Chapter 11

Adrian’s eyes widened as he observed Raon’s lesson, where the boy had skipped theory and moved straight into practical combat training.

“It’s his very first lesson. Is that posture even possible?”

“It’s impossible even for a genius, sir.”

They were starting with basic slashing drills, but the boy’s legs were planted firmly to the ground without a single wobble. Even if a wooden sword feels light at first, it inevitably grows heavy over time, yet Raon’s form remained flawless.

“I’m not just saying this because he’s my son, but he truly excels at everything.”

“He seems to possess talent that surpasses even yours, Young Duke.”

Sir Baston, who was watching the lesson alongside him, let out a constant stream of admiration. That posture was not something built in a day or two.

“Young Lord, have you perhaps learned swordsmanship before?” Sir Onyx, also surprised, asked Raon as the boy wiped away his sweat.

“Yes.”

“May I ask who taught you?”

“My master. My mom introduced us. But my master said that if I built too much muscle while I was still young, I wouldn’t grow tall, so I was learning from him every other day.”

Adrian didn’t know who this “master” was, but they clearly weren’t just some nobody.

“Raon, is this master someone Ms. Ramona knows?”

“No. She said it was the first time they met. But Mom saw the way he walked and followed him around with packed lunches to beg him. Eventually, he looked at me, said I resembled someone, and started teaching me.”

Raon simply shrugged at the look in Adrian’s eyes, which seemed to ask, “Just what exactly is your mother’s past?” Raon remembered how Ramona had been pulling weeds in the yard when the master suddenly passed by, and she had bolted after him with incredible speed.

The master had been carrying a pickaxe, not a sword, at the time. At first, Raon thought his mother had mistaken him for someone else, but once he visited the master’s house, he realized she hadn’t.

Several types of swords were hung inside the house. The master, who said he trained every morning, made Raon hike mountains, claiming his stamina was too weak. Once Raon got the hang of hiking and his speed increased, only then did the master start teaching him the sword.

“The person who raised the Young Lord sounds like a ‘Final Boss’ just from descriptions. I’m getting curious about their identity.”

“I’m the one who wants to know that most.”

She was a woman who had lost her past. Surely, there was something hidden in that history. Feeling that he needed to know her present since he couldn’t know her past, Adrian looked intently at Raon and asked: “Raon, what is the thing Ms. Ramona is best at?”

“She’s great at cooking. It’s so good that Aunt Anna and Uncle Brown from next door come over with spoons the moment they catch the scent.”

***

Ramona, the expert cook, received the image stone from the swift-footed Baylor.

“Good work.”

“Well, it’s nothing. If it’s Sister’s request, I’ll drop everything and run.”

Baylor grinned broadly, brushing his reddish-brown hair back. He didn’t even ask why she wanted this recorded. He simply felt fortunate to repay his debt to her bit by bit through things like this.

“How is Branson? I feel bad that Emile has to look after the child alone because of me.”

“What are you talking about? If it weren’t for you, Sister, Emile and the kid would be in heaven by now. Emile told me that if you told me to die, I should at least play dead. No, she actually told me to just go and die.”

About a year ago, Emile had taken young Branson and some neighborhood friends to a stream for a summer outing when an accident occurred. While catching minnows, Branson saw a larger fish and waded deeper to catch it. By the time Emile, who was distracted chatting with friends, looked around, Branson had already fallen into deep water.

Seeing Branson struggling, Emile rushed in, but the ground suddenly gave way, and she fell in as well. It was Ramona who saved them both. She dove into the water, pulled Emile out and handed her to the bystanders, then found Branson and brought him to shore.

Seeing Branson’s pale face, looking as though his breath had already stopped, Emile wailed in a state of shock.

“Ah, my baby! My baaaaaby!”

The people watching shook their heads as Branson failed to respond. But Ramona didn’t give up. After laying the child flat, she began compressing his chest.

How much time had passed? Stream water erupted from Branson’s mouth, and he finally opened his eyes.

“Please take the child and his mother home.”

The neighbors carried the unstable mother and son home on their backs. Later, a healthy Emile brought Branson back to kneel and offer her thanks. Baylor, returning from the battlefield, learned of this and began calling Ramona “Sister” just like Brown did—even though she was younger than him.

