Chapter 24
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The Male and Female Leads Broke Up - Episode 24
"Actually, I've been thinking the same thing."
Mary agreed with my assessment, and beside her, William was attentively attending to her meal, offering her this and that.
Watching the two of them together so affectionately, I resolved that once I returned to the Capital, I would ensure their love bore fruit.
"When I first saw you, I thought you were about twelve years old. But if you're fourteen now, you really don't look it—not by any stretch of the imagination."
"Lian's learning ability is also far too exceptional to be that of a fourteen-year-old."
William agreed with me as well.
"Then how old do you think I am?"
Lian spoke with a puzzled expression.
His voice, too, had deepened considerably from the childish tone he'd had two years ago.
"Still no memories returning?"
"No. I apologize."
"There's nothing for you to apologize for. It's not as though you're deliberately trying not to remember...."
There was a reason I'd broached the subject of Lian's age.
I had decided it was time to end this long journey and return home.
'Because that's how the original story goes....'
The details were no longer perfectly clear to me, but I remembered precisely when the original story concluded.
It was about a year ago.
In the original story, Belita had sensed the connection between Cain Maxius and Adela, and tormented her over the course of six months.
Adela had come perilously close to death from that torment, but she was the heroine, after all.
The moment Adela escaped the crisis, Aiden Byon, her brother who had been away, also returned.
After learning everything, Aiden killed Belita with his own hands, and that act sparked war between the three families.
The war lasted approximately three months.
The Balteus Empire was peculiar in that ecclesiastical authority held greater power than imperial authority.
The Emperor was little more than a figurehead; true power rested in the hands of the three families' Dukes.
Because of the war between these three ducal families, the Empire was laid to waste.
In the end, after the prolonged civil conflict, the Heitz Family was destroyed, leaving only the Maxius Family and the Byon Family standing.
And as always, the story concluded with the marriage of the two leads.
Since the original story had already ended, I could return whenever I wished.
Around the time I met the man called Aiden, the original story likely concluded then.
But knowing in my heart that such time would never come again, I wanted to do everything I desired before returning.
That's why I continued traveling for another year even after the original story ended.
But now the time had come to go back.
I had written letters to Mother and Father occasionally, but I could vividly imagine how much they must be worrying about me.
Two years ago I was twenty; now I had become twenty-two.
And once I returned, I needed to settle Lian's status definitively.
Thanks to William's instruction, Lian's skills had improved by leaps and bounds.
Having trained under a formal knight—and an exceptional one at that—in swordsmanship, he now possessed the caliber to join the Knight Order.
Yet there was one thing I had overlooked.
I wasn't certain about other families, but ours required candidates to be at least fifteen years old to enlist as knights.
If I set Lian's age at fourteen, he couldn't join our family's Knight Order at present.
Fortunately, Lian didn't appear to be fourteen no matter how I looked at him.
Of course, some fourteen-year-olds could look mature, but by average standards, Lian appeared at least a year or two older.
"William, our family's Knight Order requires candidates to be at least fifteen, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
I confirmed the information I already knew with William once more.
"In your assessment, does Lian seem sufficiently qualified to enlist?"
"His skills are certainly adequate, and his age—whether we record it as fifteen or sixteen—should pose no difficulties."
Hearing William's words solidified my conviction.
"Then sixteen seems the better choice. What do you think, Lian?"
I turned to Lian and asked for his opinion.
"I shall follow whatever you wish, Miss."
Since two years ago when Lian chose to follow me and remain at my side, he had shown unwavering loyalty.
He never defied me, and he obeyed my words so thoroughly he would feign death itself if I commanded it.
"Hmm...."
Realizing that asking such a question of him would yield no genuine answer, I fell silent in thought before speaking again.
"Very well. Let's make it sixteen."
"Yes, I understand."
The matter of Lian's age was thus settled for now.
After finishing our meal, we left the dining establishment.
And finally, I announced to them that we should return home.
The carriage was now heading in the opposite direction from our previous route.
I opened the window and leaned my head out, gesturing for Lian, who rode alongside on horseback, to come closer.
Lian slowed his horse's pace and drew it nearer to the carriage.
"What is it, Miss?"
"Are you prepared?"
"Prepared for what?"
"Once we reach the Capital, things will become far busier than they are now. Your training will grow more rigorous, and there will be countless other matters to attend to."
Mary and William were simply returning to their original positions, so I wasn't particularly concerned about them.
But Lian would now have to navigate a new place, encountering far more people than before.
And it was certain that I wouldn't be able to care for him at my side as I had been doing.
"You understand as well as I do that I am a noblewoman. Because of that, I cannot look after every detail of your life as I have until now. We may not see each other often. So you must stay sharp and live with vigilance. Do you understand?"
"...."
"Why aren't you answering?"
"...I understand."
Lian's voice had grown noticeably subdued.
It seemed to stem from hearing that I wouldn't be able to see him as often from now on.
"That's right. Still, you've done wonderfully all this time."
I gazed at Lian, who had followed me so faithfully, with genuine warmth and broke into a broad smile.
"Come here."
I beckoned him closer with a wave of my hand.
Lian stepped forward, but it still seemed his hand wouldn't quite reach mine.
"Lower your head a bit."
At my words, Lian immediately bowed his head toward the window.
I gently stroked his hair, which had become far softer and more lustrous than it had been two years ago, and whispered softly near his ear.
"When we return, let's visit the siblings we lived with together. Understood?"
Lian's eyes widened as though he hadn't expected such words, and he looked up at me.
A smile bloomed across his face, and he nodded slightly.
Shortly after, I closed the window and turned my head back into the carriage, only to find Mary staring directly at me.
"What is it?"
"It seems you're quite fond of Lian, Miss."
"I raised that boy, so I have a responsibility to care for him to the end. If I had a younger brother, I imagine it would feel much like this."
"Come to think of it, I have a younger brother myself—seven years my junior. Whenever I see him, I can't help but feel restless. I suspect he's grown quite a bit by now when I return."
"You have a brother?!"
I hadn't known.
Of course, a noblewoman wouldn't be expected to know the family relations of her servants, but still...
"Yes, and there's a seven-year age gap. He's absolutely adorable."
"You must have missed him terribly. Two years without seeing him because of me."
Why hadn't I considered that they had families too?
I looked at her with an apologetic expression, blaming myself for my thoughtlessness.
"Oh no, Miss. I chose to follow you on this journey because I wanted to. Thanks to you, I've been to places I never would have seen in my lifetime. So please don't make that face."
"When we return, I'll give you an extended leave. Go visit your family."
"Really?"
"Yes, and I'll prepare generous gifts for your family as well. Take them with you."
"Thank you so much, Miss!"
There was so much to do once we returned.
The most pressing matters were providing Mary and William with proper compensation for their years of service and arranging their leave, as well as preparing for their wedding.
And I needed to look into Lian's living arrangements as well.
'This will be busy.'
But having indulged myself for two years, I would return to living as a proper young lady of the Heitz Family.
With that resolve, I committed each task to memory one by one.
* * *
It took about a week to arrive home.
The Duke's Mansion stood before me, unchanged from the day I had departed.
"I've finally returned."
After being away for two years, the place felt strangely unfamiliar as I gazed quietly at the Manor from within the carriage, when suddenly commotion erupted near the entrance.
"Belita?!"
"Our daughter has returned?!"
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org