32. Seria's Secret Hobby
The next day.
"Seria."
"Yes, Young Master."
"We should've shut those knights up and bolted back then. What a shame, right?"
I said that as I quietly sat up in bed.
"In that spirit, how about we sneak out the back door?"
Grab.
Before my feet even touched the floor, Seria snatched the back of my collar.
"We did worry the lord, so we're being punished right now. Behave yourself."
"Come on, we saved the knights—how does that warrant punishment?"
"That's why the lord praised us with all these delicious treats, isn't it?"
"True, but..."
As you can see, we'd just been grounded. No going out to the inner courtyard, either. Here's how it happened.
Yesterday, Seria and I had wiped out the pack of magic beasts, including that rock bear, and the knights were cheering, "Hooray for the Young Master! Hooray for Seria!" tossing us in the air—when my father came rushing in with reinforcements, completely out of breath. We got caught red-handed.
'My soooon! Why are you heeeere?!'
Tears and snot streaming down his face, Father ran to us. Once he confirmed we were safe, he let out a huge sigh of relief—then laid into us for sneaking into the forest without permission. Sure, our heroics in saving the territory earned us recognition: the room was flooded with top-tier desserts and meals nonstop. But for a spirited 12-year-old and 14-year-old, being cooped up was brutal punishment.
"Aaaah! So booored! I'm dying of boredom!"
I rolled around on the bed, yelling.
Seria sat ramrod straight in the chair by the window, meticulously polishing the black wooden sword I'd given her with a soft cloth.
"If you're bored, read a book. There's a stack of magic tomes right there."
"I finished all those! They're all up here!" I said, tapping my head. "Ugh, my brain feels like it's rotting. Seria, you know this?"
I bolted upright, crossing my legs on the bed.
"Humans need to walk at least ten thousand steps a day, or their brain cells die. If my genius brain atrophies, the territory's future goes dark. This is a loss for the whole barony!"
Seria paused her polishing and stared at me blankly.
"Is that so?"
"Yep! So open this door and let's—"
"Then circle the room. I'll count for you. One, two, three..."
"Hey! Am I some hamster on a wheel?!"
"Hamsters are at least cute. You're just... hmm, never mind."
"Whoa, your true thoughts almost slipped out? What were you gonna say? Spill it!"
"It's nothing. Oh, seven, eight... keep walking."
Her backtalk skills were leveling up by the day. I pouted and turned to the snack tray on the nightstand.
A three-tiered masterpiece from the head chef. Sandwiches on the bottom, macarons in the middle, and the star: fresh strawberry shortcake on top.
"Gotta destress with food."
I reached for the cake plate. But—
Tap.
Seria lightly smacked my wrist away.
"Young Master, it's been less than an hour since lunch. Sweets now will give you indigestion."
"There's a separate stomach for dessert, you know? Sugar's essential to save my dying brain cells."
"Enough with the brain cell excuse. No. Save it for afternoon tea."
"It's my snack in my room—why're you controlling it?!"
"The lord entrusted your health to me. And..."
Seria glanced at the last strawberry shortcake on the top tier. I caught the faint tremble in her red eyes.
Oho.
"Seria, you're really blocking me 'cause you want that cake, aren't you?"
"W-what? A knight coveting her lord's food?!"
"Liar. I saw you sneaking peeks at it while 'polishing' that sword. Gulping every time you eyed the syrup on those strawberries."
"I-I didn't gulp!"
Her ear tips flushed bright red. Just a shot in the dark, but it hit. No way she could resist that glistening strawberry cake—she's a total sweet tooth.
"Alright. Let's settle it fair and square."
I rolled up my sleeves.
"Duel for ownership of that cake."
"...Swinging wooden swords indoors? You'll break furniture, and the lord will scold us again."
"Who said brute swordfight? We're doing it smart—like intellectuals. Like mages."
I snapped my fingers.
Hummm.
Blue mana shimmered like heat haze, and the shortcake plate floated up from the top tier.
"First to mouth wins!"
I cackled, yanking the plate toward me with magic. One gulp, and victory's mine...!
"No way!"
Pop!
Seria sprang from her chair like a coiled spring, silver fork already in hand.
Cling!
