|| Chapter 9 ||
Since it was already getting late, it was a little too early to begin swordsmanship training today. Instead, I decided to show him a few other things and took him to the art studio.
It was a room I had always kept locked, so Lucian had never been inside before.
“What are all these?”
[A long time ago, a very strange painter lived here. This was his room.]
It was about fifty years ago.
A painter had once lived in this mansion.
Even though he lived alone, he was always bad-tempered. Whenever something didn’t go the way he wanted, he would get angry all by himself. Looking back now, maybe that was just his way of dealing with loneliness.
[His personality was terrible, but his paintings were truly amazing.]
“Can you paint like this too, Bride?”
[Hmm… I’m not sure. I’ve never actually painted anything myself. But I think I can teach you.]
“There are no right answers in painting! Just paint whatever your heart wants, then keep painting!”
“Hmph! Anyone who starts over because of one little mistake is a fool! Who knows? That mistake might become an even greater masterpiece!”
“Relax your wrist here. That way you won’t get tired even if you paint for a long time. Build good habits from the beginning, and you won’t have to fix them later.”
Who would’ve thought that crazy painter’s habit of talking to himself would end up helping me like this?
“But this painter must’ve been really famous! These paintings look so real!”
[Well… I don’t actually know if he was famous…]
What was his name again?
Henri Rayple, was it?
“Huh? This one’s a person’s portrait.”
At that moment, Lucian found a painting covered with a cloth in the corner.
Unlike the other clean paintings, this one looked old, as if it had been touched countless times over the years.
“She’s really beautiful.”
It was a portrait of a woman with a gentle smile, as pure as a blooming flower.
The painter always looked at this painting before going to sleep.
She was probably someone precious to him.
Lucian quietly stared at the portrait before turning to look at me.
[What?]
“You said you don’t know what you looked like, right?”
[I did.]
“Then I’ll paint you, Bride!”
[…What?]
I was too surprised to react.
Meanwhile, Lucian had already made up his mind.
“You’re really, really beautiful, Bride!”
[A-Ahem… Why are you suddenly saying something like that?]
“Because you never believe me!”
Sometimes Lucian would stare at my face before suddenly blurting out that I was beautiful.
Whenever he did, I always got embarrassed and told him to stop teasing me.
“One day, when I’m good enough… I’ll paint your portrait.”
Well…
His reason for wanting to learn painting was a little strange.
Still, I was happy that he had become interested in it.
Smiling to myself, I gently patted his head.
[We’ll leave the painting for another day. Let’s go downstairs. I’ll show you the other rooms too.]
“Okay.”
Many people had lived in this mansion over the centuries.
If you added all the years together, it still wouldn’t even reach one hundred.
But every single one of them had been an eccentric expert in their own field.
Because of that, they had left behind countless collections and antiques.
Whenever one of them passed away, I decorated their room with the things they had loved most.
The art studio I had just shown Lucian was one example.
There were many others.
A music room filled with a grand piano, a harp, and violins.
An alchemist’s laboratory.
An archaeologist’s workshop.
Although the mansion only had two floors, it was enormous, with countless rooms.
There were also many items that didn’t fit anywhere, so I kept them in storage.
Weapons were one such collection.
I left the mansion with Lucian and headed toward the small training ground behind it.
Beneath the storage building was a deep underground chamber.
Inside were all the weapons that had once belonged to a Weapon Master.
“W-Wow… What are all these?”
Lucian stared at the impressive collection with his mouth hanging open.
[These were all used by a Weapon Master. They were too valuable to throw away, so I kept every single one.]
“Wow…”
[Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you swordsmanship. Physical training is something you should begin when you’re young. You’re already starting a little late.]
“Will… I get to use all of these?”
[Maybe someday.]
He was smart, so I wasn’t worried about the theory.
Whether he could keep up physically…
That was another story.
Still, if I taught him properly, he should at least be able to make a living one day.
“Is there anything you can’t do, Bride?”
Lucian suddenly asked while looking around at the weapons.
“You’re good at cooking, you can read, you know how to paint, you can play the piano… and now you’re saying you can use all these weapons too.”
He had misunderstood.
Just because I could teach something didn’t mean I could actually do it myself.
I had only learned from watching and listening.
Actually using those skills was completely different.
While I was wondering how to explain it…
Lucian suddenly asked,
“Bride… are you a god?”
I nearly stumbled.
Looking into his bright eyes…
He was completely serious.
[Don’t be ridiculous. If I were a god, why would I be stuck here?]
“But you can do everything.”
[How many years did I tell you I’ve lived here?]
“Umm… Three hundred?”
[That’s right. Humans usually live around sixty years. I’ve lived more than five times that long. Sixty years is enough for someone to become a master in one field. So what do you think happens after three hundred years?]
Lucian simply tilted his head with a blank expression.
Maybe it was too difficult for him to understand.
[I only know a lot because I’ve lived much longer than everyone else.]
“Oh!”
[And teaching something is different from actually doing it. Someday, you might even become better than me.]
“No way.”
[Oh? You don’t believe me?]
“Because you’re like a god. I’ll never become someone like you.”
[Hmm…]
Well…
He wasn’t entirely wrong.
After all, I had spent three hundred years learning all of this.
“But I still want to become as amazing as you someday! I’ll work really hard!”
