Chapter 69

After parting ways with Ted and the others in the capital, Aldis headed straight for the forest where Nere and the others were waiting.

Even though the forest was filled with dangerous carnivorous beasts, for Aldis, it was no different from taking a stroll in a garden.

To let Nere sense her return, she walked straight toward the house without concealing her presence.

Nere, that servant, must have already noticed Aldis's approach.

While occasionally driving away carnivorous beasts that appeared, she continued her walk until the scene of her home came into Aldis's view.

A single-story house with a roof lower than the surrounding trees, a shed and a woodshed built as decoys, an expanded garden that had become a splendid vegetable patch, and unfamiliar playground equipment like a swing, slide, seesaw, and long jump that shouldn't have been there when she left.

Her home had changed every time she returned from a long journey.

Upon arrival, Aldis opened her mouth with a wry smile.

"Did you add anything again?"

Nere, who was sitting in the middle of the yard, didn't show any surprise at the sudden voice and replied to Aldis.

"Your safe return. Nothing could be better, my lord."

Her gentle smile reminded one of a deep-seated young lady welcoming her beloved.

"Ah! It's Aldis!"

"Welcome back, Aldis!"

The twins, who had been fidgeting behind Nere, noticed Aldis and called out.

At that moment, the sound of something being cut by a blade echoed.

Amid the rustling of leaves in the wind, something fell to the ground, and Filia and Liana, who were following it with their eyes, couldn't help but gasp.

"Ah..."

"Ah..."

Following the twins' gaze, Aldis saw the object that had been cut off, an Alice Blue object.

"Ah..."

Aldis, who had gasped in unison with the twins, was met with Nere standing up as if nothing had happened and bowing respectfully.

"Shall we have a meal a bit early? My lord."

If only her words were as proper as her abilities and demeanor, she would be a flawless servant.

Raising her head, Nere smiled in a way that could disarm any naive man and asked Aldis.

Looking over Nere's shoulder, Aldis saw a long hair that had been cut in an odd way.

The imbalance that ruined her otherwise perfect appearance made Aldis feel oddly perplexed.

"Nere, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Nere, are you okay!? Does it hurt!?"

Filia, holding scissors, apologized desperately to Nere with teary eyes. Beside her, Liana fidgeted while showing concern for Nere.

"Um... What's going on?"

Aldis pointed alternately at the hair visible over Nere's shoulder and the twins, asking.

"These children wanted to cut my hair. They were just playing at giving me a haircut. Well, this—"

She touched the oddly cut hair, saying it was nothing serious.

"—must have been because they got distracted by your return."

She placed her hand on Filia's head, who was still apologizing frantically, and stroked it gently to reassure her.

"Don't worry, Filia. Hair grows back if you leave it alone."

"But..."

Letting go of Filia's head, Nere waved her hand dismissively.

Without any incantation, a small flame was created by her movement and instantly burned the hair that had fallen on the grass.

"Ah...!"

Aldis, who saw this, was speechless.

Seeing the Alice Blue hair burn instantly, she remembered the condition demanded by the female merchant from Raytin.

"Hmm? What's wrong, my lord?"

To the servant's calm question, Aldis began to explain the situation with a subtle expression.

Moving to inside the house, after hearing the whole story, Nere said, "I see," in a tone of understanding.

The room was filled with a sense of daily life.

Herbal tea to quench their thirst was lined up on the table, and the four of them sat in the four chairs around it.

"So, you want to use my hair to get information from that female merchant?"

"Of course, if Nere doesn't want to, I'll give up on the information."

Even if it was just a strand of cut hair, it was unknown who would use it and for what purpose.

It was natural to feel uneasy about providing it.

I want the information from Mariada.

But that was just Aldis's personal desire, and she didn't want to force Nere to know it.

"Hmm..."

After hearing the reason, Nere stood up and took out a dagger hidden in her bosom.

In front of the three people's gaze, she gathered her hair in one hand and cut it without hesitation.

"Wha...!"

To Aldis's speechless reaction, Nere tied the hair she held in her hand with a string and offered it to her.

"Then, take it without hesitation. It's just hair. If it's useful to you, use it as you see fit."

"You didn't have to cut it all off... A strand would have been enough..."

To the calm Nere who had cut her hair, Aldis said awkwardly.

"Don't worry, it will grow back on its own. It might be nice to have a cool neck sometimes."

"Is that so..."

Nere's long hair was now cut just above her shoulders.

Aldis, who had only seen Nere with long hair, could only give a meaningless response to the servant who now looked different.

"However, I would like to set two conditions."

Aldis, who had been stunned and even forgot to thank her, instantly became serious when Nere sat down and said this.

"...What conditions?"

"It's nothing serious."

After a dramatic pause, Nere took a sip of the herbal tea she had made to moisten her mouth.

"First, I would like to share the information you get in exchange for this hair. I don't have the habit of prying into your past, nor do I intend to force you to. But since you're getting information in exchange for my hair, I think I have the right to hear it this time, don't you think?"

Nere, who had only been with Aldis for less than half a year, was still a mystery to her.

But Aldis had never pried into Nere's origins or true identity.

If Nere wanted to tell her, that was one thing, but Aldis had no intention of asking and never would.

The main reason was that Aldis herself didn't want to be probed.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Nere.

If she didn't trust her, she wouldn't be living together or entrusting the twins to her.

Aldis herself didn't know how to explain herself. She didn't fully understand everything that had happened to her, and she was at a loss as to how to explain it to Nere.

That's why she had been vague about it, taking advantage of Nere not asking.

It was unclear if Nere had the same reason, but she had never tried to uncover Aldis's true identity.

However, as Nere pointed out, this time she was getting information in exchange for her hair. Nere had the right to hear the results.

"Understood, I promise."

"The second condition is—"

Nere nodded in satisfaction at Aldis's answer and then mentioned the second condition.

"What is it?"

Aldis, who was looking at her seriously, made Nere smile.

"I want you to cut my hair."

"…What?"

For a moment, Aldis didn't understand what Nere was saying and asked.

Nere, touching the ends of her hair just above her shoulders, said,

"Isn't it uneven like this? The twins just had their hair cut. While we're at it, I want you to fix my hair."

"Is that the second... condition?"

"Yes."

"It's fine, I don't mind..."

Using magic to manipulate the wind, it would be over in an instant.

Aldis, about to create a wind blade with magic, was stopped by Nere.

"Wait, my lord. Don't use magic, will you cut it with scissors?"

"…Using wind would be faster, right?"

"That's too impersonal. I want you to take your time and do it carefully, or it won't be fun."

With that, Nere took the scissors for a haircut and led the twins out to the yard.

"Eh? Cut hair with scissors? Someone else's...? I haven't done that in years..."

Aldis, who was flustered and got up from her chair, heard a prompting voice from outside the house.

"My lord! What are you dilly-dallying for? Even though it's still early, we have to prepare dinner! Hurry up!"

"Ah, right..."

Urged on, Aldis was given scissors in the yard and finished cutting Nere's hair an hour later.

2019/08/28 Correction of repeated words: "cut the twins' hair" → "the twins' haircut"

*Thank you for the report.

2024/06/08 Correction of misspelling: "herbal tea" → "herbal tea"

*Thank you for the report.