Chapter 13
I never thought of that before.
Right, I can just do secluded training, discover my talent, and develop it.
It might be dangerous, but only those who take risks are worthy of obtaining a status window.
Probably, maybe?
“Celia, I’m going into secluded training starting tomorrow.”
“…What nonsense are you talking about?”
She says it so nonchalantly while cleaning her ear, it hurts a little.
“If I do secluded training, I’ll be able to get a status window!”
“I don’t understand why you’re so obsessed with the status window.”
Of course you don’t understand, you have one!
I don’t have one, so I’m trying to do secluded training even if it’s dangerous, you idiot!
I’m envious, you privileged person!
You don’t even have to do secluded training, I’m so jealous!
“Don’t worry. You can stay here even if I go into secluded training.”
“It’s fine if I go back home.”
“Come on, it’d be a waste to leave after I built a lab for you.”
We don’t have any talented individuals staying at our house for research.
So I built it solely for Celia, and if she suddenly leaves, the lab will lose its purpose.
Wouldn’t that be a shame?
Besides, Celia is currently enjoying her research, and if she moves back home, she’ll have to change her research subjects, which wouldn’t be good for her.
Most importantly, judging from the fact that she hasn’t said anything about wanting to go back…
If she really ran away from home, she needs a place to stay.
Even though she’s had her coming-of-age ceremony, this world is still dangerous for a young girl, at least in my standards, to wander around alone.
“It’s pointless. They won’t allow it anyway.”
“Hey, that’s not true. My parents, even if they object at first, they always give in to my requests!”
I puff out my chest confidently and run straight into my father’s office.
“Father!”
“Oh, my daughter. Come in. What kind of request do you have today?”
No, Father, don’t say it like I only come to you when I have a request…
Well, it’s true though. Ahem.
“I’m going into secluded training!”
“…Wh-What training?”
My father, who rarely gets flustered no matter what I say, jumps up from his seat in surprise.
“Secluded training! You know those mountains behind our house? I’m planning to shut myself in one of them for about 10 years.”
Of course, I’ll come back as soon as I get a status window, but there’s no guarantee when that will happen, so I set a generous deadline of 10 years.
“Wait, wait a minute. Yuri, what are you talking about? Secluded training? Do you even know what that means?”
“Yes, I know. It means cutting off all contact with the outside world and training in one place, right?”
“I’m not asking about the general meaning. Do you know how dangerous that is! And you’re the only heir to our family, do you think that makes sense?”
The only heir…
“You’re planning to bring in a husband to inherit the family anyway.”
“Wh-What…”
I guess I hit a nerve. He just paces around the room, speechless.
“Don’t worry. I’m not saying I won’t inherit the family. But I’m not bringing in a husband or anything. I’m not getting married.”
It’s time for me to firmly express my opinion.
I’ve had my coming-of-age ceremony, and talks about marriage and proposals will start coming in, so I can’t keep avoiding it forever.
He might be a bit shocked, but I’ve been expressing my opinion since I was young, so it should be… okay… probably not.
“…Alright, don’t get married. You don’t have to get married.”
Oh…? He accepted it surprisingly easily?
“You don’t have to get married, so stop talking about ridiculous things like secluded training!”
Seeing my father yell at me for the first time makes me feel strange.
He’s always been supportive of my decisions.
I was only planning to train against small animals in the mountains behind our house, but…
It seems like he’s imagining something much grander.
“No, Father, listen to me.”
“I don’t want to hear anything more about secluded training. Go back now.”
Come on, it’s not that serious!
“How can you just say no! You always told me I could do whatever I want!”
“You can do anything! But not things that put you in danger! You’re my only daughter! What kind of parent would let their child do something dangerous!”
“Then send me to the academy!”
I blurt out whatever comes to mind out of frustration.
I heard the academy has a system for continuous training.
Of course, I have no intention of actually going.
It’ll be all about competition there.
How can I survive in a place like that without a status window?
That’s ridiculous.
This is just a tactic to get my father to allow the secluded training.
“Shut up and go back now!”
It seems like it didn’t work…
Ugh, this is troublesome.
“No, seriously…”
“Go back now.”
“I’m going to tell Mother!”
“Go ahead.”
Seeing my father scoff makes me angry, but his reaction is understandable.
