Chapter 53
Luna, too, merely looked up at me with an innocent face that didn’t match her massive size.
“……Are you bored?”
At my question, the wolf’s tail swished energetically from side to side. Her golden eyes sparkled with unmistakable anticipation, as if hoping I would play with her.
“Alright, fine. Shall we go for a short walk?”
“Woof!”
I took Luna with me and stepped outside the mansion.
The wide open field behind the estate, where she could run as much as she liked, was Luna’s favorite place.
Though Luna was a wolf rather than a dog, I often played fetch with her—throwing a ball and having her bring it back.
“Alright, Luna! Here it goes!”
Like a perfectly trained dog, Luna never missed the ball I threw, fetching it every single time.
While we were passing the time like that—
“Whine?”
Suddenly, Luna pricked up her ears and stared in one direction.
At the same time, I heard the sound of nearby maids giggling and whispering among themselves.
Just that was enough for me to immediately know who had appeared.
In this mansion, there were only two people whose mere presence could set the maids abuzz.
“Miss Lizzie.”
One of them, Michael, approached me and greeted me.
“Good afternoon, Sir Michael.”
I returned the greeting with a small bow.
It had already been three years since Michael began staying at this estate.
After a series of incidents, he hadn’t returned home but instead devoted himself to helping the needy at the temple in the Levainion territory.
With that background, along with his gentle and kind disposition, he was immensely popular among the maids—and his looks alone made him a constant topic of conversation.
—
“You know Sir Michael—don’t you think he gets more handsome the more you look at him?”
“Absolutely. That long silver hair fluttering in the wind, those blue eyes… Well, not quite as beautiful as the young master’s silver hair, being of pure Levainion blood, but still.”
“Honestly, I thought so too. Maybe because he once devoted himself to the clergy—he has this mysterious air about him. Of course our young master is wonderful too, but personally, Sir Michael is more my type…”
“Shh! Someone might hear you!”
—
Judging by the way the maids whispered about him, Michael seemed to serve as a truly excellent piece of visual welfare for House Levainion.
…Though unfortunately, I alone did not get to enjoy that particular benefit.
At one point, I had worried about his prolonged stay.
Given how difficult he was to read, I couldn’t help but suspect that he might secretly covet Callios’s position.
But as time passed, those doubts gradually faded.
He showed absolutely no interest in the position of heir to the ducal house.
In fact, there were moments when I felt he took more interest in me than in Callios.
If that weren’t the case, there’d be no reason for him to look after me this much.
For someone like me, who couldn’t see, he would often read books aloud that he borrowed from the library, or teach me about the history and culture of this world.
Thanks to him, I had even learned to read and write this world’s script to some extent.
I managed to escape being completely ignorant because of that.
Now, rather than wariness, I felt far more gratitude toward him.
“Oh—how is Willie doing?”
I asked, suddenly thinking of a child.
Willie was the lame boy Callios had helped during a festival three years ago.
Afterward, thanks to Callios’s support, the boy had been able to stay at the temple.
“He’s doing well. He misses you very much, Miss Lizzie. Every time he sees me, he keeps asking when Sister Lizzie will come to the temple again.”
“Oh… I haven’t been able to go at all lately because I’ve been so busy.”
I had often gone to the temple with Michael to volunteer.
Teaching children who had become physically disabled through accidents how to live independently.
Many vagrant children who suddenly acquired disabilities couldn’t survive life on the streets, so my guidance seemed to help quite a bit.
How happy it felt to be able to help others without relying on anyone myself.
“Please tell him I’ll definitely come next week.”
“I will.”
“Um…”
When I hesitated, looking as though I had more to say, Michael didn’t leave and instead asked,
“Yes? Is there something else?”
“About that forest where the Nereia clan is said to live—has there been any progress…?”
“Ah.”
At my question, he let out a small exclamation as if recalling it.
“You were wondering whether there might be other members of the wolf’s family there.”
“Yes. Both Callios and I care for Luna very much, but… if there truly is a pack she used to travel with, then wouldn’t it be right to return her to the forest?”
That was why I had asked Michael to look into the Forest of Nereia, which might be Luna’s homeland.
But so far, no solid information had surfaced. Michael replied in an apologetic tone.
“I’ve searched not only the temple archives but also old texts from other libraries, yet I still haven’t been able to find the forest’s exact location. I’m truly sorry.”
“Oh, no, no! Please don’t apologize! I’m the one who feels sorry for taking up the time of someone as busy as you…”
“It seems difficult to find that forest relying solely on records in books.”
“I suppose so…”
Hearing the disappointment in my voice, Michael suddenly said,
“How about you search for it yourself, Miss Lizzie?”
“Me?”
At his unexpected suggestion, my eyes widened. If even Michael couldn’t find information on the forest, how was I supposed to?
“You have the wolf right here.”
Michael answered plainly.
“If Luna truly came from the Forest of Nereia, she may also remember the path leading there.”
…Luna?
At his words, I looked down at Luna, who was sitting beside me with the ball in her mouth.
As always, the wolf gazed at me with an innocent expression, waiting for me to throw the ball again.
Could Luna really know where that forest was?
So far, aside from being visible to my eyes, Luna hadn’t shown any particularly mystical abilities.
“Whine…”
When I kept staring at her in thought, Luna lifted her front paw, urging me to throw the ball again.
“Alright, I’ll throw it.”
I took the ball from Luna and threw it with all my strength. She sprinted after it and snatched it midair in an instant.
But just as it seemed she was coming back to me, Luna ran right past me and kept going.
“Huh? Luna!”
Soon, Luna stopped, raised her front paws toward someone, and wagged her tail.
“……Are you throwing a tantrum at me right now? You should consider your weight.”
A voice, calmer than three years ago and noticeably deeper, rang out.
Its owner promptly took the ball from Luna and threw it far away.
Judging by how much farther it flew compared to my throw, Luna vanished into the distance in the blink of an eye.
As I listened to that retreating figure, a slightly disgruntled voice reached my ears.
“I was wondering where you were… What are you two doing here?”
“Young master!”
Taking my eyes off Luna’s disappearing form, I turned toward the voice.
Instead of answering, approaching footsteps sounded. Then, lightly, a coat was draped over my shoulders.
“No matter how much it’s spring, you shouldn’t come out without wearing anything. The wind is still quite chilly.”
Callios spoke in a faintly sulky tone.
“I wanted to enjoy the spring sunshine, so I deliberately didn’t bring an outer layer.”
I tried to take off the coat he had placed over me to give it back, but he pressed it down firmly, stopping me.
“Just wear it. Don’t catch a cold.”
“Who catches a cold in weather like this?”
“Don’t you remember? Around this time last year, you wandered around like this and ended up catching a cold all by yourself, sick all day long. How much do you plan on suffering this time? Stop arguing and listen to me.”
Callios nagged on, even digging up last year’s memories.
Just like now, he often interfered in my affairs and scolded me, regardless of who was around.
…No wonder the other maids misunderstand.
From another perspective, it really did look like he was doting on me, so it wasn’t strange that people might misunderstand and think Callios had romantic interest in me.
