oksana had staggered for a moment in shock after hearing what had happened with Alicia, although she was now smiling kindly, he would have knelt in apology.jF3
XWYNxF“The title of knight you aspire to is a semi-noble position, and you have to learn to behave accordingly.”UmzhZ
8MtNeR“I see.”QJITO2o
6mPAnyone who saw someone so young with so much potential but so little knowledge couldn’t help but want to help.rsl
QLQAnd Oksana’s heart was reaching the boy through various ways.tslA
Of4F4“All right. You can go now.”fkX
ZpQqQbF“Thank you, Lady Oksana.”Oacm7K
WvjVlad, who had been let out shortly after entering the parlor, left it with stiff steps.VXrbiH
qX8J“And when you leave, make sure to take the things I left by your side.”QBtvx
KoUHearing Oksana’s words, Vlad turned his head to the baskets she had left on the side.qX9e
zUiX“This is…”7xeItf
hbUU92t“These are lemons. They are the ones Joseph brought this time.”o6zRF
u52nXgOksana replied, smiling at the boy, who looked perplexed at the lemons.m9AS
neVHeCV“It’s not good manners to go to someone’s house empty-handed.”ey6
cs6k9“Thank you for your kind consideration…”14xP1xr
5zOeUHVlad had seen a lot of people trying to take something from him, but he wasn’t immune to people trying to give him something.i2y5BFP
CMv1t7KSo all he could do was thank her and leave with both hands full of fruit.5HKKPuJ
X7AFk“Afterward…”Xcc
mLGVlad let out a small sigh as he left Oksana’s room; he always received more than he expected.i2h
SUgHe walked slowly down the hallway, looking at his reflection in the window.craGanD
plZMZmFine clothes, a nice cloak, and a fruit basket in each hand.6btrVxQ
o4lNIt didn’t suit him.m10b
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