Episode 48
Of course, the thorns directed towards me hadn’t completely disappeared, but I was relieved that he didn’t erect walls or push me away.
I didn’t expect my feelings towards him to change overnight, so I didn’t feel frustrated or disappointed at all.
Today, while strolling in the garden, I happened to run into Ian.
“Ian!”
I called out to Ian with delight.
“Where were you coming back from?”
“The stables.”
“The stables?”
“Yes.”
“Why were you at the stables?”
To continue the conversation with Ian, I kept asking questions.
In fact, my curiosity and interest in Ian, the male protagonist of this world, were perhaps natural.
So, unable to contain myself, I always asked him many questions whenever I met Ian, and today was no exception.
“I went to check on the horses.”
“Ah, so you went after horseback riding practice?”
“Not exactly… I’m going to the academy soon, so…”
As Ian uttered the word “academy,” he stumbled over his words.
Intermittently, I could hear him sighing heavily.
‘Already time for him to go to the academy.’
In a few days, it would be New Year, and Ian would turn 13.
Now, all educational institutions were in the midst of their winter breaks.
I heard that Ian had graduated from the beginner’s academy this time, so he would probably be advancing to the intermediate academy.
From what I remembered, the harassment Ian faced at the intermediate academy was on a different level than before.
The children there, now older and bigger, started to torment Ian more seriously.
As memories of what Ian went through flashed through my mind, anger surged within me, and I clenched my fist.
‘I can’t just stand by and watch.’
I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
Setting aside my contract with Lloydin, Ian was now like a younger brother to me.
“I heard you’ll be taking polo lessons at the intermediate academy, is that right?”
At the mention of polo, a hint of curiosity flickered in Ian’s eyes.
But soon, he seemed resigned, nodding slightly.
Polo was a sport that combined horseback riding and ball play.
Six players formed a team, riding horses around the field, trying to put a ball smaller than a baby’s fist into the goalpost to score points. It was one of the most popular sports among the nobles of the empire.
Due to illness, I couldn’t attend the academy and received education from a private tutor, but I learned about polo because of my brothers.
In particular, my brother Luke was a very skilled polo player who never missed winning his team’s victory throughout his time at the academy.
In fact, as soon as he graduated from the academy, my brother received numerous offers from noble clubs.
Every year, as the harvest season approached, the Empire held the Harvest Festival, a festival where people could enjoy various events.
Especially, polo matches for the nobles were the most popular entertainment at the festival.
As the attention was high, the club that won the match gained great honor and jealousy from other nobles.
So, I also wanted to bring skilled individuals to my club.
But my brother rejected all proposals, saying he didn’t want to get involved with anyone.
It was a typical Luke-like choice.
‘Polo…’
While thinking about polo, I suddenly had a very good idea that involved even Luke.
“Ian, do you happen to want to learn polo in advance?”
“…In advance?”
Ian asked, looking puzzled as to what I meant.
“Yeah. Since there’s still some time left, it might be okay to learn it in advance.”
I had a reason for making this suggestion to Ian.
As far as I knew, my brother Luke was immensely popular during his academy days.
If Ian excelled at polo like Luke did, perhaps it could be one good way for him to escape from the bullying.
“What do you think? I think I can introduce you to someone with decent skills.”
I would have to ask Luke, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to get his permission.
Of course, Luke might have reservations about the Brighton family, but the other party was just a child.
Luke wasn’t ruthless enough to bully a child like that.
“But…”
Ian hesitated and couldn’t easily give an answer.
His eyes shook with anxiety, indicating what he was worried about.
Seeing him like that, I sighed inwardly with pity.
No matter how much he pretended to be strong, Ian was still a child.
He didn’t need to know what the adult world was like yet.
But at the age of just 12, or maybe even younger, Ian had already learned too much that he shouldn’t have.
Because of that, he quickly resigned and gave up on things that other people would have found comfortable and enjoyable.
“I spoke like you’re a stranger, but actually, he’s my brother. Just treat me as you would treat him. And I’ll go with you.”
I convinced Ian, meaning to reassure him that nothing he feared would happen.
“…I think I need to ask my brother.”
“Lord Lloydin?”
“Yes.”
Ian ultimately relied on Lloydin for the final decision, as he found it difficult to make the decision himself.
‘I don’t think Lloydin would tell me not to.’
It seemed like it would be okay to learn from none other than Luke.
“All right, I got it. Then I’ll ask Lord Lloydin. If he permits, then we’ll do it. Okay?”
“Yes, I understand.”
After finishing the conversation with Ian, I immediately went to find Lloydin.
“Madam.”
As soon as I was spotted, the servant guarding the study bowed and greeted me.
“I’d like to meet with the Lord.”
“Ah, yes. I understand. The Lord, Madam requests an audience.”
I waited for a moment until the servant conveyed the message and received the indication to come in.
Suddenly, the door opened, and to my surprise, Lloydin revealed himself.
“Lord?”
“Lady.”
Since I didn’t expect him to come out himself, I widened my eyes in surprise, but Lloydin opened the door wider and gestured for me to come in.
“Please come in.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Upon entering the study, the butler greeted me, and it seemed like the two of them had been discussing something as the desk was messy.
After the butler organized the documents on the desk, he walked towards the door.
“I’ll be stepping out for a moment.”
“Very well.”
“Yes, then.”
The butler left, and now only Lloydin and I were left in the room.
“You seem busy, but… am I disturbing you?”
“No, not at all. Please, have a seat over here.”
Lloydin led me to the sofa.
“Although you seem busy…”
Glancing at Lloydin sitting opposite me, I felt my heart flutter slightly as it was the first time I had seen him working, which made my heart race.
My gaze kept returning to the exposed veins on his forearm beneath the rolled-up sleeves and the slightly disheveled appearance between the buttons of his shirt.
His appearance was not as neat as usual, which made him seem more approachable than usual.
“It’s all right. I was about to take a break anyway, and you came at the right time.”
“Well… that’s fortunate then.”
While responding to Lloydin’s words, I kept looking at somewhere other than his face, trying to find some unknown aspect of him.
“Lady?”
Sensing something unusual about me, Lloydin called out to me.
Only then did I come to my senses and lifted my head to look at Lloydin’s face.
“Ah, um. It’s just that there’s something I need permission from the Lord for.”
“Something that requires my permission?”
“Yes. I was on my way back after meeting Ian, and he said he came from the stables after seeing the horses.”
“Come to think of it, it’s about time for Ian to enter intermediate academy.”
“I heard that at the intermediate academy, they have polo lessons and form teams to play matches.”
“Yes, that’s correct. In the beginner academy, they learn horseback riding, and in the intermediate academy, they focus on teaching polo.”
“So, what do you think about Ian learning polo before entering the academy?”
“Polo, you say?”
“Yes.”
I nodded vigorously, hoping for a positive answer from him.
