I, collapsed on the floor, gauged the situation without getting up. At the very least, Father wouldn't swing his sword while I was down.
'I wish he'd take the hint soon….'
Unfortunately, the carriage was still far away. To say nothing of horses' hooves, I couldn't even hear the carriage wheels rolling.
So, well, what could I do? I had no choice but to get up, hoping the carriage would arrive quickly.
“Huaaap—!”
The flow of power that began with a forceful step grew in magnitude as it passed through my waist, shoulder, and arm.
That power finally gathered in my sword and unfolded into the world as a single sword strike, yet….
Thwack—!
Father blocked it very simply. The limits of strength produced by a nine-year-old's body were clear.
Moreover, what was the point when I had only just begun swordsmanship training a month ago? Right now, I was worse than a nameless grunt in a web novel.
“Luke, your momentum has improved.”
The sword rushed quickly toward my side, which had failed to regain its stance from the recoil of the strong attack. Contrary to his relaxed tone, it was a lightning-fast blade.
I hurriedly pulled the sword toward my body and barely blocked it, but I couldn't block the numb sensation that shot through my hands.
My hands trembled violently, screaming at me to drop the sword immediately.
Grit—
I gripped the sword even harder. To a swordsman, a sword is life itself.
But thinking about it carefully, wasn't something strange?
'I'm not a swordsman, but a servant…?'
Then didn't I have no need to hold a swordsman's mindset?
Unfortunately, such thoughts didn't last long. Father pressed on without giving me any breathing room.
Tak! Thwack! Clack-clack-clack!
The sound of wooden swords clashing rang out for a long time in the silence.
I gritted my teeth and blocked the sword. The moment I let my guard down even briefly, my body would be covered in bruises.
Of course, Father was probably going easy on me, but even that was hard to handle with a nine-year-old's body.
It was then.
'I made a mistake….'
Before the thought could even finish, Father's sword struck mine hard. The sword I was holding flew from my hand, exposing my body to the attack.
Where would it be this time?
My side? My shoulder? My thigh? Surely he wouldn't be cruel enough to hit the same spot again, right?
I tensed my body greatly, preparing for the coming impact. I briefly considered catching the sword with my knees and elbows, but gave up since it seemed impossible.
For a moment like that.
'Huh, what…?'
A stinging impact should definitely have come, but no matter how long I waited, wasn't I completely fine?
Had I been hit wrong in the head and died…?
With such ominous thoughts, I slowly opened my eyes, which I had squeezed shut, and saw Father. He was looking somewhere other than me.
“Luke, I'm sorry.”
“Yes…?”
“As you said, Count Frozenhart's carriage is approaching. I'm sorry for dismissing it as a lie.”
I turned my head and looked in the same direction as Father.
There was Count Frozenhart's carriage, hurrying toward us. It was considerably closer than when I had last looked.
“Luke, let's quickly go inside and get ready.”
“Yes, Father.”
I went straight into the mansion and changed my dirt-covered clothes for clean ones.
I would have liked to take a shower with cool water, but unfortunately, I couldn't—the carriage of House Frozenhart was arriving, after all.
Still, I wasn't particularly dissatisfied. Thanks to that, I had gotten off lightly today. I could endure the uncomfortable feeling for a bit.
I frantically wiped my face with a water-soaked towel and went outside, where the carriage had already drawn near.
Father, I, and even Mother. The three of us waited for the carriage to arrive.
Where did my older brothers and sisters go, you ask?
My older brothers had unfortunately left for the army at a young age, and my older sisters had already found partners and were living happy married lives.
Still, my life was probably better than my brothers'. They say even digging ditches is better outside than in the army.
While thinking such thoughts, the carriage stopped.
Soon the carriage door opened, and what stepped down was….
'Elena…?'
It was the master I would serve.
Following her, two knights with swords at their hips and one servant disembarked.
They were all who descended from the carriage. The figure of the Count, whom I had naturally expected to be aboard, was nowhere to be seen.
“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Elena.”
“Nice to meet you, Baron Ninehart.”
Elena returned Father's polite greeting with a polite greeting of her own. Compared to when they had met earlier at the banquet hall, both her expression and tone were much softer.
“My Lady, forgive me, but may I ask just one thing?”
“Yes, that's fine.”
“Did His Excellency the Count not accompany you?”
“Father had urgent business at the northern front, so he couldn't come.”
“Then what brings you to this humble place….”
Elena's gaze slowly shifted from Father to me. My face was reflected in her blue eyes.
Why, what, I didn't do anything…?
“My secret fri—…no, I've come to see the one who will become my servant.”
“My apologies. I shall escort you to the reception room at once.”
Father immediately guided Elena to the reception room. Naturally, I was at his side. She had said she came specifically because of me, after all.