“Stop talking nonsense. Here, take this. Don’t make Emile struggle with cooking on a day like today.” Ramona handed him a bamboo basket.

Baylor’s eyes widened when he saw the bowls of rice and side dishes inside.

“Oh! This is Emile and Branson’s favorite. But how did you know it was my wife and son’s birthday today?”

Coincidentally, Emile and Branson shared the same birthday.

“Ah, I didn’t know. Just take it, or give it back if you don’t want it.”

“Hey, you can’t take back a gift! We’ll eat well. With this, I can finish two bowls of rice easily.”

The Southern Continent-style dish, featuring cabbage and radish soaked in a clear, sweet-and-sour refreshing broth, was one of Ramona’s specialties. Emile had once begged for just one more piece of cabbage after tasting it.

After sending Baylor off, Ramona went inside and looked at the image stone, letting out a low breath. Just as she was wondering how to confirm if that person was really the person, Brown arrived.

This time, along with a letter from Raon, there was a handwritten invitation from Adrian.Reading that Raon had suddenly started burying his face in his blankets to cry at night or refusing to eat, Ramona sighed.

“Is he… perhaps playing a trick on purpose? Why would he act like that when he was doing so well?”

She felt she had to go and check. Everything.

***

When the invited date arrived, Ramona packed her bags from early morning. They were all things to give to Raon. As she stepped outside with her hands full, a carriage was already waiting.

“I am Adiel, the butler of the Cassius Duchy, My Lady.”

Ramona, who hadn’t expected the butler himself to come along with the carriage, said with a smile: “I’m Ramona. You didn’t have to come all this way; I feel I’ve inconvenienced you.”

“The Young Duke instructed me to escort you as comfortably and safely as possible. Please, step inside. I will take your lugga—… ugh.”

As soon as he took the bags from Ramona with a gentle smile, his arms were jerked downward. Having assumed they would be light since a woman was carrying them, Adiel was caught off guard by their extreme weight. He strained with all his might to load the bags into the carriage. He intended to sit next to the driver, but Ramona called him inside to sit with her.

“I called you because I have something to ask. How is Raon doing? The Young Duke mentioned the child seems to be suffering from depression.”

“Ah, well… for a few weeks, he was quite lively, even getting into verbal spats with Lady Neyno. But then, suddenly…” He trailed off, but she knew exactly what went into that ellipsis.

“I see. It sounds like Raon was forcing himself to act fine.”

“The Young Duke tried to have him examined, but the Young Lord adamantly refused, so the Young Duke called for you…”

“Please just call me Ramona.”

“Yes… It seems he called for you, Ramona, because it looked like the Young Lord was suppressing everything deep inside.”

As she listened to Adiel talk about Raon, the carriage came to a halt, signaling their arrival at the Cassius Duchy. Adiel, having received permission, stepped out first and opened the door. A hand was suddenly extended to her. Ramona took the hand of the person helping her down and slowly stepped out.

“Mr. Adrian—no, Young Duke! It’s our second time meeting.” Recognizing the hand as Adrian’s, Ramona quickly withdrew her own.

“Welcome, Ms. Ramona. Welcome to my home. Ah! And you are free to call me by my name. I liked how it felt when you called me that last time; it was quite refreshing.”

That was back when she didn’t know his identity; now that she did, she couldn’t bring herself to use his name so easily.

As she was about to follow the guides after a brief greeting, Adrian extended his hand again. Since he was offering to escort her, it seemed impolite to refuse. Reluctantly, her hand, calloused from farmwork and chores, was placed upon his hand, which was calloused from swordsmanship. As they entered the building, a woman with red hair wearing a flamboyant dress stood there.

“My name is Aria Neyno. I’m the eldest daughter of the Countship of Neyno. For a country woman, your face looks quite dec—”

“B-hhuu… Achoo! Y-yes… Achoo!”

The moment she saw Aria, goosebumps broke out on Ramona’s arms. Then, she sneezed. Seeing this, Aria frowned and covered her mouth with her fan.

“Ms. Ramona, what is the matter so suddenly?” When Adrian asked while handing her a handkerchief, Ramona replied while covering her nose:

“I’m sorry. I have an allergy to red hair. Sniff!”