Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Chapter 26.“Ability? What kind?”

I asked without much expectation.[This is an ability that can be used only once a day, but now absolute defense is possible.]

“Absolute defense?”[I can block any attack once. Whether it's a grand mage's magic, or an attack loaded with the aura of an excellent swordsman.]

Wow. It seems a much more useful ability than freezing water.

My heart beat.

I excitedly asked Blackie.

“Then can you block even if the continent's best swordsman comes? The range? How much is it?”[For now it's not much. Because it's only about one Master.]

When Blackie used the ability, a translucent blue sphere wrapped me.[I can also use it like a shield like this.]

When Blackie whipped his tail, the sphere gradually became smaller then soon hit my body and disappeared.

“Wh-what?”[I can also wrap it like a membrane on Master's body.]

If Blackie's words were true, it was the same as having one spare life itself.

I hugged Blackie and cheered.

“Amazing! Our Blackie is filial, filial! Let's continue like this from now on!”[But it's really an ability that can be used only once a day so you have to be careful. What can be blocked is only one attack after all.]

“Yes? Once? Wait a minute. Then if shooting two arrows...” [Naturally only one arrow is blocked.]

“What?”

Then, whether caught on a stone, the carriage jolted and I hit my head on the carriage ceiling.

I clearly thought it would hurt, but there was only the feeling of touching and no pain was felt.

And there was a feeling of something cracking crispy.[Today's defense has ended.]

“Even this counts as hitting?”[Instead it protected Master's head.]

“But this level is okay even if just hitting! Treating hitting the carriage and being hit by a sword the same.”

I needlessly rubbed the crown that didn't even hurt and protested.[If you release more seals, it will do. Then I can make a shield that always protects you.]

“Good. Got it.”

A bit unfair, but it was a useful ability.

This time it disappeared futilely from hitting the carriage, but conversely it means that if used well, even large-scale magic can be blocked.

“This time the jewel was also bought cheaply so this level is well done. Admirable.”[I want to grow quickly and protect Master.]

While chatting with Blackie, the carriage arrived at the Valfruga ducal castle.

As soon as getting off the carriage, the maids who saw me flocked like clouds.

Especially Bella from the moment she saw me didn't know what to do wanting to hug, then when I greeted first her cheeks flushed red.

“Madam! Oh, I missed you so much! Really without Madam the castle is too bleak. If I knew it would be like this I should have followed too! Did Butcher serve well?”

“I served much better than you! Right, Madam?”

Bella and Butcher started bickering as soon as they saw each other.

I decided to unpack the gift bundles to calm the two people fighting saying each is better.

“Bella. I bought gifts on the carriage so divide one each among the servants.”

“Gifts?”

Fortunately Bella seemed more interested in the gifts I bought than arguing with Butcher.

“Yeah. It's nothing special but I bought one each.”

“How. Even going to that far place must have been hard yet even thinking of us. Madam's character really has no one to follow.”

The maids who came late admired seeing the high-quality cloth.

“Oh my, it's Mine cloth! Thank you, Madam!”

“Just needed it! Giving such a practical gift!”

“I didn't know Madam would think of us like this. Thank you!”

“Aigo, how to use what Madam gave because it's precious. Madam taking care of us like this, so grateful I don't know where to put my body.”

“Madam really considers even maids like us, so kind.”

Looking around the maids, I then brought up the question that came to mind from when first seeing.

“But where is Lus?”* * *Lucius curled his body round like a bean bug inside Felia's room.

Inside Felia's room was simple the same as Lucius.

But with only the fact that Felia stayed, that room became a special space to Lucius.

“I miss.”

Saying it, a name attached to the emotion and I missed more.

His wife was really small and lovely.

Fluffy pink hair like a cloud, blue eyes like a clear sky.

The build was small and round and the gentle eyes were lovely like a baby rabbit, but Lus knew well how strong and amazing a person she is.‘Older sister’ calling, Felia smiles brightly and turns her head as if knowing who called without even looking.

And calls herself with a slightly excited voice more than when talking about work usually ‘Lus!’

“I miss.”

Lucius stuck his nose into Felia's blanket like a puppy waiting for its master.

Then, the sound of the castle gate opening far away was heard.

Whether exchanging greetings with the servants, a chattering voice was heard.

The content wasn't heard well, but the bouncing voice looked quite in a good mood.

An ordinary person wouldn't hear sounds from that far, but Lucius didn't feel it strange.

Because when young there was no intimate counterpart to the extent of teaching such things, and to Lucius it was a very natural thing.

I wanted to rush out first and greet when seeing Felia, but as much as missing her, seeing was scary.

“Will older sister remember me.”

Seeing the leaving carriage, Lucius belatedly recalled the memory with his father.

His father also often went out riding that carriage and returned.

