The Cowardly Young Lady and the Escort Knight

Chapter 11: First Day of Getting to Know Each Other (4)

Don't let go.

At the command given by the little master in a slightly choked voice, Patrick didn't know what to do.

It didn't matter that her small hand was tightly gripping him below his armpit.

The faint scent wafting from the red hair pressed tightly against his chest could simply be ignored.

"If you let go, no...!"

However, he couldn't help but be conscious of Cecilia whispering in a frail voice and gradually leaning more of her weight onto him! Moreover, his body swayed due to the sudden added weight, and Patrick reflexively wrapped his arms around her back and waist. As soon as he steadied himself, he removed the hand on her back, but he couldn't release the arm around her waist. He couldn't gauge if she had properly regained her balance. Because of that, Patrick ended up frozen solid with one arm hanging in the air.

'Th-th-th-this, wh-what should I do?!'

In the 18 years he had lived, the only living creatures he had held in a mutual embrace for more than a minute were beasts. The dogs and cats raised in the barracks, and carrying piglets or sheep for various reasons were all he had experienced. Of course, he had come into contact with people, but holding someone from behind to choke or throw them during combat training could hardly be called 'embracing'. For such a person to suddenly embrace a person, and a woman at that, it was no wonder he had frozen stiff like stone in extreme bewilderment.

Yet, he couldn't stay like this. Holding onto the thought barely conjured up by his mind, emptied by the storm that had swept through it, Patrick moved the arm that had been frozen stiff in the air and placed it on Cecilia's shoulder. Then, as if noticing that he was trying to let her go, Cecilia shook her head and whispered again.

"N-no...! I don't want to go...!"

"......."

A plea laced with tears.

Patrick felt his heart drop, and his mind jolted awake.

Don't let go. You mustn't let go. I don't want to go.

There was no need to even think about what those words meant.

'This is not the time to be flustered...!'

How did he end up in such a bewildering situation?

Patrick chewed over the whole story, tightly closed his eyes, then opened them, and lowered the hand that had been on her shoulder, placing it on her back instead.

"...Do not worry."

The voice he offered her, and the hand placed on her back, were both stiff with tension. It was an attitude that might arouse worry rather than reassurance, but at least his intention seemed to have been well conveyed to Cecilia. The strength in her grip on his clothes had weakened slightly.

Feeling a faint sense of relief from that, Patrick spoke to the Tutor, who was watching them with bewildered eyes.

"I believe you heard, Tutor. Lady Cecilia also says she is uncomfortable. Therefore, I suggest it might be best for you to withdraw for today."

"...Not just for a moment, but for today? Empty all the time after this?"

As if his words brought her back to her senses, the Tutor shot him a sharp glare and continued speaking.

"I believe I told you. Lady Cecilia must strive harder in her studies than anyone else. While an hour or two of leeway might be acceptable, she cannot afford to waste the entire remaining day."

"It is not a waste. As I mentioned just moments ago, if the mind is disturbed, whatever is learned does not enter the head properly. I believe calming her mind today and starting studies tomorrow would be far more efficient."

"Haa..."

The Tutor massaged her temples as if her head ached and sighed deeply. Then, crossing her arms, she alternately glanced at Patrick, who was staring straight at her, and Cecilia, who was held in his arms. After staring intently at the two with a frown for a moment, the Tutor sighed deeply again and opened her mouth.

"...I am truly reluctant, but it cannot be helped. If we proceed with the lesson like this, Lady Cecilia will only find me more uncomfortable. That will only negatively impact future lessons... Fine, I shall withdraw for today."

"...!"

"However, I cannot let her spend the rest of the day merely thinking."

Raising a hand as if to stop him just as he was about to offer thanks, the Tutor continued.

"Lady Cecilia, I will send you a history book. Please study why this castle was named 'Grayclaw'. I will also provide the genealogy, so please look over the Lord's family relationships in advance as well."

'Huh?'

Patrick blinked, puzzled.

He could fully understand why Cecilia needed to know the history of this castle. Learning the origin and history of the place one is indebted to would be courtesy towards the master of the house. However, he couldn't understand the next part. Jenny could inform her about the current family situation of Count Trebble, who lives in this castle now. And when they actually meet later, since they are seeing each other for the first time, they would obviously exchange greetings and introductions. So why must she rummage through the genealogy to learn the family relationships?

As Patrick blinked, conveying that question as if on Cecilia's behalf, the Tutor answered calmly, still with her arms crossed.

"Ah, right. You wouldn't know. Lady Cecilia is scheduled to become a member of the Lord's family soon."

"Family? Is she becoming an adopted daughter?"

"A daughter-in-law."

"...Yes?"

"She will become a daughter-in-law."

"......."

Daughter-in-law.

Hearing those words, Patrick once again felt as though a blizzard was raging wildly inside his head.

'Daughter-in-law...? The one I know...?'

The term used to call the wife welcomed by one's son.

That was the only meaning of 'daughter-in-law' he knew.

However, the resonance was too unrealistic to simply nod along, so Patrick blinked blankly and asked the Tutor.

"So... you mean... she's getting married...?"

"Yes. That's right. What else could it be? I heard they intend to make her the spouse of the first Young Master."

"............"

