Chapter: 289
The higher the status of the buyer and the more they pay, the better quality merchandise they can obtain. This is market logic so obvious it doesn’t even need explaining. Hence, the carriages owned by the Krasius family, aside from those delivered to the royal family, boast outstanding quality.
Durable materials, comfortable interiors, seats that feel like lying on a bed, and a ride almost free of bumps—elements that alleviate the long, boring carriage life as much as possible.
However, no matter how comfortable it is, it’s still a carriage.
“Sarah, you okay?”
“I’ve told you I’m fine. How many times are you going to ask?”
I refrained from saying, “It’s because you look awful no matter how many times I check.” Saying that would only prompt the already worn-out Sarah to start putting on a face. It’s better that her exhaustion shows so that we can stop the carriage and take a break in town when needed.
‘Just as I expected.’
I forced a smile in response to Sarah’s grinning visage, but inwardly I felt a sigh brew.
What good is a comfy carriage anyway? A smooth ride with hardly any jolting? It just means there’s a slight jolt to be felt! To an ordinary person, it might seem trivial, but to Sarah, who’s having her first long carriage ride after living a sedentary life at home, that minuscule bump is a direct hit to her weak body.
So, I initially wanted to teleport instead. Mother was worried about Sarah’s health too and even considered sending a family wizard along, so it was definitely possible.
“It’s fine. I need to be active at the Academy later, so I can’t just whine about the effort every time.”
The problem is that Sarah herself refused the offer.
She insisted that since she’d be moving around a lot and wouldn’t be teleporting for life, she needed to get used to the carriage. Unfortunately, it’s not wrong, so neither Mother nor the caretaker could change her mind. It’s human nature to hesitate when a delicate child makes an unreasonable request, and how could one stop her when she’s willing to suffer just to act normal?
“If you start looking tired, contact me right away.”
“Understood.”
While the caretaker tearfully hugged Sarah goodbye, Mother approached quietly to whisper to me. If Sarah’s condition gets worse, I should contact her immediately. Then, even if it’s late, we can send the wizard and teleport.
Since we left the territory, I’ve lost count of how many times I fiddled with the communication device. Each time Sarah swayed from the carriage bumps or sneezed, my heart pounded. The urge to just call the wizard and make things comfy was constantly twitching inside me.
Of course, if I did that, I would be met with Sarah’s resentment, so I couldn’t go through with it. It’s odd; she’s so stubborn!
“Hey, Erich.”
In the meantime, had she started feeling queasy, or what? Sarah let out a tiny yawn and carefully opened her mouth. What’s this? Is she finally suggesting we call a wizard? Is this my chance to escape this thorny seat?
“If you’re worried about me… can I borrow your shoulder?”
Oh, never mind.
I quietly adjusted my posture. The body language suggested she wanted some support, and I could certainly do that. Though, I would have preferred a teleportation request instead for a happier disposition!
Once I adjusted for her comfort, Sarah gently smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder. Honestly, the carriage is spacious; wouldn’t lying down if she felt sleepy be more effective?
“It’s nice and warm like this.”
“Really? Glad to hear that.”
If she finds it warm, then all is well. For someone unwell, controlling body temperature is crucial.
‘Oh, a shoulder, huh.’
What was a bit disappointing was that sleeping Sarah slid down my knee and naturally used it as a pillow instead.
Thanks to this sacrifice of my knee, I managed to reach the Academy without calling the wizard till the very end. To think about how tense I was during the ride, pondering when to call the wizard, tastes a bit sour. But at least it means Sarah’s health is decent. That’s something to be happy about!
As we trotted down the main road from the main gate to the dormitory, my eyes caught a particularly striking carriage. Compared to all the others, it was exceptionally flashy and massive, proudly emblazoned with the Robens royal family’s crest on the door.
‘Rutis?’
There’s no mistaking it; that is definitely Rutis’ carriage. If it’s rolling up with such pomp, the occupant is obviously Rutis himself.
As luck would have it, he seemed to spot us too, and a knight escorting Rutis’ carriage approached and spoke with our family’s escort knight.
“Hey, buddy.”
Not long after, a small window in the carriage door opened, revealing the knight’s face.
“His Highness Prince Rutis has requested to meet in the Club Room if he doesn’t have any upcoming schedules. He wishes to catch up, seeing as it’s been a while.”
That’s a pretty good offer. With nothing to do until the opening ceremony, wouldn’t it be better to meet someone I know? Plus, if it’s Rutis, we could play chess or even a game of 1:1 volleyball!
Moreover, if I just headed into the dorm now, Sarah would be left alone. No matter how close we are, a man can’t just waltz into the girl’s dormitory. What kind of scoundrel does that as a noble?
“Wanna go together?”
I asked Sarah, who was still resting on my knee, and she raised her body and tilted her head in response.
“Is the Prince Rutis that same dude from our club?”
“…Yeah.”
That’s odd. Referring to him as ‘the prince’ and ‘that guy’ sounded so unfamiliar. Even if it’s the norm to call him that, after seeing so many outrageous things in the club, the awe just fizzles away.
I felt a bit guilty, but honestly, it’s unavoidable. Even the most ardent royal supporter would see their loyalty drop after spending just a month in the Pastry Club.
“No worries—he’s got a fun personality, so there’s no need to stress. I mean, once we’re in the same club, we’ll see each other every day anyway.”
“Yeah, sounds good. Let’s just think of it as a welcome.”
However, despite her calm reply, her eyes were strangely trembling.
