Chapter – 08
It wasn’t hard to notice that Theon was lost. There was no way an apprentice knight—especially one still in his probation period—would have any reason to meet the commander-in-chief.
He probably doesn’t even know where the commander’s office is.
“Are we… lost?”
“…Yes.”
Theon admitted it honestly.
When I glanced up beside him, I saw that the part of his neck visible above his shirt collar had turned red.
Oh no. It would be bad if things got awkward before we even became friends.
This wasn’t Theon’s fault. They had simply ordered him “Escort her to the commander’s office” without even telling him where it was—basically throwing him off a cliff like a baby lion!
I pulled on the hand I was holding and started walking ahead.
“Don’t worry! At times like this, you just keep walking forward!”
I knew where the commander’s office was.
As his arm was pulled, Theon took a few quick steps to match my pace.
“You shouldn’t just walk blindly.”
As if realizing something, he quickly added:
“…miss.”
“I’m younger than you, so you can talk casually!”
“You’re the young lady of the Travel County family. I’m just an apprentice knight belonging to their order.”
“Oh. That kind of thing is important to nobles?”
“Nobles…?”
“I don’t really know about that stuff. I lived alone in a rural village with my dad.”
I could feel Theon’s gaze turn toward me.
Why does it feel like he’s only looking at my forehead? Must be my imagination.
Anyway, if we’re going to be friends, we need something in common first!
When Theon was officially announced as the Crown Prince, the people who got the most excited were the newspapers.
A crown prince nobody even knew existed until now.
There was no way reporters would ignore such a gold mine of stories.
And since the Crown Prince was also good-looking, articles about Theon—with photos—filled the front page every day.
—
Is this a newspaper or a photo album?
—
My other self had clicked her tongue at the media’s obsession with looks.
But thanks to those memories, I knew a bit about Theon’s childhood too.
I heard Baron Boltman retired from knighthood and their finances got pretty bad.
A grandson raised by a poor baron couple in the countryside.
He showed outstanding talent in swordsmanship, but they couldn’t even afford a proper teacher.
Feeling sorry for their talented grandson, Baron Boltman searched his connections and managed to send Theon as an apprentice knight to the Travel family.
Well, that’s not what really matters.
What mattered was that both Theon and I came from rural villages.
What mattered was that we had something in common.
“So I don’t really understand complicated things like status. I don’t care about that stuff, so you can talk casually too! If you think adults might scold you, you can do it when we’re alone.”
“…Why did you live alone with Sir Reitan…? Do you not have other family?”
It seemed Theon was focusing on a different kind of similarity.
“Ah.”
So he only knows Dad is a Grand Master. Nothing else?
“I don’t have a mom.”
Oh, if we go up those stairs, that’s the commander’s office.
I kept pulling Theon along as I spoke.
But suddenly he stopped moving.
“Theon?”
When I turned around, he was standing still with a shocked expression.
***
My mother never existed from the beginning.
I was a newborn baby my father had brought from somewhere, and no one in the Travel family knew who my mother was.
—
We’re quite generous for even accepting someone like you whose bloodline is unknown. Even after your father died, we didn’t throw you out. You should always live with gratitude.
—
After my father died, Aunt Marianne often said that to my other self.
It was pressure to produce results.
From the age of sixteen, I had practically become their hunting dog, bringing them achievements.
That was how I survived their jealousy.
To uncover the truth behind my father’s death.
Hmph.
Maybe my past self lived like that, but not this time.
This time, I’m giving all those achievements to Dad.
Hehe. What should I bring him first~
I almost felt like humming, but I couldn’t.
“I’m sorry. That was a careless question.”
Theon looked like he pitied my situation of not having a mother.
Because of that, instead of continuing to our destination just upstairs, we ended up sitting side by side on the stairs.
“I didn’t know your situation.”
Theon’s mood had sunk so low it felt like it might break through the floor.
“You’re younger than me…”
“Oh, you spoke casually.”
“…you are younger…”
“Is it that confusing? Can’t you just talk casually?”
“……”
“Then how about we become friends? Then we can both speak casually! Just use formal speech in front of adults?”
After thinking for a moment, Theon nodded.
This was only possible because I met him early.
If he had already adapted more to knight life, he probably would have rejected this idea immediately as ridiculous.
Hooray! I became friends with the Crown Prince!
“Nice to meet you, Theon!”
