Episode 5
To Dustin, Yuri was a truly remarkable person and a great master.
Take the incident earlier that day, for example.
“Let’s take this one.”
She casually lifted and tossed a real sword used by adults to him, who didn’t have one.
“Huh? Ah, this. For self-defense..?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to take a real sword for self-defense?”
“Hey, how can I carry something that heavy?”
And then, she jokingly asked how he could possibly carry a real sword.
“Fuck..!”
She had a strange verbal tic, but she always prioritized others when something dangerous happened.
“M-Master..! As expected, as expected, you’re amazing..!”
“Amazing, what… Huh..?”
She had a powerful presence, defeating a strong monster like the Goblin Chieftain in a single blow.
Every single aspect of her was worthy of respect and admiration.
There was no precedent for anyone, let alone a 10-year-old, defeating a Goblin Chieftain with such ease.
The whole village would be buzzing, and perhaps even those in high places in the Empire would take notice of her.
Of course, since Yuri was a girl, there would be many who would express regret over her talent.
“No one should ever hurt Master.”
She had discovered and nurtured his lacking talent, and at the same time, offered him kind words of comfort that he had never heard anywhere else.
She was as precious as family. No, perhaps even more precious than family. He couldn’t bear the thought of her getting hurt.
He had always been protected, but for the first time, he had someone he wanted to protect.
Not physically, but in every other way.
“Master…”
That’s why he wanted to become even stronger.
He clenched his fists as he looked at his status window, the pain in his hands almost welcome.
“I’ll become strong enough that no one dares to speak ill of you. Even if it’s the Emperor of the Empire.”
He would eliminate anything that threatened to harm her with his own hands.
Dustin’s resolve was stronger than ever.
Strange rumors spread throughout the village.
“The young lady defeated the Goblin Chieftain in a single blow!”
“She didn’t even touch him, just sent her wooden sword flying and took care of him! It was truly valiant!”
“She didn’t use a wooden sword, she just slit his throat with her bare hand!”
Strange rumors like that.
It was definitely Dustin’s doing.
No, wait, what’s with the last one?!
My hands aren’t blades, how could I kill a Goblin Chieftain by slitting his throat with my bare hand?!
“Sigh…”
I was hoping it would just quietly go away.
It was just a huge coincidence, and I still don’t have a status window.
It’s too early for me to attract attention without a status window.
If I needlessly draw attention here and end up having to go to an academy or something!
How the hell am I supposed to survive there?!
No matter how much I thought about it, there was only one solution.
Take care of Dustin.
Make sure he never spreads these kinds of rumors again.
“Lily, when is Dustin coming?”
“It seems he went straight to the training grounds today.”
Does he know he’s guilty?
He usually comes running over and bothers me every day, but he’s not doing that today.
“Whatever. Please do something about those strange rumors.”
“Strange rumors? Everyone is praising the young lady!”
No, isn’t it strange if you think about it objectively?
How can a 10-year-old girl defeat a Goblin Chieftain in one blow, damn it.
Seriously, what’s wrong with all of you?
“You don’t believe those rumors, do you?”
“Of course I do! I believe that the young lady could really just swoosh- and slit a goblin’s throat!”
Sigh, I don’t even know where to start correcting her.
It feels like no matter what I say, she’ll refute it, saying it’s impossible. I just shake my head and eat the cookie in front of me.
Three years have passed.
I’m thirteen years old now.
Unlike in South Korea, the coming-of-age ceremony in the Marcia Empire is held at thirteen.
An adult at just thirteen?
Well, I heard my mother married my father when she was fifteen and gave birth to me at seventeen.
No, how is that even possible?
Seventeen is the first year of high school?
A baby high schooler?!
“Yuri, I heard that this year’s debutante ball will be held in the capital soon.”
I feel a bit dizzy at my mother’s words during our tea time after breakfast.
“Ugh…”
“Oh my, our daughter can make that kind of expression too?”
It seems my disgusted expression was showing.
But honestly, isn’t it a bit much?
“I’m still a baby.”
It’s ridiculous for me to be saying this at the age of 40, including my past life. Ahem.
Well, of course, I’m not saying I’m not curious about the capital.
The most prosperous place in the Marcia Empire.
Even just looking at the paintings, it seems very glamorous, a place where countless people live together.
I thought it would be nice to visit someday, but not like this.
If I go up there for a debutante ball or whatever, I definitely won’t have time to look around properly.
I’ll probably spend the whole day getting ready in my room and then the whole day attending a boring ball, dancing and chatting.
“Baby, my foot. I was dating and even got engaged at your age.”
“Ugh…”
“Yuri, are you going to keep making that expression?”
My mother glared at me with a slightly pouty face, but I can’t help it.
Dating, engagement…
It’s not that I hate those things, but what I want is to date and get engaged to a beautiful woman with a great figure.
I don’t want to sit next to a gentle or kind man, laughing and having a good time!
