---

Hailey was deep in thought about what to do with the little young master nestled in her arms.

The small child, staring down without a word, wouldn’t look at her no matter how many times she called. She could faintly feel the heat radiating from Alphonse’s head, so it wasn’t hard to guess he was embarrassed.

What could possibly be making this boy feel so shy?

To get him to speak, she first needed to understand the reason.

However, there was no need for Hailey to ponder deeply on it. She had already begun to suspect what Alphonse was feeling embarrassed about.

Hailey guessed that Alphonse felt guilty for watching her perform her morning sword dance. Initially, it may have been an accidental glimpse, but Alphonse had secretly watched her dance four or five times.

From what Hailey knew, Alphonse was a very smart and thoughtful child.

When observing Alphonse’s behavior, it was hard to believe he was only seven years old; he acted way too mature and considerate for his age.

It wasn’t simply because he was well-versed in etiquette and practicing it.

Although Hailey was at an age where she was just getting old enough to be considered an adult, as a maid serving Elena, she had a good grasp of social skills. Even from her perspective, Alphonse’s situational judgment and response were not those of a mere child.

Typically, a seven-year-old wouldn’t discreetly leave behind their favorite older brother and sister. Instead, they would cry and throw a tantrum to stay with them.

Wasn’t it just last spring, during the hunting tournament, that Alphonse had deftly made the other noble ladies surrounding Elena step aside at the perfect moment?

Currently, they stood in Count Kraus’s Lord Castle, and Alphonse was the second son of the Kraus family.

Strictly speaking, Alphonse hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, it would be Hailey who wielded her sword in someone else’s training grounds without permission.

Hailey thought Alphonse wasn’t entirely unaware of this fact.

However, this mature little boy was feeling guilty for having secretly watched someone else’s practice.

‘It shouldn’t matter too much.’

Alphonse had known for a long time that he was watching her dance. Since that very first morning when she had come out, his behavior towards her had changed; it would be impossible not to notice if he were completely oblivious.

From the beginning, she hadn’t intended to hide it.

The reason she came out at dawn to swing her sword wasn’t because she didn’t want to be seen. Rather, it was because she liked the sword dance she performed that morning, so it had become a habit to come out since then.

To be honest, Hailey was pleased that Alphonse harbored such feelings.

For a knight, it was dishonorable to sneak a peek at another’s training without permission, meaning Alphonse regarded Hailey as a proper mysterious knight.

‘First, I should probably explain that.’

If she spoke the truth, Alphonse’s guilt would ease a bit.

Since she was aware that he had caught her from day one, she might have felt a bit embarrassed if he or someone else had discovered she was dancing. So, the fact that Alphonse continued to feel shy made Hailey feel somewhat responsible.

While Hailey was contemplating how to break the silence, Alphonse beat her to it.

“…Please.”

“Huh?”

“C-can you let me go… Hailey? It’s hot…”

With his small cry, Hailey looked down at Alphonse.

“Oh.”

The muddled voice and the red-faced Alphonse made it immediately clear to Hailey what the problem was.

Though Hailey wasn’t particularly tall, she was still more than capable of holding the small child in her arms. Given Alphonse’s lightweight and petite frame, she had unconsciously been cradling him as if he were a doll.

Even in the middle of winter, people can sweat when pressed together, so with the early summer heat slowly rising, it was even more pronounced.

Moreover, since Alphonse was nestled between her breasts, there was no way he wouldn’t feel even hotter; that’s why he had been so red-faced from embarrassment.

*

After Alphonse managed to free himself from Hailey, a moment of silence lingered between them.

Physically and mentally, Alphonse needed to cool off, and there was no better cooling agent than silence. As the heat began to dissipate, Alphonse bowed his head to Hailey and offered an apology he had prepared.

“I’m sorry for watching your training without saying anything. I should have spoken up sooner, but I lacked the courage and only just found the words now.”

Although his face remained a bit flushed, it seemed his mind was clear, and his vocabulary was like usual.

Seeing Alphonse with such a serious expression, Hailey waved her hands and dismissed his apology.

“No, it was my fault for swinging my sword in the morning without permission. You have no fault in that, young master. By the way, the reason you were at the training grounds that morning was to practice, right? Have you been getting up early every morning to train?”

“Yes? Yes… that’s right?”

“That’s amazing!!”

Since Hailey couldn’t bear to keep looking at Alphonse’s flushed face, she decided to change the subject by complimenting him on why he was out there that morning.

