Instruction
Instruction
Since it was an order, Daniel couldn't bring himself to refuse and sat down at the table.
Lucy was deliberately avoiding eye contact, but it didn't matter much.
Daniel cut the stollen into bite-sized pieces and placed them on Lucy's plate, and each time, Lucy accepted the stollen like a baby bird.
After that was repeated several times, tears began to well up in Lucy's eyes.
"My lady?"
Wondering if she had choked from eating too hastily, he poured water and offered her the cup, but Lucy didn't take it.
So he found himself awkwardly holding the water glass when Lucy swallowed the stollen and opened her mouth.
"......Why are you being so nice to me? What are you after?"
The words that came out of Lucy's mouth were quite shocking, so Daniel couldn't answer.
"I heard. That you volunteered to be my attendant. Are you an idiot?"
As Daniel set the water glass down, Lucy continued.
"Do you not know who I am? You don't know anything about why I was taken in as the Count's adopted daughter, do you? No matter how I look at it, that seems to be the case, so I'll tell you clearly—just because you get close to me doesn't mean—"
"What does that matter."
Lucy's shoulders, which had seemed on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment, flinched and trembled.
As Lucy slowly raised her head, Daniel let out a low breath.
"Since you seem to want me to dig into your past, I'll ask. Were the events of the past your fault? And do you wish that I, upon learning that past, would come to dislike you?"
After a brief silence, Lucy shook her head.
"Then that's enough. Whatever past you may have, I will treat you the same. Besides, you're being rather presumptuous. This isn't me being 'nice' to you......"
Daniel leaned toward Lucy and gave a thin smile.
"I'm merely treating you normally. The moment I seriously resolve to 'be nice' to you, my lady will lose her senses. You'll fall head over heels for me. So please be on your guard."
Lucy's eyes widened at Daniel's playful boasting.
"What the......"
It was so absurd that a laugh escaped her before she knew it.
"You really are an idiot."
Having said that, Lucy raised a hand and lightly wiped the corners of her eyes.
Having managed to relieve some of the tangled emotions in her heart thanks to Daniel, Lucy took a deep breath and moved her lips.
"You know. I'm not very good at asking this kind of thing, but......"
Perhaps feeling shy, Lucy chose her words for a moment, then mustered her courage and looked at Daniel.
"You, what's your name?"
'That took a while,' he thought.
Since he couldn't give his real name, Daniel considered giving a false one but hesitated for a moment.
Even if it was within a memory, he didn't want to lie to Lucy.
So after a brief deliberation, Daniel thought of a clever solution.
"Seo Do-yoon."
The name from his past life that no one knew.
"That is my name."
It was the only name that was truthful yet wouldn't encroach upon this world of memories.
*
After they exchanged names, Lucy and Daniel were able to grow close quickly.
Since Lucy was ostracized even by the mansion's servants, it was only natural that she would develop a fondness for Daniel, who took her side.
Thus, summer arrived.
Even in the season when flowers of every color flaunted their beauty, the two spent their time joyfully within the room.
"You know. Later, when I leave this mansion, there are a lot of things I want to do."
While solving the crossword puzzle in the newspaper Daniel had brought, Lucy abruptly spoke up at the table.
Curious about what she wanted to do, Daniel also took his eyes off the crossword puzzle and leaned back in his chair.
"Things you want to do? What specifically do you mean, my lady."
"First, I want to see the sea. Meli told me there's an endless salt lake. After that...... Yeah. I really want to raise a puppy."
"A puppy. That's nice. I used to raise one myself, you see."
"Really? What kind of dog was it?"
The bright-eyed interest on Lucy's face was both awkward and, in a way, a relief.
'A child whose emotions had been so rich......'
It felt regrettable that the ostracism in the mansion caused her to wear such an expressionless face by the time she became an adult.
Even if it was a world merely within a memory, seeing Lucy regain her vitality was reassuring.
Daniel smiled and spoke.
"It was an incredibly cute creature. It was so cute that just watching it gave me energy, and holding it felt like I possessed the entire world. I still vividly remember how it would perk up its ears and come running the moment I called 'Kelly!'."
Lucy's face became slightly blank as she listened to the story.
"Kelly? It's a name I feel like I've heard somewhere before......"
Daniel became serious too.
Because if Lucy regained her memories like this, he would be able to return to reality.
"Hmmm......"
You can do it, Lucy! Daniel cheered in his heart, but Lucy merely shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. Maybe there was a servant with a similar name."
"......I see."
It seemed the keyword 'Kelly' wasn't enough to stir Lucy's memories.
It was unfortunate, but what could he do.
Still, unable to give up, Daniel casually broached the subject.
