The Last Thing I Expected
It was the last thing I expected. No, it was utterly beyond anything I could have imagined. I hadn’t expected it from my father, and my two younger siblings never even crossed my mind. I thought perhaps my older brother or mother might show up, but…
To think it would be Alfred.
I truly hadn’t considered the possibility of him coming at all.
As if sensing my bewilderment, Alfred rose from his chair with that familiar, good-natured smile and offered a polite bow.
“Young Master, you’ve grown even more dependable since I last saw you.”
Only then did I snap out of it and meet his eyes properly.
Alfred.
One of the few people in the mansion who had ever truly spoken to me.
He had already been well into his later years when I was born, yet seeing him now after two years, he looked as though he stood on the very threshold of twilight.
“It’s good to see you too. I’m glad, but… how is it that you’re here…”
Noticing my flustered state, Alfred smiled gently.
“Why don’t you sit down first? The refreshments here are quite to my taste.”
A few crumbs clung to the corner of his mouth, evidence that he had already sampled some of the confections on the table.
I managed a nod and took the seat across from him.
“Is it really all right for you to leave your post like this? It’s spring, after all. With the farming preparations underway… I understand it’s an especially busy time.”
Given that our territory primarily cultivated wheat, Alfred—as head butler—had always stood beside my father, overseeing the fields and attending to every detail.
Leaving his duties must have been no small feat.
“… Young Master.”
Alfred looked at me with a smile.
“Yes?”
It was the same smile he had always shown me, yet this time his face carried the quiet sorrow of passing years.
“I am no longer a member of the Liperto family.”
…
“… Ah.”
A short sound escaped me.
Before my mind could fully register the words, my lungs instinctively released a breath.
“You’ve… retired?”
At my question, Alfred gave a quiet nod.
“Yes. I completed the handover to the new head butler and retired. As of today, it has been two months and three days.”
“I… see.”
The new head butler.
“He is very reliable. Outstanding, sharp-minded, and decisive…”
Alfred began to praise the new head butler, but the words barely reached my ears.
I simply stared at his aged hands and weathered face for a long moment.
So that was it. Alfred was leaving too.
“… What are you doing these days?”
“I have been traveling across the continent.”
Traveling the continent, was it?
“Sounds like quite the adventure.”
“An adventure, you say? Hehe. That’s a pleasant way to put it. But how could this old man drag this body through deep forests or rugged terrain? I am simply enjoying a light tour.”
A tour.
I remembered a conversation we once had. He had told me that if he ever retired, he wanted to visit cities all across the continent.
“So you’ve been seeing different cities?”
“Yes. After spending my whole life as a servant of the Liperto family, I found there were many places I wished to see.”
A bright smile had risen on his face.
Was he happy?
“… I see. I’m glad you’re doing well. Though it looks like you’ve lost a bit more hair.”
“Hehe, Young Master. Even with these few strands remaining, I can style them in all sorts of ways. Do not dismiss them so easily.”
Indeed, his remaining hair was meticulously groomed.
“It does suit you.”
The faint aroma of sweets and tea drifted through the visitation room, wrapping the space in a warm, comforting atmosphere that gently eased the tension.
We began to talk comfortably.
“The night view from the Blue Moon Village in the north was truly beautiful…”
“This bracelet is something I purchased at a festival I came across on the way down. Isn’t it lovely?”
For the past two months, Alfred had shared stories of the many places he had toured since leaving his position, and I listened quietly to every word.
Come to think of it.
When I was young, he would always tell me stories like these.
Once a week, he would visit at night to share thrilling tales of heroes or teach me the names of the stars in the night sky.
‘Young Master, look at those stars. Doesn’t gazing up at the sky like this make your worries melt away?’
‘Not for me.’
‘You still lack sensitivity.’
Even on the day I left for the academy, he had helped me pack my luggage until the very last moment.
… He was one of the faces I had most wanted to see upon returning.
To meet him so suddenly like this.
“Young Master.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because I had been lost in thought, Alfred gently called me back with a soft voice.
“It seems I’ve done all the talking. I would like to hear about you as well. How have you been faring?”
“Ah.”
I nodded and took a moment to gather my thoughts.
How had I been…
Memories from the academy flickered through my mind like a revolving lantern. The grueling first year of trying to adapt, the second year spent simply drifting along…
“As for me…”
I had simply lived that way.
When it was time to play, I played. When it was time to study, it felt as though fire burned beneath my feet.
I made enjoyable friends, skipped lectures when the mood struck, and sometimes got caught and scolded for it.
I had a serious fight with a friend once, and there were times I was misunderstood.
There were moments I nearly gave up because an assignment felt too overwhelming, and I often found myself in awe of those far more talented than I was.
