CH 36

I lowered my hands, which were covering my mouth, and nodded vigorously. Even from 100 meters away, it was an intense affirmation.

“I want to be a guardian knight! I absolutely want to! I want to enter right now, not when I become an adult!”

I gave the excited answer four times. It seemed to be a funny point because the two men beside me chuckled.

Iris, who was facing me, already had a smile on her lips.

However.

“Only adults can enter the Guardian Knight Order. Once you turn sixteen, I’ll make sure you can join the Order.”

I’m only twelve years old now. Unfortunately, I couldn’t join the Order because I was still a minor.

I had to wait six more years. It was disappointing, but there was no way I could enter the Order by throwing a tantrum. I just slouched my shoulders in frustration.

And there was another person who felt regret, although not as much as me. It was Cassius.

“You’re a step behind. I was also closely watching May, hoping to bring her into our Order.”

“If you had suggested it first, baby would have wanted to join the First Knight Order, right? She likes me more than you.”

“I should have given her a sandwich on the train.”

“Life is all about timing. 

Then Cassius straightened his shoulders and said confidently.

“Really? Then, since there’s still six years left, I’ll try to recruit her into the Second Knight Order.”

“What?”

Iris glared at Cassius with a determined face, but he shrugged and smiled at me.

“I’ll come to visit often in the future.”

Then Iris hugged me tightly.

“With whom? Don’t even think about approaching my baby.”

“You haven’t even joined your Order yet. I have a chance too.”

“Do you want to start a war with me?”

I enjoyed listening to their conversation while being embraced by Iris. They made quite risky remarks, saying they would start a war or immediately gather knights, but I knew they wouldn’t act on them.

I knew they wouldn’t start a war just because I joined them.

After a while, Iris, who had finished arguing with Cassius, spoke to me in a gentle voice.

“Grow up quickly, baby. You should join the First Knight Order when you’re older.”

I smiled and replied.

“I’ll eat well and sleep well, so I can grow up quickly!”

***

After Cassius and Iris left, I ran to my room. I was excited at the thought of sharing the joy with Ellen and Joan.

In my room, Ellen and Joan were taking down the curtains from the curtain rods. It seemed like it was time to wash the curtains.

“Ellen, Joan!”

“You’re back?”

“Did the young lord come? Oh!”

Joan, who was climbing on a chair to remove the curtains, turned around and accidentally hit her head on the fallen curtain rod. She grimaced and held her head.

“Joan, are you okay? 

“I’m fine. My head is strong enough to endure this!”

“But still be careful. I don’t want Joan to be in pain.”

Joan smiled softly, put the curtain rod back up, and came down from the chair with the removed curtain in her hand.

“Yes, yes, I won’t get hurt! But, Young Lord, you seem to be in a good mood.”

“Did something good happen?”

Ellen also came down from the chair with the curtain. I proudly announced to them in a loud voice.

“Lady Iris promised to recruit me!”

“If it’s Lady Iris… could it be the Guardian Deity?”

When Ellen asked, I jumped up and down in place as I answered.

“Yeah, yeah! They said they’ll recruit me into the First Knight Order when I become an adult!”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

I told them everything that happened, starting from meeting Iris and Cassius on the train to the recent events. For a brief moment, Ellen and Joan’s eyes widened like lanterns. Soon after, they sincerely congratulated me.

“Wow, Young Lord, congratulations! I can’t believe the person I serve will become a Guardian Knight… It’s unbelievable!”

“I’m honored!”

I felt a bit awkward under their enthusiastic congratulations and nervously touched the back of my neck.

“I’m not a Guardian Knight yet, though. Well, becoming a knight is still a long way off.”

“But still! The chances of becoming a Guardian Knight are as rare as getting struck by lightning while walking on the road!”

“That’s… true.”

I’m not sure exactly how many people get struck by lightning in a year, though…

Suddenly, Joan remembered something and hastily spoke.

“Oh, Young Lord, now is not the time for you to be here!”

“Huh?”

“We should inform the master!”

“Of course, I’ll let Dad know too.”

In the past, he would have brushed it off, asking if there was any need to inform someone who was stingy with praise. But things are a bit different now.

“Do you still dislike me?”

“No, I don’t. Not anymore.”

He told me the day before yesterday that he doesn’t dislike me anymore. Now that he doesn’t dislike me, he should praise me if I’ve done something worthy.

