Chapter 163 Can I Win Against That?
"I have to introduce Daniel to my grandfather and father. By the way, is Daniel single?"
Sara asked, and Jeffrey burst out laughing.
"Sara, are you asking if Daniel has a wife when he's clearly shown interest in you?"
Jeffrey looked at Daniel with a smirk.
"I'm single. Uh... I'm a little embarrassed to say this to young milady Sara, but I've fallen for Lady Sophia at first sight. My heart and body belong to her, I feel. Not in a weird way, I mean... or am I just saying that?"
Daniel's face turned bright red as he stuttered out his answer, and Scott and Blaze reacted as well.
"Wait, how old are you, Mr. Daniel? Sara's only 8 years old!"
"Yeah, that's crazy!"
Daniel was being treated like a pervert. Incidentally, Daniel was 27 years old, so if Sophia looked 18, the age difference wouldn't be that big of a deal. But it wasn't like he had feelings for 8-year-old Sara; his emotions were directed towards Sophia.
"But I don't have any romantic feelings towards Milady Sara or want to get married to her. This is just my one-sided infatuation."
"Then wouldn't a master-servant contract be fine without all that?"
"I had a feeling that the woman Sir Jeffrey introduced me to wasn't just an ordinary citizen, and seeing her etiquette at the Commerce Guild only solidified my conviction. And on top of that, she used magic without incantation to take down a boar with one hit on our way back home, and when we returned to the mansion, she said 'I'm back'. It really hit me that she's out of my league as a mere commoner and not even a knight like myself."
"...But my social status is that of a commoner..."
Daniel chuckled lightly.
"Milady Sara, your social status may be that of a commoner, but you can't live an ordinary life as a commoner. Don't you understand that yourself?"
"Ugh..."
Sara couldn't deny Daniel's opinion, either. After all, she had been trying to earn money and become independent because she hated living as a commoner, and Daniel's words were extremely accurate.
"But even if I know it's impossible, I still want to be by your side and protect you. ...I admit I'm not capable of it, though."
"That's very kind of you, but it still doesn't answer the question of why you made a vow of loyalty as a knight."
'No, isn't it heavy? Can't we just cancel it now?'
"That's because the commander said that being a knight is a state of mind. Even if I quit being a knight, if I still have the heart of a knight, I can still be a knight."
"That's right. You're far more like a true knight than those so-called 'knight-class' nobles who just have the title."
'Uh...my father is a knight-class noble, so it's hard for me to agree with that...'
"As the commander said, a knight's heart is centered around "loyalty to their master." In other words, a knight needs someone to pledge their loyalty to. When I was part of the knight's order, I naturally pledged my loyalty to the lord. I never questioned it. But I'm no longer a member of the knight's order."
"Yeah, that's true."
"So, I asked myself who I should consider my lord now."
"Isn't the lord of the land good enough? You're aware of your connection to Grandchester, aren't you?"
Daniel nodded.
"Of course, I'm aware of it. But at the same time, I thought that Lady Sophia might not always obey the lord."
"It's unprecedented for a woman to manage the merchant guild on her own, and the next Marquis, Young Marquis, might not take kindly to it. Plus, she's a beauty. There's a high possibility she'll be forced into an unwanted marriage."
'Well, that's true...'
"At that moment, a stronger emotion than romantic feelings welled up inside me. I want to support Lady Sophia in realizing her own will. Of course, it would be ideal if I could support her as a partner, but more than that, I want to protect her heart. As someone inexperienced, I may not be able to fully understand Milady Sara's thoughts. But Lady Sophia is someone who would go to great lengths to protect her own heart, and I want to pledge my loyalty to her."
"I see, Daniel. So that's how it is. I understand now!"
Jeffrey nodded at Daniel's words.
'What's going on? I don't get it at all!'
"Scott, I don't understand what that guy is saying at all."
"Basically, Blaze, he's saying that he likes Sara, but he wants to serve as a knight even more."
"What? But didn't he just meet Sara for the first time today?"
"I think he got hit by Sara's charm or something."
"I see."
The soft murmurs of the two boys' conversation reached Sara's ears perfectly.
'Ugh, this is so rude!'
"By the way, Mister Thomas isn't here, is he?"
Rebecca cut through the awkward atmosphere with a carefree remark.
"Probably because of the Maiden's Tower. During the time when the sons don't have classes, he sneaks in, I suppose."
