LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 180
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 180
The day before the Day of Decision.
Hanna and I strolled through the streets of the capital, preparing for the final duel.
One might question the logic of going out before an important duel, but sometimes a change of pace can lead to better results.
Of course, after the outing, we would spend time sharpening our swords one last time, but it was also necessary to breathe in fresh air instead of staying in the dusty training grounds.
Hanna, excited by the rare outing, kept glancing at me while fidgeting with her shoulders. Whenever I looked away, she would check her reflection in the window, fixing her hair to make sure it wasn’t too messy or her face wasn’t strange.
When our eyes met by chance, Hanna gave an awkward smile and grinned.
“Hehe.”
“Is there something on my face?”
“No. You’re just handsome.”
“I know.”
“…”
Even at my cocky remark, Hanna smiled and nodded.
“I know too…”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Smiling pleasantly, Hanna looked up at the sky.
As cherry blossoms bloomed along the street, Hanna leisurely enjoyed the moment, touching the falling petals.
Watching Hanna’s cheerful demeanor, I thought to myself: Today, I’ll open my wallet without hesitation. I wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed saving, but I usually avoided overspending. Just for today, I decided to splurge for my disciple.
Because today felt like one of those days.
A day where spending money didn’t feel wasteful.
I glanced at Hanna’s ear discreetly. Her earlobe, free of earrings, was perfectly clean.
“I hope I made the right choice.”
I had bought them thinking they would suit her, but I wasn’t sure if Hanna would like them. I wasn’t used to giving women accessories as gifts.
If it were the bandage tape I always carried in my pocket, that would be one thing, but I honestly didn’t have an eye for accessories like earrings.
With my hand in my pocket, fiddling with the earrings, I stole a glance at Hanna.
I didn’t know when would be the right moment to give them to her naturally. Simply handing them over with a “This is a gift” felt too impersonal, and I doubted Hanna would appreciate it. A meaningful gift should be given with the right atmosphere. As her master, this was the first gift I was giving her, and it felt wrong to hand it over as casually as picking up a pebble from the ground.
Though technically not the first gift, since I had given her a sword before, this was the first time I was giving her something face-to-face. So, in a way, it was still the first.
Watching Hanna for cues, I kept pondering and pondering.
“Hmm… The weather is really nice today.”
“It is.”
“The flowers are in full bloom too.”
Hanna smiled as she looked at the brightly blooming flowers along the street.
“But, Butler, you’re prettier.”
“What?”
“You’re more charming and beautiful than those flowers.”
“What’s with that flirty statement?”
Hanna clasped her hands behind her back, took a step forward, and looked at me. The spring wind gently brushed past her hair, carrying a subtle floral scent.
“So what if it’s flirty? I only say such things to you, Butler.”
“…Hah.”
Letting out an empty laugh, I placed my hand on Hanna’s head. As I tousled her hair, she gave me a mischievous smile, looking up at me.
“I’ll win.”
“That’s an obvious thing to say.”
“No, not just that. Something else too.”
“What?”
Hanna smiled playfully and grabbed my hand.
As her soft touch overlapped with mine, I momentarily lost my composure. Hanna, with a happy smile, pulled me along.
“Let’s go quickly. I’m hungry.”
Led by Hanna’s hand, I smiled.
“Is spring finally coming to my life too?”
It felt like flowers were blooming in my once bleak and battered life.
*
Inside a crowded restaurant.
Sitting at the reserved table, we quietly poured water into each other’s cups.
-Drip, drip.
“…”
-Gulp.
I wasn’t in a good mood.
Even though I had entered the restaurant in high spirits, the cheerful mood had vanished the moment we sat at the table.
It wasn’t because of the crowd.
Having reserved a spot at a famous restaurant in the capital, I had expected it to be busy. The problem was one thing: I didn’t like the person sitting at the opposite table.
Hanna was emptying the water bottle by herself.
As if trying to fill her frustration with water, she kept pouring and drinking repeatedly. Glancing at the person sitting beside her, she growled.
“When I begged you to come here just once, you refused no matter what…”
“Haha…”
“I’m so dumbfounded I’m at a loss for words.”
Awkwardly, I glanced at the two men sitting at the opposite table.
One was a middle-aged man in a neat uniform, and the other a young man in a white academy school uniform. I emptied my cup with a bitter smile.
“We’re not exactly easy opponents, are we?”
It felt ridiculous to think this way. After all, I was here to cheer someone up too. If I thought of it as looking in a mirror, it made sense.
Smiling, I nodded.
“We came because we’re confident we can win, didn’t we? Just like they must be.”
As I spoke casually, Rowen let out an empty laugh and nodded. It seemed even a Swordmaster could pick up on subtle provocations.
Seeing the Swordmaster’s unguarded reaction, I couldn’t help but laugh as well.
With his arms crossed, Rowen looked at Mikhail and said.
“You’ve done well with the assignment I gave you. The results were better than I expected.”
“You flatter me.”
“Achieving such results in just 15 days is something to be proud of.”
“It’s all thanks to your teachings, Master.”
Watching Mikhail respond humbly, I turned to Hanna and said.
