Kaon led Alessia around the estate, starting with a clockwise loop. “This whole building is for training,” he explained. “There’s a big outdoor area too, but this one has different floors for specific things, like sword practice.”
“It seems pretty empty though,” Alessia observed.
“It’s field training today,” Kaon replied. “They’re probably all back in the barracks catching their breath.” He pointed to a building nearby. The estate actually built separate housing for the knights. The previous dukes really went all out to make sure they had the best environment.
“Do you train outside too?” Alessia asked.
Kaon nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
“Ugh, I can’t imagine being outside in this heat,” Alessia shuddered. “Everyone must be really dedicated. Knights are amazing.”
Kaon felt a faint blush creep up his neck. Honestly, becoming a knight wasn’t exactly his dream job. It was more like his family’s pre-ordained path for him. As a Ferdinand, there weren’t many other options, and even then, he wasn’t exactly a star pupil. He worried his best efforts would only lead to trouble.
Taking over the family wasn’t something he ever wanted, and he definitely wasn’t qualified for it. So why push himself too hard? He just needed to do enough to support his sister.
“Are you getting tired, Kaon?” Alessia asked, her voice laced with concern. “Maybe we can wait until tomorrow for the tour? It’s not super important right now.”
“No, no, it’s fine!” Kaon assured her. “I made a promise, so I’m going to stick to it. Plus, I figured you might get bored stuck inside all day.” He waved his hand dismissively, though truthfully, he’d been exhausted until just a moment ago. Sleep hadn’t come easy, and his body ached for a nap.
But somehow, being with Alessia chased away his fatigue. She listened intently to even his most mundane stories, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she peppered him with questions.
“Ferdinand kids start learning to ride horses at seven,” he explained. “Anyone who wants to be a knight trains with horses from then on.”
“Seven years old? Wow! I can’t even ride a horse now,” Alessia confessed sheepishly. “That’s a bit embarrassing.”
“It’s not that hard,” Kaon reassured her. “I can teach you some other time if you want.”
“Really? You’d do that?” Alessia’s eyes lit up. “Then I definitely want to take you up on that offer!”
A good student made a good teacher – her eagerness to learn sparked a fire in him to share even more. Alessia’s genuine interest and positive reactions were a surprising perk.
Of course, that was all it was. Not like he was enjoying their time together. He was simply fulfilling his responsibility to show her around the estate, and her enthusiasm was just a minor, insignificant motivator. Definitely not fun! Not at all!
Especially not if he had to swear on something important to convince himself…wait, maybe swearing on something important wasn’t the best way to go about this…
“You know, you’re really sweet,” Alessia said, her voice laced with amusement.
“Huh?” Kaon fumbled, caught off guard.
“I mean, it’s the first time anyone’s ever told me that.”
“Oh, well…” Kaon stammered, his face flushing. “They’re probably just used to it, so they don’t say anything.”
“Right,” Alessia chuckled, the sound trailing behind him as he beat a hasty retreat. He could practically feel the heat rising in his neck.
***
After covering the key areas, they realized touring the entire estate in a single day was ambitious. So, they headed back to the mansion.
Kaon led Alessia through an arched hallway lined with portraits. Each one depicted a past Ferdinand duke or duchess.
“Is this your mother?” Alessia asked, pointing to a stunning woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
“Yes,” Kaon confirmed, taking a closer look himself. It wasn’t hard to see how a tenant farmer’s daughter became a duchess.
“She’s incredibly beautiful,” Alessia admired.
“They say the Duke fell in love with her at first sight,” she added. This was a well-known story in their household, and it likely reached the capital as well.
It was a simple tale: the young duke, mingling with commoners during a festival to hear about the common folk’s sentiments, spotted a woman dancing and was instantly smitten. The beautiful woman returned his affection, thus they fell in love and both defied all objections to their union and ultimately tied the knot.
It sounded like a fairy tale, but the reality of a peasant becoming a duchess was far from easy. Young Kaon had always been impressed by his father’s willingness to face opposition with a single glance.
But then a shadow crossed Kaon’s face. His father was so consumed by love, and yet he was incapable of sustaining it until the very end. It could have been a great story, but Kaon couldn’t help but think – wasn’t love at first sight just about physical attraction? And what good was fleeting beauty in the end?
Snapped out of his thoughts, Kaon choked on air. Alessia stood right in front of him, so close he forgot to blink. Her face filled his vision – soft features framed by long, fluttering lashes that danced above warm, captivating eyes. Her petite stature added to her charm, and the tilt of her head in concern only amplified her cuteness. He was flustered, unable to tear his gaze away.
“Oh! I didn’t mean to startle you,” Alessia apologized. “You were so quiet, I got worried.”
“N-No, everything’s fine,” Kaon stammered, still staring at her like a deer in the headlights. He hastily backed away, embarrassed by his own behavior.
Alessia blinked, studying him. “You look flushed. Your ears have been red for a while. Did you push yourself too hard?”
Ears? He reached up, his fingertips instantly confirming the heat. “I just, uh, run a little warm, that’s all,” he mumbled, hoping to downplay it.
“Glad to hear that,” Alessia replied, though her brow remained furrowed.
Of course, it was a lie. Sure, he ran a bit warm, but his ears weren’t usually fiery to the touch. Was that even a thing? People just… ran hot naturally? He wasn’t a walking radiator, after all. Deciding not to dwell on it, especially not out loud, Kaon left it at that.
But Alessia’s gaze lingered on his face a moment longer than comfortable.
“Is everything alright? Is there something on my face?” Kaon inquired, feeling antsy with all the staring.
“No, not really,” Alessia replied, “You just resemble her a lot.”
It wasn’t the most original line, but that was something he heard a lot. Personally, he thought it was just the eyes. Their eye colors were indeed somewhat similar. His mother’s eyes held the blue of a clear summer sky, while his were more of a cool, grayish-blue. Still, everyone always said he resembled her, so there must’ve been some truth to it.
He concluded in the end that it was ultimately a trivial thing to think about.
What good was a pretty face for a knight? He secretly envied Leonidas, who inherited their father’s sharp, striking features – which were perfect for a knight.
“Well, that explains why you’re so handsome,” Alessia declared, a playful smirk gracing her lips.
Kaon blinked, speechless. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that word, but the way she said it sent a wave of unexpected warmth through him. Despite always brushing off such compliments, this one felt different.
“We should probably head in,” Alessia suggested, blissfully oblivious to the chaos she’d just unleashed on his heart. “Dinner will be soon, and I’m curious to see what other delicious dishes they have here. Lunch was amazing!”
Walking away with a light bounce in her step, she left Kaon standing speechless. Watching her retreating figure, he blurted out, “You too…”
“Yes?” she turned back, her hair catching the sunlight in a cascade of silver.
He mumbled a quick, “You’re pretty too,” then bolted past her, his face burning hotter than his ears ever could.
Her laughter floated down the hallway after him, a sound that somehow managed to make his heart race even faster.
🍉🍉🍉
he’s smitten. he’s totally smitten. oh boi. aaaaaaa
from this point forward, chapters will be posted in batches of 5 and will be updated every week (or so. I will try my best.) thanks for reading!
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