Translator: void
I often followed behind the Duke on errands. However, I felt a bit embarrassed to be out on a date alone with him. To be honest, I was a bit excited when I heard that I would be going out for the first time with him.
We were headed towards the military drill hall. When we arrived at our destination, I couldn’t help but open my mouth in shock when I saw dozens of men running around a huge playground.
“Arielsa!”
George, who was playing some kind of soccer with his top off, waved cheerfully at me. He seemed to be very pleased to see me tagging along behind the Duke.
“Ack!”
Then, a black ball flew straight towards me.
“Dad!”
I didn’t panic as I stopped the ball with my foot and kicked it back towards the knights. The ball that I kicked flew in a pretty parabola before landing in the middle of the drill hall. The dozens of muscular men all stopped their game as they looked at me with their mouths hanging open.
Something’s strange. What’s wrong with them?
“Cough…”
When I heard Duke Kyron coughing discreetly, I froze. George approached me as gently as if he was dealing with a bomb. He thought deeply before wrapping me in his arms as if to hide me from the knights.
“Duke.”
Duke Kyron nodded his head and George took me to the castle as if to protect me. I did not know what was going on again but George just grabbed me by the shoulders before speaking to me.
“You, you, why did you kick the ball?”
I flinched back, afraid that he would give me another flick on my forehead.
“Yes? Did I do something wrong…”
“Don’t you know?”
I stared up at him with my most pitiful kitten-like eyes. When George saw my eyes, he couldn’t help but suppress his frown before continuing to speak.
“What would the Duke think of you when you kicked the ball in front of all those knights?”
“Yes?”
“You’re afraid of the ball! Besides, if you kick the ball like that then how will you get married?”
“Heok…”
George looked relieved when he saw me freaking out as if I had just realized the severity of the matter. However, I was freaking out because of something else.
Did I really enter a backward world like this?
I thought the knights were more surprised because my actions were not appropriate and matching with the shy, timid and calm Arielsa. However, it seemed like it was in their culture that women should not ‘kick the ball’. I was supposed to be careful but… I was already panicking from the inside out. I was very confused but I have already made such a mistake. In addition, there was one thing that was hard for me to overlook so I wanted to check it carefully.
“Do you happen to have a knight in mind that you want me to marry?”
“…Huh?”
George’s face reddened up in an instant as his pupils shook wildly.
What the hell? Am I not allowed to ask something like this in this worldview?
However, I was lucky enough that it wasn’t the case. His teeth were rattling and I could see them clacking together as he answered me.
“You, you, you, you want to get married? How about this dad?”
The very next moment, he looked like he would turn into a green monster once more.
“Which among those punks in the knighthood dared to ask you to marry them?”
My hands shook as I looked at his huge fists.
“What do you mean by getting married? I don’t want to leave Dad! And I can’t get married anymore because I kicked the ball, right?”
“Hmm… It’s different if you were asked to go or if you wanted to go. For now, let’s just say that your words can be trusted. I can be relieved then.”
His face suddenly became relaxed with an easy smile as he led me back to the drill hall. I also tagged behind him too. This was something that I also often did.
Back in the drill hall, Duke Kyron was watching the knights play. George went back in the drill hall as he shouted loudly. The knights quickly went into a formation as they heeded his call. The relaxed atmosphere that floated around when they were playing around with the ball was now nowhere to be found.
I quietly approached Duke Kyron as he continued to watch the knights train. They were quickly changing formations under George’s calls.
There were dozens of muscular men running around while shouting loudly but Duke Kyron, who was shining softly, still overwhelmed the place.
Looking at this scene, I realized that my position was truly the best. Compared with his right arm, Chaers, I felt like I stayed with him a lot longer. However, at the same time, I realized why people said that you needed to maintain a proper distance. Even though I was just standing behind him, Duke Kyron criticized the people around him. This was because his reputation was at stake so he needed to check them critically.
He did not forgive any small mistakes that the knights have made. He even harshly rebuked them as soon as he saw them making mistakes or having any shortcomings.
The line, to me, looked like it was cut by a knife with how straight it was. However, it was a crooked line in front of the Duke. The knights that, to me, looked like they were teleporting with how fast they were running were reprimanded by the Duke. His exact words were ‘It seems like you have only been fed with boiled snails. Perhaps we should put the chef in prison.’.
I shook my head as I watched them by the sidelines.
After giving them one hell of a time, Duke Kyron nodded his head and stood up as George shouted for the last time. That was the end of their training.
