Last night, Lord Veloren was undoubtedly under some unfortunate misunderstanding.
I put my embarrassment on the line and tried to explain the situation to her.
Honestly, it’s pretty damn embarrassing… But I have to clear up the misunderstanding, right?
I didn’t want to be seen as the kind of woman who causes a fountain show in someone else’s house, especially not by the person who became my mentor.
Better to endure a moment of embarrassment and confess than live as that kind of woman.
“Um, Master. About what happened last night….”
“No, there’s no need for an explanation. It’s okay.”
…But this isn’t easy.
As soon as the word “last night” slipped out of my mouth, Lord Veloren jerked her head away like a girl who had just spotted a centipede crawling out from under her pillow.
It seemed she had made a solid assumption. Just hearing about this made her uncomfortable.
“No, it seems you might be misunderstanding something….”
“It’s, it’s okay! I mean, it was a little surprising, yes… But it’s a stage of life, you know? So, I understand? I can understand.”
Understand what? This lady… I mean, Master, you’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t do that.
…At least, not in this house.
“No, I mean, understanding is one thing—”
“Well… I was a bit surprised since it’s among women, but! But yes, there are kinds of love in the world. I get that much. I’ll understand.”
This is just nonsense.
Lord Veloren, trying to show she’s being mature and understanding with her forced smile and nodding, had trembling lips and reddened ears, revealing that she was showing her utmost understanding.
I was just flabbergasted. Watching her delude herself and struggle to justify it was absurd.
If I had really been caught doing something like that, I might have at least felt grateful despite the embarrassment. But being praised for something I didn’t do? No way.
So please, let me explain, just let me explain.
“I need to clarify—”
“Now that I think about it, your letter did mention ‘a close personal relationship.'”
What the hell did that jerk Argantir write in the introduction? I should’ve just ripped it open and read it instead of considering the seal.
“I thought it meant friends like sisters, but apparently, I was mistaken. You must have been even closer than that. Ah, not that it’s a bad thing, so you don’t need to worry….”
…Ah, this isn’t the time to be worrying about that.
“No, I am indeed in a relationship with Friede, but what happened yesterday was—”
“I said it’s okay, I’m understanding.”
And there goes another interruption.
I clenched my teeth in frustration and looked up.
If I didn’t, I felt like I might unknowingly lash out.
They say to calm a startled person, you should slap them first, right? That saying was starting to feel like truth.
“Huff….”
Calm down, calm down….
Relax, Hilde, she’s your mentor….
You know very well that if you throw a punch, you’ll be the one getting hit….
“I was just a bit taken aback, but I have no intention of interfering in your private life. However, I need my sleep, so if you could lower your volume a little….”
Lord Veloren didn’t even seem to notice my expression and kept lecturing based on her delusions.
I sensed it. If I tried to maintain my manners and explain again like before, I wouldn’t get another chance to clarify even if the whole day passed.
“I didn’t do anything! It was just a tickle! I was just tickling her!”
So I threw formality to the wind and shouted quickly.
“…Huh? Tickle?”
Lord Veloren tilted her head in confusion, blinking a couple of times, and then her entire face flushed bright red.
“Uh, no, then… So that sound… was that… tickling?”
Finally, she started to listen!
“Ah… Yes. That was all. I apologize for the noise at night; I was just playing around, and I didn’t do what you might be thinking.”
I finally exhaled in relief at the opportunity to explain and detailed what happened last night.
“…I’m ashamed. To create such a fuss over a misunderstanding… That wasn’t very mature of me. My fault.”
Once the misunderstanding was resolved, Lord Veloren couldn’t even meet my gaze out of embarrassment, desperately fanning her flushed face.
It was cold here in the North, so she cooled down quickly.
◆◆
Perhaps because of the embarrassment and misunderstanding of the tickling incident.
From that day on, I felt the emotional distance between me and Lord Veloren had narrowed a bit.
Previously, she treated me quite formally like a military instructor, but now it felt more like a strict tutor, maybe?
