The Guardian Knight of Affection-Starved Young Ladies

70 – Dancing at the Ball (03)

071.

“…Make sure to meet at the banquet. Kallen.”

“Understood, Lady Eliana.”

Eliana Lacatus.

“I trust you, Kallen. See you at the banquet.”

“Yes, Lady Selassie.”

Selassie Hyatt.

The two ladies held onto Kallen as if they didn’t want to part with him.

But there are always limits.

After the Ecclesia meeting ended,

The two ladies urged Kallen to meet them at the banquet.

Daphnis also wanted to say his final goodbye, but was blocked by Richeza.

In the end, the Ecclesia application, which took longer than expected, came to an end like this.

“It’s tough.”

“Really. They are people with no consideration. Right, Kal?”

“Sinat.”

“Tch… Got it.”

Inside the carriage returning from the city of Mland.

Sinat was sitting right next to Kalen.

It wasn’t this bad when they came.

When Kalen looked at him curiously, Sinat shrugged his shoulders.

“Because it’s hard. Can I lean on you a little?”

“Alright.”

“Heh. Thanks.”

If it’s hard, there’s no helping it.

If Sinat gets sulky, that’s another thing to deal with.

It’s much better to lend a shoulder for a while.

Kalen held Sinat’s forehead to keep his head from drooping in the rattling carriage.

Sinat was grateful for such consideration and smiled faintly.

Without Kalen noticing, Sinat asked.

“Are you close with Lady Rakatus and Lady Hiatt?”

“Well… something like that happened.”

“More than saving my life?”

“What are you talking about since earlier? All three of us were in life-threatening situations, how can you rank them?”

“Alright…”

That’s certainly true.

When they were isolated in the carriage on the plateau, nursing Eliana’s mysterious illness.

When they were trapped on Mount Hiatt, protecting the trembling Selassia to the end.

When Sinat was kidnapped by the traitor of the spirit world and almost offered as a sacrifice.

It wouldn’t have been strange if they had lost their lives in any of those situations.

But Kalen overcame all those situations.

He saved all three ladies.

This was an undeniable fact.

Sinat might not know all the details.

But listening to Kalen, it’s not hard to understand.

He’s a man far from jokes or lies.

What happened with the other two ladies must have been no less than what happened with Sinat.

But such is the nature of many hearts.

The desire to be cherished more than others.

Moreover, to Sinat, Kallen is something more than just a benefactor who saved his life.

He doesn’t want to see him getting close to other young ladies.

“Then what about Lady Daphnis and Lady Richeza?”

Just before, when Sinat asked Kallen to attend the ball within the banquet.

Sinat was thinking of competing with Eliana and Selassia.

Dranus is not yet complete, but if he does well, he can take Kallen.

In that sense, he was only thinking about the other two young ladies.

Something completely unexpected happened.

Daphnis and Richeza.

Young ladies he didn’t even know had any connection with Kallen intervened.

Because he couldn’t grasp it, he became even more wary.

In that sense, Sinat casually asked about the two, but.

Of course, Kallen, who didn’t know what had happened inside, couldn’t help but be flustered.

It only means that Daphnis and Richeza blabbed about talking to him.

“…Sinat, how do you know I talked to those two?”

“Huh? Ah…”

Sinat realized he had made a mistake.

He knew that Daphnis and Richeza had talked to Kallen.

But he couldn’t tell Kallen about the ball.

It was a promise made with other young ladies.

He didn’t like the idea of taking advantage by being the first to speak about it.

However, to make his words convincing, he had to mention the ball.

Until the banquet, he confirmed that Kallen didn’t know about the ball to prove it.

Kallen didn’t know about the ball until then, so he had to choose someone to dance with.

“Ah, it’s nothing! The weather is really nice! Heh…”

Startled, Sinat quickly lifted his head from his shoulder.

Awkwardly leaning against the window, he turned his gaze.

Then, sneakily.

Turning his head back, Sinat realized that Kallen wasn’t saying anything and gently leaned his head back.

“`

“…”

“Hee.”

One must do everything they want to do.

That was Sinat, the little girl who would bear Dranus.

Kallen knew this well, so he didn’t say much.

He just lent his shoulder for Sinat to lean on and quietly looked out the window.

“Kall.”

“Why.”

“Where are we going?”

“…Aren’t we going home?”

After a while.

When it got a bit boring.

Sinat asked in a subtle voice.

Where are we going, all of a sudden.

At that unexpected and obvious question, Kallen thought Sinat was joking.

“Yeah. We’re going home.”

“…Sinat.”

“But, not the cabin, another home.”

However, Sinat’s voice was excited but serious.