"It's good that Mister Thomas isn't here, Ms. Sara."
"...Well, it's going to get even worse, isn't it? But Sara, it's up to you to choose who you want. Who do you like?"
Everyone's gaze focused on Sara at this remark.
"It's obvious I'll choose Sir Jeffrey, won't you?"
"Haha, me? I'm a one-woman man, devoted to my late wife."
"First loves never come true, huh."
Sara and Jeffrey just exchanged some light banter, but the guys listening to them were stunned.
'This is definitely the easiest answer, no mistake. It's not even a lie.'
"Well, anyway..."
"Wow, you're really letting it slide, aren't you, Sara?"
"Sir Jeffrey, could you not mix things up and make it complicated?"
"Oh, okay."
When Sara gave Jeffrey a cold stare, even Jeffrey flinched.
"Do you have a wife and kids, Daniel?"
"None, I'm single."
"Is your residence in the capital?"
"Yes, I live in the southern district."
"Then, it's okay to have a guard escort me. It only takes about 30 minutes by horse to the castle, right?"
"But what about nighttime security?"
"The knights' division is in charge of security inside the castle, so you don't need to worry. You just need a guard when you go out of the castle."
As Sara explained, Daniel looked very worried.
"Is there a problem?"
"I don't mind the escort, but could you at least let me protect Miss Sara during the day."
"I think it's safe inside the castle, but okay. I'll discuss the treatment and compensation with my grandfather and father."
"Understood."
'Well, let's get to the main topic.'
"By the way, Sir Jeffrey, you recommended Daniel as my guard, which means you acknowledge his skills, right?"
"Yes, that's right. His skills are top-notch, even among the knights. It's a shame he got hurt."
"What kind of injury is it? He seems to be moving his arms and legs normally."
As Sara carefully examined Daniel's entire body, Daniel himself answered.
"It's from a Saber Bear's claw that pierced my chest. The wound on the surface was healed with recovery magic, but my lung was damaged, making it difficult for me to fight for a long time. Sometimes, I also get sudden attacks of breathlessness, so I can't go on expeditions."
"I understand now. Then, I'll take a closer look."
Sara raised her hand towards Daniel and activated her healing magic. The image of Daniel's original healthy body appeared in Sara's mind, allowing her to grasp exactly where the problems lay. Then, she imbued her surrounding magical energy with light attributes and slowly began to deploy her healing magic.
"Wha—?"
As Daniel opened his mouth in surprise, small lights began to pour into his body from Sara's direction. The lights also appeared on the surface of his skin, and wounds on his chest, thighs, and arms began to heal one by one.
After about 10 minutes, the flow of light stopped, and Daniel realized that the discomfort he had felt in his breathing for years was completely gone.
"Phew. With this, Daniel should have regained his original healthy body. I've also healed the wounds on your lungs, thighs, and left arm."
"Whoa, Sara, if you had that kind of skill, you should've told me sooner! I would've let him rejoin the knights!"
Daniel's expression changed from surprise to tears.
"I apologize, Commander. I've already found my master. I'm extremely fortunate to be able to serve such a kind and compassionate master."
"Do you feel any discomfort, Daniel?"
"It's strange that I don't feel any discomfort, milady! I've seen many doctors who could use healing magic, but none of them could restore my lungs to their original state."
"That's great. Let's try using a sword now, shall we? Sir Jeffrey, may I borrow the training hall and a sword?"
"Go ahead."
"Then, I'll do it in Sophia's form, just for kicks."
"Huh? Is Milady Sara going to be my opponent?"
Daniel's face was filled with shock and amazement.
"Daniel, Sara is strong, you know. If you're not careful, even you might lose to her."
After that, as Sophia's double-wielded swords clashed, although she couldn't beat the professional knight, she was able to toy with Daniel to a surprising extent. As expected, her skills were far superior to those of 8-year-old Sara's body.
"Hey Scott, can you beat that Sara?"
"...It might be tough."
"We need to work harder, or we'll never catch up. We need to study more, train our swordsmanship, and master magic too."
"Yeah, you're right. Sara seems to be busy for a while, so we need to keep up as much as we can."
And so, Sara, who had been practicing with Daniel until sunset, becomes so sleepy that she starts to doze off even during dinner, her head nodding up and down like a boat on the water.
Sedrick, who came to Sara's room to report, saw her fast asleep and didn't feel like waking her up, muttering, "I'll report everything tomorrow," and left the room with his followers.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)