Chapter 65
[Young master, are you doing well?
It’s already been a week since I entered the academy. Everything here is unfamiliar, but I’m adjusting well.
It turns out I’m the only commoner who was assigned a single special room. Because of this, some people mistook me for a noble.
You arranged this for me, didn’t you? Thanks to you, I’m living comfortably. Thank you.
However, I’m still not used to sleeping alone. When I wake up at dawn and you’re not beside me, I realize I’m in a strange place. I suppose I’ll get used to it?
P.S. Are you using the aromatherapy oil I left behind? I bought it because it’s supposed to help with sleep. Is it effective?]
[Young master, summer has arrived before I knew it. I didn’t realize, but the dormitory garden is full of roses. Seeing all the flowers in full bloom reminds me of you a lot.
However, I was disappointed that there were no purple roses. When I told a friend who was admiring the roses that purple roses are the prettiest, a passing noble declared that such flowers don’t exist. But they were in full bloom in the 5th Prince’s greenhouse, weren’t they?
Did you receive roses from His Highness this year too?
Is it because only one season has passed? I miss you so much.]
[I received the purple rose you sent me. How did you manage to dry it flat while maintaining its shape? The scent is so strong that it feels like you’re right beside me. I love it.
But do I really need to show it to that noble I mentioned before? Since it’s a gift you sent me, I’d rather keep it to myself.]
[Young master, thank you for allowing me to take summer courses. Although I won’t be able to return during the break, I’ll work hard to accumulate credits quickly and graduate early within 3 years.]
[I sat down at my desk to write a letter, and it started snowing. It’s the first snow of the year. Since the academy is in the south, I wonder if it has already snowed in the capital? Surely you’re not sitting in the infirmary with the window open, looking outside, are you? Please don’t get sick.]
[You didn’t send a letter last week, and I’m worried you might be very ill. I hope it’s just that the letter got lost…
I thought I only had to endure missing you, but that’s not the case. It’s frustrating that I can’t be by your side.]
[I’m already spending my second spring here. I thought I’d get used to living alone, but it seems my longing deepens as time passes. I want to come back and see you soon.]
I smiled while caressing Luwen’s letters. Is it because we’ll be able to meet soon? As the days weren’t passing quickly enough, I was reading the letters I had received over the past two years. The largest bottom drawer was full of Luwen’s stories.
[I’m enclosing roses I got from the dormitory garden. I tried to dry them like the ones you sent me last year, but I failed.
Instead, since you like rose tea, I dried the leaves so you can brew them. I hope you enjoy it.]
[Young master, are you doing well? Perhaps because it’s snowing heavily, I had a dream from my childhood. Are you in good health?
How much more time needs to pass before I get used to living far away from you? Just thinking that I could return in ten days made my desire to go back grow stronger, and it was hard to resist.]
Luwen started using more polite language in his letters from around the summer he turned nineteen. His already neat handwriting became even more refined.
‘This isn’t bad either, but…’
I thought I might feel hurt if he spoke to me in such a formal manner when we met again. Even though it’s natural for a child to grow up as time passes, I didn’t want to experience that change.
‘What a strange desire. What are you going to do if you don’t want to experience it? You’ll have to get used to it.’
I stared at the letters that would undoubtedly become treasures if Luwen ever became independent and left. Should I read a bit more?
I took out another letter from the drawer where they were neatly organized in chronological order.
[I ranked first in this summer semester as well. I’m glad my hard work paid off, for the sake of your honor, young master, who recommended me.
Oh, and I won’t be able to send a letter next week. I’ve been chosen as one of the student representatives for the monster subjugation team in the southern forest. They say it will take about a week.]
Ah, I remember how anxious I was at that time. I had to resist the urge to protest to the academy about using students for monster subjugation. If I hadn’t heard that they regularly dispatch students for educational purposes, I would have complained. Fortunately, I was relieved when I received a letter saying he had returned safely and learned a lot.
[Young master! Something incredible has happened!
The Sword Master, Honorary Duke Cromwell, is going to visit the academy. I’ve been given the honor of demonstrating my swordsmanship in front of him!
I’m so excited and thrilled!]
[Young master, I can now handle sword energy better. It’s a shame that Honorary Duke Cromwell’s classes are only once a month. I wish he could come more often.]
