Volume 2 Chapter 42 I Became a Retainer II
Margrave Shield, Lydia, and Cain were still chatting in the study. The topic had shifted from today's work to Lydia's childhood without anyone noticing. Lydia was apparently quite a tomboy, playing hide-and-seek around the estate and training with her older brother before she joined the academy. The funniest story was about how she climbed into the attic to save a kitten, then couldn't get down and started crying, and ended up soiling herself.
"Are you still telling that story? Please, forget it already, and not in front of Cain!"
Seeing Lydia puff out her cheeks and get angry for the first time was very refreshing.
"Sorry, sorry. Those were happy memories from a while ago. But Alice really does resemble Lydia, doesn't she? Not in looks, but in spirit? Aisha's so happy, she takes her everywhere every day."
Yes, Alice is always out and about with Aisha for various things. Today she went with her grandmother to buy clothes, they ate sweets, learned knitting ── she reports all this during tea after dinner. In the Sanroze domain, Cain gets very annoyed if he can't spend 2 days together. Since coming to Margrave Shield's territory, though, he's fine even if they only meet at breakfast and dinner. Maybe he's starting to feel a bit independence from his brother.
The study in Margrave Shield has a large window straight ahead when you enter. The desk is on the right side, with a set of sofas for discussions in front. But what really catches the eye are the bookshelves lining the walls. The shelves almost reach the ceiling, filled with tightly packed books──probably about half as many as in the Sanroze family library.
He thought he saw the bookshelf behind the desk move slightly. Margrave Shield and Lydia didn't seem to notice and kept talking. Cain stared intently, and it looked like it flickered with a faint green glow. Cain blinked, looked again, and it glowed green once more.
"Ah, Grandfather, may I please read that book over there?"
Pointing at the glowing book, he asked with all his "grandchild power" behind it.
"Hm? That one? Hmm... what was that book? Cain, can you get it?"
Cain answered with a simple "Yes," grabbed the glowing book, and placed it on the table in front of the sofa.
(Wow, this feels strangely familiar... Could it be...?)
"This book was definitely given to me by a traveling merchant from the Magic Kingdom a long time ago. They said it was written by a sage from there, but I couldn't read it. If you want it, take it. Cain, do you like books?"
Lydia flinched when she heard that. Cain immediately replied, "Thank you, I'll take care of it!" without even opening the book.
"If you can read it, let me know," he said with a grin, rubbing his chin.
(As expected, he noticed there's a chance I might be able to read it. A seasoned Margrave, for sure.)
"I'll do my best to read it. I'll try to bring you a good report."
He replied, managing to stay calm. At the same time, there was a knock on the office door, announcing that dinner was ready, which helped him dodge further questions. With Margrave Shield's voice saying, "Alright, dinner time," the 3 of them returned to their rooms to change for the meal. Trying to suppress his urge to read the book, he walked back to his room as slowly as he could. He locked the door, cast a [light] [magic] spell, and brightened the dim room.
"I don't have much time, but maybe I can at least read the first page?"
Cain flipped the leather cover and checked the title on the first page. It said "The Sage's Book." But not wanting to be late, he quickly closed the book, changed, and headed for the dining hall.
* * *
After dinner, Cain slowly enjoyed some post-meal tea before returning to his room. "Alright, let's read it!" He reached for the book, but just then, there was a knock on the door. "Is it Alice?" he wondered, replying, "Come in."
"Excuse me, Sir Cain. I've brought your guard, Barvish, with me."
In the hallway where the door had been opened, the housekeeper and Barvish, who had just become Cain's bodyguard, stood.
"Sorry to disturb you while you're resting. I'll be your bodyguard starting tomorrow, so I thought I should introduce myself before that. Is that alright?"
"Thank you, you're right. Since we'll be together starting tomorrow, we should at least communicate a little."
"Communicate? What do you mean?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it. Barvish is fine on his own."
Cain hurriedly kicked the housekeeper out. *"I tend to slip up when I let my guard down. I need to be careful. More importantly, I need to talk to Barvish now."*
"Sorry to keep you waiting, I'm Cain Sanroze. Oh, by the way, I wonder what happened to my family name? Well, whatever. Just call me Cain."
With that, Cain extended his hand for a handshake with Barvish.
Barvish hesitated for a moment but then shook Cain's hand, saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you." After thinking for a bit, he spoke with a determined expression.
"Sir Cain, may I speak with you for a moment? I hesitated to say this myself, but your treatment of slaves is inappropriate. I understand you were recently granted the title of 'Knight.' Even though it's a title for just one generation, you are still a noble. Nobles must act like nobles."
"Eh, but I'm only 7 years old. I don't want anything so formal. Even though I'm a noble, my only servant is Barvish. It's just a title, really."
Cain responded with a smile, not feeling guilty in the slightest. Seeing this, Barvish froze for a few seconds before letting out a deep sigh.
"Honestly, is master completely ignorant of the world, or are you just a big deal? Fine, if it's just the two of us, that's okay, but at other times, I'll offer my advice as needed."
Cain felt happy that, by chance, he had made a friend.
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