"Speaking of Kelly, a related story comes to mind. There was a woman I was close to, and when she heard about Kelly, she mistakenly thought it was my lover. I remember being terribly flustered because of it."
"Huh? She mistook Kelly for your lover?"
Blinking as if she didn't understand, Lucy soon covered her mouth and giggled softly.
"I don't know who she is, but she really is a fool. How can you confuse a dog with a person? Isn't this a matter of common sense? I would absolutely never do something like that."
The words 'That's the future you' nearly slipped out, but he held back.
"Yes. Our lady would never confuse a person with a puppy. More importantly......"
Daniel observed Lucy's appearance.
He could see she wore a ribbon tied behind her head, a long blouse that covered her arms entirely, and a skirt that reached down to her ankles.
Though the material was high-quality, Daniel, thinking she was stubbornly insisting on only one type of outfit, raised a question.
"It will soon be midsummer. Wouldn't it be better to wear something a bit more airy? If you keep walking around dressed like that, you will feel the heat."
"......That's fine."
"Even so, there must be many clothes that would suit you, my lady."
"I said it's fine."
Her firm tone left no room for further questions.
Thinking there must be a reason, Daniel was nodding silently when someone knocked on the door.
"My lady. It is time for your private swordsmanship instruction. The Count left instructions urging you not to be late."
Having heard this, Lucy took a deep breath and then spoke.
"Alright. I'll go soon."
Having said that, Lucy rose from her seat.
"You can go back now too."
At her uncharacteristically cold tone, Daniel stood up from his seat and bowed his head lightly.
"I shall see you at dinner."
Having said that, Daniel opened the door and stepped outside.
Yet he couldn't shake an odd feeling.
'Clearly......'
It was only for a moment, but he had seen a shadow fall over Lucy's complexion.
*
When evening came, he visited Lucy's room with food, but it was in vain.
Because Lucy, who should have been inside the room, was absent.
Normally, he would place the tray holding the meal on the table and leave, but something was strange today.
The deliberation was short and the action was swift.
Worried about Lucy, Daniel immediately ran to the mansion's underground area where swordsmanship instruction was said to take place.
Descending the stairs and passing through a dim corridor, an open clearing bathed in bright light appeared.
With servants observing, two figures—a man and a woman—stood holding swords on the stage in the clearing.
Both were figures Daniel knew well.
The one now panting for breath, stubbornly clutching a wooden sword, was Lucy, and the one standing leisurely before her was Hamilton.
'......Lieutenant Hamilton?'
Having fought each other to the death at the research institute, he couldn't fail to recognize that face even if he tried.
'So that bastard was Lucy's swordsmanship teacher.'
It more than explained why he had pretended to know him at the research institute.
'However......'
He wasn't sure if the title 'teacher' was appropriate for Hamilton.
Because even now, though the panting Lucy couldn't properly steady herself, Hamilton didn't stop the lesson.
"What are you doing, not attacking? Don't tell me you're already exhausted."
Hamilton scratched his neck as if annoyed.
"I had high hopes this time since they said a useful one had come out......"
It was a mutter, but it was reaching Daniel's ears clearly.
If it was loud enough for Daniel to hear, there was no way Lucy hadn't heard it either.
Hamilton was intentionally tormenting Lucy.
"Please do a better job. If my lady keeps performing like that, won't it become problematic when I report to His Excellency the Count?"
Lucy's hands clutching the wooden sword were trembling.
Her clothes were already covered in dust from being struck and rolling on the ground countless times.
"I'm...... trying my best......"
Lucy squeezed out the words, moving her lips, but Hamilton merely clicked his tongue blatantly.
"It's not about trying your best; results are what matter. This won't do. At this rate, it'd be better for you to keep taking hits from me and at least build up your endurance."
Hamilton loosened his shoulders and approached Lucy.
Each time, Lucy stepped backward, but Hamilton's approach was faster.
The moment Daniel saw that, he kicked off the ground without a moment's thought.
Not expecting anyone to interfere, Hamilton raised his sword.
"Now then. My lady? This time I shall come at you with a flurry of strikes, so I hope you do well to block them accordingly."
Having said that, Hamilton raised the wooden sword above his head and brought it down.
Pak!
However, Hamilton's wooden sword never struck Lucy's body.
Because Daniel, who had interposed himself between them, blocked Hamilton's wooden sword with his wrist.
"What the......"
Flustered, Hamilton stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
Because Daniel was glaring at him as if he would kill him.
The moment Hamilton froze, feeling the intimidation, Daniel growled.
"You'd better cut it out."
His eyes, steeped in rage, narrowed sharply.
"If you don't want to die again, that is."