Chapter 04

I should go to the young master.

It was a rare treat—today she had butter and sugar.

On her way to Adrian’s room, Nina couldn’t stop smiling. She kept giggling to herself.

There was no one in the young master’s detached quarters.

Is he training today?

The place where Adrian trained swordsmanship was a secluded training ground.

Nina and Adrian had tried to maintain it together, but the weeds grew at an absurd speed.

She hopped along happily when she suddenly heard voices.

Rough curses. Violent sounds.

She froze without thinking—then kicked off the ground and ran toward it.

The sounds from the training ground grew clearer.

The swordsmanship instructor was cursing while unilaterally beating Adrian.

It wasn’t even a wooden sword.

It was steel.

Nina now understood what it sounded like when iron struck a human body.

She charged at him like an enraged hen.

“What, what the—?”

Even the instructor flinched for a moment.

Nina grabbed his leg and bit down hard on his thigh.

“Argh! You little—!”

“Nina!”

The taste of blood and torn flesh filled her mouth.

She spat it out and bit him again.

The instructor swung his steel sword at her.

After several blows, he finally managed to fling her off and glared furiously.

“I’ll kill you first!”

He raised his sword and approached—

But Adrian struck the back of his head with a wooden sword.

Thud!

With a dull crack, the wooden sword broke, and the instructor collapsed.

Adrian rushed to catch Nina as she was thrown aside.

“Nina, are you okay? Nina.”

“Adrian?”

“Thank goodness.”

He pulled her into his arms as if she were something precious.

“You damn—filthy bastards…”

The instructor staggered back to his feet.

Even now, Nina thought absently:

He’s really slow in the head.

Then—

The ground beneath the instructor’s feet suddenly caved in.

As if he had fallen into a swamp, he began sinking.

Nina already knew Adrian had contracted with the spirits of “Shadow” and “Darkness,” but seeing it in person was different.

“What—? Ahh! What is this?! Help me! Someone help me!”

He struggled wildly as he was slowly swallowed downward.

Adrian looked at him with cold eyes.

The instructor pleaded desperately.

“Save me! I was wrong! I was just doing what the Duchess told me! Please!”

Nina, still tightly held in Adrian’s arms, thought:

Right. Our young master is that kind of unsettlingly gentle person.

Not just a kind sub male lead.

The darkness swallowed the instructor completely.

Even as he screamed, no one came.

“I dropped the snacks,” Nina whispered from his arms.

“We can pick them up,” Adrian replied.

“Are you okay, Young Master?”

“I’m fine.”

He tightened his hold on her.

Feeling her breath and warmth, he whispered again:

“I’m fine, Nina.”

But you…

The words lingered on his tongue, then sank back down.

They went to the well and washed off the blood and wounds.

After limping and enduring the pain, they sat down and shared the snacks.

There was a bit of dirt in the food, but it was still sweet enough to improve Nina’s mood.

“But… will it be okay?” she asked.

“What will?”

Adrian looked puzzled.

Nina pointed at the ground.

“About the instructor who… disappeared.”

Adrian smiled—an elegant, picture-perfect smile.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

* * *

Despite his assurance, Nina still wondered if it would truly be fine.

But it was.

No one asked about the missing swordsmanship instructor.

That calmness gave Nina chills.

The servants did whisper, but since the man had been such a disgraceful person, most assumed he had simply gone off drinking somewhere and passed out.

Maybe it’s even better that no one comes here.

She didn’t feel horror at the idea of someone dying or being killed.

In this world where Bellac existed, death was very close.

Bellac and knights were inseparable.

Knights existed to fight Bellac and protect people.

It was the same in the Ruboaine Ducal House.

Yet in this household, stories about the knight order appeared far more often than stories about Bellac.

“Looks like they lost again this year.”

Nina muttered.

It was winter, and their breath came out in white puffs.

They were sitting side by side in a corner of the garden, watching the stars.

Even bundled in every piece of clothing they owned, it felt like they might freeze.

At least Nina had contracted with the spirits of the North Wind and Frost, making her more resistant to winter.

But Adrian must have been colder.

She had checked on him multiple times before bringing him out.

“Is this the second defeat already?”

Adrian asked.

Nina nodded.

The knight orders in this region had enormous prestige.

Even if people didn’t know their lord’s crest, they knew the knight order’s emblem.

Each territory and noble house had its own knight order, and disputes were often settled through duels.

They were, in essence, highly martial aristocrats.

The exchange tournament was one such event.

The Ruboaine Ducal Knight Order and the neighboring Barak County Knight Order would compete.

The winner would gain control over the Crystal Well—the largest well in the plains.

It was extremely important.

But they had already lost two years in a row.

At this rate, both agriculture and livestock farming would suffer.

“They say the Black Knight Order is just a ragtag group now. Apparently, they buy up anyone they can with money.”

Nina knew that Adrian was going to be appointed as the “Captain of the Black Knight Order.”

So whenever she heard about them, she listened carefully—but all she ever heard was bad news.

There were even rumors that the order might be dissolved and replaced entirely.

“…I see.”

Adrian trailed off.

Suddenly Nina turned to him.

“Did you see that shooting star just now?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“What a shame. If it appears again, I need to make three wishes. For this year’s New Year banquet: please give us cake. Cake, cake, cake.”

At her insistence, Adrian let out a small laugh.

Nina frowned at him.

“Cake is important.”

“Yes, it is important.”

He said it seriously.

They watched the stars a little longer, then stood up.

It was Nina’s decision—they would have frozen to death if they stayed any longer.

Perhaps Nina’s wish had worked.

That year’s New Year banquet included cake.

Even servants were given a slice each—a luxurious treat.

Nina grabbed her piece and ran to Adrian.

Seeing her triumphant expression, Adrian smiled.

“I should’ve made a wish too. I would’ve liked to not miss out.”

Nina took a fork and stabbed a piece of cake, popping it into her mouth.

“Mmm!”

Butter and sugar melted in her mouth.

It was so rich it felt almost shocking.

Her cheeks flushed as her eyes sparkled.

Adrian took a small bite and said,

“Nina, you should eat more.”

“You should eat more, Young Master!”

She cut a large piece and shoved it toward his mouth.

After being forced to eat it, Adrian gave a wry smile.

“Is it good?”

“Yes.”

“But it’s a bit grainy. Maybe it was hard to whip properly because it’s winter. Or maybe ours is just like this?”

Nina cut another piece and ate it, then shoved the rest into Adrian’s mouth.

“How is it?”

Adrian looked at her.

His gaze toward Nina was just like when he looked at the stars.

She felt a little embarrassed—but also oddly accepting of it.

Cake was worth that kind of attention, wasn’t it?

He reached out and wiped cream from the corner of her mouth.

“May the blessings of the Great Spirits overflow this year.”

At Adrian’s New Year greeting, Nina smiled and replied:

“May you have a year filled with the blessings of the Great Spirits.”