chapter 05
“I’ve been itching to test myself against him too. But he never leaves a single trace behind. I can’t find him anywhere.”
Neither Seniel nor Orbis made any attempt to hide their competitive spirit toward Prince.
“So? Has the map shown up on the market yet?”
“Not yet. It doesn’t seem like they’ve contacted anyone. Raven has gone unusually quiet lately and stopped their usual activity, so we’re just keeping watch for now.”
“Let me know if you hear anything.”
“What about you?”
“My sister’s here. I’m taking a break.”
“At a time like this?”
Tilting his head, Orbis picked up the letter lying beneath the stack of documents.
“His Highness won’t allow it.”
Written across the letter in Prince Vidler’s own hand was a simple instruction:
Come to me immediately after your training is over.
Seniel frowned and let out an irritated sigh.
“I want to spend time with my sister while she’s here. Even if His Highness refuses, I’m taking leave.”
“Then I’ll take leave too.”
“…Why are you joining in?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve never had a proper vacation since joining the knight order. Seems like the perfect chance.”
Seniel shot him an unamused glare.
Orbis, however, was already grinning as he eagerly pulled out a sheet of parchment and began writing his leave request.
The bedding had felt unusually soft…
No wonder.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I had slept deeply without waking up once in the middle of the night.
“How long has it been since I woke up this late?”
I straightened the rumpled blankets until the bed looked immaculate before stepping outside.
The sun had been up for quite some time already.
A leisurely morning like this had been unimaginable back when I lived at the guild.
As I headed downstairs, I spotted Orbis enthusiastically dusting the house.
I stopped in my tracks.
The giant of a man was bustling around wearing a dainty lace-trimmed apron.
Stay calm.
I’d survived just about everything life could throw at me, and I prided myself on adapting quickly.
But… getting used to that sight was going to take some time.
“Noona! Did you sleep well? Was the bed comfortable?”
Seeing me, Orbis waved enthusiastically.
I walked over.
“The bedding made it very comfortable.”
“Right? The bedding here is amazing. They say it was handcrafted by an artisan who works exclusively for the imperial family. You can really tell the difference.”
Without being asked, he cheerfully continued explaining every unnecessary detail.
“Oh, right. Seniel left early. He said he was stopping by home.”
“You’re not going out?”
“I’ve got a few days of leave.”
His face practically glowed with excitement just saying the word leave.
I tilted my head.
If he was on vacation…
Why was he happily cleaning the house dressed like that?
I couldn’t understand it, but I didn’t bother asking.
Still carrying the feather duster, Orbis followed me everywhere I went.
Almost as if he were keeping an eye on me.
“If it’s uncomfortable having me stay here, just tell me anytime. I’ll leave. Seniel can be pretty forceful.”
“Oh, come on, Noona. I’m just freeloading here too. The owner of this place is someone else.”
“Someone else?”
I blinked.
Wasn’t this supposed to belong to the friend Orbis had mentioned?
Then… who exactly owned it?
Perhaps realizing he wasn’t supposed to say that, Orbis awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
“I’ll introduce you when they get here. They should be back soon.”
“…All right.”
Does the owner even know I’m staying here?
Suddenly I found myself wondering whether Seniel had actually gotten permission.
The thought left me uneasy.
Still, I first asked Pendelric to lend me a map of the continent.
With the map in hand, I went outside.
Before anything else, I circled the surrounding area, identifying good hiding spots and possible escape routes in case something happened.
“That should do it.”
Then…
The back of my neck prickled.
Someone was watching me from far away.
“Who is it?”
It didn’t feel dangerous.
But the persistent gaze was irritating.
There shouldn’t be anyone here keeping an eye on me.
Has someone figured out who I am?
Every nerve in my body sharpened.
Pretending not to notice, I kept walking until I judged the distance.
Then I suddenly whipped my head toward the source of the gaze.
There—
A pair of glittering golden eyes.
“Orbis!”
For a split second, I considered catching the watcher myself.
But revealing my abilities here would only cause trouble.
The moment I called, Orbis came rushing over.
His drawn sword flashed brilliantly in the sunlight.
“Noona! What’s wrong?”
He was still wearing the lace apron.
Oddly enough, I barely noticed it anymore.
His killing intent was so intense that it overshadowed everything else.
“Someone’s over there.”
“I’ll check.”
He vanished in an instant.
He moved so quickly that my eyes could barely follow him.
“Not bad.”
“I kind of want him.”
There weren’t many people in the guild who possessed that kind of speed and agility.
We hadn’t crossed blades yet, but Orbis would probably rank near the top even among guild members.
While I quietly studied his movements, Orbis returned after searching the area.