Cromwell followed by more Cromwell. I must have picked the wrong letters consecutively. The probability of picking a dud was high since all he talked about was him after he started receiving sword training from Honorary Duke Cromwell, but this was too much.
I rested my elbow on the desk and tapped my cheek with my fingers. Perhaps there might be a future where he becomes independent not because of love, but because he found someone he could trust and follow more than me, which made me feel wary.
‘In the original story, Honorary Duke Cromwell was just an extra, only mentioned as a Sword Master, but now he’s involved like this.’
Honestly, I couldn’t even remember if his name had been mentioned, he was that insignificant. I only realized he was an extra when I recalled that there was one more Sword Master besides the main characters in the setting.
Anyway, I welcome Luwen becoming stronger. The stronger he gets, the higher the chance of avoiding the original ending. But I couldn’t help feeling a bit sulky that he seemed to like him more than me.
I put the letter back in its place and picked up my pen.
‘I hope he’ll be happy to hear this news.’
He still misses me, right? He won’t ask why I’m coming, will he…?
[Luwen, are you doing well?
I have news to share, but I’m not sure if you’ll be happy about it. I’ve found a house near the academy. I plan to stay there until you graduate.
So, I think we’ll be able to meet on weekends when I have time, but I’m worried it might be a disturbance to you.]
I hesitated for a moment before adding the last line.
[If it’s burdensome, please tell me honestly. I don’t want to pressure you, so I won’t come if you don’t want me to.]
I should put a lot of pressure on him so he can’t refuse. If I write like this, Luwen won’t be able to tell me not to come, given his personality. Still… he often said he missed me in his letters, so he should be happy, right?
‘…Right? He hasn’t completely given his heart to Honorary Duke Cromwell, has he?’
Ignoring the slight uneasiness in my heart, I sealed the envelope. Then, after asking Merin to deliver it, I headed to Irene’s office with the finished documents.
Irene didn’t use our father’s office, but instead converted another room for her use. It’s bright with many plants, gets plenty of sunlight, and the forest view outside the window makes it feel like you’re in the woods, which I like.
“Welcome, Fei.”
As usual, Irene welcomed me with a bright smile as she stood up from her seat. I handed over the documents I had brought to my sister.
“I’ve created a guide so that the proxy can handle unnecessary issues on their own. If you could just check it, I plan to train someone and send them to the territory.”
“Aren’t you leaving in a week?”
“A week is enough.”
My excuse about wanting to recuperate due to insomnia after Luwen left worked very well. Actually, I was used to the fatigue from the insomnia I had been suffering since my previous life, but I felt sorry that I might have overplayed my distress, or that I looked like I was about to collapse in my sister’s eyes.
‘You’ve thought well! Where do you want to go? We can buy a house, so it doesn’t have to be one of our existing villas. Should I buy one near the academy? Then you could see Luwen too. That would be better, right?’
She even suggested what I was going to ask for before I could. Even though I’m not the type to feel guilty easily, it still pricked my conscience. Maybe I felt this way because I was grateful that she was willing to let me go, even though all the territory work I had been helping with would become her burden when I left.
To shake off the uncomfortable feeling of guilt, I racked my foolish brain, and the result was the plan I just handed to Irene.
As my sister picked up the next stack of papers, I quickly added an explanation.
“That’s the territory budget plan. I’ve set it up to run on an annual basis, and inevitably, reports will come in when special expenses are needed occasionally. I’ve also created a form to summarize only the key points, removing all unnecessary verbose details. The last page is that form.”
“My goodness… This is too perfect. You didn’t have to go this far, you must have worked hard. Thank you, Fei. I really mean it.”
“I felt bad about leaving you alone. You’re already busy with the Guard duties. I thought about how to make it possible to handle everything with minimal time, since it would be tough to manage territory affairs on top of that.”
“What are you sorry for? Um… Do you remember when I once said that looking at you made me strangely sad?”
Ah. I had forgotten about that, but I remembered it quickly because it was an out-of-place comment that didn’t fit the situation. It was definitely when I asked Irene to get father’s permission for Luwen to ride in the carriage.
‘I just want to do everything for Fei. When I look at Fei, I somehow feel sad. I want you to be happy.’
Why bring that up suddenly after not mentioning it since then?
