Chapter 18

EP.18 Friend-7

Silence fell.

The room was filled with a quiet and serene atmosphere.

The silence was so profound that it almost felt as if the stillness was pooling in the room.

"...Why are you just standing there?"

Those words broke the deep silence that had settled.

"Huh?"

Gaju approached Ariasfil and said,

"Weren't you going to put her to bed? She might wake up if you keep holding her."

The accuracy and coldness of his analysis left Leo somewhat flustered. Upon reflection, it might have been a common thought.

For a 13-year-old boy to assault a girl of the same age in the lord's mansion was far beyond the bounds of common sense.

[Tsk, this is no fun...]

<If you want to see something interesting, look in the mirror.>

With a face like that, finding something to laugh about wouldn't be easy. Just looking in the mirror would make every day overflow with laughter.

[I'm a ghost.]

Oops, then he wouldn't be able to see his own face.

Mourning the fact that he would never experience such comedy again, Leo refocused on Gaju.

"Ah, right."

Leo gently placed Ariasfil, whom he had been carrying in his arms, on the bed. Covering her with a blanket was a natural act of consideration as a servant.

"Thank you. I have something to talk about. Can you come with me? It might be too noisy and wake her up."

Without answering, Leo nodded and left the room. Gladio smiled thinly at his action and walked with Leo through the mansion.

"It's a good night. The weather is quite cool for the season."

Stepping outside the mansion, Gladio looked around the garden and said,

"That's true. I wouldn't want to miss such a night."

Leo's words seemed to amuse Gladio, who smiled broadly this time.

"You are a rare individual. Of course, in a positive way."

"I often hear that I'm unusual."

"Is that a positive thing?"

"I'll leave it to your imagination."

Imagination was the lord's freedom, but it wasn't hard to guess what kind of speculation it might bring.

"You are an excellent mercenary, and yet, you are remarkably wild for a noble. Although I have lived a shorter life compared to the previous lords, I have never seen anyone like you."

This was a very different evaluation from the first time he met the lord, which was in his previous life. Back then, he was only described as a "spirited young man."

"Is that so? I feel a bit embarrassed by such high praise."

"Don't undervalue yourself. I mean it sincerely."

The garden's walkway was modest in scale compared to the size of the mansion.

'Compared to the size of the mansion,' but this garden exuded a different atmosphere from other mansions.

"I was puzzled when I first saw this walkway. It seemed a bit out of place with Reinhardt's majesty."

The lord walked along the path between the shrubs.

"It would be harder to find something lacking in majesty in Reinhardt."

"Ha ha, that's true. But the strength of this walkway lies right there."

As they walked, he shared his philosophy.

"As you know, majesty is about setting standards. It makes people behave with propriety and creates a sense of dignity."

Leo agreed. As a servant, the first thing he learned was etiquette, not swordsmanship or mana control.

"But that majesty can also make people act falsely. It creates hypocrisy and flattery."

"Unfortunately, that's a valid point."

"Exactly. That's why I like this garden. At least here, the majesty is less, so people can relax more, right?"

"I am always in awe of Reinhardt's insight."

Leo demonstrated the etiquette he had learned in Reinhardt as he spoke.

[Slather some saliva on your lips and talk.]

The education that allowed him to remain patient in the face of such provocation was indeed something to be in awe of.

"...I watched today's duel and speech with interest."

"If I caused any trouble, I apologize."

"No, there's no need to apologize. You were simply loyal to your goals and duties. If I must blame someone, it would be the one who escalated the situation."

That person was the eldest son of the Reinhardt family, a fool, and someone with a very promising future.

"But others might not see it that way."

"I am aware of that."

"That's fortunate, but I had to ponder how to treat you. I had to think about how to handle you."

If it had been about 'punishment,' Leo might have been worried, but the term 'treatment' made him tilt his head slightly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"If you remain a servant, no one will accept it. The stronger the person, the higher the position they deserve."

That was a fair point. Assigning positions based on ability was a basic principle of proper placement.

"But if I were to give you a position, the backlash would be difficult to handle. It's uncertain whether others would recognize that position."

That was also a valid concern. Leo had nothing to offer besides his skills, making him an easy target for criticism.

"That's a fair point."

"That's why I was deeply troubled. No matter which path I chose, there were clear drawbacks."

The lord's steps came to a halt.

"So, I came up with a compromise."

"May I ask what it is?"

The lord looked Leo in the eye as he explained.

"Leonardo, would you become Aria's knight?"

