‘Phew. Let’s wait here.’
Although still limping a bit, walking alone was manageable.
So, I secretly sneaked out to the path that Serdin always takes for his walks.
I took out the medicine I had prepared for Serdin.
‘This should be a good excuse.’
Suddenly appearing without a reason would be suspicious, so it needed to look like I came here with a purpose.
Well, I am grateful for his help, after all.
This was so effective that Delight would boast it could heal most bruises quickly with just one or two applications.
“Why isn’t he coming?”
Serdin hadn’t shown up even though I had been waiting for a while.
Is he not coming today?
Just as I was wondering about Serdin’s arrival,
“Princess?”
Serdin appeared. He looked surprised, not understanding why I was here.
“Did you come to see me?”
“Baaa.”
Right, so take this. I hastily handed the medicine to Serdin.
“Did you come just to give me this?”
Serdin looked at the medicine suddenly placed in his hand, then alternated his gaze between me and the medicine, eyes wide.
“Yaa! Phaa!”
Whatever your purpose is, the fact remains that you got hurt while helping me.
You should use this so you don’t scar!
“I’ll apply it well.”
Although it was unlikely he understood me, Serdin looked slightly embarrassed.
‘Could he be touched by this?’
I didn’t expect this kind of reaction.
This feels… kind of nice?
Hehe.
When I nodded my head vigorously, Serdin smiled.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
Serdin immediately opened the lid and applied it to the wound on his forehead.
I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he closed the lid and asked nonchalantly,
“Why do you pretend you can’t speak?”
“Whoa!”
I was startled.
What is he talking about all of a sudden?
Unable to hide my shock, I looked back at Serdin.
He was gazing at me with his head tilted, as if knowing something.
“You’re pretending you can’t speak, right?”
His words implied he already knew everything.
So, he did hear me talking back then.
“Princess, you understand everything I say, right?”
One corner of Serdin’s mouth lifted as if to say he had expected this.
“Turns out, you’re smarter than everyone else.”
I’m completely busted.
As Serdin looked at me with a triumphant smile, I had no choice but to admit it.
This smart guy had figured out my intentions too.
That I could speak but was hiding it on purpose.
And that he was the only one who knew this.
This is becoming troublesome.
It would have been fine if he had just overheard me speaking by chance.
Could he really let it go like that?
If Serdin runs to Delight and tells him how well I can talk, it would be very problematic. Extremely, gravely, seriously.
As I glared at him with displeasure, Serdin grinned and said,
“Okay.”
Huh? What’s okay?
“I don’t know why you’re doing it, but I’ll keep your secret.”
Serdin promised with a pinky swear.
“I’ll keep it to myself.”
Why is he doing this?
“But there’s a condition.”
Moreover, puffing out my cheeks in annoyance and furrowing my brows at the suggestion of a deal, as if he had some big secret to offer, I was exasperated.
How dare he propose a condition to the great Archmage Sherina? Ridiculous!
If he thought he had a hold over me, he was mistaken. I wasn’t about to let myself be used by him.
Just as I was glaring at Serdin with my hands on my hips,
“Princess, you need me right now, don’t you?”
“………..”
Ugh. I couldn’t bring myself to say I didn’t need him. Of course, I had no intention of saying it anyway.
“I’ll stay by your side.”
Serdin offered, as if doing me a favor.
It seemed he understood my current situation more accurately than I thought.
As I was pondering what to do,
“By any chance, are you pretending you can’t speak because of the Emperor?”
Ouch. Serdin hit the mark.
‘Absolutely not!’
I shook my head vigorously, denying such nonsense, but the more I denied it, the more Serdin’s eyes narrowed.
“Princess, back then…”
“?”
“You said you could never call him ‘Dad.'”
…So, he did hear it.
No wonder his timing back then was so perfect! He heard everything!
“When did I! That was just me babbling to myself!”
And he heard the most important part!
In my excitement, I blurted out my thoughts without realizing it.
“See? I was right.”
“!”
Oops. It was like I had just confessed with my own mouth.
I can’t believe I fell for this little kid’s leading questions.
I puffed out my cheeks even more in shock and glared at him.
“Then why don’t you call the Emperor ‘Dad’?”
“…………”
“There must be a reason.”
There was no way I could tell him the real reason. I kept my mouth shut.
“Is it because the Emperor is too pushy?”
Serdin speculated, watching my reaction.
“Everyone knows the Emperor is desperate to hear you call him ‘Dad.'”
What is he talking about!
Why would I hate Delight! Like it or not, he is still my only disciple!
That was one misunderstanding I could not tolerate.
In the end, I opened my tightly shut mouth.
“It’s not that!”
Phew. Saying it out loud felt relieving.
Since he had already heard it, there was no point in hiding it anymore.
Even if I couldn’t say this to anyone else, I could say it to him!
As I glared at Serdin, he asked with a surprised look, as if he hadn’t expected his guess to be wrong,
“Really? Then what’s the real reason?”
I froze for a moment, unable to help it.
After all, Delight is my disciple.
The relationship between a disciple and a father is like two opposing poles.
Naturally, I can’t call him ‘Dad’!
“…………”
But why did it feel like Serdin’s question hit a nerve?
Is there really another reason, one even I don’t know?
***
At first, Delight wasn’t accepted as a disciple.
After bringing the injured Delight and treating him, it was quickly realized that he possessed great mana and magical talent. However, this didn’t mean he was immediately taken as a disciple.
Because that was not the kind of relationship desired.
“Master, good morning! What are we doing today?”
“I’m not your master. Go do the laundry over there.”
Every time Delight called me master, I firmly drew the line.
Every time he called me master, I gave him even more difficult tasks.
Thinking he’d give up if it got too tough, I was wrong.
Delight didn’t give up. He completed all the tasks I assigned him and came back, still calling me master.
The little boy, who was initially busy glancing around nervously, became more assertive and demanding within just a fortnight, which was quite amusing.
But it was better than him being too timid to lift his head, so I let it be, until one day he started arguing seriously.
“Why can’t I call you master if you’re my master? Then what should I call you?”
It was a mistake to occasionally teach the kid magic because he had talent. He started calling me master insistently.
“Don’t call me anything.”
“How can I not call you anything?”
“Call me whatever you want, just not master.”
Even though I saved his life by chance,
I couldn’t cold-heartedly drive out a little boy who had nowhere else to go, so I gave him a room, but that was it.
No matter how much mana he had, I had no intention of taking on a disciple.
However, this child seemed to become more determined the more I pushed him away.
“Aunty!”
Delight shouted rebelliously, his eyes gleaming with pride, clearly thinking he had found a title I’d hate the most.
But, little boy, you’re mistaken.
Aunty. Although it was the first time hearing it, it felt fresh.
Already old enough, such a title wouldn’t affect me. It felt like I was just another neighbor.
“Sure. That’s better.”
I responded with a light smile, fulfilling Delight’s expectations.
“Really? I can really call you aunty?”
His voice trembled as he asked again, thinking it was impossible.
“Yes. Call me whatever you want.”
“……….”
Seeing that no matter how much he tried to tease me, I didn’t mind at all, Delight’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.
A child’s stubbornness was nothing.
Or so I thought.
Delight was only five years old. Being so young, there were quite a few problems that couldn’t be solved in the mountains like I could. So, I went down to the village at the foot of the mountain to buy what was needed.
While my attention was briefly elsewhere, an incident occurred.
“Let go of me! You’re ugly, nasty, and unlucky compared to my master!”
Delight was yelling at a merchant who was three times his size.
