The Journey (1)
Evening had come, and still the young master had not returned.
"He must be busy…"
Sister Mary had prepared a feast fit for a celebration, and yet—
"We should go ahead and eat."
Priest Daniel was the first to say it.
Is that really all right?
"Let's eat first."
Once Sister Mary agreed as well, there was nothing I could do about it. Besides, the one who was late was the one at fault, wasn't he?
With one person missing, far too much food was left over, and the thought of wasting it was so unbearable that I forced every last bite down my throat.
"You don't have to force yourself like that…"
"It would be a waste."
Even stuffed, I kept eating. If it hadn't been delicious, I wouldn't have felt so guilty about leaving it—but Sister Mary's cooking had improved far too much…!
It was too good!!
Am I going to get fat at this rate?
After dinner, I spent the time moving about the mansion, keeping myself lightly occupied.
But even as the night grew deep, the young master still did not come home. I waited for him.
The problem was that he never returned—and that my wandering the halls made the others worry.
"Julian, Maximilian isn't a child. Why don't you just go in and rest?"
"I know that. I'm just taking a little night stroll."
It was a ridiculous excuse, and I knew it. I wasn't even properly dressed—what kind of night stroll was that? If I went outside like this, mild climate or not, I might freeze to death.
Sister Mary looked at me with an expression that was… just a little pitying.
"Don't wait too late, all right?"
"I-I'm not waiting for anyone!"
Even I could hear how foolish that sounded.
Sister Mary smiled softly and returned to her room. Dodging anyone else's eyes, I decided to grab an outer layer and head downstairs.
Instead of a coat, I threw on a robe, then made my way from the third floor down to the second.
"Is something the matter?"
The moment I stepped onto the second floor, I ran straight into Priest Daniel. What are these people doing? At this hour, everyone should have been asleep—why was he still up?
"J-just… nothing."
"It's cold out. If you're going outside, you'd do well to dress more warmly."
I wasn't even planning to go that far… Did he overhear my conversation with Sister Mary upstairs?
"I-I'm fine."
I hurried down toward the first floor.
"Do be careful."
Something about the way Priest Daniel seemed to be smiling rubbed me the wrong way.
The moment I reached the first floor, a chill settled over me. They must not have lit the hearth.
I cast a light spell to illuminate the surroundings, then conjured a flame into my palm and used wind magic to spread the warmth through the air.
As the heat rolled outward, the cold space began to grow pleasantly warm.
Three different magics at once—an extravagantly luxurious form of heating.
"I can manage three simple spells at the same time now."
I hadn't trained for this specifically; only my skill at handling holy power had grown. It had probably developed naturally through my alchemy work…
"Is that actually helping me?"
Or was I simply riding on the Goddess's favor? I couldn't say.
Either way—my thanks for the Goddess's grace…
I spent a while circulating warmth through the first floor and wandering about, but—
"He's really not coming, is he."
Without a clock I couldn't know the exact hour, but by gauging the moon's position I could make a fair estimate. Looking up at it, I figured it was around eleven? Or maybe midnight?
Somewhere around there.
To be fair, the young master had come home late before. That time he'd gone out late in the afternoon for a soirée and returned at dawn. Even a commoner like me knew what a soirée was—it was that famous kind of party.
Nobles gathered in their finest clothes, young ladies appeared in dresses, dancing and conversing. The most glittering event of high society.
"He never said he was going to a soirée, though…"
I was starting to worry that something had happened.
No—he wasn't someone I needed to worry about… but he was still a companion, so of course I worried.
"Yeah. This is just ordinary concern…"
That said, I was getting sleepy.
It had been a long day, and I was exhausted. I'd wait a little longer, then just go to bed.
Right. I was only warming the house for a companion who would be coming in from the cold. I wasn't waiting because I was worried. Not at all.
Thinking that, I spread the heat not just through the first floor but up to the second and third as well.
Yes—rather than wait around bored, I might as well practice my magic. I kept the light and fire spells going while carefully modulating the wind.
After about an hour of maintaining the spells, the entire mansion was thoroughly, cozily warm.
"Mm, at this point I don't even need the robe."
I slipped it off. Even in my nightclothes, I couldn't feel the cold at all.
"Yeah. Perfect."
On nights that felt especially bitter, I should warm the mansion like this before bed.
