Chapter 46

As soon as the morning sun rose, the Histania siblings prepared to leave the estate.

Hannah had to go to the Academy, and Malik had to return to the Knights after taking a short leave. Though it was regrettable to see them go, I couldn't hold back the busiest people in the Empire.

I hadn't even gotten to talk with Hannah.

I wanted to hear how she had dealt with Mikhail, how she'd been doing since that day, but they were leaving earlier than I'd expected, leaving me with lingering disappointment.

Standing at the entrance, I handed Malik the paper bag I had prepared.

A paper bag containing a tteokbokki recipe and a homemade cake. Malik peeked inside the paper bag and smiled lightly.

"Did you make this yourself?"

As expected of the godfather of the restaurant business.

He could tell right away just from the clumsy packaging.

I gave an awkward smile and answered Malik. Normally, it would be proper to buy something from a decent dessert shop, but since no shops were open at this hour, I had made the cake myself.

I hoped he would enjoy it.

"Yes, haha... There were no shops open at this hour, so I tried making it myself. I can't guarantee the taste though."

"Opening a shop at this hour would be a loss."

Malik wore a satisfied smile.

During my days as an apprentice butler, the Young Lady had told me:

It's not proper to send guests away empty-handed. When someone has come such a long way, how disappointed would they be to return empty-handed?

- Ricardo, Will I get gifts if I fight at parties?

- Whose hair did you grab today?

- Celia.

- Who is that?

- You know. That fat, ugly girl.

- Still, grabbing hair...

- She called me a parasite who only wastes food!

- Well done. What's that young lady's house address?

- Huh? Anyway, you don't get gifts when you fight?

- No.

- ...That's disappointing.

It was a lesson born from the Young Lady's experience.

Malik and Hannah seemed pleased with this consideration, smiling as they offered their thanks.

"I'll enjoy it."

"I'll enjoy it!"

Before leaving through the front door.

Hannah turned around to look at me.

She looked at me with flushed cheeks and meaningful eyes—did she have a fever? Worried, I naturally placed my hand on Hannah's forehead.

"Huh?"

Her face turned red like a persimmon.

I realized too late that I had made a mistake.

Having done this so many times with the Young Lady, it had become second nature—to place my hand on an unmarried maiden's forehead.

In my previous life, I would have been shackled for this.

Hannah's eyes widened.

"Wh...wh...what?"

With eyes that seemed to ask what was happening.

Fanning her heated face with her hand, Hannah muttered 'Is...is this the flirting I've only heard about in rumors?' while breathing out hot air.

I hurriedly removed my hand from Hannah's forehead. I didn't forget to bow my head in apology either.

"I'm sorry. Your face was so red I thought you had a fever."

"My face is red...? Oh. Ah... Uh..."

Hannah made strange sounds. Touching the spot where my hand had been and glancing at my face, Hannah covered her heated face with her hands and said:

"I don't have a fever... No. I think I might. If you could touch it again..."

"I'll bring some fever medicine."

Hannah waved her hands frantically in refusal.

"I don't need it. I...I was just surprised."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you don't need to be sorry, one more time... no... never mind."

"You don't need to worry about me. There's medicine stocked in the estate."

"I'm really fine. Really...!"

Watching this scene, Malik smiled like an extremely aged uncle.

"Youth, indeed..... Cough!"

Hannah drove her elbow into Malik's side. It seemed to contain Aura—would he be okay?

There was a sound of bones breaking...

Malik clutched his side and couldn't move for a while.

A cool breeze blew through the open front door. The morning sun was rising, and birds were chirping.

Adjusting his clothes, Malik rubbed his side and extended his hand to me. A rare situation where a noble was offering a handshake to a commoner. Even at the Academy where equality was guaranteed, this was not easily seen.

"The 'Porxche Unit 1' we talked about yesterday should be completed around December at the earliest. As for the thank-you letter..."

"I'll send about 10 pages, packed tight."

Malik's expression grew serious.

"Don't write letters since I can't even read what you write."

My pride was hurt in various ways.

We exchanged our final farewells.

Hannah hugged me tightly and gave me a wink along with the meaningful words 'next time for sure,' while Malik was stamping his feet in anticipation of the new menu that Forest Friend would be launching.

Malik urged Hannah, who was hugging me tightly like a beloved plush.

"Let's go."

"Just a little longer."

"We don't have time. We need to stop by the shop too, so we can't afford to dawdle."

"Brother, aren't you going to the Imperial Knights?"

"I can be a little late there."

Malik was more serious about his side business than his main job.

Before leaving, Malik turned back to tell me something. As if he had just remembered something he'd forgotten.

"Oh, come to think of it, I didn't mention this. Academy students will probably be coming to Hamel soon."

"Academy students? Are they coming for a group meal?"

"No, I heard they're making an undiscovered dungeon into an exam. Did you know about this?"

I knew.

Because a new story was about to begin.

Mikhail's awakening story.

I had known for some time that the story where Yuria gets kidnapped by heretics and Mikhail goes to rescue her would begin here in Hamel.

