6.
"Wait."
"No. You need to stay lying down."
As Lancel tried to get up, Marigold quickly made him lie back down.
"They say you need to rest until you recover. Until then, I'll take care of you. Hehe, aren't you grateful?"
"Just making me lie down doesn't really count as taking care of me... sir."
An awkward honorific slipped out.
"Speak comfortably. Comfortably. We're friends now."
"Aren't we meeting for the first time?"
"I said speak comfortably. And it's not like we're meeting for the first time."
"...?"
"The letters!"
Marigold grinned broadly and pulled something out. It was a letter.
For some reason, it was covered in so many flower decorations that he almost didn't recognize it, but it was indeed the letter he had sent.
'So she had that.'
But does exchanging letters make them acquaintances?
"Since we're friends, I'll take care of you. No pain, no pain."
"..."
Marigold's small palm stroked Lancel's stomach and head. It was a meaningless gesture that just tickled.
"Get better, get better, all the pain goes away."
"...Miss Marigold, you don't have any friends, do you?"
"Ugh!"
He could see tears welling up in her eyes.
"I-I do...? Why would you..."
"You don't seem to understand what friendship is."
Her large eyes trembled as if he had hit the mark perfectly.
"W-w-what are you saying? There's Albert, Roxy, Sirin, Anis... and also... um... hmm..."
"They're not just servants from your household, are they?"
"Ugh!"
Another direct hit.
Young Marigold indeed had no friends. That was clear from how she had come running as soon as she received his letter.
"Never mind the details. Lancel, you're going to receive my care until you get better."
"I'm already better."
"Not yet."
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
"You're too close."
"Lancel, you know."
"...?"
"Your eyes are pretty. I've never seen silver eyes before."
Lancel couldn't move an inch under Marigold's intensity as she brought her face so close their foreheads nearly touched.
"Silver... others call them mouse-colored."
"Mouse? Mice are cute! Is that why Lancel is cute too?"
"C-cute!"
Cute?
Does that mean small?
An unnecessary complex jabbed at him.
'To be treated like a child by Marigold.'
How should he put it?
It felt unfair.
His growth spurt needed to come quickly.
"Pretty eyes."
Young Lancel's light gray eyes were a color that could be a bit creepy at night when they reflected light.
A color similar to winter wolves. Not many people would call it pretty. He often heard they were scary, though.
"You know, I actually heard something."
"...?"
"Hehehe."
Young Marigold wore a mischievous smile.
"The reason you pushed yourself so hard was because you wanted to meet me, right?"
"Gah!"
Lancel suddenly choked and broke into a coughing fit.
'Wait, is that how it works?'
He certainly had heard that reason.
It was his promise with Viscount Dante.
But still.
Even so.
"Lancel, from your letters you kept saying you wanted to see me... to go that far just to see me... but we can't until we're adults..."
"..."
Marigold's face was completely flushed.
Lancel could only break out in a cold sweat, wondering 'What can't we do?'
"Aren't your legs getting numb?"
"It's fine, it's fine."
In the end, Lancel was soon able to escape.
Marigold, who had been meaninglessly stroking him, gradually began to nod off until she finally fell asleep, snoring softly.
"Huyahuya..."
"..."
Lancel covered the floor-sleeping Marigold with a blanket and quickly slipped away.
He smiled faintly as he watched her sleeping soundly. After poking her puffy cheeks a few times, he lay down beside her and tried to go back to sleep.
.
.
.
Master.
Most of his memories of his master had been erased from his mind.
All that came to mind were just a few scenes. Honestly, Lancel could barely remember her face anymore.
Only her voice, warmth, touch, and scent floated through his memories.
Lancel attributed this simply to forgetfulness. With so much happening afterward, perhaps everything had been wiped from his mind?
No.
Perhaps he was just glad to have forgotten. Maybe he had wanted to forget so badly that he didn't even want to think about why he had forgotten.
