Chapter 64
“Why did you leave the window open?”
“I opened it briefly for ventilation, but my ribbon flew away.”
Luwen closed the window and then proceeded to fix my hair. The feeling of his fingers combing through it was pleasant. We used to be eye-level, but now I had to lift my head slightly to see Luwen’s face.
Suddenly, I remembered the day covered in flour, when Luwen had to stand on his tiptoes to reach my head. To think that such a small child had now grown tall enough to look down at me. Time flies terribly fast.
Yes, so Luwen’s return from the Academy would come quickly too.
“It’s almost spring, so the ice is thin. It’s better to throw away that ribbon. More importantly-”
Luwen suddenly placed his hands on both of my cheeks. His hands, which usually felt especially cold in winter, were warm.
“You’re cold. How long were you in the chilly wind?”
“Not for long.”
“Don’t you remember getting sick last year doing this?”
“That was because it was time to get sick. It’s an annual event, isn’t it? This year’s already over.”
“Shall I count how many years you’ve been sick twice?”
Now that he’s grown up, he doesn’t give in as easily as before.
“You’re being picky.”
“It’s because I don’t like it when you’re sick.”
Luwen took off his large cloak and wrapped it around me. No, rather than wrapping, he rolled me up like a blanket and then lifted me up.
This guy thinks he can just carry people around like luggage because he’s grown a bit lately.
“What’s this? Am I your older brother?”
“Cover your face properly too. You shouldn’t be exposed to more cold wind, so I’ll carry you to the carriage like this. But why can’t you reveal that you’re a young lord? Then we could park the carriage in front of the clinic.”
Luwen grumbled about having to keep the carriage far away.
“What can I do? Master ordered me not to reveal my status because it would make the patients uncomfortable.”
“Wasn’t that just in the beginning? Doesn’t it not matter now…? Your reputation is good, young master.”
“That’s all because I ask in detail about where it hurts, how they got injured, and treat them well.”
If they knew my status, they wouldn’t be able to treat me as comfortably as they do now. Then I might not be able to hear the information I need to hear. Originally, invisible wounds are scarier than visible ones. In this place without things like CT scans, the patient’s own explanation was most important.
“If they knew I was a young lord, quite a few people wouldn’t be able to speak to me properly. How could I treat such people?”
As this was the path I chose for Luwen’s future, I had no intention of doing it carelessly. I needed to encounter various cases and improve my skills. To be able to respond to whatever happens. Honestly, it surprisingly suits me too.
It’s depressing when I can’t save someone, but seeing the bright smiles of those who recover and leave the clinic gives me a sense of fulfillment. There’s no one trying to calculate and scheme against me, no one trying to use me, they’re just grateful. I quite liked that purity.
“Luwen, do you want some candy?”
“Candy? You don’t eat sweets. Did a patient give it to you?”
“Yes. A little lady gave it to me before she left.”
“I’ll have some.”
“Then unwrap me a bit.”
I couldn’t move at all, rolled up like this.
“We’re here.”
He’s not going to unwrap me. Through the gap in the cloak covering even my head, I could see Luwen’s sharp chin. It was warm and comfortable.
Luwen only unwrapped the cloak after putting me in the carriage. He roughly combed my hair, which must have been disheveled again, with his fingers and took out the candy from his pocket to offer it to me.
“Could you wait for a moment? I’ll be right back.”
“Huh? What about the candy?”
“I’ll eat it when I come back!”
With a thud, Luwen left and closed the carriage door. Since it wasn’t warm inside just because it was indoors, I pulled the fur blanket closer and followed Luwen’s retreating figure through the window.
‘Where is he going?’
While I was rubbing the frosted window with my hand, Luwen disappeared. What errand could be important enough to leave me behind? …Will this happen often from now on?
I know he wants to go to the Academy for my sake, but in reality, the child can’t stay by my side forever. I know how blind Luwen is when he’s in love. So I could easily guess that if he ever falls in love with someone, he’ll leave my side.
