“No. Not yet.”
“Then, do you not have a lover?”
“I don’t.”
“Why don’t you have one?”
“How am I supposed to know that?”
I’d like to know that, too.
One day, when I came to my senses, my brother had left for the battlefield with his wife, and people told me that from then on, I was the head of the house.
I have no memories since that day other than working like crazy.
Lucas tilted his head as if it were strange, then suddenly smiled brightly.
“Then I am the first?”
Is that something to be so happy about?
Lucas went a step further, came up to me, and slid his two hands onto my waist.
“Then I am the first to kiss you, and I am the first to have sex with you, right?”
“W-what are you talking about?”
I didn’t know what he was doing. I won’t do it. I will absolutely not do it with you.
I grabbed his hands and pulled them off.
I was tense from the strange atmosphere, and suddenly I turned the tables on Lucas.
“Then what about you? You seem like you’d be popular, so why haven’t you married?”
It’s content I know from reading the novel, but when I asked Lucas directly, he told me he had never even been engaged.
Lucas tilted his head and smiled with his eyes.
“Are you jealous?”
Wow. Oh my god.
I could only think that he was born this way.
That attitude with that face is a crime. He is such a sinful man.
I wonder if it’s because he was too popular that he couldn’t meet anyone?
It seems the suitors were keeping each other in check and competing, and couldn’t even say a word to Lucas himself.
“I’m just curious, that’s all. I’m not jealous at all.”
“A man who isn’t jealous is unattractive, Count. You have to be jealous and obsessed in moderation. You should tell me to look only at you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Is that your preference?”
Then I will absolutely make sure not to be jealous and not to be obsessed.
I firmly resolved. I will absolutely not act according to Lucas’s preference.
Lucas laughed as if it were amusing and told me his story.
“I’ve lived practically on the battlefield. I wasn’t in a situation to meet anyone.”
Was the Kingdom of Fortia in the middle of a war?
I was about to ask the question that came to mind, but remembering that Lucas hadn’t told me which country he came from, I asked, “Which country are you from?”
“The Kingdom of Fortia.”
“Is the Kingdom of Fortia in the middle of a war?”
“We are always in a war against monsters. You don’t know much about the Kingdom of Fortia, do you?”
I don’t.
I thought my brother would become the head of the house, so I didn’t study; I just played.
Lucas told me about the Kingdom of Fortia.
“The Kingdom of Fortia borders the Unknown Lands. Monsters periodically descend from those Unknown Lands. The House of Licht was the barrier that stopped the monsters descending south.”
“Ah, I know about the Unknown Lands.”
I didn’t know they were in the Kingdom of Fortia, too.
The “Unknown Lands” refers to land where strange phenomena occur and monsters dwell, making it impossible for people to live there.
People called the monsters that live there “beasts.”
The Florence Empire has one too, but since we are in the south, other families are blocking the monsters moving north.
I heard there weren’t many, but one of them happened to be in the Kingdom of Fortia.
A country that possesses the Unknown Lands is constantly subjected to monster invasions.
That is why they try to stay as far away from the Unknown Lands as possible, and to move away, they need land to relocate people to, so they wage wars.
The Empire was willing to go to war for that reason, and my brother and his wife participated in the war.
“You know about it. So I had no time to do anything. I left the family to my younger sister, and I fought against the monsters.”
It was new information.
That his younger sister was acting as head of the house and Lucas mainly fought.
If Lucas had been fighting against things that were not human for a long time, then his strength was understandable.
When he fought Tyros, Lucas was overwhelmingly strong.
Even then, that probably wasn’t him showing his full ability.
Because he had only arrived here recently and was wary of the people.
But wait a second.
If the House of Licht is the barrier, if everyone drives them out, who fights the monsters?
“Can I ask you one thing?”
“Yes.”
“Then who is fighting the monsters right now?”
Lucas gave a mischievous smile.
“Who knows? The King will handle it, won’t he?”
‘Ah… the Kingdom of Fortia must be in absolute chaos.’
Isn’t that the reason they reinstated him after only a year—because they couldn’t handle the monsters?
It was a plausible theory.
I decided to look into this as well if the opportunity arose.
Lucas said, “Then may I ask you one thing?”
“Feel free.”
“Do you not know how to use a sword at all?”
“Is it that obvious…?” I asked in a small voice, feeling stung.
Lucas smiled again—what was so funny about that?
“It’s because your body isn’t that of someone who knows how to use a sword.”
“I learned with Tyros for a while, but I just couldn’t do it.”
I had no talent.
Tyros would absorb whatever he learned and grow by leaps and bounds, but for me, even learning the basic stance, the downward slash, or the basic blocking maneuvers was difficult and agonizing.
It was even harder with a talented person right next to me.
“Then, shall I teach you?”
“You?”
It was an unexpected offer. Lucas was already teaching Leon.
Tyros had praised him, saying he taught better than expected.
I was grateful for the offer, but I didn’t think it would conjure up talent I didn’t have…
As I hesitated, unable to answer, Lucas spoke seriously.
“I will teach you only enough to protect yourself. You can leave fighting others to your knights.”
“I… I really have no talent, is that okay? It might be frustrating for you.”
“If you can’t learn, it’s the teacher’s fault. You don’t have to feel burdened.”
It wasn’t that I had a dream of becoming a mighty knight, but knowing how to handle a sword had been a wish of mine for a long time.
My brother was an excellent swordsman, and my father was said to have rarely lost a duel in his lifetime—yet I was the only one with such pathetic skills.
“Then… if you’re okay with it, I want to learn.”
In my heart, that was the truth.
When the opportunity came, I wanted to try again.
Lucas smiled happily when I accepted.
Then, as if he had been waiting, he stated his condition.
“Then, could you grant me one favor?”
“Was that your plan all along? First, let me hear what it is.”
I wondered why he offered to teach me swordplay so suddenly.
I was curious what he wanted to receive that would lead to such a proposal.
I hoped it wasn’t a difficult request.