Lucian smiled brightly before looking around the storage room again.
For a moment…
It almost felt like my heart, which no longer existed, started beating again.
It reminded me why I had decided to take care of him.
I had to raise this child properly so he could survive in the harsh world of humans.
If possible…
I wanted him to wear good clothes.
Eat good food.
Live in a nice home.
Was this what it felt like to be a teacher?
The warmth filling my soul wasn’t unpleasant at all.
“Uwaaah! I-It’s so heavy!”
Lucian struggled with all his strength just to lift a sword.
He looked completely helpless as he silently begged me for help.
Laughing, I walked over to him.
[I told you not to touch things carelessly.]
“It looked light…”
[You don’t have a single muscle in those arms. This won’t do. We’ll build your body first.]
“Huh? But I wanted to start swinging a sword…”
You can’t even lift the smallest sword. Stop complaining and listen to me.”
“…Okay.”
I ruffled his white hair before we left the storage room together.
By then…
Night had completely fallen.
[Repeat after me! A healthy mind—!]
“A healthy mind—!”
[Comes from a strong body!]
“C-Comes from a strong body!”
Lucian’s entire body trembled as he barely managed to stand back up.
It was the first day of swordsmanship training.
After only two hours…
His clothes were completely soaked with sweat.
His entire body was shaking.
[Good work. That’s enough for today.]
The moment I said that…
Lucian collapsed onto the ground.
He didn’t even care that he was lying in the dirt as he grabbed his chest, trying to calm his pounding heart.
[You’re tougher than I expected.]
He had lasted much longer than I thought.
In fact, we trained an extra hour because he kept enduring.
Of course…
Now he looked half dead.
[So? How was it?]
“Huff… Huff… Huff… I…”
[Never mind. Catch your breath first.]
He couldn’t even answer.
I’d have to lower tomorrow’s training a little.
Lucian emptied the drink I had prepared in one gulp.
He even stuffed the ice into his mouth.
“Ahhh! I feel alive again!”
Seeing him still covered in sweat, I gently created a cool breeze.
His expression immediately relaxed.
“It was really hard!”
[Really?]
“Yes! At this rate, my heart’s going to explode! My legs won’t stop shaking, and I can barely even hold my cup.”
It was the first complaint I’d ever heard from him since I started teaching him.
“Do I really have to do this? Can’t I just practice with the sword?”
[Using your body is supposed to be hard. Besides, your stamina is terrible.]
“That’s…!”
Lucian puffed out his cheeks and pouted.
[It’ll probably stay this hard for about two weeks. Your body has no foundation yet, so even a little training feels overwhelming.]
“T-Two weeks?!”
[Don’t want to do it?]
I lowered myself to his eye level.
Lucian quietly looked away before giving a small nod.
[I’d really like you to keep doing it.]
“…Why?”
[Because one day, it’ll help you protect yourself.]
Lucian rolled his eyes around.
It seemed the words were still too difficult for him.
[Do you plan to live here forever?]
“Umm…”
[It might seem far away now, but children grow up faster than you think. Besides, didn’t the Imperial Palace say they’d only support you until you’re eighteen?]
Lucian flinched.
Life had become comfortable because of me.
He had almost forgotten.
There were only ten years left until adulthood.
After that…
No one would send supplies.
No one would provide money.
He would have to survive on his own.
I didn’t know how the Empire would change in the future.
But if he learned how to read and mastered swordsmanship…
At least he would never starve.
[Whether it’s a sword, a bow, or a spear… if you’re strong enough, people won’t be able to bully you. And if things ever become truly difficult, you could always work as a mercenary.]
“…Can’t I just stay here?”
“I don’t want to leave.”
He was still too young to understand.
“As long as I have you, Bride… that’s enough.”
[Silly child. What are you going to do living with a ghost forever? Living people should live with other living people. You only think that because you’ve never met someone else who truly cares about you.]
Lucian frowned.
He clearly didn’t like hearing that.
“Are you trying to send me away?”
“Don’t you need me anymore?”
“I’m your groom! We even got married!”
[Neither of us agreed to that marriage.]
Lucian immediately fell silent.
“…Even so…”
“I’m happy that you’re my bride.”
Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks.
Panicking, I hurried over to him.
[W-Why are you crying? I just want you to meet more people…]
“You’re the only person who’s ever been kind to me.”
Lucian rubbed his red eyes over and over.
[That’s only because everyone you’ve met until now has been awful…]
“Are you looking down on me because I’m a child?”
His sharp glare caught me off guard.
“I’m old enough to understand.”
“I know people hate me.”
“I’ve even been told that I should die.”
[What kind of nonsense is that—!]
I covered my mouth too late.
Lucian’s expression softened.
A small smile appeared on his face.
“See? You’re on my side.”
[…That’s true.]
“At first I was scared because you’re a ghost… but out of everyone I’ve ever met, you’re the kindest person… and the most amazing one.”
“So… please don’t send me away.”
Seeing tears well up in his eyes again, I quickly shook my head.
[Why would I send you away? I would never do that.]
“Then why do you keep telling me to leave the mansion?”
He pouted.
He clearly didn’t want to hear those words anymore.
I could only sigh.
No matter how hard I tried…
It felt like my feelings never truly reached him.
Instead…
They just kept going in circles.
