It's All Tangled Up (3): Ashu Kan Hart

Ashu Kan Hart. The only child of the Kan Hart Ducal family and their sole heir. Or, in shorter terms, the ducal family's notorious wastrel.

Ashu loved watching the weak squirm. It was like a child deliberately pouring water into an anthill—the sight of the weak flailing about was his greatest source of entertainment. His father had tried everything to fix this twisted personality, but this hopelessly spoiled brat never changed no matter how much he was beaten. In the end, even the duke gave up on reforming Ashu's nature.

And so, Ashu Kan Hart became the one and only wastrel of the ducal family. Until he met Ideal.

"Alright, here I go?!"

BAM!!

The air exploded, and time seemed to slow to a crawl.

Ah, so this is what a life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment feels like. Something I never even got to see in my past life.

A chill crept up from the nape of her neck as Ashu's sword approached. But it was just a wooden practice sword, so it should be fine... One wrong hit, and they'd probably summon a bride from the temple to heal her. Still, why was that wooden sword gleaming like that...?

...That crazy spoiled punk—he's not using a wooden sword, he's got a real one?!

She'd figured she'd just get knocked out at worst. But if this happened, she'd end up as the real Ideal! Temples couldn't resurrect the dead. There was no convenient system like revival in reality!

Uwaaaah!! It's coming!! The sword's gonna slice my throat!!

To die this ridiculously...

She never should have come to the North. She'd been blinded by the money and sold her life for it. If she could turn back time, she never would have set foot here.

─It was right at that moment, as she regretted her past.

What the hell...? A status window suddenly popping up? It hadn't shown its face for a whole week?

She was utterly bewildered.

Tutorial reward? Whatever, she was about to die anyway. What did it matter? These damn things, teasing a person like this.

Ashu's blade began to touch her throat. In just a few seconds, her brief second-life run would come to an end. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the pain.

CLANG!!!

"You... blocked it?"

Clang, clatter. The sound of metal scraping across the floor echoed from afar.

Her hands trembled from the intense resistance. A hollow sensation at her throat made her involuntarily open her tightly shut eyes.

What she saw was Ashu, staring in shock at his now-empty hands. Had he dropped the sword from his grip? He looked utterly disbelieving of his own empty palm.

...How did I do that?

It had happened in an instant. She'd drawn the sword from her waist at blinding speed and parried the attack. A mechanical movement executed in a split second. She, too, stared at the sword now in her hand, unable to believe it.

"...I was gonna go easy on you, but I've changed my mind."

Ashu's voice had shifted. The air around them grew suffocatingly heavy. The sly grin on his face vanished completely, replaced by something deadly serious. An eerie tension made her swallow hard.

"D-Disciple. Sh-Should we talk this out...?"

"Disciple...?"

Ashu's lip curled into a sneer. He picked up the sword rolling on the ground and coiled his body like a compressed spring, ready to strike.

"If you survive this, I'll acknowledge you as my master!!"

Ashu was just about to charge at her mercilessly when—

"Ashu Kan Hart!!"

A deep, resonant voice boomed across the land. Ashu froze like a statue mid-leap.

"What do you think you're doing!!"

Thud. Thud. Footsteps shaking the earth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠announced the arrival of a man. White hair, blue eyes. He looked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠just like an adult version of Ashu.

"D-Dad...?"

Baldamir Kan Hart. Ashu's father and head of the Kan Hart Ducal family. The overwhelming aura radiating from his massive frame made the surrounding air sink like it had absorbed water. Baldamir strode forward, snatching Ashu's sword in a flash.

Then—

SMACK!!!

A hand the size of a pot lid struck the young boy's tender cheek dead-on. The cannon-like impact made her shoulders flinch involuntarily.

"Swinging a sword at your prospective master? You're utterly hopeless."

Ashu's cheek burned red. His head whipped to the side, but he said nothing.

Serves you right, you spoiled brat.

Of course, watching it felt like chugging a tall glass of soda to her.

"I'm terribly sorry you had to witness such a disgrace upon your arrival, teacher."

Baldamir bowed his head to her in apology. Stunned by the duke's sudden courtesy, she waved her hands frantically.

"N-No, it's fine. Th-That is..."

Ah, damn her social anxiety. Even as her voice faltered, the duke continued smoothly.

"Please head to the mansion first. I'll deal with this foolish boy and join you later."

At his signal, the knights approached and escorted her politely. It felt like real VIP treatment... Not bad at all.

Maybe I didn't grab the rotten rope after all—could be a gold-plated one?

But that spoiled punk... his face looks way darker than before.

Something seemed off, but she decided to head to the mansion for now. She wouldn't have to see him beyond three years anyway.

And he just tried to kill me!

There was zero reason for her to care. Not a single one.

The Baldamir Ducal mansion was exactly as the escort knight had described. She hadn't expected the place—which she'd imagined as a polar survival simulator—to feel this mild. If anything, it was warmer than the inn she'd been staying at.

...This isn't a mansion; it's a straight-up castle.

She hadn't noticed amid the chaos at first, but its scale was staggering. No wonder it rivaled the imperial palace. In a land where monster and barbarian raids were daily life, the duke was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠basically an emperor in his own duchy.

"Please wait in the room."

The knight gave a crisp salute and closed the door. She reflexively returned it.

...I'm not a soldier anymore.

Old habits die hard. That was from her past life. Now she was just a dark-hearted guy unfairly stuck in a woman's body.

At least I have time to think alone. Perfect.

Her head was already a mess anyway.

"Status window."

"What...?"

Raise Ashu? Reclaim memories? Every word was baffling.

"Happy ending, huh..."

First things first—she had to survive to even think about that.

Well, now I've got more reasons to play nanny beyond the money.

Regaining Ideal's lost memories would surely help in the future. If she got lucky, she might even reform that spoiled brat and turn him to her side. After all, Ideal was a wanted criminal right now.

But even for a duke, is this really okay...?

She'd come for the fat paycheck, after all.

"Eh, a duke wouldn't scam me."

Just three years. Play nanny to Ashu Kan Hart, suck the ducal family dry. Reclaim Ideal's memories. Then bolt without a second thought. With three years' salary, she could launder her identity, open ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a little inn, and fully enjoy this world's life.

The demon king or whatever disasters? The protagonist would handle those.

"...But why is my Intelligence F?"

She'd never been called dumb in her past life. It was absurd.

The silence was suffocating. Inside the carriage, only the rhythmic clop of hooves echoed softly.

Ashu sat ramrod straight, gazing at his father Baldamir seated across from him. Arms crossed, not sparing him a single glance. Eyes closed, utterly still.

"...".

Ashu cherished this time. But he hated it most of all.

His father only appeared when he caused trouble—not for him, but to protect the family name. Yet every time he came, Ashu felt like a true Kan Hart, filling the void in his heart just a little.

But including this forcibly dragged ride, his father never spoke to him. Treated him like he didn't exist.

That's why Ashu hated it. Hated every moment, really.

No one in the family spoke to him except when he stirred up incidents. The ever-present escort knight was just a pretext—a glorified babysitter watching his every move.

Ashu touched his burning cheek. The stinging pain made him wince.

...Disciple, huh.

Her image lingered: sword trembling, face pale with fear, yet holding firm to the end. It was brave, in a way.

She's no weakling.

No one, not even his father, could have parried his strike with that sword.

Is she pretending to be weak?

Ashu's lip twitched upward. At least for a while, he wouldn't be bored.