Her fork perfectly blocked the airborne plate. Wait—blue aura on the tines?!
"Hey! Cheating! Aura for one cake?!"
"Aura exists to protect what's precious!"
"And that's the strawberry cake?!"
"For this moment, yes!"
She snapped her wrist, spinning my controlled plate toward her. She's overpowering my mana!
"Not losing! Wind—!"
"Wind magic indoors kicks up dust!"
She cut me off, pressing her free hand to my forehead. Arm length difference—I flailed uselessly, cake out of reach.
"Ugh, cheap shot relying on those long arms!"
"Battlefields demand exploiting terrain and physique, Young Master."
She leisurely pushed my forehead, spearing a strawberry with her aura fork. Then, right in my face, she opened wide.
"Nooo! My strawberry!"
Nom.
The jewel-like berry vanished into her mouth.
"...Mmm~"
Cheeks puffed, she beamed in bliss. That victor's smugness dripping from her face. So unfair!
"You're evil. Rebellion against your lord and snack theft!"
"Rebellion? Call it the just result of a duel. I left you the cake part."
She mumbled around it, sliding the strawberry-less sheet my way.
Shortcake without strawberries? Like red bean bun sans filling. I huffed, grabbing a fork.
"Just wait. When I grow taller, I'll balance a cake on your head and tease you."
"Sure, sure. Have more milk first."
She giggled, handing me a glass. Infuriating, but that bright smile melted my anger away.
"Ugh, still so bored. Chess?"
I crunched the cake.
"Sure. But no magic-cheating like last time, or I flip the board."
"When did I? My knight's a special teleport unit!"
"No such rule in the empire. One more base-steal, and my pawn fires an aura blade."
"...Fine. Fair and square."
We sat across the table, setting up the board. Clear skies outside, room filled with warm black tea scent and our petty bickering.
Day 5 of grounding. Just two more days, and this endless confinement ends.
"Aah, body itching for action."
I rolled on the bed, idly drawing and erasing magic circles in the air toward the ceiling. Dying to blast mana, but Father's "one month extra if you cause trouble indoors" kept me in check.
"Hmm, where's Seria?"
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her for two days. Normally she'd be glued to my room nagging, snatching snacks, or swinging her wooden sword in a corner since no training grounds.
"She bored in her room too?"
I stretched my stiff body and headed to hers.
Seria's room: second floor of the Lord's Castle, just steps from mine.
Knock knock.
"Seria, coming in?"
I turned the knob right after.
"W-wait a sec!!"
Her panicked voice squeaked from inside, voice cracking in surprise. Too late—the door creaked open.
"Huh? Changing?"
I peeked in. Seria, sprawled on the bed, jolted up and hurriedly hid something behind her back.
"N-no! But why barge in without permission?!"
"Psh, you do it to my room."
"T-that's... but..."
Her face burned tomato-red. Her usually neat black hair stuck out wildly; panting like she'd been caught mid-crime.
"Anyway, what was that you hid?"
Something square behind her—definitely there. She rarely panicked like this.
"N-nothing! Just a towel! Towel!"
"Liar. That's a book shape. What book you hiding so bad?"
"Ah..."
I crept toward the bed. She plastered herself to the corner, on guard.
"D-don't come closer! Knights' privacy deserves respect, just like a lord's!"
"Privacy? You walked in on me in underwear that one time!"
"T-that was..."
"Hand it over, or magic time."
"M-magic, and I'll tell the lord!"
"Dad's on patrol. Zap!"
I faked a mana flick. As she flinched to block, I dove onto the bed, reaching behind her.
"Eek, Young Master! Cheap!"
She swatted my hand, but I tickled her waist.
"Pfft! Kyaa! S-stop! It tickles!!"
"Gotcha!"
Thud crash.
We tumbled on the narrow bed. Normally she'd pin me, but guarding her secret made her sloppy. And she's weak to waist tickles!
My relentless assault loosened her grip. I snatched the prize.
"Found it!"
I raised my trophy high, grinning.
"Let's see what our trusty knight's hiding... huh?"
"Y-Young Maaaster!!"
She screamed and lunged, but I'd already seen the title.
"I Became the Maid Obsessed Over by the Northern Grand Duke"?