With the fact now firmly hammered in, Patrick stared blankly at the Tutor, forgetting even to blink. Unaware that his own arms were holding Cecilia even more tightly.

\* \* \* \* \*

"You intend to marry Young Master Heyve to Lady Cecilia...?"

At the same time.

Sir Albert, having heard the story from the Count, froze abruptly with a chess piece in hand.

But that too was momentary; soon, he moved the piece nonchalantly as if he had heard nothing.

"Were you that eager to break my concentration? An excellent stratagem, but I hope you won't use it twice."

"Worry not, Sir Albert. I was serious."

Tap.

The Count answered in a placid tone and moved his piece.

However, Sir Albert's eyes were fixed firmly on the Count, not the chessboard.

As if the fact that the Count had lunged to capture his queen was of no concern whatsoever.

".......You must be joking."

"What father jokes about his child's marriage?"

"No, my Lord. You absolutely must be joking."

Sir Albert frowned and clenched his hand resting on the table into a tight fist.

"Young Master Heyve is set to marry my niece exactly three months from now...!"

"He was. But as you know, circumstances have changed."

The Count lifted the goblet placed beside the chessboard, sipped the red wine, and then sighed softly, meeting the gaze of Sir Albert, who was on the verge of anger.

"It's the Rosepoles, Sir Albert. The Rosepoles, whom we thought had been wiped out all this time! The descendant we couldn't find no matter how hard we looked, and a direct daughter at that, has landed right in my hands. It's a chance to grasp those granaries and that natural fortress!"

"Of course, it would be. Meaning, you planned this ever since you knew Lady Cecilia's whereabouts?"

"Naturally."

The Count answered without hesitation.

Sir Albert seemed utterly dumbfounded by his lord's decisiveness.

No, the brazenness of sipping wine while saying such things was even more offensive.

"Hah...! Truly magnanimous of you, my Lord...!"

As Sir Albert spoke through gritted teeth, the Count reached out a hand as if to placate him and retorted.

"Calm yourself, Sir Albert. I understand your anger. But try to think from my position. Even you would surely have done the same."

"No! I would have drowned my sorrows by filling my belly with wine!"

Sir Albert's fist, pressed tightly against the table, had turned white.

It was only because he was his serving lord that he hadn't struck, but the aura radiating from him screamed that he was dying to smash the chessboard and table together into powder.

"You seem to have forgotten, my Lord. What kind of child Lauren is to me. Furthermore, the marriage with Young Master Heyve was requested not by me, but by you, my Lord, and even then, I only reluctantly accepted after refusing multiple times because the Young Master and even his wife joined in the request...!"

"I know. That's why I feel even more apologetic. Isn't that why I called you here?"

The Count clasped his hands together and continued speaking seriously.

"Please break off the engagement. I will compensate you as much as I possibly can, in whatever way you desire."

".......With apologies, I shall take my leave now."

Instead of answering, Sir Albert stood up from his seat with a stiff expression.

It felt like if he stayed here any longer, he would really destroy the table.

Or perhaps smash the head of his lord beyond it.

As if reading his feelings, the Count did not rebuke the knight who stood up and left without his permission.

Instead, he spoke towards his back as he strode out of the room.

"Thank you, Sir Albert. I shall surely repay this kindness. Please convey my apologies to Lauren as well."

"...Allow me to ask just one thing."

With his hand on the doorknob, Sir Albert turned his body slightly and glared sharply at the Count.

"Did Young Master Heyve also readily accept?"

"How could he? There was quite a scene at the luncheon just earlier. He said he could overlook the blindness, but he couldn't stand her being a ragged beggar."

Having brought Cecilia immediately after confirming her identity, the Count had only been able to reveal his plan to his family at lunch today. Thanks to that, the most boisterous luncheon in the castle's long history had taken place. If only Heyve, the party involved, had objected, he could have silenced him with paternal authority. However, the Countess, whose job it was to look after the household, also intervened, making it difficult to quell the commotion. Starting with questioning whether Cecilia was truly a noble, she had strongly protested that she couldn't possibly make a woman raised so vulgarly her son's partner. Only after hearing that Mrs. Haltt, the Tutor of Grayclaw, stepped forward to educate her for half a year did the Countess finally suppress her anger. Her brow remained tightly furrowed, but at least the dining hall had regained a semblance of icy calm.

"Getting angry over mere refinement, honestly. If she's that unbearable to look at, just keep her cooped up inside the house, wouldn't that solve it? Since she can't see anyway, she won't be able to wander outside."

"......."

"In any case, everyone agreed. Thanks to Mrs. Haltt's proposal. Well, it's regrettable that one month was postponed to six months... but thinking about it now, it's not so bad. If we invest that much time, people won't gossip so much about this marriage."

"Meaning, Young Master Heyve also accepted."

"Hmm? That's right. Since his mother nodded, what choice did he have?"

"............Understood. Please excuse me."

Bang.

Sir Albert exited the room, slamming the door shut with enough force to break it.

After watching the knight who had thus firmly expressed his discontent with a bitter expression, Count Trebble looked down at the unfinished chess game and shrugged.

Then, after placing the opponent's piece appropriately, he casually captured the queen he had been aiming for and smiled with satisfaction.

Completely unaware that his own king had become endangered because of it.