After finishing the boat ride, there were still plenty of things to do.
If it were a usual day, I would have taken Lee Hyun around to explore, but I wanted to soak in the romantic atmosphere we had on the boat earlier.
Because of that, Sowol chose a calm stroll over experiencing the facilities by the lakeside.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. It suits me perfectly.”
“No… it’s not that.”
Lee Hyun wanted to say, “You don’t fit in,” but there was no need to stir up trouble.
The atmosphere was quite nice, after all.
Instead of saying something unnecessary that would ruin Sowol’s mood, it was much better to just enjoy a peaceful walk.
“Anything you’d like to say?”
“If my master desires it, I shall do it. That seems to be the walking course over there.”
The spot Lee Hyun pointed to was a trail for walking around the lake.
The abundance of flowers and trees made it a perfect place for families and couples to stroll together.
‘To suggest such a place… Phew, my master is really something.’
As Sowol glanced at couples passing by, she subtly turned her head to look at Lee Hyun.
“Isn’t that a place for families and couples? What do you think people would say if I went there with you?”
“Do you dislike it?”
“…It’s not that I dislike it.”
Sowol lightly bounced back but then stepped onto the walking path with Lee Hyun.
The place had been well-developed as a tourist attraction, with lovely scents wafting from the flowers and trees.
Feeling a sense of warmth while walking the trail with Lee Hyun, Sowol pointed to one side.
“Look over there!”
What Sowol pointed to were couples walking hand in hand. While watching that scene, Lee Hyun reached out his hand to Sowol.
“Are you wanting to hold hands? Here.”
The large hand extended towards her was rough and covered in scars.
That big hand seemed to show the tough life Lee Hyun had lived so far. Sowol looked at it silently and then gently raised her own hand.
A small, clean, and pretty hand.
When her hand brushed against Lee Hyun’s hand, she unintentionally flinched and shivered.
“Oh my~. You two must be really close siblings?”
Sowol, who had been lost in the warmth of their hands touching, snapped back to reality because of a voice from an elderly couple passing by.
Close siblings.
Was that really the only way they looked right now?
Sowol glanced at their reflections by the lakeside.
An adult and a child. No matter how kindly it was viewed, they could only be seen as a big sibling pair.
“Haha. Does it look that way? We do get along well, right?”
Unaware, Lee Hyun ruffled Sowol’s hair with no subtlety.
She wanted to say something but found it difficult to open her mouth because of that tickling touch.
In the end, Sowol couldn’t say a word and ended up fixing her disheveled hair while staring at Lee Hyun intently.
“Why?”
“…Nothing at all!”
Pouting for no good reason, she stomped ahead. But it was only for a moment. After going a little further ahead, Sowol stopped in her tracks and quietly extended her hand without looking back.
“What are you doing? Hurry up.”
When their walk ended, the sun was high in the sky.
As lunchtime approached, Sowol looked around.
There were quite a few restaurants, likely due to the many tourists.
So she thought it would be better to go to a nice place to eat and led Lee Hyun to the nearest large restaurant by the lakeside.
“Welcome! We will guide you to a seat by the lakeside on the second floor!”
Lee Hyun and Sowol must have looked like noble guests by their attire, as the waiter promptly took their order after ushering them upstairs.
The restaurant had moderately priced dishes, but Sowol didn’t mind it at all.
She was more than capable of paying for this.
“What’s the most recommended dish here?”
“Trout steak and steamed trout, miss.”
“I’ll take two portions of that. And some wine…”
“A bottle of whiskey and a glass of milk.”
“…Make it that way.”
She still couldn’t order the wine.
Sowol pouted her lips, but Lee Hyun’s attitude was firm.
Since Sowol had no intention of defying his orders, she fiddled with the large glass of milk that had been brought out.
“When will I be able to drink?”
“When you become an adult.”
Lee Hyun spoke sharply.
An adult.
Generally, adulthood refers to those over twenty years of age.
That’s still a long way off.
Sowol sighed dramatically and took a sip of her milk.
“And alcohol should be learned from adults.”
“Then will you, my master, teach me how to drink?”
“If given the chance?”
“Don’t forget that. I must drink my first drink with you.”
With her fist clenched and speaking confidently, Lee Hyun let out a chuckle.
By the time Sowol becomes an adult, he might be at the Academy.
I wonder if I could teach her to drink by then?
Lee Hyun pondered but also knew there was no need to say that out loud at this moment.
“Sure, sure. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
“It’s a promise!”
Extending her pinky confidently, Sowol made her claim. Lee Hyun shrugged and hooked his pinky with hers.
“Pinky promise~. Make the promise~. If you break the promise~. Ten stickers for good behavior~.”
“Scary!”
Wanting to get ten stickers for good behavior so badly.
As Lee Hyun shook his head in disbelief, Sowol beamed with laughter.
“Your dishes have arrived.”
The much-awaited dishes came out. Trout steak and steamed trout, along with other meals, were served on the table.