That's why I had found a way to replace my right hand.

I shook my head.

"I didn't know."

Letting out a long sigh, Malik took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. As he was about to light it.

- Whoosh.

Hannah's hand flashed by in an instant, throwing Malik's cigarette over the fence.

"Don't smoke. It smells."

"...It doesn't smell if I smoke outside."

"Don't smoke."

"..."

Malik looked at me with wistful eyes.

"Do you have a younger sister?"

"No. I'm an orphan."

Malik nodded.

"That's fortunate."

Malik sighed while looking wistfully at the cigarette that had disappeared beyond the fence.

"It was a mast...."

"Anyway, I thought it wouldn't be a good meeting, so I mentioned it. I figured it wouldn't be good for you or those kids if you ran into each other."

Malik spoke directly without beating around the bush. That was Malik's personality, and that was the reason he said this.

I nodded slightly and gave my thanks.

"I'll have to stay holed up in the estate for a while."

"That's up to you."

Hannah left the estate with a regretful expression.

***

Inside the carriage heading to the capital.

Hannah asked Malik, who was reading the blueprint.

He'd been grinning and laughing like he was looking at some dirty magazine, making him look like a sick person.

"What's that?"

"Adult magazine."

"Are you crazy?"

"No."

Malik chuckled softly.

"Kids aren't allowed to see this."

"As if that exists, show me too."

"No."

Malik hid the blueprint in his chest.

If it got out that he spent 3 million gold, he'd be screwed.

Even for the renowned sword family Histania, 3 million gold was a bit burdensome. It could be solved by embezzling personal funds and the family's finances, but.

He'd probably get an earful.

He'd acted first and thought later, but after acting, the amount was so large that it became a problem he'd have to take to his grave, so only sighs escaped from Malik's lips.

An estimate he'd excitedly inflated himself.

But 'Porsche No. 1' was worth it, so he had no regrets. When it comes to making a man's heart race, you have to act first and think later. And once a knight says he'll do something, keeping his word is what makes him a knight.

- Are you really a knight?

When the capable butler's words came to mind, Malik let out a bitter laugh.

3 million gold. Not even naming someone else's dog, but saying he'd do it out of the blue like a crazy bastard. To think I'd become that person.

It was true he'd spent a lot of money, but he didn't regret it.

The gift he received was worth that much, and being able to sit together with his sister was all thanks to that guy.

- You're sorry for treating me badly all this time? Are you kidding...? I felt like I was going to die because of older brother and older sister.... And now you're saying you're sorry?

- Why? Because I awakened my Aura so father would bring me back?

- Or did you want to try acting like an older brother now? The great older brother should go to dad and learn swordsmanship. I'm going to live my own life.

Thanks to that guy, he didn't give up.

- Scared?

If he didn't change and met that guy, it was obvious he'd be teased endlessly.

Thanks to him, he realized what he was lacking.

He also realized how insufficient he was. So he seemed to cling even more desperately.

He clashed, apologized, and was rejected, but through persistent efforts, his sister finally accepted his apology.

- I wasn't going to accept any forgiveness or anything, I was going to leave this tiresome family. But....

His sister cried.

For the first time in front of him.

- Like a fool, I've been waiting for these words until now.... It's so frustrating.

It was thanks to that guy pushing his back that he had his first proper conversation with his sister and realized what trash of a person he was.

3 million gold would be getting off cheap.

Malik let out a deep sigh.

'What is father planning to do.'

The second son wants to disown Hannah, and father just keeps his mouth shut and turns a blind eye.... Even he thinks it's a family with no answers.

Hannah doesn't even want to see father's face either. Caught in the middle, Malik's sighs only grew longer.

The carriage moved toward its destination.

Past Hamel to the capital.

When the imperial palace became visible through the window.

Malik casually threw out a comment to his sister.

"Sister."

"Yeah?"

"That guy, do you like him?"

- Smack!

Hannah stamped her seal on Malik's back. A vivid red handprint remained. Malik had a gut feeling he'd have a bruise when he got home.

Even so, Malik spoke.

Because his sister's reaction was amusing.

"He's pretty handsome and his martial prowess is impressive, so he's definitely good husband material."

"...Be quiet."

"This older brother supports his sister. From what I saw, that guy doesn't seem to have a fiancée either."

Hannah shook her head.

"That's the thing..."

"Hm?"

Hannah, leaning against the window, sighed deeply and said.

"I'm not really sure."

"Did he have a fiancée?"

"No. It just seems like there's something similar"

Hannah trailed off and stared blankly out the window. The events of last evening kept coming to mind.

- Milady doesn't like Senior Mikhail?

- Huh...?

The young lady's flustered face.

It wasn't the embarrassment that comes from being caught liking someone, but an expression that came from genuine surprise.

- Ah.... That's.

The young lady said clearly.

- I don't think I like him anymore.

Hannah was bothered by the young lady's awkward smile.

'Being the legal wife seems difficult.'

Hannah was quick to catch on.