Rose rolled around on the soft carpeted floor.
Her uncle was busy with work, and her puppy friend Fenrex had gone to train, saying he needed to become stronger to protect her.
‘I’m bored.’
Rose muttered, pouting her lips as she rolled on the floor. Suddenly, she stood up.
“I should go exercise too.”
As she opened the door on tiptoe, she saw Sebastian standing by the door.
“Sebastian.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Sebastian knelt on one knee to match Rose’s eye level.
“Shall we go to the Duke?”
Rose shook her head.
“I mustn’t disturb my uncle while he’s working. I’m going to exercise.”
“But haven’t you already exercised?”
After breakfast, Rose had learned swordsmanship from William.
Although her health had improved, Rose was still weaker than her peers, so her training was not too strenuous.
“But I’m so bored.”
“Hmm. Then how about exploring the castle?”
Rose’s face lit up.
“I’d love to! Let’s explore the castle!”
Sebastian nodded but then showed a sad expression.
“Why do you look like that? Are you in pain?”
“No, it’s just that…”
“Just what?”
Rose tilted her head, causing her thick, wheat-colored hair tied up on both sides to sway cutely.
“The castle is so vast that your legs might hurt.”
“My legs might hurt?”
Sebastian nodded.
“Didn’t your legs hurt after we went on that picnic?”
“Ah, yes, they did.”
Rose had run around a lot playing tag with her uncle during the picnic, and her legs had hurt even when she slept and the next day.
Remembering this, Rose frowned, and Sebastian pretended to think hard before speaking.
“Then how about this?”
“What?”
“It’s a bit unorthodox, but I could carry you around the castle.”
Rose pouted and shook her head.
“But then you’d get tired, Sebastian. I don’t want you to get tired.”
Sebastian chuckled and spread his arms towards Rose.
“I’m still young enough to carry you, my lady. In fact, I’d be grateful to show you around the castle while carrying you.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Looking at him skeptically, Rose eventually nestled into Sebastian’s arms.
Sebastian, carrying the still light Rose, began to walk slowly.
“Up there is the castle’s pride, the mural.”
Following Sebastian’s gesture, Rose looked up and gasped.
The ceiling was filled with roses of various shades of red, pink, and purple, all arranged beautifully without any awkwardness, enhancing the mural’s beauty.
“This is a piece called ‘Blessings of Spring to Loenbaum,’ a gift from a dwarf who was friends with the first Duke.”
“What’s a dwarf?”
“A dwarf is a different species from humans. They’re very short but excellent at making things.”
“Short? Shorter than Rose?”
Sebastian pretended to be troubled before showing a sad face.
“Actually, I don’t know. The last time dwarves were seen was when the empire was founded, and then they went to live in distant mountains.”
“Why?”
“They found the continuous wars too difficult.”
As Sebastian walked slowly, he answered Rose’s many questions, whether they were related to the castle or simple curiosities.
Sebastian answered Rose’s questions kindly, like a grandfather would.
***
Before heading to the annex, they stopped by the greenhouse.
There, they encountered a stranger, and Rose’s stream of questions halted.
Rose quickly grabbed Sebastian’s clothes and buried her face in his chest upon seeing the stranger.
However, her curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked at him.
“Hello, young lady. My name is Fred.”
Fred had heard from Logan that Rose was afraid of men, especially adults, so he greeted her from a distance without approaching.
“…Fred?”
Rose mumbled his name, and Sebastian provided additional information.
“He is a guest invited by the Duke.”
“My uncle invited him?”
“Yes, there’s no need to be afraid.”
Rose looked at Fred.
Fred smiled gently to avoid scaring her.
‘Who is he? He seems different…’
Rose’s fear of men stemmed from her father’s rough actions and words, which made her subconsciously recoil at the sight of any man.
Although she had gotten a bit better after meeting kind people like her uncle in the Duke’s household, she still felt uncomfortable around strangers.
But Fred was different.
With his long hair tied loosely, Fred looked frail, like her sick mother.
“…Are you sick?”
Rose asked out of concern, despite her fear, and Fred’s eyes widened in surprise.
He not only looked similar to her mother but also seemed kind and harmless.
He felt different from the other men she had met before.
‘He’s just like Mom.’
Whenever Rose asked if her mother was in pain, her mother would respond with the same expression and a gentle laugh, saying she was fine.
As if reading her thoughts, Fred laughed gently.
