Chapter 8.9

“I’m sorry I couldn’t see you at the entrance ceremony. It has been so busy lately that we haven’t had any time.”

“It’s alright, I’m just truly happy you came.”

Brienne looked at Damon, who was standing up with a gentle smile.

“It seems a lot has happened in Rontiano while I was away.”

Damon nodded to his daughter and spoke carefully.

“The Duke of Bannon has been so focused on finding his son that His Majesty the Emperor has used the opportunity to split the noble faction and made many preparations. These days, he’s calling in the lesser lords one by one, trying to win them over. In a way, he’s giving them a chance to escape Bannon’s shadow.”

Damon shared political details that might be considered confidential, but he did so without hesitation, trusting his family completely.

“But the Duke wouldn’t just stand by and watch. In fact, on the day we left, there was a small horse race at the Bannon mansion. It was a special event only for the noble faction.”

“A horse race?”

Brienne tilted her head as she followed her father.

“Yes, that refined hobby you can only watch outside the capital. Each participant receives a prized horse raised in the duchy, so everyone’s excited.”

Even the Duke of Belif, who’s usually too busy with merchant matters to show his face at political events, was attending, so the whole social scene must have been in an uproar. Damon shook his head, looking troubled.

Olivia shot Damon a look and pulled Brienne’s arm.

“Enough about work now. Why don’t we go have a meal together and leave the boring talk behind?”

“Alright.”

Brienne left the reception room with her family and strolled through the campus. She showed her parents her room and gave them a tour of the Academy, wearing a bright smile for the first time in a while.

“So, what did you think of my room?”

“It’s much bigger than I expected. And since it’s a new building, it’s so clean.”

Damon, satisfied, continued with a smile.

“I’m really relieved you’re doing well, Brienne. Honestly, I wasn’t sure you could handle it.”

“That’s right. Who would have thought our Brienne could manage so well on her own? Now that Shylo has graduated from the Academy and Brienne is here, it finally feels like we’ve raised all our children.”

Shylo squinted at his parents, who linked arms and smiled happily.

“I feel a bit left out. You two didn’t visit me even once during my four years at the Academy.”

The Ford couple burst into laughter at their son’s disgruntled muttering.

“We didn’t worry about you. You’ve spent nights away from home since you were little.”

“But Brienne never left home before. It’s really impressive that she decided to enter the Academy.”

“Come on, that’s unfair. I’m your precious son too, you know.”

Hearing Shylo’s sulky voice, Brienne playfully blocked his path. She couldn’t pass up a chance to tease her brother.

“What, you’re not going to move?”

“Mother, look over there. That big building is the library I told you about.”

“Oh my! Really?”

Olivia lifted her parasol and looked up at the tall building at Brienne’s words.

“It’s just like you wrote in your letter. It’s the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen. I knew the buildings in the Holy Kingdom of Roeta were lovely, but this is truly impressive.”

“Right? It’s my favorite place. I spend half my day in the library now. Though I’m not sure what will happen when the semester starts.”

“When it does, you won’t even have time to sleep, let alone go to the library.”

Shylo popped up between Olivia and Brienne, clicking his tongue sympathetically.

“Poor little sister, bringing trouble on herself. Welcome to the hellish Academy.”

“Hell?”

Brienne glanced at him slyly.

“That’s odd. Miss Diashi said the Academy is heaven.”

“……W-what? How do you know Miss Diashi?”

Shylo’s face turned red in surprise. Brienne stepped closer, smiling victoriously.

“So, the person you mentioned was Miss Diashi?”

“Miss Diashi? Which family is she from?”

“No……! It’s nothing. Don’t listen to her!”

Shylo quickly looked around and strode past Brienne.

“We’ve seen enough of the Academy, so let’s hurry up and go. The restaurant will close at this rate!”

Shylo, flustered for no reason, dashed off to the carriage.

“It’s still lunchtime, it won’t close.”

Brienne shrugged and followed him. It was a happy outing with her family after a long time.

* * *

“What are you looking at?”

Aaron, who had been fiddling with things in Herace’s academy assistant’s room, let his gaze slip out the window. He’d been given a holiday by Brienne after yesterday’s events, but with nothing to do, he’d become bored again.

“Oh, it looks like Miss Ford’s family came for a visit!”

“Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you going out to greet them?”

Aaron, tossing a round skull model in his hands, shut his mouth. He realized he’d spoken without thinking, lacking any tact.

“Ah, haha…….”

“Aaron.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Aaron, who had been quietly backing away, stopped dead. Herace was colder than usual, and there wasn’t even a trace of his usual light smile.

“Did Father reply?”

“Oh, the Duke……?”

Aaron scratched his head awkwardly and forced a smile. He’d meant to mention it later, but it seemed Herace already knew he’d reported the trial results to the Duke.

“Well……. He wasn’t happy, of course. Lifetime service is enough to make anyone angry.”

“I see.”

Herace nodded indifferently and turned his gaze from the window. Aaron took the chance to peek outside. Sure enough, the carriage carrying Miss Ford was departing.

He suddenly felt sorry for his master.

“Um, Sir Herace, maybe you should apologize first…….”

“Aaron.”

“Yes…….”

Herace leisurely sat at his desk and spoke.

“If you’re done playing, get out. Stop messing around with everything.”

“Pardon me? But I have nowhere to go…….”

“Or do you want to spend all day in here reading every book on that shelf?”

Herace gestured toward the tall bookcase. For the first time since last night, a smile appeared on his face.

The problem was, it was a cold smile.

“If that’s what you want, just say so. I’ll recommend the easiest book to start with.”

“Yikes, no, no……! I’ll leave right now!”

Looking at the thick books, Aaron quickly waved his hands and backed away. But before he could leave, Herace called him back.

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Leave that before you go.”

Following Herace’s gaze, Aaron looked down at the skull model he’d been playing with, then approached the shelf. Pouting, he turned his back to Herace and muttered.

Maybe it was because he’d just escorted Miss Ford, but he’d forgotten his master’s temperament.

“And today, he’s even being petty…….”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Aaron shook his head and finally slammed the door as he left. Now alone, Herace rubbed his tired eyes.

‘……An apology.’

He’d snapped at Aaron, but he knew Aaron wasn’t wrong.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He had shown her the very worst side of himself—the side he most wanted to hide.

When Aaron told him Brienne was gone, Herace couldn’t think of anything else. He wandered the streets, not even knowing where he was, searching for any trace of Brienne.

‘Please, just once.’ He kept praying, not even sure to whom.

When he finally heard Brienne was found, he thanked whatever god had answered his prayers.

It didn’t matter who that god was.

Even if it was an evil god, all that mattered in that moment was that Brienne was safe.

But why.

<Did Kaiden ask you not to tell me?>

Why did that one question matter so much.

At that moment, Herace felt as if he’d returned to the past, when all he could do was think of Brienne.

As if he’d gone back to the very beginning.

Back to those dark times when even looking at her was forbidden, Herace always wondered.

Why Kaiden, of all people.

He wanted to know Brienne’s past, too.

He spent nights wanting to know how she laughed as a child, how she cried, and what pranks she liked.

The fact that the one who had walked side by side with the small Brienne was not him always made Herace sad.  

So, for that reason—  

Herace ended up getting angry in the most petty way.  

The one he should have been angry at was not her.  

Brienne had done nothing wrong at all.  

Letting out a sigh, Herace turned his gaze to the flowers placed by the window. It was the bouquet that Aaron had brought yesterday, one that he hadn’t been able to give to Brienne.  

Lisianthus.  

Wasn’t it called unchanging love?  

‘……Pathetic fool.’  

He had known from the very beginning, even before feeling miserable now, that loving Brienne would only end up hurting him.  

If he liked Brienne more, then he would only end up wanting more from her, and in the end, that would be his own doing.  

If Kaiden hadn’t gotten engaged to Melosi, he would have been nothing more than someone who wanted to know about Brienne and suffered from nightly fantasies.  

But the fact that Brienne understood his feelings.  

And that she even showed him a similar heart in return.  

At first, he truly thought that was enough, and he didn’t need anything more.  

So, he took a step back from his selfish heart and tried not to be greedy.  

He thought there was nothing more important than cheering for Brienne and wishing for her happiness.  

‘Yes, that really was how I felt.’  

Regret welled up in Herace’s eyes as he looked away from the bouquet.  

If only he could, he wished he could turn back time.