Laura and Giselle had started bickering again, their voices rising in the middle of the argument.
Another maid suddenly chimed in with a louder voice.
“I still think there’s hope for Lord Lianel! He came back to the territory and returned again, didn’t he?”
“So what? The wizard even gave her a jewel as a gift. You all saw it, right? Our lady wears that pearl hairpin every day now.”
Roshi firmly reminded everyone that when a man gifts a woman jewelry, the matter is essentially settled.
But opposition arose immediately—this time from Lianel’s supporters, who believed no man could surpass muscles when it came to charm.
“There’s still hope for Lord Lianel! The lady hasn’t completely accepted the wizard yet!”
“Exactly! Lord Lianel is far more manly and attractive.”
“But doesn’t Lianel seem like he’s hiding a lot? Isn’t that a bit... shady?”
“No, that’s called mysterious!”
The chatter among the maids escalated into a loud buzz of debate filling the room once again.
...And so it went.
The maids were divided into two fiercely opposing camps: Team Lianel and Team Ahwin. Their heated argument had been ongoing since the middle of winter and showed no signs of abating.
At first, Lianel’s supporters had overwhelmingly dominated the discussion, but now Ahwin’s supporters made up more than half. This shift was largely thanks to the enthusiastic recruitment efforts of Giselle and Laura, the so-called “Ahwin Evangelists.”
‘It’s not enough yet. We need to pull more people to our side with greater passion.’
Giselle, the leader of Ahwin’s supporters, felt a deep sense of duty as she passionately extolled Ahwin’s virtues. She described in vivid detail how, though he might seem cold and aloof on the surface, he was actually a warm and kind-hearted person.
Meanwhile, Ahwin, who had deployed a magical barrier to protect Penelope and was forced to hear every word of this debate, had his face flushed red as he covered his ears. Whenever his guard slipped, he found himself kicking the blankets furiously in embarrassment.
“Seriously, these women are insane. There isn’t a single sane person in this castle.”
***
Sain Halo's daily routine was simple.
He would have breakfast with Penelope, attend Imperial language lessons with his tutor, and then eat lunch.
In the afternoons, he received swordsmanship training from Sir Lance, followed by dinner.
After dinner, he was given free time, during which he would either explore his room or occasionally wander around the castle.
‘I hope I can learn to read soon so I can start reading books.’
Although it had only been a few days since he arrived at the lord’s castle, Sain felt a growing sense of urgency.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
This anxiety stemmed from his fear of being unable to contribute to the lord’s work.
The tutor often reminded him that he was behind for his age. They would emphasize how shameful it was for someone of noble blood not to know how to read.
Sain took the tutor’s words to heart. He wanted to grow up quickly so he could help the lord with her duties.
“Today, you made five mistakes in dictation. Roll up your pants.”
The tutor picked up a switch, and Sain obediently rolled up the hem of his trousers.
With a sharp snap, the switch landed on his calf, leaving a red mark. Though his leg bruised and swelled slightly, to Sain, the pain was no more than a sharp sting.
Fortunately, the tutor only punished him for the number of mistakes he made in dictation, which was something Sain could endure.
Besides, if he worked harder, the number of times he would be struck would gradually decrease.
“Ha, to think you’re making mistakes on such basic things. I don’t know what the lord saw in you to bring you here.”
“I... I’m sorry. I’ll work harder.”
“Working hard doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll improve significantly. Academic talent is usually something you’re born with early on.”
“...”
Every time Sain heard such remarks, he couldn’t help but feel a heavy weight settle on his chest.
There was still a mountain of words he needed to learn, and the thought of when he might finally be able to help the lord felt overwhelming.
When those feelings took over, his confidence drained away, leaving him despondent. At times, an indescribable loneliness crept in.
“That’s enough for today.”
The tutor closed the book and spoke while tidying up. Sain bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you for your guidance.”
“Always be grateful to the lord. Don’t do anything to disgrace her.”
“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
Sain nodded firmly as if making a solemn vow. Only then did the tutor look satisfied and leave the room.
***
A week later.
