I turned to Diedrick with a smile, and he looked away awkwardly, lowering his eyes.
“Are you nervous?” I asked him.
“……”
"It must be uncomfortable. You can sleep on the bed if you want."
“I'm going to sleep now,” he answered quickly, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep.
How wonderful.
To reassure him that I wouldn't kick him out, I ran my hand down his arm and closed my eyes as well. The warmth of our foreheads touching was enough to make sleep come easily.
Although his body felt a bit stiff, Daedric woke up feeling refreshed, most likely because his mind was in a calm state.
He wanted to lie there, facing her, but he couldn't. Joanna was definitely going to show up later in the morning to talk to him, especially after the chaos Somerset had caused last night.
“I have to make it clear this time,” he thought.
So that you don't bother me again.
So that my gray beast does not worry.
Cautiously, so as not to wake her, Deidrick got up and opened the closet.
“…Are you going for a run?” She muttered while still asleep, her eyes half closed.
Just hearing that made the corners of Daedric's mouth rise slightly.
“I'll be back soon. Get some rest.”
“Watch out...” she muttered before quickly falling asleep again, sighing regularly and softly.
Smiling, Deidrick gently ran his hand through her hair.
“…I’ll be back,” he whispered.
After washing his face and changing into his sports clothes, Dedrick went outside. He didn't expect to run into Joanna before he finished his run, but she was there, waiting for him earlier than he expected.
“Dedric,” she greeted him with a smile, her smile soft and bright in the misty morning air. But Dedrick felt nothing.
He walked towards her, neither quickly nor slowly.
“I'm sorry about what happened yesterday,” she said. “I shouldn't have said those words...”
“Are you interested in me?” He asked her directly.
“W-what?” Joanna's face suddenly reddened at the unexpected question. She tried to blow on her face to cool her reddened cheeks, but Dedric remained unmoving.
“Lady Primrose is in talks for an engagement with my brother. I want to avoid unnecessary conflict.”
“But if you explain it well—”
“Do you think this will work? You saw it yourself yesterday.”
Joanna bit her lips, unable to refute his words.
“And I have no intention of pursuing anything with Lady Primrose. You don't really like me either.”
“What do you mean by—”
“You're only interested in my face, aren't you?”
Joanna froze, unable to find words to respond. She felt as if he had read what was inside her completely, so she lowered her head in shame.
“For your own sake, please let this matter go,” Daedric said firmly.
“For my own good?” Joanna raised her eyebrows with a surprised expression at his last words, looking upset.
Without waiting for her response, Dedrick bid her farewell politely and left the place. Joanna remained standing, lost in thought as she watched him walk away. His rejection was different from any other rejection she had experienced.
“For your own sake, please let this matter go.”
Those words echoed in her mind.
“My dad always said it was for family,” she muttered.
Everything she did was for her family's future. Her personal desires were never her priority.
She felt something unfamiliar moving inside her, and she furrowed her eyebrows.
It was not the same feeling I had while reading “The Orphan and the Prince.”
“This is… annoying,” she muttered.
Was “annoying” the right word to describe it?
Unable to pinpoint this strange feeling, Joanna remained frozen in place, lost in her thoughts.
While Dideric was copying from a book of fairy tales, Somerset burst into the room, as was his wont.
Bang!
“He never gets bored, does he...”
Dedrick had resolutely rejected Joanna early that morning. Since then she hasn't appeared, which seemed to mean the conversation had gone well. But now Somerset was the problem.
“Hey,” Somerset muttered, staring at Deederick as if he wanted to kill him.
“Why were you with Joanna so early this morning?”
“That annoying guy was watching again,” Daedric muttered to himself.
“I told her not to come back.”
“Why did you have to say that so early in the morning?”
“She was waiting for me. What was I going to do?”
“…”
Nothing to say now, right?
Grinding his teeth, Somerset suddenly tilted his head and examined Diderick from head to toe. He stood there in this crooked position, staring at him as if he were measuring his height.