I spent nights stargazing from the dormitory and experienced all sorts of things.
And…
“… Alfred.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Alfred, who had been listening attentively, fixed his gaze on me.
“I… I got a girlfriend.”
“Is that so.”
Alfred nodded calmly.
“You’re not surprised?”
“Why would I be? The academy is a place of learning, but it is also a place of social gatherings. Besides, with your appearance, Young Master, it was only to be expected.”
“Is my face that handsome?”
When I jokingly rested my chin on my hand in a V shape, he chuckled.
“In my eyes, you are the finest.”
“You certainly have a way with words.”
“So, what sort of person is she? I am quite curious.”
What sort of person.
After a brief pause, I began to conjure her image in my mind.
Elinè…
“She’s scary.”
“Pardon?”
For the first time, Alfred’s eyes widened. To lead with the word scary when speaking of one’s lover.
“Her expression is always blank, she excels in every regard, and she simply feels like an entirely different kind of being. Yesterday she spent the whole day pummeling me with magic.”
“Hehe…”
Alfred listened with a bewildered expression, as though wondering whether this was the proper way to speak of one’s beloved.
“Yet on the inside, she is incredibly kind. Even with that expressionless face, I can see it clearly. Sometimes she smiles, and it seems she gets angry too… Oh, and I’m better at chess than she is.”
“I know your chess skills well, Young Master.”
After that, I continued pouring out stories about Elinè, and each time Alfred listened attentively, nodding along.
“She sounds like a wonderful person.”
“Yes… she’s good. A very good person.”
And then.
I took a slow breath, glanced at the ceiling, and lowered my head.
“Alfred.”
“Yes.”
I confessed to him.
“I did something bad. A sin… I suppose you could call it that.”
“… A sin, you say.”
He interlaced his fingers and listened with a serious, attentive posture.
“The truth is, at first I thought of it very lightly. It was only a penalty, so I felt nothing but guilt for dragging someone else into an annoying situation.”
I spoke evenly.
“… I should have told her back when I confessed that it was a penalty. I naturally assumed I would be rejected and said it without much thought, but she accepted. That’s how our relationship began.”
“I see.”
“Truly. She gave her time for me and helped me… But the more she did, the more it hurt.”
I clenched my fist, then slowly opened it.
“Because the beginning was wrong. I tried to tell her… but she asked me to wait until I was no longer wavering.”
When I looked at him slowly, Alfred nodded without any shift in expression. After a brief silence, he spoke carefully.
“Young Master.”
“Yes.”
“Do not think of the emotion called love too heavily.”
“…”
No words came.
Because I had never received love before.
I had always believed it was an incredibly difficult emotion to attain.
Alfred took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and regarded me.
“Emotions are like that. For some, the mere brush of a sleeve can create a bond that lasts a lifetime. For others, even a lifetime spent together may never allow them to truly connect.”
“…”
“Of course, my words are not the absolute truth. They are simply what I believe.”
Alfred coughed lightly and took another sip to clear his throat.
“She made a request of me.”
“A request?”
“She asked me to rise to the Alpha Class.”
“… Oh ho.”
Alfred playfully furrowed his brows, then relaxed them, stroking the back of his hands with his thumbs.
“That is quite a demanding request. As expected of an exceptional person.”
“Yes, I’m barely able to stand straight these days.”
When I gave a faint smile, Alfred finally smiled in return.
“Young Master.”
“Yes.”
He asked me a question.
“Do you find yourself thinking of her often?”
…
“Yes.”
“How would you feel if she were to get hurt?”
Elinè getting hurt.
I had never considered it. She had always been strong.
Even so, if she were injured…
“It would break my heart.”
“Do you wish to remain by her side always?”
“… Yes. I believe that’s the case.”
“That is what love is, Young Master.”
“…”
Is that so.
“It’s nothing grand. Vowing to give your life, wanting to claim her even if it means trading every territory, valuing her above the honor of the imperial palace, or claiming the wheat fields aren’t truly mine yet I manage them so they’re essentially mine.”
“What was that last one?”
“That was my best line in my prime. It’s how I won my wife back in the day.”
What on earth.
“In any case, whether it’s these words or those, no matter how many flowery phrases or magnificent declarations you attach, the conclusion remains the same. The desire to keep seeing her.”
“…”
Alfred looked at me as he sipped his tea.
“However, the beginning was indeed flawed.”
I nodded.
“After you tell her everything, what do you wish to do?”
“… I’ll do whatever she wants.”
Because I had already steeled myself for it.
“Even if the relationship is severed?”
…
A sharp throb pierced my chest.