‘He says there’s no such thing now, but that’s just because he hasn’t experienced love yet…’
When that time comes, I hope he’ll tell me comfortably. I don’t want the promise he made to me to become shackles holding him back. If anything hinders the child’s happy future, I could cut it off, whatever it may be. Even if it’s myself.
‘So, we’ll part ways someday, but does it make sense not to see Luwen grow up? Even if he does well, it takes at least 4 years to graduate from the Swordsmanship Department, so he’ll be twenty-two by then!’
I suddenly felt choked up at the feeling of losing out so much.
Looking out the window that had become foggy again with frost in that short moment, I organized my thoughts.
‘I needed the status of an Academy graduate anyway… Should I just really graduate?’
Irene and Luwen shouldn’t know, so I couldn’t attend with them, but it scored a lot of points in that I could secretly watch them grow up rather than not seeing them at all.
When war breaks out, Luwen and Irene will definitely try to stop me from helping. To participate as a military doctor who departs later after sending those two first, I needed a medical department graduation certificate.
‘But I also need to teach Taran, and my patients…’
Fortunately, creating a new identity isn’t a problem. Since nobles manage their lists, a fake noble status would be quickly exposed, but it was easy to fabricate a commoner status in this place without a birth registration system.
However, I soon had to shake my head. Even if I could somehow resolve the clinic work, it seemed difficult to explain to Irene why I would be away from the mansion for years.
‘Even if I say I’m going for recuperation, sister will surely come to see me.’
…Oh? Wait. It might be possible in two years?
In two years, Irene will join the Imperial Guard. Then she’ll be very busy, so if I go to a villa three or four days away, she won’t be able to come see me for a few years.
‘If I send greetings regularly and return to the mansion during vacation periods, wouldn’t it be fine?’
With my current abilities, I could even graduate within a year. The important part is the knowledge and skill tests, and I already have skills beyond a graduate.
‘Alright. In two years, I’ll go to the Academy too.’
Given this situation, Taran needed to graduate within two years. As I was planning how much harder I needed to push him from now on, Luwen returned.
“Young master. I’m back.”
“You came back quickly?”
It didn’t seem like he had been gone for long, what could he have done? As I was wondering, Luwen waved his hand at me. A deep purple ribbon was wrapped around his fingers.
“A ribbon?”
“Turn around. I’ll tie your hair.”
“Where did you get it?”
After turning as instructed and slightly lifting my head to look up at Luwen, a fresh smile greeted me.
“I happened to see it on the way to the clinic earlier and thought it would suit you well. And since you just lost yours, I went and bought it.”
“We could have gone together, why did you go alone?”
“You shouldn’t be exposed to more cold wind just for a ribbon on such a cold day.”
What? Was that it? My hair tickled my scalp as it moved. I always liked the feeling of Luwen tying my hair. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s done.”
Luwen smiled as he pulled the ribbon tails towards my chest.
“Does it suit me?”
“It suits you even better than I thought. Please wear it often from now on!”
“Then tie it for me every day with this one.”
“Every day?”
“Yes. I like it.”
I squinted my eyes while fiddling with the ribbon similar to the color of my eyes. It’s a gift from Luwen. One he personally chose thinking it would suit me. I was genuinely happy. I should cherish it.
“Ah… Um, yes! I’d be glad to! I’ll tie it for you every day until I go to the Academy.”
…Oh dear. Luwen sometimes says too much. Even though I’ll be able to see him in two years, that period isn’t short.
“I found out that the Academy allows sending gifts or letters outside once a week. I’ll write diligently, so will you reply too, young master?”
“Letters?”
“Yes.”
His sparkling eyes were full of expectation. …Reply? It’s no problem before he enters the Academy, but what about after?
“Of course. I’ll make sure to reply.”
I’m not sure. I can’t disappoint Luwen, so I’ll promise for now, and let my future self deal with it in two years. Passing on this troublesome problem to my future self, I smiled lightly.