His eyebrows furrowed in displeasure.
Deidrick, now fourteen, was growing rapidly, tall enough to tower over someone like Somerset.
I couldn't help but feel proud and my chest puffed out a little.
“I heard from my mother that you are training with the Black Hawk Knights?” “Somerset,” he said.
"What?!"
I was so surprised that Didric sighed and rubbed his face, looking upset.
“So it wasn’t just running, but also sword training?!”
“…”
Why didn't he tell me?
Was he not confident enough to show it to me yet? Or maybe…
“Why do I always hear things from others?” I muttered, feeling a little hurt. I wanted to hear it directly from him.
“Why didn't you tell me?” I said irritably, glaring at Somerset angrily for having ruined the moment.
Deidrick probably didn't intend to hide it much longer. Maybe he wanted to show me that when he was satisfied with his skills. But Somerset ruined that.
Daedric clenched his hands tightly.
“My brother,” he said in a cold voice.
Somerset pulled back slightly and took a step back before biting his lip, seemingly unable to accept his reaction. Then he pointed his finger at Daedric, his face distorted with anger.
“Let's see how much better you get!”
“I'm not ready to duel with you yet.”
Upon hearing this, Somerset smiled arrogantly and raised his chin defiantly.
So it was just luck that he beat me back then, he thought.
He became more arrogant and raised his voice.
“Come on, let's see. Now!”
"my brother…"
“If you don't, I won't let it go.”
With a childish threat, Somerset stomped on the floor as he left the room.
Deidrick sighed again, looking away from my gaze and rubbing his face again.
“Sorry… I wanted to show you when I got better,” he said.
Upon hearing that, my resentment melted away. She sent a sharp glance to the door, which Somerset had slammed shut.
If I had found out later, I would have been very surprised and delighted!
It was a little frustrating, but it was still comforting.
A master of sword arts—and one of the Knights of the Black Falcon Order, in particular.
Could he be the knight I've been watching?
I wanted to ask, but decided to wait until he told me himself.
“I found a sword arts teacher! This is great! Since you hid it to surprise me, I will forgive you.”
I exaggerated, feigning generosity, and Diedrick gasped in relief.
“Win again and get back here!”
Smile silently. Then speak carefully.
“I will not win today.”
“Why?”
“They want to embarrass me in front of Mrs. Primrose.”
“But it will hurt if you get hit....Just...You don't have to hold back. ...Last time, you hid your injuries from me.”
When I found out, I couldn't even process it properly. Or rather, he had cured himself so completely that there was nothing left for me to do.
I felt angry again, and Diedrick gently pulled my sleeve as if to say, “Don’t be angry.”
“Lady Primrose had better be disappointed.”
“……”
“So I don't have to meet the lady anymore.”
I looked at him with pity.
Being beaten isn't easy, but he seemed completely unconcerned about it.
I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to stop him.
If that's the case... I'll make sure he at least gets good treatment.
"This time, don't hide it from me. Come directly to me, okay? I'll take care of you. I'm really good at healing wounds! But don't get hurt too much. Try to resist a little!"
"… Good."
"a promise!"
I extended my little finger.
“When you count like that, you link your little fingers.”
I showed him how to tie little fingers, and he smiled brightly.
“Okay. Promise.”
I felt pain as I said goodbye to him, knowing that he would be beaten...
But Dedrick asked me to stay here.
“Be careful.”
“I'll be back soon.”
While he was heading to the training ground, she crept into the closet.
I will collect all the medicines I can find in the castle.
With a sly smile, I began to “borrow” supplies.
Joanna remained hidden in her room, her thoughts in chaos. Of course, Somerset came looking for her.
“I heard you've been in your room all day…”
“…….”
“Um, um…”
Taking an unnecessarily deep breath, Somerset moved closer to her.
He scratched the back of his head and glanced sideways at Joanna.
When their eyes met, his face flushed intensely.
'She is really beautiful.'
Somerset still vividly remembers the day he first met Joanna.