“Annoying, isn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“He keeps acting magnanimous even though he lost to me all the time at the academy.”
“Pfft.”
“He always says he could’ve won every day. Ugh.”
-Flinch.
Noticing Mikhail’s stiffened expression, I smiled. It seemed he had sharp ears too. I had planned to introduce him to the modern invention of hearing aids as a fellow possessor, but it seemed unnecessary now.
Feeling triumphant that my provocation had worked, I clenched my fist and looked at Hanna.
When our eyes met, Hanna’s bright smile made me smile as well.
“But drinking so much water before the food arrives isn’t good for you.”
“It’s fine. As long as it’s something you’re treating me to, I can eat anything.”
“You’re going to burst today.”
“Hehe…”
Hanna’s bright smile helped shake off the awkward mood.
As the clerks slowly brought out the food, Hanna’s eyes widened, and she looked at me.
“Wow… It looks really expensive.”
“It is really expensive.”
“Then I’ll chip in too…!”
“It’s a huge insult to a wealthy butler to say that.”
As we chatted warmly, a mocking voice came from the opposite table.
“As if you have any money. You’re just a debtor.”
“I can’t just ignore that comment.”
I perked up my ears and focused on the provocation of the seasoned middle-aged man. Mocking someone over money when there’s nothing else to criticize is truly hurtful.
To belittle a parvenu who had barely paid off all his debts and finally sat on a money cushion was something I couldn’t tolerate.
Of course, Rowen had far more money than I did, but feeling bad about it was still justified.
Before my irritation could even subside, Rowen’s provocation continued relentlessly.
“This isn’t a place for a servant of a fallen household.”
“Is that… so?”
“People should act according to their station. There’s an old saying: ‘A crow trying to follow a stork will tear its legs apart.’ Isn’t that exactly what’s happening here?”
“…”
I smiled and brushed off his provocation.
There was no need to respond. While the provocation was indeed aimed at me, it completely missed its mark. The provocations that truly got to me were those targeting the Young Lady.
Provocations about money or social status didn’t affect me as much.
Of course, this provocation wasn’t directed solely at me; it also included Hanna and even his disciple, Mikhail.
Rowen might not know, but Mikhail came from the bottom of society. It must have sounded unpleasant to him.
Seeing Mikhail’s stiffened expression, I gave a bitter smile.
“Shall we eat?”
“What?”
Hanna, who had been bristling as if she might draw her sword at any moment in response to Rowen’s provocation, tilted her head and looked at me curiously at my calm reaction. As she stared at me with eyes that seemed to ask, ‘Why aren’t you doing anything?’ I sliced a small piece of steak and offered it to her.
“Open up.”
“Oh…”
-Nom.
“Tasty, isn’t it?”
“Yes…”
“This is a restaurant I carefully selected. I know Miss Hanna likes meat.”
“How did you know?”
“I know everything.”
I spoke while glancing at the middle-aged man sitting beside me.
“Unlike someone else, that is.”
At the mention of “someone,” Rowen’s expression began to harden.
Whenever I fed Hanna a piece of meat and she happily nodded her head, Rowen’s face grew heavier, as if he might storm out at any moment.
“I can eat by myself…”
“Open wide.”
“Ah…”
-Bang…!
“I’m leaving.”
“What?”
Mikhail, who had been chewing his steak with difficulty, looked up at Rowen, who suddenly stood up, and awkwardly began packing his things.
“I just remembered some work I forgot about.”
“Oh…”
“It’s never too late to toast to victory after winning.”
Leaning back in my chair with my arm resting on the armrest, I spoke in a haughty tone.
“Leaving already?”
Rowen left without responding.
Hanna called out to him one last time as he departed.
“I will win.”
“…”
“This time, I’ll prove that I don’t need my father.”
“…Go ahead.”
In the now quiet restaurant,
I continued feeding Hanna without stopping.
“You can stop now…”
“What?”
“You’re doing this because of my father, aren’t you?”
Seeing Hanna’s gloomy expression, I set my fork down on the dining table. Propping my chin up with one hand, I gazed at her softly, making her fidget and avert her eyes.
Looking at the shy Hanna, I spoke.
“That’s not it.”
“What?”
“I’m not feeding you because of him.”
I picked up my fork again and said,
“It’s because Miss Hanna eats so well.”
“That’s unfair…”
“I’m always unfair.”
Smiling, I placed another piece of meat into Hanna’s mouth.
As the meat on the plate gradually disappeared, Hanna’s face showed she was full. I set my fork down and began rummaging through my pocket.
Hanna, curious about my sudden movement, tilted her head and asked,
“What are you looking for?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Miss Hanna, do you happen to wear earrings?”
“Yes… I had my ears pierced a while back, so I can wear them. Why do you ask?”
Smiling faintly, I muttered, “That’s a relief,” and pulled out a small pair of earrings from my pocket.
“It’s a gift.”
Golden earrings adorned with green emeralds.
Hanna’s trembling eyes looked at me as she slowly reached out her hand.
“I felt like I hadn’t given you a proper gift before.”
Placing the earrings in her hand, I said,
“Let’s win. Together.”
*
And so, the Day of Decision arrived.