The carriage wheels crunched to a halt on the familiar dirt road. I leaned forward, peering out the window. There it was, the gate to my home village. No longer did it carry snow from the winter; it was now as weathered and bald as I remembered.

“We have arrived,” the coachman said from the front of the carriage.

“It seems no monsters were chasing us after all,” Eliza stated, probably her way of easing the lingering tension in the small carriage space.

She was the first to exit, opening the door and taking gentle steps down the carriage.

Ressa, however, seemed to be having some sort of internal debate. I noticed her hand clutching my bag as she descended the steps, her eyes darting slightly between me and the ground. After a barely audible deep breath, she turned and, with a blush, thrust her free hand towards me.

“Y-Your hand, Sir Feyt!” she announced, her voice a little too forced.

“R-Right. Thank you,” I said, rising from my seat.

I reluctantly took her offered hand, and her grip was surprisingly strong. She practically pulled me from the carriage instead of letting me down gently. Nearly sent me rolling off the road.

“S-Sorry!” she said, her blush deepening.

I balanced myself, staring at her with an awkward smile.

Whatever her secret mission was, it was clearly messing with her head. She was usually teasing but reliable, like a close friend, or maybe a gentler version of Fray with more common sense. Right now, though, she was like a flustered girl not knowing what to do in front of her crush. What’s gotten into her?

Unless… she does have a crush on me?

No, no, no, there’s no way!

I know I can be narcissistic at times, but not even I could think of any reason why she would be interested in me.

But… what if I’m right?

If that’s true, then what made her change her mind about me?

My looks?

My sword skills?

…My flute playing?

“S-Sir Feyt?” Ressa asked, her blush faint but still present. “What’s wrong? Was the ride uncomfortable?”

I snapped out of my own self-delusion, shaking my head violently. “I-It’s nothing! Just… a little nostalgic, is all.”

“O-Oh, right! Of course you would! Hahaha…” she laughed awkwardly.

Okay, that was a dangerous train of thought.

Keep your narcissism in check, me.

…

The walk from the gate shouldn’t be long, but suddenly, it felt like moving through mud. The usual lively village noises, one that I had intended to enjoy in a nostalgic sense, shifted to hushed whispers that, thanks to my ears, were as clear as crystal to me.

“Look at that. Isn’t that a young noble?”

“What’s he doing here? Trying to buy land?”

“Ugh, flaunting his maids, is he? Must be nice… Wait, he’s kinda familiar…”

I kept my eyes fixed forward, trying to keep a gentle smile as my mask. Inside, though, I was cringing. I’d specifically worn something standard, a non-stand-out kind of clothes to avoid this exact situation, but I had underestimated the sheer presence of Eliza and Ressa, walking in stride behind me.

Their perfect posture, their unwavering focus, and the fact that they were carrying all our bags, both mine and theirs. All in all, I had an aura that basically shouted “Hey, nobility here! Make way!” to everyone watching.

Both of them, of course, didn’t seem to be aware of the passing comments.

“My home’s just a little further,” I muttered, more to calm myself than anyone else.

Eliza came to a stop and gently cleared her throat. “Sir Feyt if you would permit me, I wish to take my leave here to secure me and Ressa’s lodgings at the inn.”

“O-Oh, right. Of course,” I said with a nod.

She flashed a gentle smile and gave a graceful bow. “Thank you, Sir Feyt.” She approached Ressa and handed her share of my bag, the one containing my training gear and stuff. “Can you carry this to Sir Feyt’s home, Ressa?” she said, extending the bag lightly with one hand.

“O-Okay.”

As soon as the bag’s handle touched Ressa’s fingers, she stumbled forward as the bag dragged her down.

“Ack—!”

I instinctively prepared myself to dive forward to protect her from falling. Thankfully, she recovered on her own. She struggled to balance herself with three bangs on her hands now. When she finally did, she could only chuckle.

“W-Wow… This one’s heavy.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Well, yeah, it carried a lot of stuff. It wasn’t necessarily heavy per se, but you wouldn’t be swinging it around your back casually without hurting your back.

…And now that I mentioned it, I just realized, Eliza was handling the bag rather easily, didn’t she?

Eliza, now holding only her bag, gave one final bow. “If you would excuse me.”

I gave a nod. “Be safe, Miss Eliza!”

She flashed another smile. “Thank you, Sir Feyt.”

Before leaving, Eliza turned to Ressa. Without a word, she gave her a nod, which Ressa responded with a reluctant nod, her lips pressed tightly.

…This is about the secret mission, isn’t it?

“I shall return shortly after I have secured our rooms,” Eliza said with a slight bow. “Please, take your time with your family, Sir Feyt.” And with that, she turned and walked toward the inn’s direction, leaving me alone with a very flustered Ressa, holding both mine and her own bags.

“Uhm, Miss Ressa? You sure you don’t want me to—”

“I’m perfectly fine, Sir Feyt!” she beamed, hoisting the bags higher. “Just… lead the way.”

I blinked in doubt. Though she seemed to have adapted to the weight, she was still visibly flustered.

But, I really couldn’t tell what made her act like that, and I didn’t want to selifshly assume, so I just turned forward and began our journey once more.

We left the main path, and eventually, we reached a familiar trail that led to my house. Our farm field soon began to come into view. Unlike how it was in the winter, this time it was vibrant and lively, with freshly grown crops swaying in the gentle breeze.

And then, there it was. My house.

It was still the same, weathered, little-ol-wooden house I call home. A wave of nostalgia hit me like a smack.

“Wait here a sec,” I said to Ressa, who nodded in response.

I walked up the creaky steps to the front door.

Still creaky as always, huh?

