Chapter 28
Suddenly, I gaze out the window. Though the room’s soundproofing muffles the rain, the dark, overcast day feels strangely comforting.
The balcony, once accessible from the room, has been remodeled for safety. It’s now fully enclosed from top to bottom with a railing designed to resemble roses and thorns, and a roof has been added. The rain glittering as it falls through the gaps in the railing feels unnatural and sorrowful without the sound to accompany it.
“It’s like a cage meant to imprison Maria.”
Kyle’s soft voice, breaking the room’s silence, resonates pleasantly in my mind. Like me, Kyle is looking out the window. His profile is beautiful, but that very beauty seems to obscure his true thoughts.
“A cage… I suppose you’re right.”
“If the door were closed, you wouldn’t be able to see Maria or hear her voice, whether from the door or the window. The only freely accessible door is the one leading to Lord Leon. Did Lord Leon design this room?”
“Yes. And the troublesome part is that the connecting door has no lock.”
“So it seems. Why not install one? If you ask the Madam, surely she’d arrange it.”
“Even if we did, it’s obvious he’d get his hands on the key. Besides, I’ve heard you can’t drill holes into this door.”
“That is truly a problem.”
Kyle directs a sharp gaze toward the connecting door.
“Speaking of which, you asked me to show you around the mansion, didn’t you? Would you like to go now?”
“By all means.”
Kyle gives an elegant bow and opens the door for me. I squint at the dazzling light from the hallway streaming past him.
Since my room is at the very back, we pass by Leon’s room next door. I glance back once to make sure no one is following us, then let out a relieved sigh and relax my expression. Noticing this, Kyle smiles wryly and places a hand on my back.
“It seems I should reconsider what exactly I need to protect Maria from.”
His softly muttered words are lost amid the sound of our footsteps.
“This should be the last place.”
Kyle didn’t seem particularly interested in most areas, but he showed interest in the library and the armory.
The art gallery, filled with gems from Leon’s mines and paintings and sculptures collected from various places, he glanced at for only a second.
What surprised me was how skillfully Kyle played the piano in the music room. The unexpected talent made me stare in admiration.
The last place I showed him was the training ground, isolated outside the mansion. Thanks to the covered corridor, even in the rain, we didn’t get wet.
At my request, the training ground is stocked with countless practice swords without blades and bamboo swords. There are a few real swords too, but they’re locked away, and the key is held by my father. I’ve never used or even held them.
The entire floor is wooden, reminiscent of a gymnasium, giving it a nostalgically comfortable feel. I’ve strictly ordered that anyone who uses the equipment must clean it afterward, so everything shines.
The changing room still only has dresses for me, but it’s divided by gender and is incredibly spacious, complete with carpets, sofas, and full-length mirrors.
The rags in the cleaning supply closet are always brand new, replaced after every use. I’d prefer to take good care of the cleaning tools as a sign of gratitude, but I was persuaded to let it go since the mansion’s cleaners use them.
There are also large mats for Aikido. It’s too difficult for my small frame to lay them out alone, so Leon and Rufus, who recently started teaching me Aikido, help me.
We started under the pretext of testing techniques I came up with. When I first demonstrated an Aikido move on Leon, he was so shocked he nearly fainted, but he’s gotten somewhat used to it lately. Just a little, though.
Rufus, on the other hand, accepted it effortlessly, his eyes sparkling, saying, “Nothing surprises me anymore.”
The training ground also has a washroom, a shower room with a large bathtub, a toilet, and a rest room with a large bed for when someone gets injured. The bed in the women’s rest room is a fluffy, canopy-topped princess bed.
Every area is locked, and to use them, you must borrow the key from a member of the Arnim household. Of course, I have a key too, and I often lend it to Rufus.
This training ground, equipped to the point of being livable, was designed by Leon based on stories about my father’s knight order.
It’s meticulously thought out and lacks nothing, which makes the lack of a lock on my room’s connecting door all the more frustrating. Honestly, I don’t even need a connecting door. Since our rooms are adjacent, he could just use the regular entrance.
As a side note, the interior of the Arnim mansion is completely barrier-free, except for the staircases.
“Impressive… Lord Leon’s talent truly deserves praise.”
“I think so too. The security and knight training grounds are behind the dormitory, and Rufus seems to go back and forth between them. Lately, Rufus has been doing the teaching there. But they don’t have mats, and the shower room is designed for large groups, so it’d be better to have a key made for this place, Kyle.”
“I’d appreciate that. I usually stay as close to Maria as possible, so it’s fine, but I’d feel bad having to wake Lord Leon if I want to move around at night.”
“You really would… Since we’re here, why not get a little exercise?”
“By all means.”
I spar with Kyle using bamboo swords. I hadn’t realized it during our match, but the sheer weight behind Kyle’s strikes repeatedly surprises my underdeveloped, small body.
Leon is incredibly fast and adaptable, but Kyle’s strikes are overwhelmingly powerful. Both of them are truly promising. I need to train harder too. I’ll continue teaching Aikido. Since Leon won’t spar with me, I’m glad to have another practice partner besides Rufus.
After we finish, I bring out the ridiculously large floor mop to clean, and Kyle, surprised, tries to stop me. But when I glare and explain it’s standard procedure, he understands.
This floor mop is a convenient, lazy solution invented by Leon, who hates cleaning and doesn’t want to touch rags. He said, “I won’t kneel and crawl on the floor… I am not a rag.” When I once picked up a rag, he instantly threw it away and meticulously wiped my hands with his handkerchief. Since I hadn’t expected such a reaction, it became a hassle, so for now, I use the mop too.
When it’s time for my lessons, I return to my room and, unsurprisingly, Leon is there.
Today is etiquette day, so I ask Kyle and Leon to leave, but they refuse. I try to ignore them and study with my well-endowed tutor.
The two men bickering in the background finally irritate the tutor, who slowly but firmly says, “You’re in the way,” and shoos them out. I don’t want a repeat of that, so I ask my master to continue handling my academic lessons. He agrees with a determined smile. I can count on him.
In the evening, after strength training and practice swings, I have dinner, then take a bath with the maids’ assistance. Today, it’s a rose petal bath. I have no complaints about this.
Baths are the best. Drying and combing my hair is Leon’s job. Apparently, he won’t let anyone else do it.
And today, Helen is waiting by my bed, fidgeting.
Seeing Kyle utterly bewildered at the idea of actually sleeping together, I quickly wish him goodnight, and the long night begins…
Of course, I don’t plan to do anything… but I hope she’ll let me hold her while we sleep.
