LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 43
“Only two days left now.”
Originally, the plan was to stay a week in each place before moving on to the next, so it was almost time for me to leave Yuli’s house and visit Anne’s house. Perhaps that’s why Yuli let out a complaint full of regret. The cheerful Yuli who’d been so happy when I first arrived had been increasingly sulky as the time went on.
“Can’t we just not go?”
“I’ve already made plans with the kids. It’s way too late to change the schedule now.”
Thud
I flopped down on Yuli’s bed, which I had gotten used to, reminding her of our week-long promise.
“But I’m going to miss you. Ah, El! You can’t eat and go straight to bed. It’s not good for you.”
“Aaaaaah. Can’t hear, can’t hear.”
Covering my ears, I rolled around on the bed, casually ignoring Yuli’s words. I had trained hard all morning, so I figured a little indulgence wouldn’t hurt. So, rest well, dear body of mine.
“Stop acting like a kid! Sometimes, I think you have a childish side, El.”
But whether it was necessary for us to join the afternoon training too, I thought a bit of laziness should be fine.
But it seemed I was the only one thinking that way, as Yuli firmly grabbed my hand and pulled me up. She sat down next to me on the edge of the bed.
Yuli seemed deep in thought, prodding her lower lip with her index finger as she pondered. Eventually, an idea appeared to strike her, and she clapped her hands before getting up again.
“Hey! Wait, I can just think the opposite! I can go with El!”
*
“It can’t be done.”
As soon as she made her decision and took me to Craig, the response was a swift and sharp rejection. Having just finished morning training and probably starting his work, papers were piling up on Craig’s desk.
“…Why not?”
Unable to protest more vigorously, Yuli asked meekly. Craig paused in his paperwork, lifted his gaze to look at Yuli, and said,
“You were away for months at the Academy already. We’ve only just gotten time to spend together again… Ahem, ahem. I can’t afford any waste here.”
?
Did he just change his wording? It seemed Craig didn’t show any signs of it, while the frustrated Yuli appeared oblivious. However, I was observing thoroughly from the side and clearly heard him say, “spend time together.” Did he really say that? It was so natural that I nearly thought I imagined it, but reflecting on the past few days, there was no way it was a mistake. My suspicion turned into certainty.
During training, when Craig had clung onto Yuli and guided her throughout, it made sense given Yuli’s lower skill level required more focus. Just, if you looked past the part where he smiled a little here and there while saying it was insufficient…
When Yuli occasionally managed to swing her sword decently, he would pat her on the shoulder as praise. Of course, one can’t just whip the whip; sometimes, a carrot must be given too. But other than the moment his hand hesitated just as it reached Yuli’s head before falling back down onto her shoulder…
Every evening during our tea time after dinner, he would drop by and listen to either Yuli’s or my stories for a long while. Certainly, it’s possible he did that to grasp how his daughter was faring at the Academy and who her friends were. But aside from the time he barely listened to my tales while eagerly sipping at the tea Yuli poured for him…
This guy… Could it be that the real reason he’s against Yuli handling a sword has more to do with something else than talent? A plausible theory.
“If you don’t have anything else to say, I need to get back to my work. I’m busy with overdue tasks.”
Once I gained certainty, my perception shifted. When Craig mentioned overdue tasks, it sounded to me like he had neglected his work while spending time with Yuli.
Yuli, seemingly unaware, turned to leave the room, looking half disappointed and half as if she expected nothing less. I offered Craig a slight bow before following Yuli outside.
“I really wanted to go…”
Back in the room, Yuli clutched the pillow, her voice dripping with regret. That pillow looked identical to the ones from the Academy dormitory. It wasn’t like she purposely brought it, so it must’ve just been bought from the same place.
“Hey… Yuli?”
“Yeah?”
With her face still buried in the pillow, Yuli peeked her head out just a little to respond.
“I have an idea… Want to hear it?”
*
As usual, after dinner, while Yuli was setting up three teacups, there was a knock at the door. I answered and opened the door to find Craig stepping in with a natural stride.
Just as like yesterday or the day before, we sipped tea while discussing various things. Then, when there was a brief lull in conversation and silence fell, Yuli shot a glance at me, subtly gauging my reaction. It looked as if she was asking,
‘Is it really okay to do this?’
I gestured with my eyes toward Craig to urge Yuli on. This was certainly a move that would be impossible to evade. With the firsthand experience, I was completely sure.
Eventually, Yuli mustered her resolve and sprang up from her seat.
“Father!”
“Mm?”
Craig, upon hearing Yuli suddenly call his name, set down his teacup and turned to look at her. Yuli closed her eyes tight, and then dashed toward Craig.
Hug
Yuli wrapped her arms around Craig, burying her face in his chest. Then she glanced up at him while opening her mouth.
“Really, can’t I go with El?”
With the way her face was flushed, I could tell she had never thrown such a tantrum in her life. Craig, caught off guard, appeared sharply paralyzed, unable to speak.
However, only Craig’s lips, more aggressively than I’d observed in any other instance, twitched.
I had already come to know the power of Yuli’s pitiful pleas after experiencing it a few times. Anyone who knew Yuli would find it impossible to evade that charm.
As I had expected, Craig allowed it to pass through his lips.
“Of course…”
Shouldn’t he be holding back?
“Of course…”
It seemed Craig’s previously stern face crumbled, his eyes trembling. How on earth is he holding on?
“No!”
Oops! I realized my mistake. Yuli’s request was about living at a friend’s house for a few weeks. In essence, this meant that complying with Yuli’s plea would rob Craig of time spent alone with her. This left a tiny crack in Yuli’s attack, and thus Craig managed to regain control.
Even I would have probably accepted Yuli’s request without hesitation. However, Craig executed his will like a Sword Master. Truly a Sword Master among the eight in the continent. Once again, I felt deep respect.
*
“We’ll see each other when the break ends.”
“Heeh…”
I waved goodbye to Yuli as she saw me off. I also nodded to Craig as a gesture of thanks.
“Thank you for your hospitality. I wish you all the best.”
“Yeah. Feel free to drop by anytime, just like at home. Travel safely.”
After Yuli’s adorable plea, Craig’s voice had softened considerably. It seemed Yuli found it challenging at first, but having realized her father’s true feelings, she kept on charming him. Perhaps due to this, the distance between Craig and Yuli had diminished, and there were no lingering suspicions in Craig’s demeanor towards me. While Yuli might feel a bit disappointed, I thought this outcome was pretty well resolved.
“Thank you as well, Sir Lupin. I’ve gained a lot thanks to you.”
I also acknowledged Lupin, who had been standing behind us. Though it was only a week, it wasn’t just empty words; the duel with Lupin provided me with insights different from my training with Selian.
“I’m glad to hear my old body was helpful. I hope to see you as the ninth Sword Master of the continent next time.”
“Haha…”
As the servant accompanying Anne’s carriage took my bag from me, I couldn’t help but recall that when I first arrived at Yuli’s house, I only had a single bag. Now, leaving, I had an additional bag containing clothes given to me by Yuli.
Upon stepping into the carriage and looking out the window, I saw Yuli still waving goodbye. I too leaned out the window, waving back enthusiastically. Even as we grew farther away, Yuli’s waving hand showed no sign of stopping. I, too, waved until I could no longer see her hand. Just a few months ago, I never would have imagined doing such an embarrassing thing. I’ve really changed a lot.