Looking at the delicious-looking dishes, Lee Hyun lifted his whiskey glass.
“Shall we toast?”
“What should the toast be?”
“For your growth.”
“Growth…”
I want to grow. I want to be a little taller, and I want to grow a bit in other areas.
And sometimes I want to be seen not just as a brother-sister pair when I walked earlier.
But in the end, it’s a matter of time, right?
In just a few years, I should grow up a bit more, and by then, I’ll surely…
‘Well, it’s a bit precarious for my master, who would suit a pretty and capable girl like me! But still, he’s my master!’
It was quite a fun meal.
Even though Lee Hyun had launched attacks during the meal, I dodged them well, so it was no problem at all.
“Shall we start heading back soon?”
“I want to do some shopping first.”
I heard from the waiter earlier that there are quite a few nice items in the shopping district.
Since I have some spare money, I’d like to buy some accessories. Sowol led the reluctant Lee Hyun towards the shopping district.
True to the waiter’s words, the shops for tourists were buzzing with activity. As they strolled down the busy streets, many beautiful items caught their eyes.
“Master, look at this…”
She found some earrings at a stall that caught her fancy. Lee Hyun attempted to see what she thought by putting them on his ear, but he was nowhere to be found.
Where did he go?
As Sowol looked around in confusion, her expression froze.
Because she saw Lee Hyun talking happily with a tall, dark-haired beauty.
She seemed to have an affectionate relationship with him.
The woman, with a tear mark on her left eye, looked enchanting as she hugged Lee Hyun and chatted cheerfully.
“Oh, is this young lady your student?”
“Yeah. Sowol, say hi. This is my friend Rebecca.”
Another friend. Does my master only have beautiful women as friends?
“…I’m Sowol.”
“Oh! Nice to meet you. This lady here is Rebecca, known as the Witch of the Black Forest. Hmm… I understand why Lee Hyun accepted you as a student. You have incredible talent.”
“Isn’t that right? It wasn’t easy to find someone with such talent.”
“If it’s just talent in magic, I could have taken you and taught you myself. By the way, it seems I’ve taken up a lot of your time, so I’ll let you go now.”
“Eh? Where to…”
“Rebecca is an outstanding magician who can use dimensional spells. I asked her to open a dimensional portal to our domain.”
“Ah… I see.”
With the ability to use a dimensional portal, there’s no need to waste time returning.
At that, Sowol let out a sigh tinged with regret.
She understood that this was the end of her time alone with Lee Hyun.
“Come find me when you’re ready. I’ll be in that café over there.”
With a bright smile, Rebecca left. Watching her go, Sowol let out a quiet sigh. She felt her excitement slowly dissipating.
“Those earrings…”
“Ah…”
Speaking of which, she had forgotten about buying earrings. While Sowol fiddled with her ears, Lee Hyun gently smiled and patted her head.
“You really look good in them.”
“…..!”
At that one line, her previously gloomy mood rose back up.
No matter what happens, Lee Hyun was looking out for her.
The fact that he cared made Sowol blush slightly and she quietly bowed her head.
“Since you look pretty, they’ll suit you no matter what. Is there anything else you want to buy?”
“Y-Yes, I think so.”
“Then let’s head back.”
In the end, Sowol followed Lee Hyun without saying anything special.
Rebecca, waiting at the café, smiled brightly when Sowol and Lee Hyun entered.
What could possibly be so good?
Rebecca patted Lee Hyun’s shoulder and indicated Sowol with her eyes.
“Take good care of your student. I feel like they will have a good match up one day.”
“Ha. My student will win, so it’s a good match up? What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Hahaha! You never know until you see it play out? Well then, see you around.”
Rebecca waved her staff lightly, and a faint white portal formed.
The dimensional portal. Only high-ranking magicians could create such a door, revealing the entrance to the Eastern Trading Company.
“Let’s go.”
With one hand gripping the reins, Lee Hyun casually extended his other hand.
Sowol, looking at that hand silently, gently took it, and without hesitation, Lee Hyun stepped into the dimensional portal.
As they passed through the dimensional portal, what awaited them was the entrance to the Eastern Trading Company.
“Ugh! Now that we’re back, it’s time to train again… Huh? What’s wrong? Do you have something to say?”
Now that they had reached the front of the Eastern Trading Company, it was time to just go in.
But, should I let go of this hand?
Sowol looked at Lee Hyun’s hand, which she was holding, and opened her mouth.
“Ah? Miss! Master! When did you get back?!”
It was then. A strong voice rang out. Startled, Sowol hurriedly let go of her hand, shifting her gaze towards the owner of that voice.
It was Layla.
She looked like she had just arrived, not bothering to unroll her travel outfit, brightly speaking to Lee Hyun.
“Master! I was thinking on the way here, about that bulging thing you mentioned.”
“Ah. Right. That? What about it?”
“I was wondering if you could be my partner for the Harvest Festival?!”
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