“People often find their partners at debutante balls. I wonder if our Yuri will too?”
She was just going on about Dustin earlier.
Saying she’s open-minded about social status differences and all.
So in the end, marriage is a different story, huh.
Not that I have any intention of getting married.
“I’m not getting married. I’m going to live with Mother and Father forever.”
“We’re going to leave everything to you and your husband and go on a trip.”
“Wow, that’s mean. Just the two of you.”
“You’ll have children later, leave everything to them, and travel with your husband.”
“Ugh…”
“You, I told you not to do that.”
Not only a husband, but children too?
Ugh… I have nothing to say except “ugh”.
“Anyway, we need to leave in three days to make it in time for the schedule, so get ready.”
“I’ll think about it.”
I shrug and get up from my seat.
“Leaving already?”
I have to get out of here before I throw up from hearing about marriage and men.
I bow my head slightly and go outside. As I’m stretching,
“Master.”
“Mother of god!”
I almost fall on my butt, startled by the sudden appearance of something black in front of me.
“Hey, are you going to keep sneaking up on me like that? What are you, an assassin?!”
It’s a good thing I didn’t fall. If I had, you would have been… Ugh.
He must have learned another strange skill somewhere.
It’s become a daily routine for Dustin to move around without making a sound. I glare at him with an annoyed expression.
“Ah, I… I apologize.”
It’s only been three years, but Dustin, aided by the status window, is getting stronger every day. Forget Goblin Chieftains.
He can now easily wipe out dozens of orcs.
His childish appearance is slowly becoming more masculine, and now the word “handsome” suits him.
“So what’s up?”
I wonder what’s going on since he hasn’t shown his face for a while.
I feel a little happy.
Of course, it’s definitely not a strange feeling, and I don’t like him or anything.
It’s just that besides my mother, there’s no one else to talk to, and my mother keeps talking about marriage every day.
At least I can communicate with him, so it’s a bit refreshing, something like that.
Sigh, my life.
It’s truly unfortunate.
What’s the point of being born with a silver spoon?
I can’t get stronger without a status window.
In that case, it might not be bad to go to the debutante ball and make a friend or two my age.
Of course, since I’m in my 40s, including my past life, it’s a bit…
..Well, who knows?
Maybe I’ll become friends with some beautiful ladies and have a happy life?
“Nothing much. I just wanted to see you.”
What a simple reason.
“Are you bored? Want me to play with you?”
I’m definitely not bored.
“It’s okay. I still have quests to complete today.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I’ve seen your face, so I’m good. See you later~”
Well, everyone except me is busy here.
It’s ridiculous.
He really just came to see my face.
“…ter, Master.”
“What?”
Maybe he walked a bit too far away.
I can’t hear him clearly, so I turn around.
“It’s nothing. I’ll be going now, Master.”
I watch Dustin, who just said frustratingly vague words with a polite smile, turn and leave. I feel annoyed.
Hey, what?
What did you say?
Are you trying to kill me with curiosity?
They say there are two ways to make someone angry.
One is to trail off mid-sentence, and the other is…
Damn it, that’s not it!
“Ugh, this is so frustrating.”
My mother, who keeps telling me to date and marry a man, and Dustin, who makes me curious and then leaves.
They’re all just making me angry.
Status window! If only I had a status window!
I would have left home right away to become a hero!
“Ugh, this is so annoying.”
I slam the door open and enter my room, making eye contact with Lily, who’s cleaning.
“Young lady, you’re back already?”
Lily is quite pretty, even though she can’t compare to the beauty reflected in the mirror.
When she smiles with her round, puppy-like eyes like now, it really makes my heart melt.
Ah, yes. This is it.
As a man, it’s only natural to respond to the smile of a beautiful woman like this.
“Oh my, our Lily is getting prettier every day.”
“Huh? Oh my, you’re making me blush.”
Her soft cheeks, flushed red with embarrassment, make me want to pinch them.
She’s not only beautiful but also has a gentle personality.
If I only had a man’s body, I would have confessed to her right away.
“Prepare for our trip to the capital.”
“Ah, the debutante season! Yes, I’ll have everything ready so you can leave anytime.”
It’s not that I don’t want to go anymore.
But it’s obvious that I have to go anyway.
In that case, it’s only natural to prepare properly and go comfortably.
“Huh? What’s this?”
With Lily busy with preparations, I have nothing to do, so I’m thinking of going to the training grounds to practice swordsmanship when I suddenly notice a piece of paper on my desk.
On the plain paper with no special decoration, there’s a single sentence written in black ink.
‘I will return as a man worthy of you.’
…..
‘Dustin’
I crumple the paper with his name written at the bottom and throw it in the trash can.
You crazy bastard, please… stop it…
“Worthy… man… What the hell is that supposed to mean…?”
Damn it, just don’t come back, ever.
Thank for the chapter!
“and at the same time, offered him kind words of comfort that he had never heard anywhere else.”
Yep, he had an absent father and a shit mother.