“I’ve heard the story. It seems you still have no intention of letting go of the sword, huh?”
“…Yes.”
“Starting tomorrow morning, come out to the training grounds. If you keep swinging the sword during the vacation, your mindset might change.”
“Yes.”
Is this really the conversation of father and daughter after a few months of separation? It’s not just dry—it’s a desert. But it seems familiar to both the father and the daughter, as neither attempts to say anything more. Instead, their attention shifts toward me.
“So, you’re Elysia, right?”
An entirely natural way of speaking down to me. Since he’s not only the father of a friend but also a master swordsman, there’s no discomfort to be felt.
“My name is Elysia Frentz. It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Atillea.”
Though I was invited, I greeted him as respectfully as possible to avoid any faultfinding. Whether it was due to my politeness or simply his lack of concern for such formalities, he didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he approached the desk, coming toward me and Yuli. Then, his outstretched hand—an invitation for a handshake.
Caught off guard by the sudden request for a handshake, I still extended my hand to grasp his. Trying my best not to offend him, I shook his hand in an appropriate manner, following his lead.
“So, this is really the kid who never even looked at a sword, right?”
“…Because I had to survive somehow.”
Though I’m not the real Elysia, the part about taking up a sword to survive isn’t a lie. In the assassin guild, my value rested solely on my swordsmanship. Had I lacked that, I would’ve been used and discarded like so many other expendable assassins.
“Hm. Elysia, you’ll join me at the training ground tomorrow.”
Without asking for my opinion, he decided immediately. Of course, with training from a Sword Master, it would be invaluable and there’s no reason to decline.
“We’ll meet again later this evening. You may leave now.”
At Craig’s dismissal, Yuli and I left the room. Glancing at Yuli, she seemed unfazed by this routine.
“Well, how about we take a tour of the mansion while we wait?”
“Please. Since I’ll be here for a few days, it’s best I get familiar enough to avoid any faux pas…”
“Sara? Since we will be touring together, you can stay back. We’ll call you if needed.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Yuli sent away the maid who had been following us and personally guided me around. The mansion was truly vast, with many spaces. The reception hall, a shared study room, dining room, areas for parties—all befitting a mansion of a viscount’s family, it was impressively large. It’s smaller than the Academy buildings, but considering this mansion is used by a single family, it feels excessively large. Managing a house of this size would require a lot of hired servants.
Even beyond the mansion itself, the outdoor spaces were extensive. The training ground I’ll be visiting from tomorrow, and the garden which was spacious enough for strolls, the flower beds maintained so meticulously with utmost cleanliness—all were impressive.
Walking through the garden with Yuli, I began to truly feel how she was from high-class nobility. It was difficult to sense this back at the academy among Yuli, Anne, and Selian since they didn’t flaunt it, but witnessing it first-hand now made it clear that she belonged to a world far removed from mine. Anne and Selian’s mansions must be similar too.
“By the way, wanna see my room now?”
“Speaking of which, where exactly is your room? I didn’t think to ask while we were sightseeing.”
“C’mon, follow me!”
What made her so excited? She grabbed my hand and pulled me along with a cheerful smile. We crossed the garden, entered the mansion, and climbed the stairs. We arrived in front of the guest room that had been assigned to me. Confused as to why Yuli was guiding me to the guest room instead of showing me her own room, I looked at her questioningly. She smiled and led me further down the hall.
“Ta-da! This is my room!”
It was right next to my room. Although “next to” makes it sound close, considering the sheer size of the rooms, it was still at a considerable distance. Nevertheless, it was still next door.
“Isn’t there usually more distance between guest rooms and the family’s rooms?”
Generally, homeowners keep distance for privacy, and guests are housed farther away for comfort. This was the first time I saw a setup where a guest’s room was right next to a family member’s.
“It used to be, but whenever El used to visit, they’d stay in the room you’re using now. To play and spend more time together, I moved them to the adjacent room, and it’s been ten years since then.”