For a moment, I just stood there. The door was in front of me, and my heart was pounding from my nerves. Then, with a deep breath, I raised my hand and knocked.

The sound of heavy footsteps, causing the wood to groan, came from inside. And then, the door swung open.

“Who is—?” A burly man said. His eyes met mine, and in an instant, his expression shifted from curious to a full-on grin. “Feyt! You’re here!”

“Hey, Dad!”

He surged forward, arms open wide.

Well, here we go again.

He pulled me into another bear hug. I didn’t know if he was being gentle or if I had just gotten sturdier, but it didn’t hurt as much as it used to.

He pulled back, his hands still on my shoulders. “Oh, I can’t believe how long it’s been! Look at you, looking all nobled up!” he said, laughing heartily.

“What does that even mean?” I said with a light chuckle.

His cheerful laugh was cut off abruptly as his gaze shifted over my shoulder. His smile froze, and his eyes widened.

I turned my head to see what he saw.

There stood Ressa at the bottom of the steps, giving an awkward little wave with her free hand while the other struggled with all three bags.

Dad’s eyes flicked from her, back to me, and then back to her again. Then, with a casual tone…

“Bagged another girl, did ya’? Color me impressed. Even I couldn’t do that.”

I had the overwhelming urge to head-butt him right then and there.

…

The inside of the home hadn’t changed much since I last left. The same furniture. The same creaky floorboards. Even the same worn rug.

The only real difference was the evidence of Dad’s woodworking hobby being more prominent, judging by the several unfinished carvings by the window sill, the seemingly new wooden cooking utensils, and even a new door installed for Mom and Dad’s room.

Aside from that, it was the home I remembered and loved. However, I couldn’t really enjoy breathing in the nostalgic air. After all, I was currently being cuddled by a drunk.

“Aww! My dear darling Feyt has finally come home~!” Mom said, her voice thick and slurred as she wrapped me in a warm, wobbling hug, scrambling my hair. Her cheeks flushed a bright pink. “Tell me, tell me, how was the academy?”

“I-I’m doing alright, Mom,” I said, enduring the hair-tousling with an awkward chuckle. “But the academy doesn’t start for a couple of weeks. I can’t really tell you much yet.”

“Oh, that’s alright! I’m just glad you’re here~!”

“Now, now, Teffa. Let the boy breathe,” Dad said, gently pulling Mom away from me.

“Ahh! I wanna hug him more

!” Mom talked childishly.

How much had she been drinking to get to this level?

“Ah, right, let me introduce you,” I said, quickly sidestepping to present the figure who had been silently standing by the door. “This is Ressa. She’s a maid from the Sareid estate. She’s here to… uh…” I trailed off, realizing I had no good, non-suspicious way to explain her presence.

Should I say she’s out on a secret mission directly?

“A-Allow me!” Ressa spoke u. She bowed deeply. “My name is Ressa, and I am here to serve Sir Feyt! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Serve?” Dad parroted. Then, with a wicked grin, he turned to me. “I knew it. You really did bag another girl, didn’t you?”

““Huh?!”” Ressa and I yelped in perfect unison.

Seeing our reaction, Dad just laughed heartily. “Hahaha! Relax, relax, was just joking, that’s all!”

The urge to head-butt…. It’s rising…

After his hearty laugh, his eyes then fell on the bags Ressa was still clutching. His expression softened into something more like genuine concern.

“You two must be tired from the road,” he said. “Why don’t you get your things unpacked first?”

Before I could move, Ressa sprang into action, her Sareid-level professionalism overriding her embarrassment. In fact, the way she beamed, it was like she had spotted a chance. “There’s no need for you to trouble yourself, Sir Feyt! I will handle the unpacking.” She looked between me and my dad, her gaze earnest. “Please, enjoy your reunion.”

I was about to protest, but she was already determined. “Which room is yours, Sir Feyt?” she asked.

“The one at the end of that hall,” Dad answered, pointing to the hall he mentioned.

“Understood!”

With a final bow, she hefted the bags and made her way, leaving the three of us in the main room alone.

Dad turned back to me, his grin from before now replaced by a genuine, warm smile. “Well then… Welcome home, Feyt.”

“Yeah~ Welcome.. Home~~” Mom slurred from the table, her head shifting as she teetered on the edge of sleep and drunkenness. Despite the state she was in, the warmth in her smile was all the welcome I needed.

Despite how chaotic my welcome was, there was something off. Something was missing, or rather, someone.

“Dad, where’s Fray?” I asked.

Chaos isn’t really right without her around.

“Ah, well…” he said, shifting his eyes to the side, scratching the back of his head slighlty. Then, with a heavy sigh, he began to explain. “She won’t be coming back for a while, it seems.”

“What?” My eyes widened. “Why? Did something happen?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” he was quick to reassure, shaking his head. “She sent a letter a few days ago. Said she’d ‘found a really good work opportunity’ and that it would keep her busy for some time. She promised to buy you a present and visit when she’s free, but… she won’t make it for your birthday.”

“Oh…”

So Fray won’t be here for my birthday.

Then, that’s good news, right?

No teasing, no mocking…

Well, a part of me wished to say yes, while the other… hesitated.

First of all, I was kind of glad she wasn’t here. Though I had hidden it quite well, I was still wearing Fray’s necklace on both bodies even up until this moment, just in case they came in handy. I couldn’t imagine what her reaction would be if she spotted me wearing it.

Then again, I had a feeling my birthday wouldn’t be complete without her. Call me masochistic or whatever, but I do kinda miss her energy.

But, there was nothing I could do about it. She found a good work opportunity, who am I to stop her? Knowing her, she wouldn’t do a job if it weren’t fun. So, I could only wish for her safety, and whoever is hiring her won’t regret the decision.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep