Chapter 6

6. Because the Future Feels So Distant

“Ars!”

As soon as the light from the magic circle faded, the Duchess rushed forward with open arms. She moved even faster than the Duke, who had been standing right beside her.

“Good heavens, my son. You’ve grown so much. I’m sorry I came so late.”

Clutching Ars tightly, the Duchess rubbed her soft white cheek against his several times.

We’ve been talking through the crystal ball almost every day, though. Anyone watching would think they hadn’t seen each other in three years.

Dad once told me that high-ranking nobles don’t easily reveal their emotions, but looking at the Duke and Duchess, I’m not so sure that’s true.

The basement where the magic circle was set up had no heating, so it was cold. It had originally been intended as a storage space, and the circle had been installed there later. After about ten minutes of joyful reunion, we all moved up to the warm drawing room.

“Thank you for taking such good care of Ars.”

The Duke offered a polite greeting to my parents and handed them a roughly crafted wooden box. It was a gift from Pretium.

Inside the box, when we opened the lid, were dozens of toy-sized weapons—miniature swords, shields, and spears, all tightly packed.

“To use them, do we just infuse them with mana?”

“Baron Herba, you recognized it immediately. Yes—grip the handle and channel mana into it, and it’ll return to its original size.”

“Enchanting all of these must not have been easy. Thank you, Your Grace.”

My parents’ faces lit up. The Duke’s gift was real weapons, after all. For teleportation, smaller items are easier to transport, so he had gone through the trouble of shrinking each one with magic.

We do have a weapon workshop in the territory. But given Herba’s location beside the Chepan Mountains, we can never have too many. It was exactly the kind of gift our family needed, so of course Mom was delighted.

There was even a present for me. The Duchess gave me a flower-shaped necklace adorned with tiny sparkling gems. It was beautiful, but more than that, it was an artifact that could launch attack magic ten times. Ars actually seemed more excited about it than I was.

The jeweled flower was only a little bigger than my thumbnail; making an artifact out of such small gems is incredibly difficult. And to have it contain that many charges of magic was even more impressive. Most only manage three or four at best.

“I was going to bring an artifact with a shield spell, but since your ability leans toward defense, I thought something offensive might be better.”

“Thank you, Duchess.”

“It’s enchanted with explosive magic, so be careful when you use it.”

“I will. I’ll save it for emergencies.”

My parents and I all received gifts, so it would’ve felt a little unfair if Rector was left out. Surprisingly, the Duke gave him a set of writing instruments. It was a high-end pen engraved with his name, designed to keep your hand and wrist comfortable even with heavy writing.

The Duke had it commissioned from a workshop that made the pens he personally favored.

When Mom saw the pen, she commented that it was time to start giving Rector paperwork to do. He stared at his gift with a mixed expression, caught somewhere between a laugh and a groan.

◇ ◆ ◇

The Duke and Duchess were planning to stay at our estate for five days. It was originally going to be a week, but their retainers insisted they couldn’t leave the ducal castle unattended for that long.

They’d already spent several days in the capital last month, which meant work had piled up. Of course, they took care of the urgent matters before coming to Herba, but still.

Coincidentally, the ducal house of Pretium is similar to ours—there are no elders around. Ars’s grandparents passed away before the Duke and Duchess were even married.

Once they unpacked their belongings in the guest room we had prepared in advance, the duke and duchess quickly changed into more comfortable clothes. They’d been dressed to the nines when they arrived from the ducal castle, but long dresses and cloaks aren’t exactly convenient for moving around. Thankfully, they had brought along comfortable trousers and leather boots.

Today, we were headed to the dairy farm because Ars wanted to see a cow. The Duke and Duchess said they’d come along, so we brought out our largest carriage.

“Are cows really covered in spots like in the books?” Ars asked.

“The coat color depends on the breed. Some are spotted, but there are brown ones too,” I explained.

“Milk only comes from female cows, right? Then what happens to the male calves born on the farm?”

“Well, we raise a few to become bulls, but the rest are all butchered. They become meat.”

“M-Meat…?”

Ars looked horrified, giving his head a vigorous shake like he was trying to banish the image from his mind.

Good thing we’re headed to a dairy farm today. The beef cattle are raised on the other side of the fields; if Ars had just said he wanted to see cows in general, we probably would’ve ended up there instead.

I’d specifically suggested the dairy farm when he said he wanted to see milk cows. It wasn’t just a visit for fun—our pantry had run out of butter and cheese, and with so many guests staying at the manor, we needed to restock.

“The farm’s farther than I thought.”

“We need a lot of land to raise cattle, so all the farms are near the edge of the territory. If we want to be back by dinner, we’d better hurry.”

On a normal day, I wouldn’t worry about that—we could just ask the farm owner to give us dinner. Their beef pizza, piled high with rich, creamy cheese, is absolutely delicious.

But since we had guests today, that wasn’t an option. I had to watch the sun’s position and make sure we returned home at a proper time.

Once we passed the city streets lined with homes and shops, the landscape gave way to rolling hills covered in thick grass. We were nearly there.

“I see a fence, but no cows.”

“It’s cold, so they stay indoors unless they’re being exercised.”

The carriage pulled up in front of a large, elegant brick building. As I hopped down, the cows, noticing the arrival of strangers, let out a loud chorus of moos from inside.

◇ ◆ ◇

“Welcome, Lady Rivi. And Rector, you’re here as well.”

“Crela, this is my friend Ars. And these are Ars’s parents.”

“I’m Crela, and I run Marvin Ranch. It must’ve been a chilly trip—thank you for coming all this way.”

Not many people in the territory know that Ars is the heir to a ducal family. His parents kept it quiet, partly for security reasons. Most just think he’s the sickly child of a noble friend, staying here to recuperate.

The duke and duchess exchanged light handshakes with Crela as a greeting.

“It’s snack time, so I think it’d be best to eat something first and then take a look around the ranch. This way, please.”

The cozy house was furnished with a mix of brick and wooden furniture arranged just right. We trailed after Crela, one by one, and sat down to enjoy the warm milk and biscuits she served.

“Ahh, this is really delicious. I could eat this every day.”

The biscuits were roughly sliced with a knife and baked; not exactly pretty like the ones sold in shops, but the flavor was outstanding.

The cream biscuits, thickly layered with fresh cream, were one of the ranch’s specialties. Even the duchess, who had probably tasted every fancy pastry out there, let out an impressed sigh.

“It’s made with fresh cream, so of course it tastes amazing. The recipe’s been passed down in our ranch for generations.”

“Do you sell the cream separately?”

“Only within the territory. It has to be eaten quickly.”

“Hmm… then if I brought a container inscribed with preservation magic, could I take some with me?”

“Yes, that would be possible.”

The duchess must’ve really taken a liking to the cream biscuits, because she immediately ordered two hundred of them. Maybe cream biscuits will become the next big tea-time trend in Pretium this year.

Once everyone was full, Crela had us change into different shoes—work boots were required for the ranch. We also had to be sterilized from head to toe with magic. Disease prevention is strict, since it would be a disaster if any of the cows got sick.

“You have a lot of livestock.”

“We’re the biggest ranch in all of Herba. We supply fresh milk to the whole territory, and we sell butter and cheese mixed with herbs. That building over there is the processing facility.”

“Why is the ranch called Marvin Ranch?”

“My great-grandfather, who first built the ranch, was named Marvin—Marvin Helt. He originally registered it as the Helt Ranch, but he lived a long life… and people kept calling it ‘Marvin’s Ranch,’ ‘Old Marvin’s place,’ or ‘Marvin the Elder’s ranch.’ After a while, the name just stuck. So my grandfather, the second ranch master, re-registered the name to avoid confusion in paperwork.”

Ars held the large milk bottle Crela handed him and fed a calf. Even though it had only just been born, the calf was already pretty tall. Once the bottle was empty, it trotted back into its stall like it was done with its business.

After that, we fed the mother cows and even tried milking them by hand.

“Whoa, doing this by hand must take all day just to fill one bottle.”

“That’s why we use milking machines or magical milk-extraction circles. Ranches are run with both science and magic, you know.”

I felt a little sorry; I’d imagined he was expecting something more idyllic. Sorry to crush your fantasy, Ars. But fairytale farms don’t line up with reality—not even close.

• ◆ ◇

“It was fun.”

“I’m glad. Let’s come back again in the spring. Right now it’s all snow, but once it warms up, this place becomes a big green meadow. The view is beautiful.”

The butter and cheese we’d gotten from the ranch were heavy, so the horses moved more slowly than when we’d come. Ars, who had been running around all day, stared down at the little yogurt bottle he’d received as a gift.

“Ars, do you want to eat that now?”

“Yeah. I had a lot of snacks earlier, but I’m weirdly hungry. We still have a long way till we get back to the manor, right? Can’t I just have a little?”

When Ars started mouthing the word please, His Grace rummaged through the basket and took out one of the small bottles. Then he personally unscrewed the lid and handed it over.

“You’re eating more lately, Ars. Drink it slowly.”

“Okay, Father.”