As I approached, he stared down at me before saying…
“You’re quite athletic. Arielsa.”
“Thank… you.”
I followed behind him as I bit my lips tightly. It felt like there was a bone stuck in my throat. I had to be more careful lest I become the chef’s next cell neighbor.
We were finally back in the office. And this time I managed to take off his coat without any groan or whimper. It was a bit breathtaking to touch his body that was swept by the aura. To put it in other words, it was like touching the glass sphere that was filled with static electricity. Of course it did not raise any hairs on my body but my heart ached keenly.
“Would you like some tea?”
“Cinnamon.”
“Yes, Duke.”
I quickly made him a cinnamon tea before sitting down on my chair in the corner.
I sat still, closed my eyes, and concentrated deeply as I tried to recall my memories. The Arielsa, who came to my mind, my goodness, was a very athletic figure who tripped over her own foot on an otherwise flat and smooth street.
“Arielsa. You better walk slowly. That way, you will fall less.”
The Little Duke’s words that day lingered deep in Arielsa’s memories. Little Duke Kyron was, at the very least, a very sweet boy to her. How did he grow up so stubborn and short tempered at her?
Cold sweat poured down my body as I recalled his stare before we went out of the drill hall earlier.
I quietly spent time trying to recall and reach out to Arielsa’s memories. It seemed like there was still a long way to go for me before I could stop making small mistakes like this.
The next day. I walked down the hallway reminding myself to be careful.
I thought about it a lot last night. It seemed to me that the only way for me to avoid making mistakes and thinking ‘Will Arielsa do something like this?’ or something along those lines was to not do anything.
Anyway, it was just not doing anything. It would be wise of me to not do anything until I learnt enough about the culture and customs of this world. That way, I would be able to spare myself from mistakes and embarrassments.
My survival was a priority that precedes being a fan. I quietly reflected and recalled the original story from the very beginning. It was because I was afraid that I would forget the smallest of things.
And that was when Chaers came in.
“Sir George said that he will be conducting outdoor training starting now since the weather is starting to warm.”
“Why didn’t Sir George come by himself?”
I felt like Chaers glanced back at me even though I was hidden behind the corner.
“Because he was cheering up the knights.”
Chaers’ voice sounded like it was filled with protest. But Duke Kyron just remained silent as he waited for his next words.
“The young knights joked around that they would not want to marry Arielsa so he said that he should put them into order now. So he wanted me to report it to you while he was at it…”
My face stiffened as I gasped. However, Duke Kyron replied without even snorting at the absurdity of the situation.
“I will come along too.”
Then, Chaers continued as if everything was normal.
“Speaking of which, you should take a break since the weather is already starting to warm up. Weren’t you a bit tense because of the accusation a few days ago? It’s good to relax your nerves. I’ll have the servants clean up the area around the lake.”
My ears immediately pricked up at his words.
“Arielsa.”
“Yes! Duke.”
“We’re going to the lake.”
“Yes, Duke.”
I quickly brought Duke Kyron’s coat and helped him put it on all the while pretending not to notice Chaers.
I could feel Chaers eyes on me but I purposely did not look at him. I was trying to not be aware of his existence.
Somehow, I was able to fasten the latches on the Duke’s coat well today. Then, I went to my corner and finished putting on my coat. As soon as I finished putting on my coat, I seemed to have seen a furtive smile at the corner of Duke Kyron’s mouth.
Meanwhile, Chaers spoke to me as soon as he saw me wearing my coat.
“You’re going to come along too?”
My thoughts whirred quickly.
Does Arielsa hate water?
However, I could not recall that fact at all. Therefore, I had to follow him.
“But the Duke is leaving? Wasn’t I supposed to serve him?”
Chaers couldn’t answer me any longer since Duke Kyron already left the office.
We went to the lake just outside of the outer castle.
[The lake by the castle was small, however it was shining brightly like the brightest sapphire in the world.]
The lake, which was described like that in the boom, was truly like a bejeweled blue gem. The stunning blue of the lake seemed to be emphasized more with the boat tied on the black deck and the dead trees surrounding the lake.
But I couldn’t really appreciate its beauty. My teeth were clenched tightly as Chaers glanced back at me mockingly.
Goddamn northern men! Why are you playing in the water in this cold weather?!
Perhaps they could call it spring if the ice on the surface of the lake had already melted but even their breaths were white and smokey!
And to me, who felt particularly cold, felt like I was in the middle of the playground in the middle of a windy winter day.
I wanted to run back home and burrow into my quilt but my hands were strangely sweating.