It wasn’t just empty words to shift the topic; just as Alphonse had contemplated how to speak with her before meeting, Hailey had similarly thought about what to say when she encountered Alphonse. As a result, her thoughts naturally linked to why Alphonse had been outside that day.

At that age, when one still cherishes their sleep, getting up to practice on your own is quite commendable, and Hailey’s thoughts mirrored this.

Though he was flustered by the sudden praise, Alphonse’s smile gradually turned upwards.

As the conversation continued, the distance between them seemed to lessen.

Despite the earlier little mishap, the two were filled with the desire to talk, and their conversation progressed swiftly as Alphonse regained his composure.

Every time he talked with Hailey, Alphonse felt a refreshing sense of relief.

It felt as though something that had been blocked within him burst forth. He felt like he had put down some heavy stones he had been carrying in his heart. Oddly enough, although his heart still raced, it was something he could endure readily.

Every time Hailey explained why she had set her sword down and why she had picked it up again, he felt closer to her as he learned things he had been unaware of, making him smile anew.

“Hehe. Come to think of it, I’ve never shared this story with you, and just letting it out feels a bit freeing.”

Above all, he felt good seeing Hailey look at him with such a relaxed expression. Whether it was possible because he was young or not, it was a treasure to share a secret that even Elena, who could be considered closest to Hailey, didn’t know.

“Now that I think of it, I made it so you couldn’t train anymore because I came out at dawn, didn’t I? Then perhaps I should get permission from the commander and train in the afternoon…”

“No!!!”

“Huh?”

“When the sun is up, you have many things to do, right? If you mess up, people might think you’re slacking off… Also, even if Sir Gwen may seem lenient, he’s actually quite a hardliner! He might not allow a non-member to use the training grounds. And once knight training is over, my brother and I will use it, so Sir Gwen said he would regulate the training grounds at that time. So getting up early in the morning like this for the workout feels better, in my opinion!!”

“Oh… Hahaha, I see?”

Hailey nodded blankly at Alphonse’s enthusiastic words that spilled out without a break.

Alphonse felt a twinge of pain at having made Sir Gwen into a strict hardliner, but seeing Hailey nodding in understanding, his guilt seemed to wash away.

The reason Hailey appeared before him now was not to sneak off but to spend this morning time together—if she didn’t come, it would lose its meaning.

“But then, it means young master won’t be able to train…”

“In the first place, I’ve been focusing more on stamina training rather than swordsmanship during the morning, so it’s not an issue.”

“Ah~”

It wasn’t like he completely ignored swordsmanship, but the truth was he did prioritize stamina training more, so it wasn’t a total lie. It was half the truth.

“True, as you say, when the sun’s up, there’s much to do, so it’s not that easy. It would certainly be annoying for an outsider to mix in with the members and swing a sword… Then, if it won’t be an inconvenience to you, can I come out in the mornings going forward?”

“Yes! Of course!!!”

Once Hailey firmly declared she would only come out at dawn, Alphonse could smile brightly and respond.

Time had flown by so swiftly that in the distance, they could see the red light of dawn creeping into the dark sky. If they didn’t head back soon, others would catch on.

After chatting for a while and having to return, Alphonse felt it had been a worthwhile time. He couldn’t help but feel joyous about how far things had developed from merely observing.

It was just dawn, yet he already looked forward to the sunset.

“Little young master.”

Just as he was beaming with a smile and about to head back to his room, Hailey called him to a stop. Turning back, wondering if she had more to say, she handed Alphonse a small stone.

“You forgot this.”

“Oh, this is…”

As soon as she had held it, the colorless crystal emitted no light, but as it landed in Alphonse’s hand, it began to glow brightly. It was the illuminating stone Alphonse had brought as a replacement for a lamp. Hailey had apparently discovered it when she had inadvertently knocked it from his grasp.

“It’s so pretty! I practiced with this a lot when I was little. Seeing how bright it is now, I’m sure the little young master will grow up to be a wonderful knight!”

“Yes… Thank you for the compliment, Hailey.”

While Alphonse still felt his heart race a little at Hailey gently patting his head, it didn’t carry the same intensity as before. Instead, it felt like being splashed with cold water, waking him from the happy dream he was swimming in.

Hailey’s words were innocent and filled with kindness, but Alphonse knew it wasn’t all there was to it.

The shadow cast over Hailey’s face, visible past the bright glowing stone, was clear in Alphonse’s eyes.

After parting from Hailey, Alphonse stared at the brightly glowing stone in his hand for a while.

Was it because he had spoken with her and learned why she had put down her sword? That small, pebble-like illuminating stone handed to him felt heavy, like a boulder.

 

---