For the first time in a long while, it rained. This also meant the temperature had risen above freezing.
Penelope sat in her office, staring blankly out the window at the rain. Lucas, who had grown accustomed to sifting through mountains of documents, broke the silence.
“It seems spring will arrive early this year.”
“Is that so? This will be my first time welcoming spring in Halo.”
With her chin resting on her palm, Penelope gazed out the window. At last, the dreary winter had come to an end. Seeing the evidence with her own eyes filled her with joy.
Lucas smiled faintly as he spoke.
“Soon it’ll be the social season. Will you be heading to the capital this year, my lord?”
Penelope blinked at his unexpected question.
“Me? Going to the capital?”
Lucas looked genuinely surprised at her response.
“As a noble, my lord, you’ll likely receive invitations to the balls held during the social season.”
“Me, dancing at a ball? Haha. Even if I wanted to, it’s impossible this year. Going to the capital would mean being away for at least two weeks.”
And who would handle the remaining work after I’m gone?
Though Penelope didn’t say it outright, Lucas seemed to understand her unspoken implication.
“...I see.”
“Besides, if I go to the capital, I’ll probably have to deal with relatives eager to tear me apart.”
“It’s probably best not to leave this year, then.”
Lucas, his face suddenly looking drained at whatever he had imagined, concluded firmly. Penelope nodded solemnly and stood up from her seat.
Just then, there was a knock at the office door.
“Come in.”
...
After a pause, the door opened cautiously, and Sain stepped inside.
Penelope greeted him with a bright smile and waved him over.
“Welcome. Are your Imperial language lessons finished?”
“Yes. They were fun.”
“Really fun?”
“They were a bit difficult, but... um, I think they were fun. Actually, no, they weren’t fun at all.”
As Sain admitted the truth, both Penelope and Lucas burst into laughter.
Thanks to good food and plenty of rest, Sain had grown noticeably in a short time.
They say children grow quickly, and even Penelope could see the difference, so it was no surprise that others noticed as well. The maids who looked after him couldn’t hide their pride at how much he grew day by day.
“What’s your favorite thing you’ve been learning?”
“Sw-swordsmanship.”
Sain answered without hesitation, causing Penelope to feel a bit surprised.
“Swordsmanship is your favorite?”
“Sir Lance teaches me, and it’s really fun. I keep getting better every day...”
It seemed his enthusiasm stemmed from his admiration for his teacher.
Finding Sain endearing, Penelope reached out to ruffle his hair.
“Ah...!”
As his hair became messy, Sain’s mouth fell open in dismay.
“Even if it’s fun, you need to be careful not to get hurt, okay? Make sure you sleep well and eat plenty.”
“Y-yes, I understand.”
Sain stepped back from Penelope and began pressing his hair back into place, though the faint blush on his ears suggested he didn’t mind as much as he pretended.
‘He’s adjusting remarkably well.’
Penelope had worried about his timid and reserved nature, but he was adapting much faster than she had expected. It must have been thanks to the castle staff’s meticulous care.
Penelope decided she would enroll Sain in the intermediate academy once it was established. Learning alongside peers would likely be much more enjoyable than studying with a private tutor.
‘I wonder what Sain would think about that?’
While Penelope was briefly lost in thought, the door to the office opened, and Ahwin entered.
“You’re here?”
Penelope greeted him. By now, Ahwin’s comings and goings in the office had become a routine occurrence.
Sain greeted him politely.
“Ah, good afternoon, sir wizard.”
“I’m not having a good afternoon. But I see you’re doing fine?”
“...”
Sain clamped his mouth shut, his words seemingly caught in his throat. Ahwin glanced at him briefly before making his way to the sofa and sitting down.
Truly, Ahwin had an extraordinary knack for making people feel small in a variety of creative ways.
Penelope briefly entertained the idea of pinching his mouth shut again but refrained.
Suddenly, Ahwin directed a question at Sain.
“About those Imperial language lessons—why are you learning them?”
“...Excuse me?”
Sain’s eyes widened, seemingly caught off guard by the unexpected question.
After a moment, he began stammering out his thoughts.