Before long, I was alone with her across the table. On the table were two teacups with steam rising from them.
'What on earth is this about…?'
I searched my memory, but nothing in particular came to mind.
After all, meeting her at the banquet hall was the first and last time, wasn't it? The only things that had happened that day were becoming secret friends and her teasing me about my runny nose.
After an awkward silence lasted for a moment, she took a sip of tea and quietly set down her teacup.
“Luke, last time you said you looked forward to the day we met next, didn't you?”
“Yes, I did.”
Had my expression been strange then…? Or had I made some kind of mistake…?
Because Elena's expression was quite serious, negative thoughts flooded my mind.
At this rate, the reward for trying so hard to become secret friends would be….
“When is next…?”
So, she had simply been curious about when the day we would meet next was?
Then why had her expression been so serious?
I had considered the possibility of noble-style roundabout sarcasm, but it didn't seem to be that. Her father, Count Frozenhart, was someone who adhered to direct speech.
By the way, if you mean the 'next' after our last meeting….
“The next after our last meeting would be today.”
“Today…?”
“Yes, did you not meet me today, My Lady?”
“Uh, uweh? Then what did I come all the way here to ask….”
Elena's pupils shook violently.
I nearly burst out laughing at her reaction, but somehow held it in. It was a moment that had nearly brought a great crisis to my life as a servant.
That aside, could this little brat really be that fierce Elena? Looking at her like this, she wasn't much different from an ordinary nine-year-old kid.
Elena took a sip of tea and regained her composure.
“Luke, you don't have any friends, right…?”
The words uttered with an innocent face became a dagger that pierced my chest.
Could Elena be trying to kill me with words?
“Yes, except for you, My Lady, I have no friends.”
“I'm not a friend, but a secret friend.”
“Then I don't have a single friend.”
The more I answered, the more my chest ached.
Huh, why are tears….
“I'm exactly the same…! I don't have a single friend…!”
Elena smiled brightly. She seemed simply happy that we were the same.
I felt the purity of a nine-year-old child was amazing, yet at the same time pitiful. The reason she had no friends was simply because she lived at the northernmost edge.
“My Lady, your secret friend will always be by your side! You don't need friends!”
“That's right! You don't need friends!”
“Secret friends are the best!”
“Secret friends are the best!”
Elena and I were in perfect agreement. Since we were both in a position without friends, our hearts seemed to communicate well.
'Will this be okay…?'
I grew worried belatedly, but soon erased it from my mind. Spilled water cannot be gathered back up.
Moreover, before long, she would make friends. I, who had read the original work, could guarantee that.
Afterward, I conversed with Elena. About how pretty the castle garden was, about a servant who fell while cleaning—ordinary conversations with nothing special about them.
Whenever talk related to her mother came up, she would grow gloomy, but before long she would return to a smiling expression.
Time passed and flowed, and when the shadow of the teacup had grown quite long, a servant who entered the reception room bowed deeply.
“My Lady, it is time to return.”
“Can't I stay just a little longer…?”
“His Lordship will not be pleased.”
“Ugh….”
Elena's expression grew gloomy.
I understood her feelings, but I couldn't help her. No matter how high a lady was, she was below a Count. I couldn't afford to get on the Count's bad side for no reason.
“My Lady, I shall accompany you to the carriage.”
“Yes….”
When I rose from my seat first, Elena hopped down from her chair as if she had no choice.
It wasn't long before we arrived in front of the carriage.
Was leaving really that regrettable? Elena's lips were poking out like a duck's bill. A little more and she would start quacking.
“I look forward to the day we meet again.”
Elena mumbled her lips as if she had something she wanted to say, but in the end said nothing and boarded the carriage.
What words had been contained in those firmly closed lips?
At that time, I had no way of knowing.
* * * * *
It was evening, with the sun completely set, when Elena arrived at the mansion.
She immediately had dinner with her family, but she couldn't easily swallow the food.
Needless to say, the reason was because the secret friend she had left behind kept flickering before her eyes.
Count Frozenhart watched her with concern.
“Elena, is something the matter?”
“No. I'm fine.”
Had it been the Count as usual, he would have ended the conversation here. Even if she was his daughter, he considered it rude to pry into matters she didn't wish to discuss.
But today was different. Because he had seen Luke Ninehart change Elena through nothing but conversation at the earlier banquet.
“It is all right, so please speak freely. I ask because I am worried.”
“The thing is….”
Elena couldn't answer easily and mumbled for a while. It wasn't easy to lay honest feelings bare.
It was all the more so because conversation had been cut off after Elena's mother died.
Soon, mustering her courage, she spoke in a low voice.
“Could I bring an exclusive servant…?”
Elena wanted to bring her secret friend to her side.
Right now.