“No, I’m not sick.”
‘Wow.’
Seeing Fred respond exactly like her mother, Rose suddenly felt unafraid of him.
Moreover, she wanted to befriend him.
“Sebastian, can I play with Fred?”
“Of course.”
Knowing Fred’s personality after spending a few days at the Duke’s estate, Sebastian readily agreed.
“However, we need Fred’s permission.”
“Let me down!”
After being gently set down by Sebastian, Rose ran to Fred and grabbed his pants.
“Won’t you play with me?”
“That…”
Fred, who had never interacted with children before, hesitated awkwardly. But Rose looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
Unable to resist the child’s gaze, Fred nodded.
“Alright.”
“Yay! Let’s go over there!”
As Rose extended her small hand like a maple leaf, Fred hesitated before taking it.
“Here, this way!”
Following Rose’s lead, Fred walked along, with Sebastian trailing behind at a distance.
***
Rose led him to a small flower bed where wildflowers were blooming.
Remembering the flower crown Ian had made for her during the picnic, Rose started picking flowers and asked,
“Why are you here?”
“The Duke invited me to work with him.”
“So you work with my uncle?”
“…I haven’t decided yet.”
Fred had always dreamed of assisting someone important and had worked hard for it.
When the Duke offered him a position, he was overjoyed to be recognized.
But that joy was short-lived.
Fred soon became afraid.
A personal aide was not merely someone who followed orders.
He had to predict his lord’s thoughts and act accordingly.
He had to provide opinions to ensure his lord went in the right direction and report on the best choices by considering many factors.
An aide had to consider all situations and make their own judgments.
But could he really do that?
He had learned a lot from the sage. He could confidently say he had more academic knowledge than anyone else.
But that was it.
Apart from reading books in his study, he felt he could do nothing else.
Although he had only exchanged a few words, he knew the Duke was someone who could see the big picture, unlike himself.
The Duke would surely achieve what he wanted. He had the ability to do so.
Therefore, Fred felt even more uncertain.
What if his judgment led the Duke down the wrong path? What if his decisions ruined everything?
Overwhelmed by fear, Fred was using the excuse of needing time to think to run away from the Duke.
‘I’m such an idiot.’
Fred smiled bitterly.
Not seeing his face, Rose asked,
“Why?”
With her little hands, Rose was trying to make a flower crown but was just mashing the flowers together.
Seeing this, Fred helped Rose with the flower crown and said,
“I don’t know if I can do it.”
Rose tilted her head.
“I don’t understand.”
“I mean… I’m afraid of making mistakes.”
Rose nodded at Fred’s response.
“It’s okay. Uncle said people make mistakes, and it’s okay to make them as long as you fix them.”
As she fiddled with the flower crown, Rose continued,
“And he said sometimes we get things wrong. But that’s not because we’re dumb, it’s because he didn’t teach us properly.”
Looking at Fred, Rose said,
“Uncle will teach you well too! It’s okay to make mistakes! Don’t worry!”
“Really…?”
“Of course. Uncle said he never lies to me.”
“I see.”
With the flower crown made from slightly crushed flowers, Rose placed it on Fred’s head.
“If you’re too scared, just ask Uncle. Whenever I don’t know something, I ask Uncle everything.”
Saying her uncle knows everything, Rose smiled, and Fred smiled faintly in return.
“Oh, Uncle smiled.”
“Ah.”
Fred reached up and touched his mouth.
Even though his lips felt awkwardly curled up, he felt good that he was smiling.
Looking at Rose, who was making another flower crown, Fred spoke.
“Lady Rose, could you come with me to see the Duke?”
***
“Hasn’t Fred made a decision yet?”
Logan, sorting documents, said as he drank cold tea.
“Yes, I wonder what’s holding him back.”
After much searching, they had found Fred, but contrary to expectations, he hesitated to become Ian’s aide.
As time went on, Ian became increasingly anxious, not knowing what was holding up Fred’s decision.
“Haa. Fred needs to become an aide soon to lighten my workload.”
“Fred is to be my aide. You should find someone to assist you yourself.”
“Don’t you have any sympathy for an old man?”
Logan looked at Ian as if he was talking nonsense.
Just then, there was a small knock on the door.
And there was only one person who would knock like that.
Ian opened the door with a bright smile.
“Rose? ……Fred?”
It wasn’t just Rose at the door. Fred was there holding Rose’s hand.
