Having once experienced it, I stepped calmly into the light without being blinded or startled as I had been before. And then—
“Ugh!”
“Huh!”
The stepping stone that had been there a moment ago disappeared, leaving my foot dangling in the air. Falling unexpectedly was, of course, an inevitable outcome. If there had been nothing around, I might have been able to regain my balance somehow, but while flailing, I ended up bumping into something and falling flat forward.
“Oof…”
I ended up smashing my face into the ground. In the process, I felt my nose and mouth collide with something, but I was grateful that I hadn’t hit anything as hard as a rock, so the pain wasn’t unbearable. Lifting my head to look around, the first thing I saw was Emma, who had landed lightly and gracefully on the ground, unlike myself. Emma’s gaze as she looked at me rolling on the floor was quite tormenting. Please don’t look at me like that.
Looking around a bit more, I saw a clear blue sky above me. It was certain that we had successfully escaped the labyrinth.
“Ah… Uh…”
When I looked down at a sound from below, a familiar face greeted me. It was the same one I had seen moments ago, with hair as red as Emma’s.
“Anne!”
I couldn’t believe how happy I was to see her again, even though it had only been a few hours since I last saw her. In fact, it felt like seeing Anne now was even more joyful than it had been when I hadn’t seen her for a week prior to coming to the Klein estate. Perhaps it had to do with the situation.
In contrast to my beaming smile, Anne just stared at me with wide eyes, her expression vacant. It was only then that I realized I had fallen on top of her. Of course, being female, even though I weighed less than I would have as a man, being suddenly lain upon would naturally be startling. And with the additional weight of some gear I had on, it was understandable that she might be disconcerted.
Quickly getting up from my position, I extended my hand to help Anne up, but she ignored it and remained lying there. Just as I started to worry if she was hurt, she suddenly rose on her own without taking my hand.
Still, she seemed dazed, fidgeting with what looked like embarrassment, avoiding eye contact with me.
Ah… she’s upset that I fell on her, I see. Though it was truly an accident and unintentional on my part, I wish she’d cut me a little slack.
“Uh… sorry. Are you okay?”
Since it was partly my fault, I began by apologizing and checking on Anne’s condition. Instead of responding, she briefly covered her mouth with her hand, then moved her hand to her chest, where her heart was pounding. I wondered if lying beneath me had been that uncomfortable.
Anne’s face was as red as her hair.
“Miss Emma!”
At a sudden shout, I turned my head to see Dylan running toward Emma. Taking a closer look around, I noticed knights and soldiers on one side, and Ian along with a group of adventurers unfamiliar to me on the other.
Only then did I understand why Anne might feel so embarrassed. She had been exposed to such a mortifying situation in front of everyone—servants she saw every day as well as new adventurers she had never met. I understood her embarrassment completely.
Regardless of whether Anne acted less like a noble, it didn’t mean she was immune to feeling self-conscious. Though she might have a tomboyish side, there was no denying she was still a young girl in the midst of her prime.
“Thank goodness, Miss Emma! Did you hurt yourself anywhere?”
“Ah, I’m fine. More importantly, how about you? Nothing unusual happened while we were gone, did it?”
“Miss Anne took over the duties of the house head on your behalf and performed admirably. She organized a forward camp and, through Master Ian, sent the existing adventurers back while bringing in higher-ranked ones.”
Of course, the reason why Anne was standing upfront became clear. Moreover, hearing her referred to as the “acting head of the house” made her seem more reliable and capable than the somewhat childlike impression I had of her, though it only lasted for a brief moment due to her small, adorable figure.
“How much time has passed?”
“It’s noon the day after Lord Klein disappeared. We were just about to enter the labyrinth ourselves.”
“Fortunately, we managed to avoid a missed encounter. We’ve already dealt with the Orc settlement and have resolved the situation, so let’s head back.”
“Yes. Understood.”
After finishing her conversation with Dylan, Emma approached Anne.
“So, good work. It seems you didn’t forget your role, even in my absence. I am proud of you both as your mother and as the head of the house, Anne.”
With that, Emma reached out and ruffled Anne’s hair. Though they were mother and daughter, from an outsider’s perspective, it looked more like a young child petting another. Anne’s face, still flushed, bowed deeply as she nodded. Seeing this, Emma chuckled gently and lowered her hand.
“Well then, let’s head back! Clean up and wrap things up!”
At Emma’s call, the soldiers began dismantling the tents and extinguishing the campfire. Amidst the commotion, one of the adventurers called out loudly:
“What about us now that we’ve come this far?”
“Would I ignore your efforts? Has the Klein house ever trifled with payment? We’ll take good care of you, so don’t worry and feel free to return.”
“Gee, that’s a bit rude to say. Of course anyone here knows that Lord Earl does things for our benefit. This guy’s just shy to ask directly about your well-being, so please understand.”
This kind of casual conversation between a representative of a noble house and mere adventurers wasn’t typical. Yet neither Emma nor the other retainers around bothered to intervene, rather letting a small chuckle escape.
“Um… Is it because of me that you’re spending extra money?”
Even though they were highly-ranked adventurers who likely required significant funding, I delicately brought up the matter of expenses, wondering if I was putting Emma out due to my presence. She playfully patted my back and answered:
“Miss Elycia, this is something you needn’t worry about. These are funds allocated by the country, after all. We obtain more when we contribute. It’s a win-win, since we gain the adventurers’ trust without any significant loss, and they can make a bit extra for what’s essentially a nice stroll.”
Of course, technically all of that comes from the taxes collected by the king, but since the Klein house does its part, they receive the appropriate support. Following Emma’s point, it’d be pointless fretting on my part, as I couldn’t offer to pay back anyway.
“Shall we go?”
“…Yeah.”
I quietly addressed Anne standing next to me once more. Thankfully, her previous blush had faded, and her face returned to its usual complexion, though she seemed somewhat timid, which was unusual.
She wasn’t sulking from before as much as she seemed hesitant or overly cautious with me, something that made her slightly unfamiliar.
Given how considerate Anne is, she probably realized it was a mere accident, but maybe she’s too good-hearted about it and feels awkward, I thought.
I’d never seen such a cautious side of Anne before, and it was peculiar. Still, Anne was livelier in her usual state, so I impulsively hugged her.
Had Yuli or Selian been there, they likely wouldn’t have acted so openly due to modesty, but Anne, always the first to hug me without hesitation, made this just barely acceptable.
“Did this big sister of mine worry you that much?”
I teased Anne in my arms with a playful tone, yet her reaction didn’t follow what I expected. Usually, she’d wiggle free, shouting “Who’s your sister?!,” but this time, she simply nodded timidly while staying in my embrace.
Who’s this person?! Where’d my Anne go?
Looking around for any other Anne-like figures, the only one similar was Emma.
This wouldn’t do. I needed to verify that the Anne in my arms was indeed the real Anne. So, I released her from my hug and drew out my secret weapon—a foolproof method specific to Anne that would confirm her identity or, if not her, extract information about her whereabouts.
As Anne looked up at me with her adorable wide eyes, I refused to let up.
“Give me back my Anne!”
“U-Ugh! Hehehe!”
Without waiting for her to comprehend the situation, I reached for her sides and tickled her mercilessly. The cautious demeanor of moments ago vanished, replaced with the Anne who loved this treatment.
Thud!
And just like that, Anne delivered her perfect body blow to my ribs.
Ah. This is the real Anne. It was worth sacrificing my side to get her back… a fair trade indeed, right?