“Let’s take a short break. Mari has brought some good fruits, so it wouldn’t hurt to have a snack.”
She even suggested we have a break during training and share some fruit.
Of course, while she was being a bit more caring, there still felt like a delicate distance, so… Ah, yes. A friend of my daughter would be appropriate.
Lord Veloren treated me like a friend visiting her home. The same went for Friede, too.
“Uh, um… why are you looking at me like that…? Is there something you want to say…?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s nothing, Lord Siegfriede.”
Maybe it was because she found out I was in a relationship with her, but she sometimes looked at Friede a bit oddly.
But life went on.
Despite going through strict training, we were building affection and bonds day by day.
One particular night, things suddenly changed.
– Knock knock.
“Excuse me. May I come in for a moment?”
I impulsively knocked on the door of Lord Veloren’s private room, where I had often seen her drinking alone with a gloomy expression in the night.
“Lord Brunhilde…? What brings you here at this hour… No, just a moment.”
She seemed so deep in thought that she didn’t even notice my presence. A slightly flustered voice floated out from the gap in the door.
A little while later.
“…You may come in.”
With a calming voice, an invitation came, and I gently pushed open the door to enter her private room.
There was a bed in one corner with an unkempt blanket. A small desk and a wooden chair were also present. On the wall hung a portrait of someone, and armor and a sword decorated the stand.
It was a room that should be called a knight’s chamber rather than the chamber of a lady.
Near the left wall, on a crafted leather sofa, sat Lord Veloren at an angle. She wore a simple coat over her nightgown.
Perhaps from the alcohol, her face was slightly flushed, and the neat braid of her hair was now a bit disheveled.
“What brings you here? At this late hour….”
The rich scent of brandy permeated her breath. Each word she spoke filled the room with a sweet aroma, reminiscent of intensely concentrated grapes.
How much has she drunk? This isn’t just a drink or two.
“Never mind, first take a seat. Don’t just stand there.”
“Right, of course.”
I picked up a wooden chair from in front of her desk and sat across from her.
As Lord Veloren quietly observed me, she filled her glass with more wine before speaking again.
“Now, let me ask again. What brings you here at this hour? You must know this is rather rude.”
Her gentle reprimand had an edge to it. It wasn’t necessarily unfriendly, but it clearly indicated I had crossed a line.
“Um… that is… you see….”
I fidgeted with my hair near my ear, losing my train of thought.
Now that I was seated, I found myself at a loss for words. I had come here impulsively.
“Uh…?”
As my hesitance continued, Lord Veloren tilted her head, pausing mid-sip. Her cheeks plumped slightly from the drink.
“So….”
How do I bring this up? Maybe I should just be honest…?
Yeah, let’s do that.
“I noticed you seemed a bit sad, Master. I’ve seen you often do that at night, worrying whether everything is okay… so, well, that’s why I came.”
I confessed the reason behind my impulsive visit. I was worried about her drinking every night and sulking alone.
“At night… yes, I suppose. I might have done that. I seem to have completely forgotten that there are two guests in this mansion.”
“No, I didn’t mean to imply I was uncomfortable…”
“But you came to check on me, didn’t you?”
Lord Veloren interrupted me with a quick remark, raising her wine glass to her lips for another sip. Her elegant neck twitched a couple of times.
“I feel… I suppose, I might be a bit sad.”
Finally, Lord Veloren poured herself another glass with a bitter smile, whispering softly.
“You must have heard about my daughter, Fernhilde.”
“…Yes. I heard she’s missing.”
“Ugh… yes. She disappeared without a trace….”
Her empty glass was quickly filled again. Lord Veloren sighed heavily, her voice laced with regret as she spoke.
“When did it start to go wrong…?”
I quietly listened to her story, trying to understand why she drank every night and why she couldn’t sleep unless heavily intoxicated, wearing such a gloomy face.
◆◆
There wasn’t anything particularly special about it. Just a common story. A mother who lost her child.
