Chapter 43
“Garyan. So you were here.”
Erika called out the boy’s name in a soft but clear voice.
Unlike the other knights who were washing themselves at the water basin, shirtless, Garyan was alone in a secluded spot.
Sitting carelessly on a tree stump and wetting his head with a canteen, Garyan instantly recognized Erika’s voice and sprang up like a spring.
The boy’s gray eyes trembled as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Young Lady?”
Erika smiled a little wider and spoke to Garyan.
“Working hard?”
“Uh, how did you get all the way here?”
At first, Garyan had called Erika “Miss” without knowing better, but during his stay at the Duke’s mansion, he naturally came to understand Erika’s status.
He also learned why Sebastian had stared at him as if he wanted to kill him that day in the sitting room.
Honestly, he was discouraged, thinking he wouldn’t even get a chance to take the knight’s entrance exam.
But unexpectedly, Garyan was given the chance to take the exam.
“Duty is duty, and personal feelings are personal feelings.”
Sebastian said this.
In other words, Sebastian didn’t like Garyan but promised not to let personal feelings interfere with the process.
Sebastian then offered payment for the information about the incident in the northern forest and compensation for keeping it secret.
“No matter how much it is, I know it won’t be enough for someone who lost family.”
He also promised extra consolation money for the unfortunate accident in which Garyan lost his family.
But Garyan simply refused the compensation, grateful just to have the opportunity.
His life now belonged to the young lady, so material things held little meaning.
Sebastian added that if Garyan failed the entrance exam, he would arrange another job so he could settle down.
But Garyan passed with flying colors.
Having hunted beasts in the forest to survive, he naturally had a good sense for handling weapons and exceptional physical fitness.
So, Garyan scored nearly perfect marks on the exam and was now living as a squire among the other knights.
Garyan quickly shook off the water from his hair and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“Here, use this.”
Seeing this, Erika couldn’t help but hand him her handkerchief.
But Garyan just stared blankly at it, not daring to accept it.
“Why?”
“It looks too precious for me to use.”
“Nonsense. You carry it around to use it anyway.”
Erika reached out again and gave Garyan the handkerchief directly.
The boy took it in surprise but didn’t immediately wipe his sweat.
Instead, he spread the handkerchief wide to make a seat for Erika.
“Please sit.”
“I didn’t mean for you to do that…”
Erika gave a thankful glance and sat down.
She neatly folded her parasol and put it down beside her, then spoke warmly first.
“It’s very hot, isn’t it? How’s life in the knights’ order? Do the senior knights treat you well?”
“…Yes.”
Garyan answered somewhat stiffly.
Life in the dorm had a slight distance, but it wasn’t as harshly exclusionary as the village, so he managed.
“That’s good.”
Erika murmured almost inaudibly.
Since she had brought Garyan herself, it seemed she had been worried about his treatment all along.
“Work hard. I hope the day comes when you wear the splendid uniform of the Acliff Knights. That’ll surely be magnificent.”
Erika smiled brightly, curling her eyes.
Garyan quietly looked at her face for a while, then averted his gaze and bowed deeply.
Receiving encouragement from a little lady smaller than himself, for some reason, made his heart flutter and his face flush.
He fidgeted nervously with the innocent canteen in his hands, then after a while, spoke up with a timid voice.
“Young Lady.”
“Hm?”
“When that day… comes.”
“That day? What day?”
“The day I wear the knight’s uniform. It’s a bit far off, but…”
“Yes.”
Garyan took a short breath, then lifted his gaze from the canteen.
His gray eyes looked serious as he slowly spoke, staring at Erika.
“If I offer my sword to the young lady, will you accept it?”
“Garyan. Are you talking about the knight’s oath?”
Garyan nodded seriously.
Since joining the knights, he had overheard what senior knights talked about.
One of those was the knight’s oath: a knight pledges loyalty to only one master in his lifetime.
That master could be a lord or a lady.
Since it can be done only once in a lifetime, it’s called the knight’s sole right.
The moment Garyan heard this, only one person came to his mind.
The boy waited anxiously for Erika’s reply.
Would she, as always, smile brightly and nod big?
His heart raced as if about to burst with hope.
But then—
“Eh. That can’t be.”
Erika answered firmly and shook her head.
Then she burst into a light laugh and shook her head lightly again.
Each time, her red hair swayed like falling flower petals, capturing Garyan’s eyes.
Unexpectedly rejected, Garyan felt somewhat deflated.
“If it’s because you think I’m not skilled enough…”
“No! That’s not what I meant!”
Erika shook her hands and denied, then lightly scratched her cheek.
How should she explain without hurting Garyan’s feelings?
Choosing her words carefully, Erika explained slowly.
“I’ve heard that wearing the Acliff Duke’s knights’ uniform is very difficult. If such a day comes for you, shouldn’t that loyalty oath be pledged not to me, but to the lord of the Acliff Duke family, your father, or to Sir Sebastian?”
Her smiling face was full of goodwill.
Garyan soon nodded.
“I understand what you mean…”
Garyan answered with a dejected voice.
Erika thought he seemed a little upset but relieved he understood, and gently tapped his shoulder with her small hand.
“Just the words are enough. Work hard, Garyan.”
“Yes, Young Lady. I will do my best to never disappoint you.”
Just then, from afar, the knights’ captain was seen signaling everyone to gather as the rest period ended.
Erika stood up.
“Well then, I’ll be off.”
She opened her parasol again, gave a small wave, and turned away.
Garyan’s gaze lingered on her back for a long time.
It was the beginning of summer.
The sun was unbearably hot, melting everything in its sticky heat.
“Hmm.”
Erika seemed as if she was about to step into the mirror.
The frown between her brows, rarely seen, was deeply etched.
She pinched up some stray hairs on her forehead with her right thumb and forefinger.
Then she squinted one eye and opened the other wide.
“As expected.”
A heavy, deep sigh, as if carrying all the world’s worries, slipped from her small lips.
Only then did Erika pull back from the mirror and leaned lazily against the chair’s backrest.
Her chubby cheeks showed full displeasure.
Spinning her curly hair around her finger, Erika muttered.
“My hair has grown a lot already.”
Though her bright red hair made it hard to notice, near her scalp were thin silver strands poking out like threads.
If Bonpiju were alive, she would have had to dye her hair when it was even shorter.
Erika bit her lip nervously, then made up her mind.
“I should dye it before it gets too late.”
Today, Joanna also left work early.
Erika found the hidden dye bottle, took it out, and ran to the bathroom.
She turned on the faucet, filled water, then dropped a single drop of dye into it.
The clear water instantly turned opaque and bright red.
Just one drop was enough to dye all her hair.
The dye was strong and effective but harsh; the first time she used it, her skin had stung a bit.
“Don’t soak it too long.”
Gathering her curly hair together, Erika dipped it in the basin.
She carefully rubbed the dye in, paying special attention near the scalp.
“Ah! I should wash my face too.”
To dye her eyelashes and eyebrows as well, Erika washed her face thoroughly.
Her hair, soaked with dye, was heavier and curlier than usual.
“Ugh!”
She squeezed out the water with all her strength and wrapped her head in a towel to wring out the remaining moisture.
Just then, knocking sounded at the door.
“Chick, are you in your room?”
The door swung open.
Sebastian barged in like a rogue.
“D-Duke?”
Erika was startled and raised her arms over her head, covering her hair.
‘Oh no, what if the towel is stained with red dye?’
