Chapter 18
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 18
The Duke's Mansion housed countless servants and knights.
Entrusting the Young Boy with one of the many tasks within the Manor seemed like a reasonable choice for him as well.
Once I thought of it that way, I couldn't sit still any longer.
I rose from my bed and made my way to the Young Boy's room.
Knock, knock.
I rapped on the door, but no sound came from within.
"It's me. Are you awake?"
The moment I spoke, the door swung open and the Young Boy appeared.
As if he had been waiting for me.
"I came because I have something to tell you. May I come in?"
The Young Boy nodded slightly, and I stepped into the room.
After pausing to choose my words carefully, I opened my mouth and looked at him.
"Now that I think about it, there's no reason I can't take you with me."
The moment the Young Boy grasped the meaning of my words, his face lit up instantly.
"I still believe you'd be better off at the Orphanage, but if you wish it, I'll take you. Are you truly certain you want to come with me?"
Unlike before, the Young Boy nodded vigorously.
"Yes! I want to go with you!"
There seemed to be an unwavering resolve in the Young Boy's voice.
"I'll do anything. Whatever you ask, I'll do it. No, I'll do it well."
"I understand your determination. Then, would you like to become a knight?"
He could have worked as a servant, but judging by the power I'd briefly sensed, the Young Boy seemed to have the makings of a knight.
"...A knight?"
"Yes. If you follow me, I'll make you a knight. And you already have a master."
I thought of William and arbitrarily designated him as the Young Boy's master.
"Yes! I'll become a knight. I'll become a knight who protects Belita!"
A knight who protects me. I couldn't help but smile at such an endearing notion.
"And until now, I haven't said anything about how you address me, but now that you've chosen to serve me, you can't call me so casually. From now on, you must call me Miss."
"Yes. I will, Miss Belita."
Now that this child belonged to me, I was his master.
Therefore, I had to establish proper boundaries from the start to prevent him from giving others any reason to criticize.
"You have much to learn ahead. You'll need to learn how to ride a horse and undergo training to become a knight. Can you do this?"
"I'll study hard, Miss."
Now that I'd told him to call me Miss, he dutifully added it after every sentence.
"And..."
Once I decided to take the Young Boy with me, everything seemed to happen in a flash.
"Do you still not remember anything?"
"No...."
"Then we need to give you a name."
I couldn't keep calling the Young Boy "you" or "hey" indefinitely.
He needed a proper name.
"What do you think? Is there a name you like?"
"Please give me one, Miss."
"Me?"
"Yes. Since you've taken me in, it's only right that you give me my name as well."
That was a fair point.
I pondered for a moment about what name would suit him, and a suitable one suddenly came to mind.
"Lian. Let's call you Lian."
"Lian...."
The Young Boy repeated his newly given name to himself.
"Thank you, Miss."
The boy who would now be called Lian broke into a radiant smile.
* * *
After that, the four of us—myself, Mary, William, and Lian—traveled together.
We went to Grens and I saw the diamond mine with my own eyes, confirming it truly existed.
'All those diamonds are mine....'
I never forgot the thrill I felt the moment I first laid eyes on the diamond mine.
The fact that I could buy an entire house just by selling a few of these stones I kicked beneath my feet sent a rush of excitement through me.
My only purpose in coming to Grens was to see the diamond mine with my own eyes.
So I moved on to the next destination, and in doing so, I traveled throughout the Empire and witnessed and experienced many things.
During that time, Lian kept his promise to me, training rigorously with William every single day.
But strangely, living with me and eating well seemed to cause him to shoot up in growth.
To exaggerate a bit, he would be noticeably taller each time he woke from sleep, and even taller the next day.
Over the course of that one year of travel, Lian had grown from a twelve-year-old child into a boy who appeared to be fourteen or fifteen.
Since growth varies from person to person—some slow, some remarkably fast—I watched Lian's development with pride and without suspicion.