"…A bodyguard?"

The unexpected proposal left Leo a bit flustered, and his voice was uneven.

"A bodyguard… of course, you would have to protect her, but that's not the only thing I'm asking for."

He glanced in the direction of the mansion. From the angle, it was the window of Aria's room.

"Aria, Ariasfil, is my daughter, but… she is very different from others. It's not just that she's special."

"She has a charm that is hard to approach."

"Ha ha, I'm grateful you see it that way."

Despite his smile, his eyes were dark.

"But others didn't think so simply. The envy and jealousy were almost cute in comparison…"

There were certainly people who envied and resented Ariasfil. Leo himself had once been one of them. But she inspired awe to the point that such envy and resentment seemed meaningless.

"…Awe, perhaps?"

"Perhaps. Even I, her father, find her talent frightening."

"Parents are usually outshone by their children."

"…Ha ha, you always have a way of putting things at ease."

Seeing Leo, his dark eyes regained some life.

"Thinking about it, Aria changed after meeting you."

"…I did teach her swordsmanship…"

"That's not what I mean."

It didn't take long to understand the deeper meaning.

"Aria's eyes were full of boredom. The density of her life was different. I doubt even I could fully understand it."

Was it because he was her father, or despite it?

Gladio must have been more aware of his daughter's uniqueness than anyone else. It took Leo years to understand her boredom.

"But after meeting you, Aria said something for the first time."

The father of a young girl smiled, a bittersweet yet bright smile.

"She said she was happy."

"…Happy?"

"She said her training was enjoyable. She really meant it."

It was a rare statement, even for Leo. For Aria, it was an extremely rare word.

"Those words made me feel something I had never felt before. The jealousy I felt was so intense that all my previous feelings seemed trivial."

Leo was speechless.

"Who was the one to make my daughter happy before me? How did they do it? That one statement filled my mind with all sorts of thoughts."

The sincerity in the lord's words made it impossible to doubt.

"And when we had dinner together, I couldn't help but be convinced."

Leo couldn't say anything.

"You are the kind of person who could do that. Even though I was jealous, you were the one who deserved it."

"Thank you, but I'm just…"

"Don't be modest. If you are, what does that make me, who was jealous?"

It was a fair point, but Leo couldn't accept the praise. He had used the shortcut of reincarnation.

"That's why I'm asking you."

So, this evaluation…

"Be by Aria's side."

"…"

"You don't need to just say nice things and understand her. When you think she's wrong, point it out. When you feel she's not right, correct her. You are the most suitable for that."

"…That…"

There were various relationships where such a role was possible. Parents, teachers, or siblings… but only one word came to Leo's mind.

"Be… her friend?"

It was a presumptuous expression. A mere mercenary from a common family being friends with a noble's daughter was a story that had long been abandoned as unrealistic, even in novels.

"I would like that. Asking you to be her knight also has that meaning. It would be more convenient if you were her knight."

"…I see."

Still,

"Of course, if you feel uncomfortable…"

"I'll do it."

There was no reason to hesitate.

"…Thank you, but you accepted more quickly than I expected."

"…Do you remember what I said the first time we met?"

Of course.

"Ariasfil is my goal."

That was Leo's goal.

"…Ha ha ha…!"

That goal made him laugh a little. The tension that had been building up was finally released in a silly laugh.

"I'm sorry. I must have forgotten, even though you declared it in the training ground."

"It's fine. I'll remind you as many times as needed."

"I'm relieved. My mind is much at ease."

The lord sighed in relief and looked up at the sky.

"It's getting quite dark. I've kept you out late. You can go in now."

"It was an honor to spend this time with you. Good night, Lord."

Leo said this and left the garden, returning to the annex where he was staying.

"…Phew…"

Inside the room, Leo wiped his face. His face was drenched in sweat, and moisture clung to his skin.

"…Huh?"

It was strange. His face was still damp, and his eyes felt moist.

His vision was blurry, as if a fog had settled in front of his eyes.

Only then did he realize.

[Are you crying?]

He was crying.

He couldn't find a reason for his tears.

Not because there was none, but because there were too many.

He couldn't pinpoint the reason.

"…Ugh…"

His previous life didn't seem meaningless.

The effort to beat her,

The life he had dedicated to it,

Was finally recognized.

The emotion brought a little moisture to his eyes.

[Hey, are you crying? Crying, you bastard?]

Before he could savor it, the other person shattered his sentiment like a glass.

My life.

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