Sparring with Bernus
After lunch had ended, Melissa and Milia strolled through the garden of the villa. Though smaller in scale than the manor of the count’s domain, the place was still handsomely appointed.
“And so Schwarz had such a hard time cleaning up after that mess…”
“So that’s what happened.”
At the sound of Milia’s soft giggling, Melissa turned her head toward Schwarz and offered him a faint smile.
“You’ve had quite a time of it, haven’t you?”
“It was nothing, my lady.”
Trailing a short distance behind them, Schwarz bowed his head toward Melissa.
“And how is the territory? Nothing amiss?”
“Nothing at all. They do say no news is good news, after all.”
“True enough. That makes sense.”
Melissa nodded in reply, and Milia nodded back as if the answer satisfied her.
And so the two of them walked on through the garden…
“Do you remember this place?”
A little later Melissa stopped and spoke to her daughter. Before them a small fountain endlessly sent up clear jets of water.
“Here? Hmm… I’m not sure.”
Milia made a soft sound of thought, searching her memory. After a moment, finding nothing, she simply shook her head.
“This is where you fell in while playing when you were five and bawled your eyes out.”
“Wh-what…!!?”
Melissa answered with a mischievous smile. Only then did the memory return; Milia’s face flushed scarlet as she stammered in flustered protest.
“Ah. I believe I remember as well. My lady’s wailing sent the maids into quite the uproar.”
“Y-you…!!”
When Schwarz spoke up as if the recollection had struck him too, Milia glared at him through narrowed eyes, cheeks still burning. Reading the danger, he began to edge carefully backward, half-afraid she might swing a fist. Yet with Melissa standing right there she could hardly do so; instead she let out a low “ngh…” and turned her head away with a prim little pout.
“Whew…”
Schwarz released a short breath of relief.
“Heh…”
Watching the two of them bicker, Melissa could not help a quiet laugh. The sight of their playful sparring was simply too amusing to keep a straight face.
“Come to think of it, what’s that bracelet on your arm? I’ve never seen it before.”
Just then Melissa’s gaze fell on the black bracelet circling Milia’s wrist, and she asked with open curiosity.
“Hmm? This? Want to guess?”
Milia narrowed her eyes at her mother, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
“Mmm… something Schwarz gave you?”
“That’s right. A present from Schwarz. Isn’t it pretty?”
Melissa’s soft hum of confirmation was met with Milia’s bright, affirmative grin. At her daughter’s reaction Melissa let out a little “my, my” and turned toward Schwarz.
“You’re more thoughtful than you look, Schwarz. A bracelet of obsidian, no less.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”
Schwarz’s voice rose in genuine puzzlement at Melissa’s words.
“Oh my. You didn’t know? The meaning of obsidian is—”
“Aaaah—!! Wait! Waaait!!”
The moment Melissa’s eyes widened and she began to explain, Milia lunged at her with a panicked cry, desperately trying to cut her off.
“…??”
Schwarz, of course, had no idea what to make of Milia’s reaction. Regardless, she fought tooth and nail to silence her mother.
“Later! I’ll tell you myself later!!”
“Ah… yes, my lady.”
If Milia insisted, he could hardly press the matter openly. Schwarz simply nodded, while Melissa watched her daughter with a faint, knowing smile.
“Judging by that, it seems you still have a long way to go…”
“Uuuugh…”
At a loss for words, Milia awkwardly averted her eyes from her mother’s gaze. In truth, contrary to Melissa’s assumption, their relationship had already taken a great leap forward—yet the events of the ball were still far too embarrassing to recount just yet.
“I-I don’t know! I’ll tell you later, so just leave it at that!”
“Ah, my lady!!”
With that shout flung at Melissa, Milia strode out of the garden. Schwarz hurried after her, calling out in alarm. Before long both figures vanished from Melissa’s sight.
“Take good care of my daughter.”