Since the bottle was made of glass, I’d brought it into the carriage on purpose; if we’d stashed the whole basket in the luggage compartment, it might’ve broken. A hungry Ars would’ve ended up rubbing his stomach with a pitiful look.

“From now on, let’s each carry a little pouch. We’ll keep snacks inside, that way we can take something out to eat right away.”

“If we keep snacking every time we get bored, won’t we be too full when it’s time to eat properly?”

“Lately, I think Ars has two stomachs. One for meals, and one for snacks. He’s always saying he’s hungry again.”

“That’s true. When my stomach growls, it’s embarrassing and it really hurts.”

His Grace let out a loud laugh as he watched our serious little conversation.

“So this is what you two talk about every day. Ars, people in our family usually have a growth spurt around this age. When I was eleven, I wore a snack pouch on my belt too.”

The duke had been healthy since childhood and had such a good appetite that he said his pouch had to be refilled twice a day. One time, he’d even woken up in the middle of the night craving something and snuck into the kitchen without telling his nanny.

“I ended up eating a cake that was supposed to be served as dessert the next morning, so I got caught right away.”

“Father, of course you got caught. If a whole cake disappears, it’s obvious.”

“I was half asleep, so I didn’t think that far. After that, I stuck to the cupboard with the cookies.”

The duke wore a sentimental expression as he recalled his childhood memories, but the content of his story wasn’t exactly educational. Eventually, the duchess, who had been quietly listening, couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Good grief, darling. What are you even telling the children? You should’ve told them to wake an adult and go to the kitchen together. Ars, you must never do what your father did!”

Faced with the duchess’s stern tone, Ars and I both nodded immediately.

The duke probably regretted it then, but the arrow had already left the bow, and there was no rewinding time. He had no choice but to listen to his wife’s scolding until we arrived back at the manor.

When we got home, Rector, who had climbed down from the driver’s seat, was surprised to see His Grace looking completely defeated. He quietly pulled me aside and asked if something had happened.

For the sake of the duke’s dignity, I couldn’t bring myself to explain what had gone on in the carriage. I simply pressed a finger to my lips and whispered shhh!—it was our little secret.

◇ ◆ ◇

Since Ars came to live with us, he hadn’t cried—not once, at least as far as I could remember.

I thought he’d be in good spirits the whole time while staying with his parents, but on the final night before the Archduke and Archduchess were due to leave Herba, the floodgates broke.

“No, uwaaahhh!”

I had just come out of my bath and changed into my pajamas when it happened. Ars’s powers could become unstable if his emotions got too intense, so it was dangerous to leave him like that. I raced toward the guest room where the Archducal couple was staying.

“Rivi! H-heuuu!”

The door swung open, and there he was, wiping at his eyes with tiny hands. As soon as he saw me, Ars ran straight into my arms and clung to me tightly.

“Oof.”

I lifted him up in one swift motion and gently patted his back as he sobbed. Thankfully, the tears that had been flowing like a waterfall slowed down fairly quickly.

The Archduke and Archduchess looked absolutely bewildered, their faces pale with surprise as they watched us.

“All done crying?”

“Mhm. I’m okay now.”

Once I had settled the now-calmed Ars on the sofa, I felt a sudden chill run through my head.

“Achoo!”

“Oh dear, Rivi. You ran all the way here without even drying your hair. You’ll catch a cold.”

The Archduchess brought over a towel herself and began drying my soaking wet hair with it. The thick towel soaked up the water and, little by little, the cold receded. Once I felt warm and fluffy again, I sat beside Ars and reached out my hand.

His chubby fingers grasped mine tightly.

“Ars, why were you crying? You scared me.”

“Well…”

He rolled his eyes as he explained why he’d burst into tears. Apparently, he might have to get engaged to some noble girl he’d never even met.

Rumors had spread that Ars was recovering his health, and so marriage proposals had started pouring in.

“Even Rector doesn’t have a fiancée yet.”

“Exactly! How can I grow up and marry someone I’ve never met before?”

It must have felt like a thunderbolt out of nowhere for Ars, who had only just started finding stability here in our domain. He said the moment the Archduke mentioned an engagement, he’d felt so overwhelmed that he started to cry.

“Baron and Baroness Herba had a love marriage, right?”

“Yeah. The Archduchess knows more about my parents’ love story than I do.”

It all happened before I was born, so I only knew what my parents had told me; but since they’d met in the imperial palace, the Archduchess—who had once been a princess—had watched their romance unfold in real time.

“The Baron’s family is warm and close-knit. But not every family is like that.”

