How could he practice with a sword until his skin bruised? Did dad practice like this too? The more I learned about sword fighting, the more I was amazed by Graecito. Havel suddenly asked bluntly with blatant expression.

  “You’ve never held a sword before, have you?”


  “Why would I?”


  Yeah, why would I hold the sword? It’s not because I was a woman…… I just mean, why would I need a sword?

  “I have a knight who always protects me.”


  Assisi was embarrassed. He looked away.

  If he would always be this embarrassed, then it just made me want to tease him more.

  I’d like to tell him that he was the only one I trusted…… but I shouldn’t do that since Havel was here. If Assisi and I were alone, I would have teased him more…… What a pity.

  “And I don’t want to learn sword fighting to steal things from others. I’m fine as long as I can protect what’s mine.”


  “Do you not remember what your father did?”


  Couldn’t he stop making snide comments for one second?

  Havel looked at me with confidence. Oh, was he eating Twizzlers? Why was he twisting all my words?

  “My father would do whatever he wants, but I’ll do me. There’s no need for me to be like him.”


  Havel shut his mouth upon hearing my answer. I guessed there was nothing he could twist anymore. I looked at Havel, and he looked straight at me too.

  “Even if you say that, the things your father did won’t disappear.”


  “Yes, I know.”


  Was that not the answer he expected?

  I just smiled. Well, it’s the truth, though, isn’t it? Caitel was evil.

  “My dad is a bad person. An awful person, even.”


  “Is it okay for you to be saying that?”


  “Why would I call a bad person good?”


  One should say things truthfully, even if it’s laborious. If Caitel heard me, he would ask me if I had gone mad. Yeah…… This was utterly plausible.

  I sighed while imagining that.

  I was not a saint, so I probably wouldn’t be able to shrug off all the hostility shown towards me. I would surely meet more people like this. Even as Caitel built a higher fence to protect me, I would inevitably run into more of these kinds of people. After all, dad had a lot of enemies.

  However, I wouldn’t turn them into enemies. That’s my conclusion.

  We had to return now, but I had something to do before that.

  “Give me your hand.”


  I didn’t have any medicine to cure that bruise, but I had one thing similar to a bandage. I untitled my ribbon and winded up his hand. Fortunately, the fabric was long enough. It should stay in a place like a bandage. I finished it beautifully with a ribbon, and I smiled contentedly.

  Havel, who gave me his hands, stepped back while blushing.

  Didn’t he think it’s a little late for that now? Well, I even wrapped the bandage up, so I laughed as I swept over the flowing hair.

  “It’s my present. Take good care of it.”