I steadied my breathing and pressed firmly against my heart. The pain slowly began to subside.
The words wouldn’t come right away.
But.
“… I’ll have to accept it.”
Alfred studied my face for a long moment before nodding.
“If that is your choice, Young Master, I will say no more.”
Alfred offered nothing further. He supported me and believed in me, but that was all.
It meant he would not intervene anymore and would simply watch over me as a third party.
“The reason you came here… was because you had business nearby?”
“Business nearby? The academy is in such a remote place. What business could possibly be nearby?”
He had a point.
The academy was the pinnacle of education, a gathering place for talented individuals, and had been deliberately isolated to prevent any outside interference.
“I came because I wanted to see you, Young Master. Before I depart.”
… Before departing.
Those words struck me with deeper sadness, yet I had no right to hold him back, so I simply nodded and asked.
“Where will you go?”
“It seems I will head to the Holy Kingdom.”
The somewhat abrupt name made me slowly lift my head.
“The Holy Kingdom…”
A religious nation located in the southern part of the continent, centered around faith in the divine.
“I believe I will spend the remainder of my life there. Finding rest by God’s side seems like a fine choice.”
He spoke calmly, as though all preparations had already been made.
I could only nod in response.
“Thank you, Alfred. And thank you for coming to see me.”
“It was truly wonderful to see you one last time as well, Young Master. And… to learn that you have found a lover.”
“…”
He took my hand in a firm grip. His hand was rough, marked by years of labor, and covered in thick calluses.
“Young Master Lutes, among all the people I have met, you possess the brightest and warmest heart. Do not lose that nature. Move forward with it. No matter what choice you make, regret will always follow. But the most important thing is to never lose that heart.”
“… Yes.”
The clear sound of a bell began to ring.
It signaled that visitation time was nearly over.
Alfred nodded, placed his hat back on his head, and rose to his feet.
As always, he smoothly donned his suit and layered a coat over it, transforming once more into a neat, dignified elderly gentleman.
“… This is the first time I’ve seen you in a coat, and it suits you remarkably well.”
“Does it? Hehe.”
Alfred.
Looking at him now, I realized that I had always looked up to his large frame, but at some point his back had become slightly stooped, and now I was the one looking down at him.
“Please take good care of yourself.”
With those final words from Alfred, I nodded as well.
“… Will we be able to meet again?”
“I will be in the Holy Kingdom. If you graduate, Young Master… and happen to visit.”
Alfred looked at me without finishing the thought. I simply nodded and saw him off.
After he left the visitation room, I remained seated in silence for a while before standing and stepping out into the corridor.
After graduation, I would have to return to the territory.
And then I would no longer be able to go see Alfred.
That must have been why he had left his words unfinished.
The look in his eyes before he departed had been filled with quiet melancholy.
… Why was I
thinking about going back?
“Stop with the nonsense and just come back already.”
Yes. There was nowhere else for me to go.
“Just stay quietly beside your brother, Lutes. Don’t wander off anywhere.”
I hadn’t thought about it.
“Hey, look at this. Father bought it for me. You don’t have one, do you?”
I don’t know.
The more I thought about it, the more tangled my emotions became. I simply needed to follow along, so why were these thoughts digging through my mind again?
It’s noisy.
I shook my head.
“Lutes.”
Amid the swirling distractions, a voice reached me.
…
That blunt yet warmer than anyone else’s voice calling my name.
“Lutes.”
The voice came again.
Elinè.
What might she be doing right now? Since she had helped me yesterday, she was probably catching up on the assignments and studies she had put off.
She did say she was busy.
I should head back and study too.
“Lutes.”
Once more the voice sounded. From right behind me.
“Whoa!”
I spun around in surprise, and there were familiar blue eyes gazing steadily at me.
A familiar figure, and… as always, that expressionless face.
“… Elinè?”
It was Elinè.
Why was she here?
I thought she was busy today?
I couldn’t make sense of the situation.
Was I seeing things?
But even after blinking several times, Elinè remained standing in the same spot.
“Why are you…”
“I had something to take care of. I told you yesterday.”
Something to take care of? Here?
This is the visitation area…
Before I could fully process what was happening, a woman walked up beside Elinè.
A woman with black hair elegantly braided and pinned up.
Her clothes were simple, yet the noble aura radiating from within could not be concealed.
“Elinè, why did you stop?”
The woman placed a hand on Elinè’s shoulder and met my eyes. Her gaze swept over me quickly from head to toe. One second. Two seconds. And then.
“Oh my…”
Her gentle eyes curved into a warm arc.
“… Could this be the one?”
Elinè turned her gaze toward me and nodded.
“Yes, Mother.”