Because of Ars’s high status, he mostly interacted with royals and upper nobility. At that level, engagements were arranged based on a long list of conditions, and emotions were often left out of the equation, which led to cold, distant marriages.

“Like powdered soybeans in a millstone?”

“Exactly. Just like that. Even my royal cousins at the palace are in some rough situations.”

“All the princes are already married, aren’t they?”

It was rare for couples to fall in love during the engagement period and then marry, like the Archducal couple had. Now that I thought about it, none of the princes had produced an heir yet.

“There are so many people at parties. Everyone smiles, but if you look in their eyes, you can see how they’re really feeling. Unhappy people have sad eyes. When I grow up, I want to live happily.”

What he meant, in other words, was that he didn’t want to get engaged just yet. His reasoning made sense, and without realizing it, I found myself nodding along.

• ◆ ◇

The Duke and Duchess said they would respect their son’s wishes as much as possible. With the right excuses, they could at least delay things until Ars returned to the ducal estate.

Engagements between noble families are complicated; if done properly, the process takes months. Most importantly, the couple must meet at least once. To prevent fraudulent engagements, the temple requires both parties to be present when submitting the engagement documents.

In any case, as long as Ars remained in our territory, it would be difficult to go through with the official process. Things would have to stay at the level of informal discussions.

The real problem came afterward.

After letting out a long sigh, the Duke and Duchess gently asked Ars what kind of young lady he would prefer. There was a limit to how much they could delay, so they hoped to narrow down the candidates to someone with a personality he could grow close to quickly.

Furrowing his brow in thought, Ars eventually gave a very long response.

“She needs to be smart because she’ll have to take care of the duties of a duchess. And she should be kind and gentle. For looks, someone as pretty as Mother. I’d like it if she were good at catching bears and rabbits like Rivi.”

“She needs to know how to catch bears?”

“Yes. Strong people are cool. I’ve always been sick, so I can only feel at ease if my wife is sturdy.”

It didn’t seem like Ars’s ideal type existed in this world.

First of all, there were hardly any girls his age with a face as beautiful as the Duchess’s. If it were just a matter of being pretty, a few might qualify—but to be as beautiful as his mother? That was an extremely high bar.

Judging by the way the Duke and Duchess went completely blank, I wasn’t the only one thinking that.

“Ars, sweetie. There aren’t that many people in the world as beautiful as your mother. And it’s rare to find a girl who can hunt bears. Smart, kind, and gentle—we might be able to work with that. Couldn’t you lower the bar just a bit?”

“Hmm. Well, in books they say that the heart is more important than appearance. So if she’s cute like a bunny, that’s fine. But she still needs to be able to fight bears or monsters.”

“So you can’t let go of the combat part. Ah… understood.”

It was his life on the line, so Ars was determined.

Becoming friends is easy, but becoming husband and wife is difficult.

More than anyone, Ars understood how important this was. That’s why he added another condition: he would have to match the ideal type of the girl who might become his fiancée. In other words, their preferences had to align.

“If His Majesty the Emperor says anything about my engagement, I’ll speak to him myself.”

“His Majesty already said you should do whatever you want. So don’t worry about it.”

Hearing the Duchess’s words, Ars brightened. At least we didn’t have to worry about him being forced into some political engagement between nations. What a relief.

◇ ◆ ◇

After roughly wrapping up the discussion, it was finally time for bed. I thought that since it was the last night, maybe Ars would want to sleep with his parents—but that wasn’t the case.

After saying goodnight, Ars cheerfully grabbed my hand and walked back to our room.

“Ugh, I’m tired.”

“Let’s lie down quickly. We’ll need to wake up tomorrow to see your parents off.”

“Okay.”

While I washed up in my room, Ars took a bath in his. So now, we could just go straight to sleep.

The moon was glittering beautifully, but if I didn’t draw the curtains, the cold night air would seep in. Still lying in bed, I used magic to close the curtains.

“Rivi, you’re really good at controlling your magic. I heard it’s not easy to handle small amounts of power so precisely.”

“That just takes a lot of practice. But increasing your mana… that’s the hard part. You really need talent for that—unless you’re a high-circle mage, it’s tough.”

Ars was born not only with his special ability but also a naturally large reservoir of mana. Apparently, that came from the heritage of the Pretium ducal family, which had produced many exceptional magic swordsmen over the generations.

“I can use a decent amount of magic, but I haven’t learned swordsmanship. There’s a family technique we have.”

“I’ve heard of it. Isn’t it passed down through the Pretium line?”

“Yeah. I’ve read the manuals so much I’ve practically memorized them, so I do know the movements… but I haven’t learned to use them yet. The style is kind of unusual, so you have to wait until your body grows a bit before you can train in it.”