It's a shame, but I'm getting tired. Maybe I should head back?
One last time, I went to the window and looked outside.
"Still not—…wait?"
Beyond the front gate, through the bars, I could see a carriage. The torch hanging from it made the vehicle visible, though not clearly.
"Hm?"
A carriage stopping in front of the mansion at this hour?
In all likelihood—an extremely high likelihood—it was Young Master Maximilian. Of course it could have been someone else, but the odds overwhelmingly favored him.
He's finally here?
I'd been just about ready to give up and go to sleep. Perfect timing.
I stood at the front door and waited for him to come in.
How should I scold him for coming home this late?
Should I start by asking why he was so late? No—first I should welcome him home properly.
Then ask what kept him.
"Yeah. That's the plan."
I stood at the door, closed my eyes, and drew a deep breath.
Creak—the front door opened.
"Welcome home."
I said it with the brightest smile I could manage.
"Uh—J-Juli… Julian?"
Even from more than ten paces away, the thick smell of alcohol hit me. Had he been drinking and that was why he was late?
"What kept you so long?"
Light gradually returned to the young master's unfocused, drink-dulled eyes.
"J-Julian?!"
Startled, he began to hiccup.
I stepped closer.
"My, you've been drinking, haven't you? Coming home this late without a word—how terribly inconsiderate of you."
It wasn't like me to talk that way. I was just… a little angry. If he'd at least said something before going out drinking, I wouldn't have worried. No matter how strong he was, no matter that he was a noble—I'd fretted over every possibility.
"I-I'm sorry. A drinking party sprang up all of a sudden, and it was a gathering I simply couldn't leave."
He bowed his head deeply in apology.
In truth, he had no obligation to apologize to me. Noble affairs were none of a commoner's business…
And yet I felt strangely irritated. Restless.
I was angry.
I was annoyed.
"Oh? So you couldn't mention it, and you couldn't leave either?"
"I'm truly sorry. I should have at least sent someone."
"Well, you're a noble, and a commoner like me had no need to know. And if it was a drinking party, there were probably women there too."
I had a fixed idea that a gathering of male nobles always involved women.
A prejudice, maybe.
"…!"
The young master reacted as though I'd struck a nerve.
What… Don't tell me it actually…?
"It really…?"
"I-I'm sorry. I had no choice."
He staggered toward me. I took a step back to match. Young master… I hadn't thought you were the type…
"B-but nothing happened. Really."
He kept coming closer, trying to explain, and I kept retreating.
"I-I swear, absolutely nothing happened."
Anger boiled up inside me. I'd thought he was a decent person… but in the end, the young master was just a man too. Just an ordinary… nobleman…
"Disgusting…"
I shoved him away with both hands. I barely put any force into it, and yet he toppled right over.
Looking flustered, he insisted it wasn't like that at all.
"Pervert."
I looked down at him.
I'd believed he wasn't that kind of person…! A sense of betrayal cut through me. I couldn't understand why something like this tore at my heart so badly.
"Enemy of all women…!"
I left him sprawled on the floor and climbed the stairs.
The betrayal was enormous.
I'd thought he would never do something like that!
It had all been a misunderstanding—I'd simply expected too much of him.
Suddenly the young master felt unpleasant. Distasteful. He was a man too. An ordinary man, at that.
I didn't understand why that fact unsettled me so deeply.
"J-Julian! It's not like that at all! Julian! Please listen to me!"
I thought I heard him calling after me, but I was too busy wrestling with the chaos of my own feelings.
I ran up the stairs and arrived at my bedroom door.
I looked back. No one had followed.
"Hah…"
The betrayal made my teeth clench.
I should have just gone to sleep instead of waiting for someone like that!
I regretted it.
I went into my room, flung the robe roughly onto the hanger, and threw myself onto the bed.
Ugh, so annoying!
Annoying, annoying, annoying!
I was furious. So utterly furious!
I lay down to sleep, but the whole incident kept circling through my mind, tormenting me.
Why?!
How could something this small throw my emotions into such disarray?
Since when had I started caring so much about anything involving the young master?
I truly had no idea.
I didn't know.
Sister Mary and Priest Daniel seemed to understand these feelings of mine.
Why hadn't they told me? I'd fretted over it for months and still understood nothing.
"Argh!!!"
Unable to contain my anger, I buried my face in the pillow.