Usually, it’s my mother who objects to my plans, not my father.
Ugh, I didn’t expect Father to react like this.
I sigh, unable to think of a way to persuade him, and leave the room.
Of course, I don’t forget to slam the door shut.
Ah, I was so childish just now…
I’m almost 40 years old, including my past life…
No, thinking about it this way, I’m actually around the same age as my father?
Crazy, wow… Ah, let’s not think about it…
“Ugh, this is so frustrating.”
As I walk down the hallway, ruffling my hair in frustration-
“Oh my, Yuri? Your hair’s a mess.”
I hear a gentle voice.
Ah, of all times, I run into Mother at this complicated moment.
…She’s definitely not going to allow it, right?
“What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with Celia?”
“It’s not that.”
I actually had a fight with Father, haha.
“Then who upset our daughter?”
Your husband, that’s who.
“Let’s see, judging from the direction you came from… Hmm? Did you have a fight with your father?”
No, this lady.
Suddenly her intuition is so sharp.
“If you fought with your father, it must be because you brought up something ridiculous. What is it? Tell me.”
She’s usually not that perceptive, but her intuition is sharp at times like this. It must be a woman’s intuition.
A woman’s intuition is a scary thing.
Of course, I don’t have that.
No, I shouldn’t have that.
I’m not a woman, how can I have a woman’s intuition? Ahem.
“I just told him I wanted to do some training.”
Anyway, telling Mother about the current situation will only make her angry.
So I filter the information and speak vaguely.
“I don’t think your father would get that angry over something like that.”
“Mother, weren’t you on your way to have tea? The tea will get cold.”
“Seeing you try to change the subject when you can’t even do it properly, it seems like you really did bring up something big. Follow me.”
No, I’m good…
Ugh, why is this happening?
I’m not in the mood for tea.
“Come on, quickly.”
I pout at her firm voice and reluctantly follow her to the tea room.
The fragrant aroma of tea fills the air, and my tense shoulders relax.
Ah, this is bad…
I’m about to be interrogated.
“Prepare one more seat and everyone leave the room. I have something important to discuss with my daughter.”
“Yes, Madam.”
After the maids set up the teacups and seats and leave the room,
“So? Tell me what happened.”
She gets straight to the point.
“It’s just about training…”
“Don’t try to hide it. Tell me properly.”
Sometimes my mother’s firm expression looks this scary.
Usually when she’s trying to get the truth out of me.
There’s nowhere to retreat now.
“I just told him I wanted to do secluded training.”
“Pfft-!”
She spits out the tea she was drinking.
..See, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.
“Wh-What? What training?”
“Secluded training, secluded training.”
“You, you… you little brat! Are you crazy?! You’re out of your mind!”
Seeing her approach me as if she’s about to hit me, I jump up from my seat and run to the other side of the room.
Whoa, I’d rather not have the Mom’s Touch, Mother..!
“I don’t want to get married anyway, so I need to be strong if I’m going to inherit the family!”
Ah, I should have said this to Father earlier.
Why am I thinking of this now?!
Of course, I don’t really care about the family or anything.
I just want a status window.
“Why don’t you want to get married?”
“Because I don’t want to!”
“Are you still hung up on that commoner boy?”
Commoner boy…?
What is she talking about?
“Dustin! The Knight Commander’s son!”
“Eww?! We’re not like that?!”
Look at the goosebumps on my arms.
It seems like she doesn’t remember that she was the one who kept trying to pair me with Dustin since we were young.
I always said no!
“But why?!”
“Because I don’t want to!”
I’m a man, for crying out loud!
Even though I was born as a girl, my heart is still that of a delicate man!
How can I marry someone with the same equipment and live happily ever after?
Well, of course, the people here have no idea about my situation, so they can’t help but talk about marriage.
“Anyway, you need to have a serious talk with your father.”
I can’t explain it to my mother, who has a completely bewildered expression.
I can’t tell her that her daughter is actually a man.
No, I mean, physically I’m a woman, but I’m not a woman, right?
Ah, damn it… I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore.
“Until then, don’t even think about leaving the house.”
Huh? Suddenly I’m grounded?
Does she think I’m going to run away and do secluded training like Celia…?
…She’s scary good.
I was planning to sneak out if they didn’t let me go.
Ugh, I shouldn’t have brought it up.