I understood. It’s completely natural to feel nervous suddenly facing a prince. Of course, from my perspective, knowing Rutis’ true nature makes that anxiety seem meaningless.
“Oh, Erich! Long time no see!”
“Yeah. Been well?”
As the carriage that was destined for the dorm took a sharp turn towards the building with the club room, Rutis was the first to hop out and waved excitedly.
After receiving a somewhat casual greeting from him, I heard Sarah hiccup beside me. She seemed quite shocked by the informal behavior of the royal who casually answered back.
‘You’ll have to get used to this.’
Unfortunately for tense Sarah, shattering the illusion and reverence towards royalty is a destiny of club members in the Pastry Club.
That being said, it’s worrisome. How long will it take for Sarah to reach that level of comfort? I didn’t take even two months, but considering Sarah’s awkwardness with interpersonal relationships, it’ll take her at least six months, if not more…
“Is that Lady Sarah beside you?”
“Oh, you remember?”
Now it was my turn to be surprised. I had mentioned Sarah before the winter break, but I didn’t expect Rutis to remember.
“Every time you mentioned Lady Sarah, your eyes sparkled with affection. How could I possibly forget?”
The overly exaggerated tone made everyone burst into laughter. I might have mentioned her a couple of times because I was looking forward to meeting her again, but it couldn’t have been that much.
“Affection…”
But since Sarah seemed to subtly enjoy the compliment, I didn’t bother to correct him.
—
After arriving at the Academy, I spent more time in the club room than in my dorm.
Staying in the dorm is boring, but at least in the club room, there are people to hang out with. Aside from Marghetta, who’s been busy as the head of the student council, both Louise and Irina show up in the club room, and if I ever feel bored, Louise is there baking snacks for me—so it’s been quite a nice break.
“Hm? Is that the advisor?”
I felt pretty good until I saw him.
‘Damn.’
Seeing Rutis’ face reminded me I was back to being on duty. The break is over; the new semester is starting…
“Did you come too?”
“Haha, there’s no point in staying in the dorm when there’s nothing to do.”
I felt embarrassed realizing our thoughts were pretty much the same on that front. Why do our minds click only at inconvenient times?
Anyway, just as Rutis started laughing, Erich and Sarah also walked in. Had they run into each other on the way, since I certainly didn’t expect them to arrive simultaneously.
‘No way, they really came.’
Seeing Sarah, who usually lounges around in bed, at the Academy gave me a weird feeling. Holding Erich’s hand made me worry she was overdoing it, but considering the fatigue from the long carriage ride, it wasn’t too surprising to see her here. Even healthy people can get motion sickness after a long carriage ride, so how bad would it be for Sarah?
“Hello, big brother.”
Did she notice my gaze? Sarah bowed her head slightly. Upon a closer look, she did look fatigued, but it wasn’t at the level of being sick.
“Yeah, welcome. Erich didn’t do anything weird, did he?”
“No, why’s that?”
I joked, prompting a startled Erich to respond morosely.
“Pfft, nothing happened! Thanks to Erich, I did get some good sleep, though.”
At those words, everyone in the club room turned to look at Erich. Naturally, I was included, along with Louise, Irina, and Rutis.
I mean, it’s no surprise Sarah said something suggestive enough to make those lewd juices start bubbling. Erich wouldn’t suddenly turn super aggressive, so it was probably just a misunderstanding. Still, instinct tends to act a beat faster than reason, doesn’t it?
“…For the knee pillow thing.”
Yup, definitely lewd thoughts at play here. My bad; I honestly had a tiny moment of doubt.
—–
Seeing Louise energetically kneading dough seemed to catch Sarah’s attention, as she approached her to observe. Since they had already met in the territory, it looked like they were having some decent conversations.
“I’m glad you have a friend of the same gender.”
Keeping an eye on that scene, I heard Erich murmur softly. He sounded genuinely relieved.
It really is a relief. No matter how much Erich cares about Sarah, he can’t cross that gender barrier. In a dormitory divided by gender and classes where gender can sometimes be an issue, Erich can’t be in charge of Sarah.
“Big brother.”
After pondering, Erich turned his gaze towards me.
“Yeah?”
“If, hypothetically, there was a situation where nobody could look after Sarah, would you take care of her?”
That’s an easy question to answer. Sarah is someone I know well, and being the daughter of the caretaker, I obviously should look after her. As the heir of the family, it’s not just an obligation; it’s common sense.
“Of course—”
Just as I was about to naturally say “yeah,” a thought struck me.
‘…Should I bring him in too?’
Erich—my brother, an Imperial citizen, part of the Pastry Club, with enough authority due to the Krasius family—ever since he got shot down by Louise, hasn’t caused trouble or stressed me at all.
Looking back, he’s a perfect labor source. Unlike Ainter, who occupies a gray area, Erich is firmly beneath me, and that alone is appealing.
“—I’d like to, but I do have my own work too, you know.”
So that’s how I swerved my way out of it. It’s something I can do, but I might as well make it known that I want a little credit too.
“If you could help me out occasionally, I’d be more relaxed, and that’d make it possible.”
“I’m supposed to help you?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t push difficult stuff onto you. I wouldn’t want to give more work to someone untrained.”
Yeah, it shouldn’t be particularly taxing. It’s just that the burning and desire to escape is rising within me.
But I can firmly assure you of one thing. I’ll be the one responsible for the truly hard and annoying main issues. Erich, just handling the side stuff is more than enough.
“Alright then. Since I’m asking for a help, that’s all good.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it, my number two.”
I’ll take care of him once I secure the family!
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