And now we had just arrived at Ulita, a coastal city in the southern region of the Empire, where we were each resting at the Inn.
I had noticed the city was quite bustling as we rode in by carriage.
So I asked the Innkeeper why, and he told me it was Festival season.
Hearing the word Festival, I suddenly remembered the man I had seen in Peorat a year ago.
He was extraordinarily handsome....
His hair looked as though it would stain your hand black if you touched it, and his eyes—like amethysts set into his gaze—made his beauty all the more striking.
'I wonder how the other children from the Circus Troupe are doing?'
Drifting off to sleep with such thoughts, we decided the next day to stay in this place for a few more days.
Over the course of a year traveling through various cities, I had rarely passed through any during festival season.
It was fortunate that I had enjoyed the Festival in Peorat on the first day of my journey.
While the word "festival" certainly lifted people's spirits, what made this experience truly special was that this was my first time experiencing a festival with the unique atmosphere of a coastal city—reason enough to spend time here.
"Miss."
"Yes. Let's go."
Mary called to me from outside.
I finished my preparations and stepped out.
By now we had grown accustomed to walking rather than taking a carriage.
Since our Inn was located in the heart of the Shopping District, it was a distance we could easily traverse back and forth.
"Miss, look over there!"
Mary, perhaps excited by the sight of the vibrant Street filled with colorful things for the first time in a while, pointed at something with an animated voice.
"It's the Sea! I can't see where it ends!"
Following the path and veering off slightly, a vast Sea came into view.
It was the first time I had seen the Sea since arriving here.
I felt reassured that it was no different from the Sea I had known before.
"Miss, this is the first time I've ever seen the Sea!"
Mary's overwhelming joy resonated within me.
I thought that not only Mary, but Belita and everyone here would be seeing the Sea for the first time.
Whether my thoughts were correct or not, not just Mary but William and Lian also had a different gleam in their eyes than usual.
Among them, Mary had been so filled with anticipation that she had talked about the Sea endlessly throughout our travels and as we drew closer to Ulita—enough to make one's ears burn.
"May we go closer?"
"Yes. Let's go."
We approached the Beach, where golden sand glimmered brilliantly, to see the Sea more closely.
As we stepped onto the shore, Mary walked about with an expression of profound emotion.
Watching her like this, my own mood lifted as well.
Suddenly glancing at William beside me, it was unmistakably clear what he thought of Mary.
His expression was that of someone gazing upon the most beloved person in the world.
Seeing the two of them like this filled my heart with warmth and tenderness.
I quietly left the two to their own world and approached Lian, who had been staring only at me this entire time.
Lian, who had grown a full fifteen centimeters taller than a year ago, looked at me with wide eyes.
"Is this your first time seeing the Sea too?"
"Yes. Given that it feels unfamiliar and fascinating, it seems I am indeed seeing it for the first time."
Lian's growth was truly remarkable.
Beyond just his height, his voice and manner of speech showed no trace of the young boy from a year ago.
"I see. What are your impressions?"
"It is blue, vast, and immense."
"That's all? What do you feel right now?"
I asked Lian in a teasing tone, as if to say that was hardly enough.
"...It feels good."
"What?"
"I like it very much."
Lian gazed at me without wavering, speaking those words of approval, yet smiled with such captivating beauty that it seemed almost unbecoming of a child—a smile that stirred the heart.
"I wish I'd known you loved the Sea sooner. We could have come earlier."
"...."
Why had he suddenly fallen silent again?
I was just about to ask why he had stopped speaking.
"Miss!"
Mary approached me, calling out to ask if I'd had a good time playing in the Sea.
"I'm sorry—I got so absorbed in the Sea that I neglected everything else."
Mary's expression grew sheepish, her eyes drooping apologetically.
"No, it's fine. You can look around more if you'd like."
"No, I've seen enough. Let's go somewhere else. Right away."
And so we made our way back toward the Street lined with shops.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org