Watching them go, Melissa murmured the words with a gentle smile.
“Honestly, Mother’s teasing is just too much. Don’t you think so?”
“Well… I suppose so.”
Schwarz answered Milia’s grumbling with an awkward smile.
“I mean, really—who’s the child and who’s the adult here?”
“Hahaha…”
Strictly speaking, Milia’s own mischievous streak was hardly any milder, but Schwarz saw no reason to point that out aloud.
“Hold on. What is this place, anyway?”
Just then Milia halted and began looking around.
“A training ground… I think?”
Schwarz stopped as well and surveyed their surroundings. The open space was large enough to serve as a small athletic field. In one corner stood practice dummies; a rack nearby displayed wooden swords, staves, and other weapons of every sort. On the far side of the neatly kept sparring arena sat a table with bows and arrows, and a short distance beyond it stood a target.
“Father’s taste, no doubt.”
Milia spoke as she took in the unmistakably martial setting.
“Most likely.”
Schwarz nodded in agreement. The only person who would install such a place in a villa meant for short stays was, of course, Milia’s father, Bernus. In a way the space suited him perfectly. It had clearly been kept in constant readiness; everything was clean enough to use at once.
“This brings back memories.”
Milia walked slowly toward the weapon rack and took up a wooden staff that rested there.
“Mmm…”
Schwarz let out a low sound. An inexplicable sense of foreboding had just slid down his spine.
“How about it? Shall we have a match for old times’ sake?”
“I knew it…”
At Milia’s bright grin and invitation, Schwarz answered with a faint smile and a short sigh. He understood her impulse well enough. Ever since she had become student council president, the two of them had scarcely found time to spar. The duties of the office kept her that busy. Sometimes two or three months would pass without a single bout; at the longest she had gone half a year without so much as touching a weapon. She must have been itching for a fight.
“Still, I’m supposed to be the master here. If I lose to you, my pride will never recover.”
“Nngh…”
In Schwarz’s mind a servant’s ability reflected directly on the master, so he found it hard to agree with her so readily. Yet whether she noticed his hesitation or not, Milia began stretching and loosening her limbs.
“What’s it going to be? Live steel, or keep it light?”
“Hmm… I don’t think we need anything serious right now. Unless my lady intends to fetch her halberd…”
Schwarz answered with a soft hum, glancing down at the bracelet fitted snugly around his own wrist. The black band, crafted to fit him perfectly, was darker even than the night sky.
“True enough.”
Milia nodded at his reply and drew a wooden staff from the rack. To ordinary people it would still have been a dangerous weapon, but to Schwarz it was little more than a toy—so she could swing it freely without worry.
“Hmm… a bit light, maybe…”
With a low murmur she cut the air with the staff; the wood whistled as it followed her motion.
“Ready?”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
A moment later, meeting her gaze, Schwarz nodded, slipped off his upper garment, and laid it carefully on a nearby table. After a few light stretches of arms and legs he stepped up onto the sparring ground. The two faced each other and settled into their stances. Tension coiled between them… and just as they were about to begin—
“Wait a moment.”
A familiar voice suddenly cut through the air. Both of them turned.
“Father?”
“My lord Count.”
And there, approaching the training ground, stood none other than Bernus.
“You’re back already? That was quicker than I expected.”
“It was nothing of great importance.”
Milia’s puzzled question was answered as Bernus strode closer. Schwarz’s eyes fell on the black sword at the count’s hip, and his expression tightened with tension.
“But why the sudden interruption? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing wrong. It’s simply that seeing the two of you gave me an amusing idea.”
“An amusing idea?”
Milia tilted her head. Schwarz, however, already had a fair notion of what that “amusing idea” might be.
“Milia. Go to your room and fetch your halberd.”
“My halberd?”
She echoed him in open surprise.
“A two-against-one spar, then…”
“Exactly so.”
Bernus nodded in confirmation at Schwarz’s quiet question.