Chapter 90: The Maid and the Young Master (4)

Hailey was at a loss about what to do with this small young master cradled in her arms.

The little boy, hanging his head in silence, wouldn’t look back at her no matter how much she called out to him. She could feel the faint heat radiating from Alphonse’s head against her skin, making it clear that the boy was feeling shy.

What was making this child so bashful?

To open up the boy’s heart, first, she needed to understand the reason behind it.

But Hailey didn’t have to ponder deeply about it. She already had a guess about what Alphonse was embarrassed about.

Hailey thought that Alphonse’s embarrassment stemmed from the guilt of watching her perform her sword dance at every dawn. The first time could be dismissed as a chance encounter on the street, but Alphonse had hidden and watched her sword dance several times already.

In Hailey’s eyes, Alphonse was a very smart and thoughtful child.

Observing Alphonse’s actions made it hard to believe he was only seven years old; he seemed mature and considerate beyond his years.

It wasn’t just about him being well-versed in etiquette.

Hailey, although still young, had mastered the art of diplomacy as a maid assisting Elena. Even she acknowledged that Alphonse’s ability to assess situations and react was not typical for a child.

A normal seven-year-old wouldn’t leave his beloved Hyung and noona to secretly sneak away. They would usually want to stay and might even throw tantrums or cry.

During the last spring’s hunting tournament, didn’t he tactfully make the ladies from the southern noble families back off from surrounding Elena?

The place where they stood was in the lordship of Kraus, and Alphonse was the second son of Count Kraus.

Strictly speaking, Alphonse was not at fault. If anyone was to blame, it would be Hailey for swinging her sword without permission in someone else’s training ground.

Hailey believed that Alphonse was probably aware of this fact as well.

However, this mature-for-his-age little boy was feeling guilty for secretly watching someone else’s practice.

‘It’s really not a big deal.’

Hailey had known all along that Alphonse had been watching her sword dance. From the day she first went out at dawn, Alphonse’s behavior towards her had changed, making it impossible not to notice.

She never intended to keep it a secret in the first place.

Her decision to practice swordplay at dawn wasn’t so much about hiding it from others, but more about her liking the routine she started that morning.

Honestly, Hailey was pleased that Alphonse felt this way.

For a knight, watching someone else’s training without permission was dishonorable, which meant that Alphonse viewed Hailey as a legitimate swordswoman.

‘Maybe I should start by explaining that to him.’

Telling him the truth would probably alleviate some of Alphonse’s guilt.

Knowing that Alphonse had caught her from the first day was a relief; had she known she was being watched by Alphonse or someone else that day, she might have felt embarrassed. Therefore, Hailey felt a sense of responsibility for Alphonse’s continued shyness.

As Hailey was choosing her words, Alphonse spoke up first.

“...Please.”

“What?”

“Let go... please... Hailey. It’s hot...”

At Alphonse’s faint outcry, Hailey looked down at him.

“Oh.”

Seeing the heat-stricken Alphonse, Hailey instantly understood the problem.

Hailey wasn’t particularly tall, but she was tall enough to hold little Alphonse in her arms. Alphonse, being so light and small, was effortlessly cradled by Hailey, almost like handling a doll.

In the mid-winter, it was natural to sweat when people were close to each other, let alone in the early summer when the temperature was rising.

Especially since Alphonse was nestled between Hailey’s chest, he was bound to feel more heat. All this time, she thought his flushed face was from embarrassment, but there was another reason hidden beneath.

***

Alphonse pulled away from Hailey, and for a brief moment, silence lingered between them.

Physically and emotionally, Alphonse needed to dissipate the heat, and there was no better coolant than this silence. As the warmth slightly subsided, Alphonse, as planned, bowed his head and apologized to Hailey.

“I’m sorry for watching your training in silence all this time. I should have spoken up earlier, but I lacked the courage and only now found my voice.”

His face, still a bit flushed, indicated the heat hadn’t entirely faded, but his mind seemed clear, his vocabulary as eloquent as ever.

Hailey, upon seeing Alphonse’s solemn face, quickly waved off his apology.

“No, it’s my fault for swinging my sword at dawn without permission, not yours for seeing it. By the way, you came to the training ground at dawn that day for practice, right? Have you always been waking up early to train?”

“What? Yes... that’s right.”

“That’s amazing!!”

Hailey, unable to keep looking at Alphonse’s face, shifted the conversation to praise his reasons for being out at dawn.

