A Father's Test
Rosanna's question made Olivia's eyes tremble. It was something she'd never given much thought to before.
"...Huh?"
"..."
"Well, because he's a good person..."
Rosanna paused while working the lather into Olivia's hair. It was clear that wasn't the answer she was looking for.
"I'm not asking as his employer. I'm asking how you feel about him as a man."
"...Eh?"
Rosanna smiled faintly at Olivia's flustered expression. It had been a long time since she'd seen her usually dishonest daughter this rattled. It was amusing. At the same time, she felt sorry for Ricardo. He still had a long way to go.
Rosanna spoke bluntly to Olivia, laying out her own thoughts and asking for hers in return.
"I like Ricardo."
"Huh...?"
"I said I like Ricardo."
Olivia turned her head to look at Rosanna.
"You can't steal him. Father would be heartbroken."
"Ohoho...! What on earth are you saying? That's not what I meant. I'm saying he seems like a decent person."
"...A decent person?"
"He cooks well."
"Yeah."
"He works hard, he's perceptive, and he's even diligent. More than anything, he knows exactly how to handle your moods."
"...That's true."
"And he's handsome. So I was saying I'd like him as a son-in-law."
"...Son-in-law?"
Olivia furrowed her brow. Her mother's suggestion to consider something she'd never seriously thought about didn't sit well with her. Love. The wind blowing from that place where she'd once suffered a crushing failure still terrified her. Not yet. She still didn't want to think deeply about love...
Just as Olivia tried to end that train of thought, Rosanna's warning reached her ears. A warning that if she hesitated too long with half-hearted thoughts, it might be too late.
"Right now his seat beside him is empty, so you feel at ease. But if you keep dawdling, another woman might take that seat."
"..."
"Don't you ever think about that? About wanting to be first, about not wanting to have him taken away?"
"...Ugh."
"I think I heard recently that the young lady from the Histania family has taken an interest in Ricardo..."
Olivia pouted and turned her head away.
"...I don't know."
She said it shyly. Rosanna chuckled at the sight of Olivia's flushed face. It didn't seem hopeless after all.
'I should stop here for today.'
She didn't want to push her easily embarrassed daughter too far. Rosanna decided to end the teasing there and save the rest for another time.
"I'll rinse the bubbles now, so close your eyes."
"Mm."
-Whoosh!
As water poured over her head, Olivia squeezed her eyes shut and thought of Ricardo. That foolish, idiotic, and amusing butler.
"..."
Her face felt hot. As if her mother had poured hot water over her.
"I don't know..."
It burned.
*
"Answer me."
Darvab spoke to me with a sorrowful expression. He'd had enough of pleasant dreams, he said. I didn't know how he'd come to hear this story, but I figured it would take a long conversation to clear up the misunderstanding. I was grateful he was worried about me, but I had a stubbornness that couldn't be broken either.
"Tell me you'll give up now."
-Grip...
I couldn't give Darvab the answer he wanted. We'd finally come this far. We'd reached the point where hope was visible at the end of what had once seemed like endless despair, where neither of us would be hurt. Giving up now would be too disappointing. No, we'd come too far to give up. That was why I couldn't answer him.
I kept my expression firm and countered Darvab's words.
"I can't do that."
Kyle, who had been watching me in silence, shouted with cold eyes. It was as if he was telling me not to cling to pointless stubbornness and to obey my father.
"Father is thinking of you."
"I'm grateful for that. Truly grateful that you took me in and looked upon me favorably."
"Then... just quietly do as Father says. That would be best for you, for me, and for Olivia."
"But."
I smiled faintly.
"We've come this far. How could I do that now? Happiness is right in front of us..."
"..."
Darvab and Kyle had no reply to my bitter answer. They were Lady Olivia's parents, her family. Perhaps more than anyone, they had hoped she would walk again. They could only swallow their words with complicated expressions. Even telling me to give up must have taken tremendous courage on their part.
"I can't give up."
"Even if it means being excommunicated?"
"I'll gladly accept it. If it's for the young lady's sake."
"...Foolish boy."
Darvab let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.
"Why are you doing this?"
"..."
"Why go this far?"
"..."