The fierce expression that had made him seem like a different person had already disappeared, replaced by his usual innocent smile.
“I figured out who it was.”
“Who?”
“The old butler’s granddaughter. She normally lives outside the estate walls, but I guess she snuck in.”
“Why?”
“She’s a huge Seniel fan.”
I tilted my head.
“A… fan?”
“It means someone who likes another person—not necessarily romantically. Seniel’s really popular, so he has lots of fans.”
Whenever reports about Seniel crossed my desk, they always mentioned his popularity.
But…
Even little kids liked him?
“I’ll be inside. If anything happens, just call me like you did earlier.”
“All right.”
Still wearing a slightly bewildered expression, I shook my head and unfolded the map once more.
Two days passed.
Nothing remarkable happened.
It was an unusually peaceful routine.
Having grown accustomed to the villa, I settled beneath the shade of a plane tree in the garden and spread the map out again.
Several locations had been circled across it.
“I’ve marked every place I can think of… but I still can’t tell just by looking.”
“Maybe I’ll have to visit them myself.”
The place I was searching for…
…was the shop where I’d once lived with my parents as a child.
Just then, a single leaf fluttered down onto the map.
I picked it up and stared at it quietly.
Again.
That feeling.
Someone was watching me.
This time, though, they weren’t simply observing.
I could hear cautious footsteps creeping closer through the shade.
Pretending not to notice is becoming a real pain.
I deliberately kept scribbling on the map so I wouldn’t seem suspicious.
Then…
Something came flying toward me.
“Who’s there—…huh?”
I caught the object in one smooth motion before it could hit me.
At the same time, I turned toward the thrower.
A freckled little girl with two long braids stared at me with her mouth hanging wide open.
“Y-You… caught it? H-How?”
She had to be the butler’s granddaughter Orbis had mentioned.
Realizing it wasn’t an attack, I relaxed inwardly before glaring at the bold little brat.
“What have you been doing since yesterday?”
“What about you? Stay away from our Seniel Oppa! Nobody gets to keep Seniel Oppa all to themselves! We have the Imperial Alliance! Showing up out of nowhere and stealing him away is betrayal!”
Imperial Alliance?
Stealing…?
What exactly had this kid mistaken me for?
Trying to decide what to do with the ridiculous child, I finally looked at what she’d thrown.
“…A boiled egg?”
I almost laughed.
Coincidentally, I was getting hungry.
Without thinking, I peeled the shell.
I bit into the smooth white egg.
Then froze.
“…Why is this so good?”
It was softer than any egg I’d ever tasted.
Tender, springy…
Somehow like pudding, yet still firm.
“What on earth…”
“You.”
I beckoned with a finger.
“Come here.”
The girl approached cautiously.
“Did you boil this yourself?”
“Hmph! It’s delicious, isn’t it? My native chicken laid it! I raised her with lots of care, and I only feed her the best food!”
She had thrown it at me moments ago.
Yet now that I’d praised it, her puffed-up cheeks turned bright red with pride.
“I’ll admit it tastes amazing.”
“But you’re getting in my way, so go play somewhere else, kid.”
“I’m not a kid! I’m only ten years younger than Seniel Oppa!”
She proudly held up all ten fingers.
Since Seniel was eighteen…
That made her eight.
So… definitely a kid.
“Fine. Whether you’re ten or five, if you bother me one more time, I’ll hang you from that tree.”
I deliberately lowered my voice, making it colder and harsher.
I couldn’t stand children who charged around without knowing their limits.
That should get the message across.
Or so I thought.
Instead, the little girl shuffled awkwardly around me in circles.
Ignoring her was becoming impossible.
I sighed in annoyance and looked up.
“What?”
“Still need something?”
Fidgeting with her fingers, she held out another egg.
“S-Sorry for throwing it… It’s my favorite thing, so I thought it’d be okay. I’ll give you another one, so… please don’t tell Grandpa.”
“…I’ll accept it.”
After all…
Good food—
Especially delicious food—
Had done nothing wrong.
As I peeled the second boiled egg she’d given me, I couldn’t help finding the whole situation strangely amusing.
During missions, I’d occasionally been forced to eat poisoned food.
I’d even undergone poison-resistance training because of it.
That was why I usually distrusted anything offered by strangers.
Yet here I was.
Happily eating eggs given to me by a little girl I’d only just met.
“It’s tasty, right?”
“Yeah.”
The moment I answered honestly, her entire face lit up.
Her already chubby cheeks puffed out even more.
For some reason…
I suddenly wanted to poke them.
My hand reached out before I could stop myself.
Squish.
Warm.
Soft.
Wonderfully squishy beneath my fingertips.
Just as I was about to poke them again—
She stared at me blankly.
“What are you doing?