It wasn’t just small talk to change the subject; Hailey had thought about what to say when she first encountered Alphonse, just as he had pondered before meeting her. Naturally, she wondered why Alphonse was outside that day.

Waking up early to train at his age, when sleep was usually abundant, was impressive, and Hailey thought so too.

Although surprised by the sudden praise, Alphonse’s lips slowly curled into a smile.

As their conversation continued, the distance between them seemed to close.

Despite the earlier awkwardness, both were eager to talk, and as Alphonse regained his composure, their conversation flowed smoothly.

Each time he spoke with Hailey, Alphonse felt a pleasant sense of relief.

It felt like a blockage had suddenly cleared like a weight had been lifted off his heart. His heart still raced uncontrollably, but that was a small price to pay for this relief.

Every time Hailey shared why she had put down and then taken up her sword again, he felt like they were growing closer, discovering things he hadn’t known before. It made him smile, thinking about it.

“Hehe. I’ve never shared this story with the lady, but speaking it out loud like this feels liberating.”

Above all, Alphonse felt happy seeing Hailey looking at him so comfortably. Even if it was only possible because of his young age, sharing a secret that even Elena, the closest to Hailey, didn’t know was something special.

“When I think about it, my coming out at dawn has been preventing the young master from training. So, in the future, I should perhaps ask the captain for permission to practice in the afternoon...”

“No, you can’t!!!”

“What?”

“You see, during the day, you have a lot of other duties, right? People might misunderstand and think you’re slacking off... And Sir Gwen, although he seems benign, is quite a stickler for rules! He might not let anyone but the knights use the training ground. Also, after the knights’ training, my brother and I use it. He’s teaching me the family’s secret sword techniques during that time, so he’s restricted access to others. I think it’s better for you to continue getting up early for morning exercises!”

“Oh..hahaha, I see?”

Hailey nodded, her face blank, as Alphonse’s words tumbled out relentlessly.

Alphonse felt a pang of guilt for inadvertently painting Sir Gwen as an overly strict disciplinarian, but seeing Hailey nod in apparent agreement washed away his guilt.

The reason he appeared before Hailey now was to share this dawn time openly, not to prevent these early morning meetings. If Hailey stopped coming, it would defeat the purpose.

“But then, won’t the young master’s training be affected?”

“Originally, my training at dawn was more about physical conditioning than sword technique, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“Ah~”

It wasn’t entirely untrue that Alphonse focused more on physical training than swordsmanship. It was a half-truth.

“Indeed, you’re right, young master. It’s tough during the day with all the work to be done. An outsider swinging a sword amidst the members would certainly cause inconvenience... So, if it doesn’t bother you, may I continue to come out at dawn like this?”

“Yes! Of course!!!”

Alphonse finally smiled brightly, responding to Hailey’s assurance to come out only at dawn.

Time had flown by unnoticed, and a red glow was creeping into the dark sky in the distance. They needed to leave soon to avoid being discovered by others.

Although they had only talked, Alphonse thought it was time well spent. To progress from merely observing to this felt gratifying. The day was just breaking, yet he was already looking forward to the evening.

“Young master.”

As Alphonse was about to return to his room, still beaming, Hailey stopped him. Turning around, wondering if she had something more to say, she handed him a small stone.

“You forgot this.”

“Oh, this is...”

The colorless crystal, which hadn’t shone in Hailey’s hand, began to emit a bright light as soon as it touched Alphonse’s hand. It was the illumination stone Alphonse had brought as a makeshift lamp. Hailey must have found it after it slipped from his hand when she surprised him.

“It’s a beautiful light. I used to practice a lot with one of these when I was younger. Seeing it shine so brightly, you’ll undoubtedly become a great knight when you grow up.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Hailey.”

Alphonse didn’t feel his heart race as before when Hailey gently patted his head. Instead, it felt like emerging from a blissful dream into reality, as if struck by cold water.

Hailey’s words were devoid of malice, filled only with goodwill, but Alphonse knew there was more to it than that.

The shadow cast on Hailey’s face, beyond the brightly shining illumination stone, was clear in Alphonse’s eyes.

After parting from Hailey, Alphonse stared at the illumination stone in his hand for a long time.

Was it because of their conversation and learning what made her put down her sword? The small pebble-sized illumination stone she had handed to him felt as heavy as if he were holding a rock.

--- END OF CHAPTER ---

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