"Is it because you pity Olivia? Or because you want to repay a debt?"
I smiled slightly and shook my head. If those were my reasons for choosing sacrifice, I never would have started in the first place.
"She's the most adorable person in the world."
I spoke my honest feelings.
"She has the worst personality, but at the same time, she's kinder than anyone. She's stubborn, but she also knows when to bend that stubbornness for the sake of others."
"..."
"More than anything..."
"..."
"Isn't she the most beautiful person in the world? And I'm her butler."
Darvab lowered his head.
"I always thought I was lenient when it came to my daughter, but you seem even worse."
"You've got it bad."
"Haha! I can't help it. I'm the butler who must protect the young lady's smile."
"Haa..."
Darvab ran a hand through his wet hair.
"Honestly, I want to knock you out. Someone who won't listen needs to be beaten into shape."
"..."
"But... looking at you now, I don't think words will get through. You remind me of myself when I was young."
Darvab let out a long sigh.
"I won't stop you. It's selfish of me, but I want to see Olivia running too."
"...Thank you."
"But you have to promise me one thing."
Darvab looked me straight in the eye as he answered.
"Don't die."
"..."
"That promise to protect Olivia's smile. You have to keep it to the end."
"...Understood."
I nodded with a smile, filled with certainty that I could keep it.
"I'll definitely keep it."
"Good... I understand."
After stepping out of the bath, Darvab looked at me.
"Follow me."
"Pardon?"
"I need to confirm whether you have the qualifications to protect my daughter."
Darvab wore a chilling expression as he made the threat, looking like a bear whose cub had been stolen. The conversation had ended on a good note, so why was he making that face?
"I have no intention of giving my daughter to someone weaker than me."
Ah.
"Come out to the courtyard."
This was bad.
*
In the mansion's courtyard stood Darvab, me, and Kyle. Kyle glared at me with sharp eyes while Darvab loosened up. Like an instructor preparing for combat, Darvab warmed up lightly before frowning at me as I stood there blankly.
"Why are you just standing there?"
"Pardon?"
"You should be warming up too. We're about to spar."
"Ah... well..."
Darvab let out a hollow laugh.
"Didn't you say you wanted to see my daughter's happy face? Then confirming that you have the strength for it is a father's duty, isn't it?"
"Even so..."
"Draw your sword."
Darvab, the villain who turns dark in the novel. In the original story, he was a great mage who wielded powerful magic. A monster capable of dropping meteors on the capital countless times and destroying the empire. I stood before this villain whom even Rowen and Mikhail couldn't defeat without working together, wearing an awkward expression as I drew my sword.
-Caliburn.
-Yes.
-I'll be borrowing your power.
-Use it whenever you like. I'm a strong lady, after all.
I looked at Darvab and thought,
'Can I reach him?'
Facing Darvab for the first time in battle, I gripped my sword while hiding my tension.
Darvab smiled faintly.
"I'll go easy on you."
"Thank you."
"Just don't fall in one hit."
-Grip...
A massive amount of mana flowed through him. I could feel it strengthening his hands, feet, and entire body with rough mana. My instincts told me that taking one of his punches head-on could be disastrous.
"...Die, you thief."
"Pardon?"
"Here I come."
With a short battle cry, Darvab kicked off the ground and charged. In an instant he was right in front of me, swinging his fist toward my face. The punch came faster than I'd expected, and I reflexively swung my sword.
Not the blade.
"...Huh?"
The flat of the sword.
The moment Caliburn's blade flashed.
Kyle rubbed his eyes and stared at me. And then—
-Thud thud thud.
"..."
Darvab, who had smashed through the wall, also looked at me with trembling eyes.
"Haha... I couldn't control my strength."
Darvab gritted his teeth with a tearful expression.
"This is why I hate swordsmen."
The exchange continued.
-I'm sorry.
-...
-Ah... I'm sorry.
The more the sparring went on, the more worry piled up on Darvab's face. Finally, the moment he was sent flying into the air by Caliburn—
-...Block this too.
Only after Kyle stopped him from dropping a massive meteor on the mansion did the sparring finally end.
-Let go!!!
-Please calm down!
-If I just use magic, my daughter...!
-Father!!!
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and smiled.