“How much do you have to grow?”

“About twelve to thirteen years old? It’s literally written in the book—you must be at least this age to start training.”

It must involve a lot of physically demanding moves. I was a little curious about their swordsmanship since I found it interesting. Still… it’d probably be too much for me, right?

I wasn’t nearly bold enough to ask the Duke for a favor like that. Maybe one day, after Ars starts learning it formally, an opportunity will come my way.

“My family’s style is super practical. Slash, stab, strike. That’s it!”

“In the end, swordsmanship is just one method of getting stronger. When Baroness Herba served as a royal knight, I heard barely anyone could beat her.”

“Mom is strong. Honestly, even now, if my brother and Mom dueled, my brother would lose.”

“I agree. Watching Baroness Herba just makes you realize—it really all comes down to the person.”

“Ars, are you okay with the Duke and Duchess leaving tomorrow?”

“I’ll still see them through the orb anyway. And if I sleep with them tonight, I’m sure Mother would stay up all night with her eyes wide open. She might even cry.”

Hmm, so he was acting extra cheerful on purpose because he didn’t want the Duchess to feel worse. If only he hadn’t cried so loudly earlier, shaking the whole house… it would’ve been perfect. Still, I understood how he felt.

Ars, lying next to me, felt warm like a little heater. Maybe that’s why sleep came so easily. My eyes fluttered closed as I drifted off into dreamland.

◇ ◆ ◇

Ars gently tapped Rivi’s cheek as she slept, her soft skin dimpling under his touch before puffing back up again.

It was one of those nights—too many thoughts crowding my head to sleep. I shifted under the blanket, squirming a few times.

“Ugh… I hate this.”

The words slipped out in a groan. Why won’t people just leave me alone?

Painful memories I’d pushed aside for a while began to rise up again.

Being the only heir of the ducal house while having a weak constitution—it was no small flaw. People always thought I didn’t understand, and so they said whatever they wanted in front of me. But I wasn’t stupid. I understood everything.

And I quietly got hurt.

Knowledge rewards effort. But no matter how hard I tried, my body wouldn’t follow. Day by day, it wore me down.

Will that boy even live to adulthood?
Wouldn’t it be better if one of the three imperial princes were adopted and became the next Duke of Pretium?
Who would agree to an engagement with a sickly heir who might die any day now…?

No matter what gathering or party I went to, there was always someone who made me feel like that.

Only after coming to Herba did I finally feel free. The cheerful mercenaries who were always around, Rector—who looked so serious when idle but turned into a hopeless older brother whenever it came to his sister—the kind Baron and Baroness of Herba, the warm-hearted townsfolk… I liked them all.

And Rivi, who moved like the wind.

Her face was as adorable as a bunny’s, but her spirit was fiercer than a beast’s. Even difficult or exhausting tasks seemed easy when I followed her lead. Her hands were always warm when she reached for me, and her embrace smelled like sweet pastries.

I know it well—what the path to happiness looks like.

But I can’t choose that path right now. I’m too weak. I have no power.

Precious things must be kept somewhere safe.

Rector has traveled all over the continent, and yet, despite Rivi being strong enough to take down a bear, he’s never brought her to any distant lands.

When I realized that, it hit me. To reach happiness far in the future, a great deal of time and effort is needed.

At the very least, I’ve managed to delay the engagement for now by being stubborn. Thankfully, most of the noble daughters from prestigious houses on par with the ducal family are in their mid-to-late teens—and many are already engaged.

Even if younger candidates are included, ones three or four years my junior, it’ll still take some time. Besides, you can’t judge someone’s character or intelligence until they’re older.

Today, my parents told me something important. They’d found a record of an artifact capable of storing supernatural power. Apparently, it was discovered while decoding ancient texts found in the South, and it’s likely hidden in a dungeon somewhere nearby.

They said they’re going to entrust the mercenaries currently staying in Herba with the job of retrieving it.

Once they find the artifact, I’ll have to leave Herba. If I can control my ability without holding hands, then of course… I won’t be allowed to live like this anymore.

It’ll be more comfortable and safer for Rivi, too—so I won’t have a choice.

Life will start flowing in a direction I don’t want again. That suffocating sense of being chained… it’ll come back. And no matter what, I never want to return to the way things were.

I lifted myself slightly, sliding one hand out from beneath the blanket and gently brushing Rivi’s round forehead. Seeing her so peacefully off in dreamland eased something in me.

I couldn’t bring myself to say the words aloud. My lips just moved silently. I whispered a confession meant only for myself… then buried my face back into the blanket.