“Please, take your seat.”
As I entered the dining room, my eyes immediately fell upon Craig, the Viscount, who had already taken the head seat. Showing no concern that I arrived later than him, he calmly invited me to take my seat. Perhaps because it was just Yuli and her friend joining for the meal, as Yuli had mentioned, Craig said nothing about any dress code.
Once seated beside Yuli, the servants began bringing out dishes one by one. The food was placed on the table without any particular order, and soon enough, a modest yet sufficient amount of dishes covered the table. It was then that Craig began to speak.
“Let’s eat.”
Craig started serving himself first, and Yuli and I followed suit, beginning our meal. With Yuli’s mother having passed away and no other relatives in the mansion, only the three of us sat at the large table. The three of us against the grand table felt eerily empty, and the only sound of cutlery striking against plates added to the somber atmosphere.
As an invited guest, I couldn’t bring myself to speak first, and with the anxiety of every bite, it felt like the food was going into my nose instead of my mouth. Fortunately—or not—Craig finally broke the silence with his straightforward question.
“I heard about your grades.”
Please, forgive me, but eating in silence may have been better. Or, please allow us to continue eating quietly.
“Out of 30 students, you ranked 20th…”
As much as I silently prayed, Craig, naturally, paid no heed and kept going. I couldn’t help but wonder why he insisted on discussing Yuli’s grades with her friend present. Having said that, and leaving me confused about what he truly wanted to say, Craig closed his mouth after mentioning Yuli’s rank, leaving the table to the sound of clinking cutlery once again.
“By the way, I heard your written exam ranked 2nd. 2nd in the entire academy! The professors praised you highly, right?”
In an attempt to lighten the mood, I mentioned Yuli’s excellent written test results. Yuli’s overall ranking was low due to the high weightage given to the practical exam, but focusing solely on the written exam, she was one of the top students and an exemplary student. Indeed, the professors who taught theoretical classes always spoke highly of how intelligent and disciplined Yuli was. Of course, the top written exam scorer was Selian, but it’s best not to compare her with others. She dominates both written and practical tests overwhelmingly.
“Ultimately, it seems your swordsmanship skills still need work. Don’t worry, I’ll give you one-on-one daily lessons starting tomorrow.”
Seeing how relentless he was in pushing Yuli to give up her swordsmanship made me shiver, even as a third party.
“Why don’t you tell me a bit about what you’ve been studying at the Academy?”
Craig seemed dissatisfied not just with Yuli’s sword handling but also with her going to the Academy at all. He asked meticulously about every detail of Yuli’s Academy life, including the professors, her daily routine, any social activities, her studies, and even her peers. Yuli had no choice but to recount her Academy days continuously throughout the meal under her father’s questioning.
—
*
“Sorry. My father must’ve made you uncomfortable, right?”
Yuli apologized with a wry smile, as if she empathized with my plight.
“No, not at all. The food was so delicious that I was too busy eating to notice the time flying by.”
“The dishes were prepared based on what El liked as a child. I’m glad you enjoyed them.”
“Haha…”
To be honest, I don’t even remember the taste. I merely realized how heavy the atmosphere could get during such a meal. Only after we finished eating and returned to Yuli’s room did I finally feel my body relax after being tense all that time.
“While we enjoy some tea…”
Knock knock.
As Yuli was about to lift the teapot, the sound of knocking echoed through the room. Placing the teapot back down, Yuli opened the door to reveal Craig standing outside. After a brief conversation at the door, Craig stepped inside, joining us at the round table where Yuli and I had been sitting.
Silently, Yuli fetched another teacup and poured the tea as she had done earlier.
Hiss…
For a moment, there was only silence as Craig alone sipped his tea, while Yuli and I waited silently. I wished someone would break the awkward silence, or I’d surely feel sick from the uneaten food in my stomach.
“Earlier, I only listened to Yuli’s story and didn’t get a chance to hear yours. I admired Prentz Viscount greatly. Since I’m talking to his daughter, I should have at least asked how you’ve been doing.”
He may talk, but I sense he doubts whether I truly am the daughter of Prentz Viscount. After all, someone who disappeared for over a decade suddenly claims to be the sole survivor of the Prentz family and is found closely attached to Yuli—it’s reasonable to question it. In fact, his doubts aren’t entirely misplaced.
“Fortunately, thanks to the maid who took care of me at the time, I’ve received much help.”
I carefully narrated my past to reduce suspicion, not recounting the real story of Alicia, but instead adapting my own experiences into a detailed and believable tale. The Guild Master who trained me as an assassin became the kind maid who raised me, the Guild’s hidden base in an inconspicuous location was reimagined as a dilapidated cottage at the edge of the village, and the assassination training I underwent became random sword lessons from a passing mercenary.
It’s the story I came up with multiple times in case my past drew interest after the assassination guild fell. I questioned whether I had a gift for storytelling, as I could craft such a plausible past.
“This tea is delicious. Can you pour me another cup, Yuli?”
“Of course.”
Even though the tea served was from the same source and the same order from the same shop, Craig emptied his cup multiple times, complimenting its taste. Each time, Yuli refilled his cup with the teapot.
Fortunately, throughout my hour-long monologue, Craig listened without any sign of suspicion, merely nodding a few times while sipping his tea. He seemed utterly disinterested in my story.
“I see. You must have had a hard time. I’d like to hear more, but it’s already this late. We’ll meet at the training ground tomorrow morning.”
In the end, it was over an hour of just me talking non-stop, which naturally led to frequent sips of tea. Craig drank even more tea than I did, forcing Yuli to repeatedly refill the pot with hot water.
Just as Craig was about to open the door to leave, he paused and turned back toward us, or rather, toward Yuli. Despite his prolonged hesitation, his lips remained sealed, seemingly unable to find the words.
“Have a good night, Father.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Viscount.”
Since he was about to leave anyway, I figured we would eventually exchange good nights, but I couldn’t stand the prolonged silence, so Yuli spoke first, giving her father a polite farewell. I, too, followed her lead.
“…Yes, good night.”
Only then did Craig finally step out the door, though as Yuli said her goodnight, his lips seemed to twitch, as if he was trying to suppress a smile. Despite his solemn demeanor all day, though I could’ve sworn it, his face did indeed betray a suppressed smile. Selian’s words echoed in my mind again—how much Craig truly cherished his daughter, Yuli. It’s hard to tell which side shows his true face.
Amidst these musings, Yuli spoke up.
“Alright! Now that Father’s gone, let’s quickly change into our pajamas, shall we?”
“…It’s already this late, and since I’ll be staying a few more days, can’t we talk tomorrow?”
“Huh? Aren’t we supposed to chat in bed before sleeping?”
I couldn’t worry about trivial things in this situation. Recalling the time Yuli and I had slept together, I should’ve anticipated this. Considering I’ve already been outdone, sleeping separately in my own room is no longer an option. If the ideal plan fails, I must at least try a secondary contingency.
“…Can’t we just spread out a separate blanket on the floor like last time?”
“Hmm…”
Why won’t you answer and keep smiling, Yuli?