Although I’m a little bothered by him leaving me behind when I fell last night.

“Being offered to join the Imperial Guardian Knights by the Guardian Deity is something to be greatly pleased about, so the master will be thrilled to know!”

Becoming a Guardian Knight is a rare and honorable achievement. Joan said that if parents were in my place, they would be rightfully delighted to hear that their child received an offer to become a Guardian Knight. She even mentioned that they might want to hang banners in the neighborhood out of pride.

I had also thought that my dad would feel the same way.

“So, go see the master now.”

Alright, alright.”

Even if I had planned to meet Persis without being prompted, Joan pushed me and I ended up heading to his office in a hurry.

As I thought about receiving praise from him, I started to get excited.

He would surely be surprised to hear that I received an offer to become a knight, right? Maybe he would even doubt if it’s true! It’s not even the time for selecting Guardian Knights, and I’m still a minor.

If he doubts it, I’ll confidently call Floa! Floa was there, so he can confirm that it’s true.

Would my dad be surprised? Or would he maintain his composure for a moment and then dismiss me?

‘I hope he praises me.’

They say praise can make even a whale dance. I wanted to receive praise from Persis. It’s remarkable to have won Iris’s heart.

Like a loving father who praises his child.

However, instead of receiving praise from Persis, I couldn’t even see his face.

In front of his office, Yohan, who stood guard, delivered Persis’s message with a perplexed expression.

“What should we do, Young Lord? It seems the master is currently busy and won’t be able to meet you.”

“Just three minutes, can’t he spare that much?”

“He doesn’t like being disturbed during his work… Allow me to apologize on his behalf. I’m sorry.”

I looked at Johan’s bowed head with a gloomy expression.

“It’s not your fault, Johan, so why are you apologizing? Well, If he’s busy, there’s nothing I can do.”

I have no choice but to adjust to him, since I rely on the money he earns.

“I’ll come back later.”

As I was about to leave, Yohan’s words stopped me.

“Um, Young Lord…!”

“Yes?”

“Currently, it’s the peak time for the Guardian Knights to hunt demons, and the upper ranks are busy with demon supply deals involving Flotina. So…”

It seemed that Johan couldn’t continue his sentence as he could see that I was upset.

“Are you saying that he won’t have time to talk with me for a while?”

“ That’s what it seems like. If you have any message for the master, please let me know. I’ll convey it on your behalf.”

I sighed and nodded my head.

“It’s alright. It’s not something urgent that needs to be conveyed… I want to tell him directly. Well then, I’ll go.”

“I’m sorry, Young Lord.”

After that, I visited Persis every day. Each time, I had to look at Johan’s bowed head.

“I’m sorry, Young Lord.”

“You said the same thing yesterday and the day before, didn’t you? You said this.”

It’s not Johan’s fault. He doesn’t have to apologize.

“So… why can’t we meet today? It seems like it’s not because he’s busy at this point, but rather because he intentionally avoids meeting me…”

I couldn’t meet him for two weeks, despite coming every day. I started feeling more and more frustrated, wondering if there wasn’t even three minutes of free time in the past ten days because he was busy.

“… I’m sorry, Young Lord.”

Leaving Johan behind, I turned back on the path I came from.

My steps as I walked back were heavy. I realized that I couldn’t even ask about why he left me lying there when I fell on the day of the blackout.

Because he didn’t make time for me.

If he’s too busy to care for his child, then why did he bring me here? A child should be raised, receiving love from their parents at every moment…

I stopped my steps in the middle of the hallway.

I had hoped that Persis would fulfill the role of a father. Because he said he didn’t mind and even took care of me personally, I thought he would be a good father from now on.

But looking at the current situation, nothing has changed. His kindness to me was just a cruel hope.

I shouldn’t have had any expectations from the beginning.

Didn’t I know that Persis doesn’t love his daughter and has a normal mindset of raising a son because he thinks she’s useless?

And until recently, as long as I didn’t die and wasn’t sold as a slave, I behaved as if everything was fine. 

Now that the situation has improved a bit, I’m no longer satisfied with just having enough to eat and sleep comfortably. I want more than that, from someone whom I should never have expected anything from.

I was annoyed at myself, calling myself a fool.

Such feelings made me despise myself and feel miserable.