“…Yeah. Me too.”
Unlike me, who was secretly celebrating achieving my goal, Theon’s mood didn’t improve at all.
Theon lost his mother two years ago. He probably feels sad thinking about that. But I’m really okay.
Grandma Marshal once said memories create longing.
But I didn’t have any memories of my mother.
Having no mother truly didn’t bother me at all.
Rather, not having Dad is what…
…Ugh.
Suddenly my chest hurt, and I understood how sad Theon must feel. I’m such an idiot.
I wanted to comfort him somehow, so I searched my pocket.
With a rustling sound, I found a candy. Sherry had given it to me to eat when I felt bored.
“Theon, have this!”
I took the candy out and placed it into his open palm.
Theon looked at me in confusion.
“Why…?”
I smiled brightly, swinging my foot.
“They say sweet things are best when you’re feeling down.”
“I’m fine. You eat it.”
“You eat it.”
You eat it. No, you eat it.
The candy kept going back and forth with neither of us accepting it. Meanwhile, the twisted ends of the wrapper started loosening, and the candy began peeking out.
Oh no. At this rate it might unwrap and fall.
I was saving that!
If it went into Theon’s mouth, fine—but dropping on the floor would be a disaster. Dad rarely gave me candy since he said it wasn’t good for the body.
Oh?
Then I got a good idea. There was no need to argue over just one candy.
I stood up from the stairs and said proudly:
“Let’s go to the commander’s office! There’s candy there!”
“The commander’s office… just to eat candy?”
“Yeah!”
The knight training center’s commander office was rarely used—maybe once a year. Because of that, it was practically used as a rest room for direct family members visiting the training grounds.
That’s why Uncle Rex told me to go there.
Even my other self used to wait there for Dad after he returned as Grand Master.
Which meant I knew exactly what was inside.
“There are other snacks too!”
I looked up the stairs, imagining the office above.
Then I froze.
“…….”
“Who gave you permission?”
My grandfather’s golden eyes were looking down at me.
He looked like a tiger. His stern voice scolded me:
“Who gave you permission to take candy from my office?”
“…hic.”
***
A little earlier.
Kallet quietly observed the man standing before him.
Despite his white hair, the old man was vigorous. He had more presence than a general on the battlefield.
Count Travel.
Commander of the Red Eagle Knights.
Of all times…
Who would have thought Reitan’s daughter would be here?
What unfortunate timing.
The very day the Count visited the commander’s office for the first time in a year was the same day Berry came to the training grounds.
There should be staff at the Stone House to look after a child. Why is Lady Berry here without even a maid?
Hearing the children’s voices from the stairs, Kallet sighed internally.
I wonder if Reitan ever imagined a situation like this.
He wondered how that man—who couldn’t refuse anything his daughter asked—would react if he saw this.
There was something else bothering him too.
Kallet had been present during the Count’s conversation with Reitan last night.
The Count’s meaningful questions had almost sounded as if Berry had an incurable illness and only a few years left to live.
Because of that, every time he heard Berry’s voice, Kallet felt like he was watching a child standing at the edge of water.
Of course, unlike his complicated thoughts, his face remained expressionless.
But Count Travel—Rakseck—was the same.
Kallet carefully spoke:
“That boy appears to belong to the knight order. He is speaking too casually. I will instruct him to be mindful of honorifics.”
“Leave it.”
“But, my lord, Lady Berry is also direct family—”
“Who gave you permission?”
Kallet didn’t even get to finish.
Rakseck strode forward and shouted down at the children on the stairs:
“Who gave you permission to take candy from my office?”
His voice echoed through the stairwell like thunder.
Berry, frozen while looking up at her grandfather, began hiccuping in fear.
“…hic.”
Rakseck’s golden eyes turned to his small granddaughter’s face.
Those bright green eyes filled with fear.
Eyes that resembled Julia’s.
…Berry.
“What a weak name they gave you.”
Rakseck descended the stairs. As he approached, Berry’s body shrank back.
At the Count’s appearance, Theon stepped back and bowed his head, but his feet twitched.
If anything dangerous happened, he was ready to immediately shield her.
“Seven years old?”
“…hic.”
“You look six.”
“Hic…”
Rakseck’s hand landed on Berry’s head.
Berry’s mind went blank like her pale face.
But then—
Pat.
“…?”
Pat, pat.
Something felt… strange.
