Boyhood (11): Human Above, Cake Below

Early morning.

Serifina's eyes snapped open.

Heavy!

She thrashed and shoved the arm draped over her body aside, then pushed away her mother's face, so close she could feel her breath. Truly, a model of filial devotion.

Is Edwin up yet?

Serifina launched into the new routine she had developed over the past few days: the moment she woke up, she checked the diary. Had this been twenty-first-century Korea, it would have made her a first-class phone-gallery addict.

Still not up…

She pouted. How could he still be asleep? Lazy Edwin!

Flailing her small arms and legs, Serifina wriggled free of the bed and headed out the door. In the early hours, the ducal estate was quiet and bustling at once—maids deep in morning cleaning, maids ferrying laundry this way and that. Not a single bit of it was interesting.

So Serifina set off for the first-floor administrative office, intent on one of her favorite games.

"Zombie!"

"Uuughhh…"

"My lady…? Morning already…?"

"Seventy-two hours without sleep… heh heh heh…"

The chief secretary, face planted on his desk, staggered upright.

"Are you unwell, my lady…?"

"I'm not sick!"

Serifina stormed out of the office in a huff.

The chief secretary always asks if I have a cough! He wants me to be sick—he's a mean old man!

Still fuming, she paused before racing to Edwin's room and hid at the corner of the wall, scanning her surroundings.

"She's so adorable…"

"Is the young lady trying to sneak into Young Master Edwin's room again?"

"Shouldn't we report this to the head maid?"

Of course, Serifina thought she was hidden. The maids had already spotted her completely.

Nobody's here!

Serifina charged boldly toward Edwin's room. The instant before she opened the door—

"My lady."

"Eek!"

Elise had materialized like a ghost. Serifina was so startled she landed hard on her backside.

"Are you all right?"

"You scared me!"

Instead of blaming the head maid who had nearly given her a heart attack, Serifina toddled over and threw her arms around her. Such was the dignity of Serifina's third-favorite person in the world—though these days, her ranking was teetering under pressure from Edwin.

"Why haven't I seen you lately?"

"We've been hiring new maids, so I've been a little busy. Young Master Edwin needs a dedicated attendant as well, so I'm being more careful with the selection than usual."

"So you can't play with me?"

"You have a friend now, my lady. Aren't you busy playing with him?"

"Oh, right!"

Serifina still enjoyed playing with Elise, but these days playing with Edwin was more fun.

"From the looks of it, you came straight out of your room the moment you woke up."

"How did you know?"

"Anyone who saw you right now would know."

Elise took Serifina's hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I've told you any number of times—when you wake up in the morning, you wash first and get properly dressed. Back to your room."

"But I want to play with Edwin…"

"Young Master Edwin overexerted himself yesterday, so he'll sleep in today. The maids will let you know when he wakes. You can play then."

"Okay."

Not long after Elise had finished dressing her, someone knocked on the door.

"Serifina. May I come in for a moment?"

"It's Oppa!"

Serifina dashed toward the door—then spun right back around to Elise.

"Hmph! I'm not opening it!"

"…Are you angry?"

"Because Oppa was so mean to Edwin yesterday, he still hasn't woken up!"

"…"

The voice beyond the door faded, then returned stronger.

"Oppa brought a present to make Serifina feel better."

"A present!"

Serifina opened the door to find a slightly tense Leonhardt waiting.

"Where's the present?"

"Here."

The moment she saw what he held, Serifina's eyes lit up.

"Cake!"

"Not just any cake."

Leonhardt launched proudly into his explanation.

"From here to the capital by carriage takes over a month. But if we mobilize the duchy's emergency information network, a round trip can be done in under a week. And the ice blocks the mages developed for spirit-stone food transport—the absolute finest among them—can bring food from the capital without a single bit of spoilage, keeping it as fresh as the moment it was made."

"I heard you love the strawberry cake from Dangkeuseongsimeu, so I had it specially brought in. Do you like it?"

Leonhardt was swollen with pride and satisfaction. It took only a few seconds for him to collapse.

"What's that? I've never heard of it!"

"…"

"Young Master, where are you going?"

"To dispose of a spy who can't open his mouth without spitting lies."