“Uh… sorry.”
I didn’t know there was such a background. Feeling apologetic because of the concept of lost memories, I offered my apology.
“No, it’s fine. Who knows, staying here for a few days might bring back memories.”
“Alright. I’ll try.”
Sorry, but there’s literally no memory to bring back.
“Okay, come on in.”
I was led into the room by Yuli. The room had a similar vibe to the one I’d seen at the academy. Naturally, it’s the same person’s space.
Its overall structure was quite similar to mine. Being the next-door room, there was no reason for it to differ significantly. However, unlike my room, the interior design had a distinct pink tone. The furniture, wallpaper, curtains, even the small decorative items were all in shades of pink, giving it a princess-like feel.
“Ta-da! This is my bedroom.”
Among the doors, the first one we entered revealed a literal princess bed right at the forefront. So this was Yuli’s taste. Next to the bed was a small desk, and atop it sat a miniature photo.
“What’s this…?”
When I picked it up to take a closer look, it showed three small children standing side by side. A little boy squatting with a pouting face, and two smiling girls standing behind him.
The girl with pink hair was undoubtedly Yuli as a child. In that case, the silver-haired girl beside her must be…
“Elysia…”
When I received the fake identity along with the assassination request, I only had a vague explanation; there wasn’t a picture. But looking at it now in the photo, I could understand why Yuli mistook me for the real Elysia. Though separated by more than ten years, making it difficult to compare facial features, the silver hair and red eyes were strikingly similar.
“It’s an old picture taken when we used to play. Do you remember?”
“Sorry…”
“No! Elysia, why would you have to apologize? If anything, it might be painful memories. Don’t push yourself!”
Of course, it’s a memory I do not have. Yet, I could understand the longing Yuli feels looking at this picture. Clearly, she’s missed her friend for a long time judging by how faded the photograph has become.
“Okay, let’s save the picture-gazing for later. Let’s visit this side next.”
Standing silently made Yuli decide to change the mood. With a cheerful voice, she pulled me into the next room.
“Ta-daa!”
Upon opening the door, a dressing room filled with clothes of all kinds came into view. Even though I had no expertise in clothing, the outfits looked extremely high-class to me. From extravagant evening gowns to modest daily wear, cute sleepwear, to surprisingly sexy lingerie for someone like Yuli.
“Cough!”
Startled, I turned my head and coughed involuntarily. The reaction caught me off guard, and the cough wouldn’t stop.
“El?! Are you okay?”
Coughing while Yuli approached to check on me, she had no idea what was causing this. Of course, there’s nothing really wrong with me apart from a momentary surprise.
“Ah, it’s nothing. My throat just got dry for a second.”
It seemed Yuli had no clue what made me react this way. After all, it’s not every day you see someone reacting so strongly to seeing women’s underwear. As discretely as possible, I tried to avoid looking at her lingerie.
“Would you like some water?”
“Cough… No, I’m good. How about we move on to the next room?”
I figured leaving this dressing room the quickest way to stop coughing.
“Just a moment.”
Saying that, Yuli stepped out of the dressing room and quickly returned with a glass of water. And unlike the stereotype, I didn’t peek around while she was gone. Really.
“Hmph. Thanks.”
Taking a sip of the water did seem to settle my throat. Now calm, I decided to exit the dressing room to avoid any similar incidents.
“Hmm?”
“Doesn’t your height difference with me seem pretty minimal?”
Among our friends, Yuli and I have the most similar heights. Selian is a bit shorter, and Anne is considerably smaller.
Thinking about it, Presia is also shorter than me, though appropriately for her age.
“Yes?”
“Didn’t El always wear the school uniform?”
She wore sports uniforms, sleepwear, and recently Selian and I shopped for casual wear, but… that’s right, I’ve never worn any of those in front of Yuli, have I?
“Maybe…? Yuli? Why are you doing that suddenly? Yuli… stop!”
Why is she looking at me like that! What’s with that hand movement!