A woman who held honor, pride, and a sense of duty as a knight.
Yet, she grew tired of it and divorced her husband.
Now burdened with guilt for raising her daughter alone without a father, wanting to raise her better than herself.
However, living her life as a knight, she never learned how to express love properly.
She came to realize this only after her daughter, tired of her harsh training and strict mother, ran away leaving behind only a letter.
Only then did Lord Veloren realize she hadn’t really faced her daughter, only pushing her own ways without considering what her daughter needed.
“But by then… it was too late.”
After running out of the mansion in search of her daughter, all she was met with was the news of Fernhilde’s disappearance.
She had been asking Prince Argantir, whom they had contact with, to continuously inquire about her daughter’s whereabouts, but still had no information.
“…Why does this happen? Realizations always come too late.”
As she recounted her past, Lord Veloren sighed and gulped down more wine. Her fingers shook slightly, possibly due to the intoxication.
“Everything comes to light only when it’s too late… as if blaming me for my faults.”
She wore a face that looked like she was ready to cry.
She seemed to hope for someone to blame entirely, yet in the instant she was faced with that blame, it looked like she would burst into tears.
Haa…
I sighed inwardly, again cursing Argantir who suggested using her daughter for a disguise.
He really was a piece of work, completely devoid of integrity or guilt. He hammered a huge nail deep into her heart.
And pulling out that nail? That burden was now on my conscience.
“That bastard. I should just let him die in my brother’s hands.”
I got up and cautiously approached Lord Veloren, who seemed lost in regret.
“…It will be okay. We’ll find her, for sure.”
I carefully perched beside her, gently placing my hand on her shoulder, offering clumsy words of comfort.
“Is she still… alive? Even after all this searching….”
“Of course she’s alive. She’s your daughter, Lord Veloren. Given what you taught me, she’s probably stronger than I am by now.”
“She must surely resent me. In retrospect, I only made her go through difficult times….”
“That’s impossible. She wouldn’t hold any resentment. Trust me. For what it’s worth, it was tough, but it wasn’t unmanageable. If anything… If anything she’s likely grateful. She’s gotten stronger because of you; she must be living well.”
My earnest attempt to comfort her had a tinge of optimism, yet it wasn’t entirely baseless deception.
Honestly, if I had undergone training like I have for over five years, barring any natural disasters, it’d be impossible for her not to survive.
“….”
Lord Veloren turned to look at me. Tiny droplets were clinging to her sharp-eyed gaze.
“…Do you really think so?”
“Shall I make you believe it?”
I gently wiped her eyes with the hem of my clothes, flashing the same smile I would show to a crying child.
“I’ll find her. No, I’ll make sure she returns herself.”
“How…?”
“I plan to spread my reputation as Fernhilde across the world. So that your daughter, wherever she may be, will hear of it. Then surely, out of curiosity, she’ll come to see who’s trying to impersonate her.”
Lord Veloren’s expression went a bit blank.
“Don’t worry. You might not believe it, but I’m a genius at spreading fame. The whole world will know my name.”
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, giving a confident smile to reassure her.
“Isn’t that just infamy…?”
Lord Veloren chuckled in disbelief at my remark. Initially, it was just a soft chuckle, but soon, she was thoroughly laughing, her shoulders trembling with amusement.
“Haha… What a ridiculous consolation. Truly.”
It seemed she didn’t fully believe my statement, but at least her gloomy mood had lightened a bit.
That was enough for me.
“But still… Thank you for saying that.”
Lord Veloren wiped her teary smile and leaned against my shoulder, expressing her gratitude.
“You’ve mistaken someone; Brunhilde, you’re a good person.”
That was a bit awkward praise. I couldn’t help but wonder what Argantir wrote in my introduction.
“Uh… That’s excessive praise. It’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Should I call you a good child then?”
“…Please refrain from that.”
I bowed my head and asked her to spare me from that.
A good child, at my age? What a shameful thing to say. It sent shivers down my spine.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.