“Make sure to submit your assignment after today’s class. You can hand it to Butler Cerberus.”
Madam Freya had given me an assignment to write a word 100 times.
Well, if the teacher tells us to do it, we have no choice, right?
Hehe. I reluctantly finished the assignment and headed to find Butler Cerberus in the outdoor corridor.
‘Submitting the assignment is just an excuse; I’m actually here to find the punishment room.’
I need to get in contact with Anne for my plan. The punishment room is located in the basement of the main building, and its ceiling has a small barred window that allows some outside air to flow in.
I checked the note in my pocket to make sure it was still there. I was going to throw it through the window to Anne.
‘If I run into someone, I’ll just say I’m looking for Butler Cerberus.’
After all, wandering around the main building looking for someone is a plausible enough excuse.
I left the outdoor corridor and walked along the outer wall of the main building. Luckily, I didn’t run into anyone and made it to the area near the punishment room.
‘Gasp.’
But there was still one more hurdle.
In front of the punishment room window, where Anne was kept, there were guards stationed, as if they were watching over some dangerous criminal. But she was just a maid!
How could I get close now? This was going to be tricky…
“What are you sneaking around like a little rat for?”
“Eek!”
A voice called out from behind me as I crouched by the corner of the main building, observing the situation.
Startled, I turned around, and froze in shock.
It was my Grandfather.
With one eyebrow raised and his hands behind his back, he looked down at me sternly.
He was like a huge mountain towering over me, ready to swallow me whole. I stood under his shadow, gulping nervously.
How long had he been there? No, more importantly—
“Ah…!”
“Ah?”
[Oh, Reytan’s daughter! Hello!]
Why was Aqum here?!
The Aqum I had been searching for was perched on my Grandfather’s shoulder!
“G-Grandfather.”
“Yes?”
“There… on your shoulder…”
“What? Is something stuck there?”
I couldn’t finish my sentence.
As my Grandfather shrugged his shoulder, Aqum, startled, jumped off and landed on my head.
[You’re still as rude as ever, Travel!]
Even though Aqum was yelling in anger, my Grandfather seemed completely unfazed.
Could he not see Aqum…?
My Grandfather shifted his gaze from his shoulder to me.
“What are you holding?”
“It’s the assignment Madam Freya gave me…”
“Let me see.”
I obediently handed him the assignment.
Flap, flap. He flipped through the papers, checking their contents.
“That’s just another worm.”
I don’t know what he was expecting, but Grandfather returned the assignment with a bored expression.
Can I go now?
Just as I was about to quietly retreat.
“Do you still have what I gave you?”
The question I wanted to avoid the most hit me.
“Oh… uh, what?”
“Why are you so flustered? You know, the small, pretty thing you wanted so badly.”
“That… the small, pretty, blue-stone-like thing, the one that looks like milk mixed with blue paint…?”
I actually have it right in front of me now.
[Oh dear. Little Quartz, what is this? I could write better than this with my toes.]
Aqum lay on top of my assignment, belly up, ridiculing my handwriting without a care.
“Why are you describing it in so much detail? So, do you have it or not?”
“Well….”
Grandfather gently patted my head, as if this were the most natural thing to do.
If I tell him that the stone has turned into a lizard, he’ll probably crush my head with that hand!
“By any chance, don’t you—”
“I do! I locked it safely in my treasure chest so no one can ever take it!”
Since I had no idea how to change the stone back, I needed to buy some time.
Grandfather gave me an exasperated look at my response.
“You fool. How could you put it somewhere else?”
“You told me not to lose it, but you never said not to hide it….”
“Didn’t you get the letter from the maid? I specifically told you to keep it with you at all times.”
“It was too hard for me to read….”
Grandfather’s hand, which had been patting my head, suddenly stopped.
He stared at me as if he had just heard something utterly shocking.
“You can’t… read?”
I nodded, and Grandfather sighed.
***
The illiteracy rate in the Hayshal Empire was 20%. Even commoners could read and write since the characters themselves were not difficult.
By the age of six, most noble children could read, and commoners learned to read by the age of eight or nine.
So, I coordinated with Dad at the level of learning the alphabet
Grandfather seemed quite shocked by this.
His lips twitched as if he had much more to say, but instead, he called over a passing knight and ordered him to escort me back to the Stone House.
“Make sure to keep that stone with you at all times. I’ll check later.”
He didn’t forget to mention the stone even until the very end.
‘Isn’t that a bit strange?’
When I got back to the Stone House, Sister Sherry and the other maids welcomed me. Dad and Theon hadn’t finished their training yet.
I immediately went to my room and closed the door.
I needed to talk to Aqum.
‘But before that…’
Something Grandfather said bothered me.
He had given me that stone as a keepsake from Grandmother and told me to always keep it with me.
‘Even after being shocked by the fact that the youngest granddaughter of Count Travel couldn’t read, he still mentioned the stone…?’
There’s definitely something strange about this.
Either Grandfather is secretly a hopeless romantic, or—
‘There’s a specific reason I need to keep Aqum with me.’
In any case, whatever the reason might be, I needed Aqum right now.
[Grrr.]
Aqum was on my bed, furiously shaking my pillow with its teeth.
If someone were to walk into the room right now, they’d just see a pillow moving around on its own.
No one else could see Aqum, nor could they hear it.
Its ability to remain invisible but still interact with objects…
‘Is that why Grandmother always kept the stone with her? How did she become friends with Aqum?’
I approached the bed and spoke to Aqum.
“Aqum, where have you been all this time? I was looking everywhere for you.”
Aqum released the pillow and turned toward me. Its teeth marks were still on it. Though small, they were clearly visible.
[I’ve been wandering around Count Travel’s estate.]
“Why?”
[Why? To check on things while I was asleep. After all, I’m the caretaker of this land.]
“The caretaker? You’re the one managing this place?”
…You’re so small, though.
[What’s with that look in your eyes?]
“Oh, no. Are you some kind of guardian spirit?”
Grandma Marshall, the herbalist from Bonwell Village, knew a lot of old stories. I recalled similar beings from those tales as I spoke.
“Or maybe a spirit? There’s a forest near my hometown that’s guarded by dryads.”
[Guardian? Spirit? I don’t know. From the moment I became aware of my existence, I’ve just been the caretaker.]
I fiddled with the tassels on the cushion. Aqum stared at them before pouncing and biting into them.
It’s still so small. It’s the size of my hand. How could someone its size manage the entire Travel estate?
‘Maybe…’
I decided to throw out a suggestion.
“Managing the Travel estate must be tough since it’s so big.”
[That’s what I’ve been saying.]
Aqum lay sprawled on the bed.
[It would be great if I had two bodies. Back then, Quartz used to help me, which made things a bit easier.]
“……….”
This was it!
I carefully asked, trying not to alarm Aqum.
“You said you were friends with Grandmother. I’m her granddaughter.”
[So what?]
“What if I helped you, like an assistant?”
Honestly, I thought Aqum would accept my offer right away.
[You?]
But Aqum burst out laughing.
[You can’t. To help a caretaker, you need to be able to read and write ancient texts. You still can’t even read the language of the Hayshal Empire, can you?]
“Ancient texts?”
[Quartz was smart. I do find you endearing because you’re Quartz’s granddaughter, but I can’t associate with someone who isn’t clever.]
“Wait a minute.”
I left Aqum and went to the desk. I quickly returned and handed its a piece of paper.
[You want me to look at this? More worms…]
Aqum was about to grab its belly and laugh, but its eyes widened.
I read the sentence written in ancient text aloud.
“How about we become partners instead of just an assistant?”