When she jokes, she is entirely playful.

Now, Sinat was purely happy.

Realizing this, Kallen closed his mouth.

Meaning he was giving Sinat the space to speak.

“The house I used to live in. Do you know it?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Puhat. Silly Kallen.”

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“…”

“Hmm… I like the cabin, but… I think I like the old house too.”

Sinat’s words had no flow.

It felt like she was just spitting out whatever came to mind.

“`

That means Sinat is now immersed in the lingering feeling, showing his happiness as it is.

The cabin and the old house.

The Dranus family and Sinat.

Kalen, who vaguely imagined the relationship between them, soon stopped.

There is nothing more foolish than arbitrarily judging someone else’s story.

He just listens.

To the emotions flowing from Sinat, mixed with expectations, happiness, and vagueness.

It’s something he’s been good at so far.

It’s what Kalen is most confident in.

“I’m a little scared too. Because I might think of my parents and brother. What if they come to me in my dreams and ask why I’m the only one alive?”

“That won’t happen.”

“Right. Mom, Dad, and Brother wouldn’t do that. Even if they did, Kalen, you’ll protect me, right?”

“I will.”

“Hee. Then I think it’s good. According to Grandpa, most of them haven’t left, and those who did are coming back because I said I’m coming back.”

Those who remember Sinat’s past.

In the first place, Sinat didn’t even have a coming-of-age ceremony, so even if we talk about the past, it would be when he was very young.

Kalen became a little curious about Sinat’s childhood.

Since Blamia is there, he wouldn’t have been ignored.

“When we get home, I’ll give you the room next to mine. Let’s play late into the night.”

“If I want to inherit the head’s position, I have to study late into the night.”

“Ugh… I can’t… I have to play with Kal…”

The title returned to ‘Kal’.

It means Sinat has found stability.

Kalen answered with a faint sigh of relief.

“Even if all the classes are over, if you can’t sleep, we can play.”

“Are you trying to make me a late sleeper?”

“Well. If you don’t play, that won’t happen.”

A trivial conversation.

Just a story about the future.

The future that Sinat could no longer dream of was continued by a boy.

With Kalen’s voice, a girl was able to dream again.

In a form clearer than anything else.

Through Kalen, who would save Sinat no matter what happened.

“The cabin was cozy and nice, but… it’s on a different level… it will be.”

“Do you remember? It’s an old thing.”

“I remember… a little…

Not the cabin, but the old house.

Is he talking about Dranus’ mansion?

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Kalen noticed Sinat’s voice faltering and quietly lowered his voice.

Thus, the carriage ran through the city of Mland.

Not too distant past.

Heading to the place that supported the empire when Dranus was shining brightly.

Until the large mansion, like a castle, came into view.

*

“Good job, kid.”

The place where the Dranus family’s mansion is located.

Rather than a mansion, it’s closer to a castle.

Naturally, the territory surrounding it was vast.

It was doubtful whether Sinat could really govern this place.

The first to greet Kalen and Sinat was Blamia.

The former owner of Dranus and the great mage of the empire.

Now an old man who would help Sinat with family affairs for a while.

“It’s big.”

“The cabin can’t even compare.”

“Is Master okay?”

Kalen knew that Blamia had an unspoken wound.

Once, understanding such Blamia, he had tried to leave Sinat and Blamia.

But not anymore.

The day Kalen saved Sinat from the spirit world.

Blamia’s wound has found its suture point.

If Kalen is by Sinat’s side, there is no need to worry.

Blamia gave a twisted smile.

“It’s not something for a kid to worry about. It’s fine now.”

“That’s a relief.”

“By the way, where has my granddaughter gone that she doesn’t even greet me?”

As Blamia looked around the carriage, Kalen spoke calmly.

“She’s sleeping. Should I wake her?”

“Sleeping? Tsk tsk. Do you know how many people are waiting for her?”

“I’ll wake her.”

“No need. You, kid, bring her here.”

“…Bring her here?”

“Yes. Why, are you embarrassed?”

Even though it’s the old house.

Even though it’s a place to reunite with those they had parted from.

Is it right to return, asleep in the arms of an outsider?

Kalen couldn’t understand it at all, but it was Blamia’s words.

The words of the old master are absolute to the boy.

That fact hasn’t changed.

Kalen nodded reluctantly.

He held the sleeping Sinat like a princess.

“You look comfortable. Let’s go, kid. There are a mountain of people I need to introduce you to.”

“Yes.”

Holding Sinat like a princess.

Kalen followed Blamia.

Because of that, he couldn’t see the old man’s expression, who intended to take the boy as his son-in-law.