After all, they were memories that would bring no good to dwell on.
—What if, you know.
In his dream that night, his master appeared.
—What if we had been born and met in an era without the Empire or war, Lancel?
—That's random.
—Why? Just think about it.
A forgotten memory. His master with a faintly obscured face was speaking.
—An era of peace like a painting. Fields where not a single corpse can be seen, with grass growing abundantly as far as the eye can see, and when the sun rises, you can see children running around from the top of the hill.
Nostalgia rippled through his master's voice.
—Cool breeze, golden wheat fields, hills covered in blooming flowers, chimneys with warm smoke rising, and the smell of baking bread, sandwiches... ahhh!
It was quite cliché.
This image of peace inside his master.
—If we had met in such a pleasant era, what do you think would have happened?
—I don't think we would have ever met in the first place.
Lancel smiled faintly as he continued.
—If there had been no war, I would have spent my whole life holed up somewhere, living leisurely. I'd probably waste years just bossing servants around, bragging about being from a knight's family.
—Really? I think differently.
—...?
Beneath his master's blurry face, only a mischievous smile was clearly drawn.
—I have a feeling we would have met somehow anyway. It's what you'd call fate.
Fate.
Looking back now, Lancel didn't believe in that word. Yes, he was glad he didn't believe in it.
'There is no such thing as fate, Master.'
7.
Lady Marigold began following Lancel around from the next morning.
During breakfast, while reading books, during brief walks, and when snacking before lunch.
"No, you can't come in here."
"Why not?"
"Because it's the bathroom."
"Then I'll just listen from outside the door."
"That's not happening."
The maids of the Dante family were busy gossiping among themselves as they watched the two sticking together.
"What's going on?"
"She's been following the young master everywhere!"
"Oh my, oh my. Since when, since when?"
"They say Marigold Lady went to wake him up this morning...!"
"Gasp!"
"R-really?"
In this remote region where the only girls his age were commoners, the sudden appearance of a refined young lady from a count's family made quite an impression.
Before morning was over, everyone in the territory was talking about the two of them.
"My lady, about your meal..."
"Can we eat together, just the two of us?"
"As you wish!"
Regardless of Lancel's wishes, lunch was served with all the servants withdrawn far away, leaving just the two of them.
Since both Lancel and Marigold had almost no—no, absolutely no—experience socializing with the opposite sex since childhood.
This scene provided fresh stimulation for the members of both households.
"Does the young lady like Lancel?"
"It seems that way, doesn't it?"
"If the lord had seen this, he would have wept tears of blood, wouldn't he?"
"Well, they're young. It's just like playing house. Besides, she's been looking brighter these days, which is nice."
"Is that so?"
Perhaps thanks to Rio Dante and Kyle Dante, who had started attending knight classes without Lancel, whose muscles hadn't fully recovered yet.
The time the two spent together grew even longer.
"Huff, huff!"
"Uncle Dante said you should still be resting. Is it okay for you to move around like that?"
"Training can't be skipped even for a day."
"Because you're a knight?"
"Well, yes."
Lancel continued swinging his wooden sword while answering Marigold, who sat on a mat.
'I need to be prepared for whatever might happen.'
If something unexpected were to occur while he was powerless, he would be completely helpless.
'Damn, all my accumulated effort...!'
The fact that he could live leisurely in his previous regression was all thanks to the minimal effort he had built up in his childhood.
To start again from zero.
From zero.
'Argh!'
Driven by frustration, Lancel swung his sword for a while before collapsing onto the mat.
"You worked hard, my knight Lancel!"
"Your knight?"
"Yes!"
"Me?"
"Uh-huh!"
'Did it already become like that?'
Lancel was at a loss for words as he looked at Marigold, who was wiping his sweat with a beaming smile.
'...I guess I'll just go with it.'
He had no intention of joining the Imperial Knights Order now anyway.