When the thick castle gate opened and the lord's carriage entered the castle, the people inside the castle became busy.

Among the people preparing to greet the Duke, only Lucius was left alone inside the room like a doll.

Anyway his father also didn't look for him.

No, he wouldn't know even if he disappeared one day.

Lucius closed his eyes and thought of the day he met his father.

That day was winter, and the family's situation was only getting worse.

As soon as he entered, he prepared to go out again without even a break.

Lucius meeting him in the entrance that day was coincidence.

The Duke who saw Lucius standing awkwardly asked.

“Whose child?”

At the Duke's question, the servant who was fastening the Duke's coat collar said flustered.

“It's the young master.”

At the servant's words, the Duke then as if recalling said short ah, then asked the servant back.

“Was it already the age to grow that much?”

“Turned seven this year.”

“Is that so. Kids of that age grow differently every day so hard to recognize.”

When the servant who fastened the coat collar withdrew, the Duke approached closely as if trying to perform the duty of a father to stroke Lucius's head.

Only then Lucius's attire entered the Duke's eyes.

The Duke frowned and stepped back one step.

“A mess. Didn't I clearly leave it to the maid?”

“These few days mobilized for cleaning the castle so couldn't pay attention at all.”

The fact that taking care of the Duke's only successor was pushed by cleaning the castle was a matter that would greatly shock elsewhere.

Not a great noble of Duke level, even a baron without territory if knowing this fact would have nothing to say even if immediately whipping the servant and driving out.

But the servant reported the fact calmly as if knowing he wouldn't be scolded.

The Duke clicked his tongue short and said.

“Still have the kid washed. What is that.”

“Understood.”

As expected the Duke didn't scold the servant.

Beside another servant urged the Duke saying the appointment time has come.

In the end, he went out again without stroking Lucius's head until the end.

After that, Lucius no longer went outside the room when his father came.

At least the Duke didn't forget that he had a son so there was a servant who took care of his meals and life, but only up to there.

I wanted to see older sister right away, but at the same time it was scary.‘I shouldn't have sent older sister as is.’ The bright red eyes shone dangerously.

Perhaps older sister also might forget me in the time of going out and coming like father.‘What if older sister sees me and asks who is that kid?’ It doesn't matter that father doesn't remember me.

But older sister won't do.‘I shouldn't have sent outside. I should have made not able to leave the castle. I should have made not able to ride the carriage somehow.’ The thought that started rampaging once couldn't stop at all.

Gradually it felt natural for Felia to forget him.‘What if older sister forgets me.’ Then kill everyone.

Since there's no need to stay in this castle anymore, kill all the people in the castle and wait for older sister again.

It felt like a black hole was pierced under the body, and the feeling of myself being completely swallowed into it.

It was then.

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of small footsteps moving quickly from the lower floor was heard.‘It's older sister's footstep sound.’ His older sister, his wife, pretending not to be his family but because of impatient nature the steps were fast.

Whether tired from wandering around the castle here and there, the footsteps slowed a bit.

The footstep sound gradually approached.

Whether tired climbing the stairs, stopped for a moment, and the sound of climbing again was heard.

A small grumbling sound of ‘Why is it so wide?’ was also heard.

Opened the study where Lucius is often once, and the gradually approaching footsteps headed this way.

And the door opened.

“Lus! You were here!”

The clear water-colored pupils stared straight at Lus.

Light filled his dark world.

She hugged Lucius, and played by touching the tip of the nose.

“Older sister came but won't even greet?”

Lucius hugged her back, and buried his face in her shoulder.

“Welcome.”

“I thought you would come out to greet right when coming but you're in my room. How hard it was looking for you.”

Listening to Felia's chattering sound, Lucius hugged her even tighter.

“Lus, I also bought your gift. Not knowing what you would like, I bought this and that so it became a bit much.”

Actually does she know that her coming is the biggest gift more than anything.

“Did you eat well? Did you sleep well? Somehow you seem a bit thinner?”

Felia wrapped Lucius's cheeks with both hands and examined this way and that.

Lucius rubbed his face on Felia's hand and acted cute like a puppy.

“Because sleeping alone is scary so I couldn't sleep. The dark is too scary.”

Lucius had never been afraid of the dark even once.

But there was a time a maid screamed surprised at the appearance of walking accurately without sound even in a corridor without a single candle.

Felia tilted her head.

“You were that afraid of the dark? I don't think I've seen such a thing even once.”

“I couldn't do the good night greeting saying don't have nightmares before sleeping every night. So I had a nightmare.”

Lucius said in a slender voice as if really hard.

If to receive Felia's gaze and touch, pretending to be afraid of the dark was something he could do as much as he wanted.

And it was also the fact that he couldn't sleep while Felia was away.

“So older sister, today you have to sleep together with Lus?”