"Please calm down…"

Elise moved with a speed that would put most assassins to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shame. In an instant, the table was set. Serifina, seated without quite understanding how she got there, looked up at her.

"Can I eat this?"

"It's before breakfast, so just this one piece, please."

"Elise, I love you so much!"

Leonhardt wilted.

That line was supposed to be for me…

"It's so good!"

Serifina's eyes sparkled as she scooped up a few more bites of cake. Then she shuddered with pure bliss at the happiness melting across her tongue. The tiny child, eyes squeezed shut and trembling with delight, was so endearing that Elise and Leonhardt both smiled without meaning to.

"It's really delicious!"

"Ahem."

"Oppa, I love you so much!"

Hearing an angel's voice, Leonhardt was swept away in rapture. Serifina, whether her brother toppled over or a flustered Elise rushed to prop him up, paid it no mind whatsoever and devoted herself wholly to the cake.

How am I supposed to express something this delicious again?

That's it!

"Ohohohohohot!"

Cream-smeared hands covering her mouth, Serifina laughed with magnificent flair.

"Summon a painter. This scene must be captured in a portrait and handed down through the generations…"

"Young Master. Please…"

It took Leonhardt quite some time to climb down from the heights of absolute bliss.

"Ahem. So? Isn't an oppa who brings cake ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠better than Edwin?"

That had been Leonhardt's true purpose all along. Edwin was a better kid than expected, but the fact that his little sister liked that boy more than him had been quite the shock. At the time, he had genuinely thought the world was ending. Without years of cultivated self-discipline, he would have either collapsed on the spot or failed to restrain himself and eliminated Edwin entirely.

"Hmm…"

Serifina pondered. Of course, she wasn't really comparing Oppa and Edwin. The cake was delicious, yes—but she still liked her friend Edwin more than her brother!

The problem was the cake itself. Could she give this up for Edwin the way she had yesterday?

Sorry…

In that instant, a new ranking solidified in Serifina's mind.

Fourth place: strawberry cake.

Below that: Edwin and Leonhardt.

Having finished her complicated deliberations, Serifina returned to her cake.

"It's so good!"

Anyway, it was time to check the results of yesterday's suffering.

Still lying down, Edwin kicked his feet in excitement. Why else would he have held on until he was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion? He had been riding a bit of a knight high, sure—but without the lecture rewards as a target, he would have retired ages ago.

There was the condition that Leonhardt had to teach him personally—but given the attitude Leonhardt had shown yesterday, it probably wouldn't take that long.

With most of the results sorted, Edwin finally checked what theme yesterday's diary entry had received.

Just as Edwin was celebrating—

BANG.

"Edwin! You're awake, right!"

The door flew open and Serifina appeared. She skidded to a halt mid-excited charge and launched into an excuse.

"Today Edwin's already dressed! So I'm allowed to come in!"

"…"

Edwin couldn't quite bring himself to argue. The cream smeared on Serifina's cheek had completely hijacked his attention.

"Serifina."

"No matter what, I'm not leaving!"

"Did you by any chance eat cake?"

"Eek!"

Serifina's huge eyes darted left and right. Then she shouted:

"I ate it all, so there's none for Edwin!"

And with that, she fled.

Lounging comfortably, Edwin suddenly realized he hadn't dismissed the diary yet.

Speak of the devil. The moment he hid the diary, Leonhardt appeared.

"Edwin."

"Lord Leonhardt."

Edwin greeted him with perfect courtesy. This was the true master who had raised his stats by four points in a single day, helped him acquire a skill, and was on track to pass down an Advanced skill. How could he not be polite?

"You lied."

"Pardon?"

"Dangkeuseongsimeu."

"…"

Either way, Edwin hadn't lied. Future information or not—how could that possibly count as a lie?

"Would the cream on Serifina's cheek happen to be from there?"

He wasn't a liar, so he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pressed on with confidence.

"It is."

"Did she… dislike it?"

"On that point, I owe you my thanks. Thanks to you, I witnessed a treasure without equal in this world."

"Therefore, I will devote myself fully to your education. We'll run a light training session before breakfast, so wash up and come outside."