According to the original history, he was supposed to enter the Violet Knights as an apprentice.
Though called an apprentice, it was really just "imperial-certified knight training" under real knights, receiving training and education.
Naturally, Lancel had not the slightest intention of going back there. He would rather die than serve under the 1st Princess again.
'And I can't leave Marigold either.'
Smooch.
Lancel was startled by the soft sensation on his cheek and looked at Marigold.
"Oh my!"
"Kyaaah!"
"The young lady...!"
"The young master...!"
The servants from both households who were secretly watching from afar let out a collective cheer.
In contrast, Marigold seemed to have no sense of impropriety, just smiling with her whole face.
"...Friends don't usually kiss each other, Miss Marigold."
"Hm? Is that so?"
"Yes."
"But since I'm not ordinary, isn't it okay?"
"You're not ordinary, but..."
"It's fine, it's fine. Mother said you kiss people you like. I want to do it, so I do it."
"Like...?"
"Because you're a friend I like!"
"Ah."
Well.
Marigold at this age was too transparent and innocent. She was someone untainted by the world.
'So you're saying someone like this will someday fall from grace and wander the streets?'
A surge of emotion.
'Ah, sister!'
Lancel barely contained his rising emotions toward the game director with a sigh.
Truly, what a tragic fate, Marigold.
"Let's eat this together."
Marigold busily pulled out a wooden basket.
"The mansion is right there. Did you really need to pack a lunch?"
"Food tastes better outside, doesn't it?"
"...That's true."
Opening the wooden basket revealed bread, cheese, vegetables, and salted ham.
So that's why Marigold had been running around the kitchen with the maids since early morning—it was all to prepare this.
"Ah! No! Wait a bit longer!"
Marigold slapped away Lancel's outstretched hand and quickly took out the bread.
She split it in half and began diligently stuffing ingredients inside.
Lancel's eyes lit up.
'A Marigold-style sandwich!'
"Done! Now eat, darling."
"Darling?"
"Yes, darling."
"Darling..."
Is this playing house?
Lancel received it as if entranced.
"Eat a lot! I'll keep making them for you!"
"...This is pretty good."
"Right?"
The Marigold-style sandwich he was eating after so long was a bit rough, but it tasted amazing.
He wondered if she had been making them with such skill since this age.
.
.
.
After spending all day with the count's daughter, there was hardly anyone in the Dante Viscounty who didn't recognize the two of them.
Whenever Lancel was alone, people would ask why he was by himself without Marigold—that's how inseparable they had become.
Even today, Lancel had spent the whole day touring the farmlands with Marigold sticking to him like a shadow, returning home late.
Marigold, who was staying at a nearby barony, caused quite a scene by throwing a tantrum to the servants, refusing to go home.
Late evening.
"Lancel."
Viscount Dante called for Lancel.
"As soon as your muscles recover, attend knight lessons with your brothers. All the noble children in this area gather for these lessons, so it should be quite helpful."
"Yes, Father."
"...And Lady Marigold says she wants to attend the knight lessons too. Take good care of her."
"..."
Marigold.
How much more attached does she want to be?
'At least she's where I can see her, which is good.'
Yes.
This was what he had wanted.
But to think she would cling to him like a leech so quickly.
—Fate.
Fate, huh?
Lancel smiled wryly.
* * *
"Lady Marigold from the Count's family will be observing our swordsmanship practice from today. Let's give her a round of applause!"
The applause was very subdued.
The thirty or so children gathered for swordsmanship practice all looked dazed.
"Hello!"
Being the daughter of Count Marigold was enough to draw everyone's attention.
What was even more shocking was her white skin, something they had never seen before in this remote region full of farmland.
A genuine lady without a single blemish on her body. To their eyes, Marigold might as well have been a creature from another world.
"Work hard, Lancel!"
Marigold's gaze turned toward Lancel.
'...'
At that moment, the sharp stares of all the children his age turned toward him at once.