Only with Your Heart

When the view of the dining room looking down from the upper seat was different again, Chizuru noticed for the first time that he was made to sit next to Luklov.

All the others cook thoughtful dishes on their own plates, but just as Ruklov has a boy who serves properly, and this also serves his husband with teasing diligence.

"Master Ruklov, we'll have a meal for this lady too, won't we? Nice to meet you, I'm Nadal. Say anything."

Thirteen or four years old, the brown curly haired boy, named Nadal, greeted Chitsuru so, sitting next to Ruklov.

The large eyes are honey-like in color, and the youthful skin is scattered with scabs. He's a skinny, witty boy who moves tightly on his nostalgic face. Adorable.

"Nice to meet you, Nadal. I'm Chizuru... but I don't need to use salutations."

Laughing and Chizuru answered, Nadal dyed her cheeks so tightly that she could see them beside her.

"Master Luklov!

Nadal snuck his ear at Ruklov. Though the neighbor Thousand Cranes also sounded round.

"Where the hell did you find such a lovely woman? I thought you were just visiting that lonely settlement."

An inspection of the settlement?

Are you referring to the settlement of Rodolgo? In other words, Ruklov was just inspecting the purpose of this trip. Not to find Chizuru.

"Nadal, watch your mouth."

Ruklov's voice was strict, but somewhere it sounded like he was enjoying the pleasure of this boy.

"She's my guest. to treat it as equivalent. Bring a meal… but don't serve alcohol no matter what happens to her"

"No booze, is it?

Nadal looked around busily alternating between Luklov and Thousand Cranes.

"No booze."

Ruklov affirmed.

Chizuru blushed and shrugged his shoulders.

There is a similar custom here to drinking low-alcohol sweet grapes instead of water. Most humans have been drinking since they were quite young, so they are immune. But Chizuru was different.

I can't drink alcohol at all, but I haven't had anything else to drink in my mouth and have tried it forcefully several times... I have been badly drunk or lost my mind. It was Ruklov who looked at me that time.

"... you remember?

Chizuru snorted into the gap where Nadal left her seat to prepare her meal.

Luklov lowered his back to the master's chair of the castle, where heavy wooden ornaments and dark red velvet unleashed majesty, with a calm face intact, only slightly raised one eyebrow and answered the thousand cranes.

"You can't forget if you want to. I've been vomited on my beloved horse, and I've tried to take my clothes off in front of everyone. Yeah, well, I used to be walked all day carrying someone who couldn't walk because of a hangover... even though it was such a cliff road that I couldn't ride a horse. Well, I'm not saying who."

"Luklov."

Chizuru raised his voice low to shame, but Ruklov was at peace himself.

I'm glad you remember fourteen years. On the other hand, I feel complicated even though there were parts you could forget. I just think I saw Ruklov's expression shine with pleasure under his calm mask when I told him the memorabilia, though that was still a pleasure.

When someone asked about Chizuru, Ruklov declared that he was a "guest".

I wonder how to take this.

Freed from his breakfast seat, Chizuru decided to return to his room once with Alde, who had picked him up.

Ruklov apparently spends the day at the training ground, and he's not here.

You won't have a chance to see your face until lunch, that was.

All the inhabitants of this castle, including the knights, were well-trained and courteous. Without prying more into the existence of Chizuru than necessary, he seems to be very receptive to Ruklov's "guest" declaration.

What rumors stood behind it was a mystery though.

"Mr. Ruklov told you to rest well today."

"Yeah, but... they didn't even tell me not to go outside... Can I show you around the castle for a little while today?

"Well. I don't mind, but is Master Chizuru's body okay?

"Ugh, yeah."

Sure, the part of the woman between her legs was still complaining of tingling, mild pain, but not the way she had to lie in bed all day. Instead, doing so seemed to plug it back in.

"Sure, there are a few places I'd like to show you."

Alde glanced up at the sun through the window after checking the flowering water that was next to the bed.

"The weather looks nice, and shall we? If you don't mind, I'm using it outside the castle without permission."

"Really?

If you want to leave, you can do whatever you want - it was Lucroff who said that.

I feel there are some inconsistencies in what he says and does to Chizuru, and Chizuru still can't hold on to his position. However, if he's telling you not to leave the castle without permission, I'm not going out of my way to imitate breaking it.

Maybe...... Chizuru has to regain his trust first.

Maybe love and love and all that stuff is something that then (and then) has to be built on that trust.

"Of course, just where you're allowed. And I'd love to see Alde's husband and daughter if I could."

"Well, is it true? Whatever your husband is, your daughter is a jerk."

Hehe, and Alde had an inclusive laugh that seemed fun.

The two followed the room and slowly began to explore the large castle where there was likely to be any place to see it.

Alde's daughter was called Noah, a pretty girl with blue eyes just like her mother and black curly hair conceded by her father.

All the servants' children were there, and the daytime was spent downstairs from the infant who had just breastfed to the age of twelve or three, just before he began serving, in and around the small stone building on the corner of the castle. Is it a place like a nursery in modern times?

"Chizuru! Play with Noah more!

The number of children is nearly fifteen. In contrast, only one elderly woman, about sixty years old, and a total of two young teenage girls, the other, took care of the adult, making a lot of noise when Chizuru turned up with Alde.

"No, play with me again earlier! The one called Dharmasan Colonder!

"Wait, wait, it would be more fun for us all to play together. Everybody over here."

"Wow!"

When I speak to the children, I can quickly create a ring that surrounds Chizuru all the way around.

Every face had sparkling eyes and the outfit was the prime, but the plump cheeks, which were properly nourished, were adorable. Everyone, even with some personal differences, is uncontrolled and healthy.

Chizuru couldn't stop his pride from gushing up.

─ ─ Because this is proof of how good Ruklov is as a castle owner. I have seen some of the dukes and counts of this era force even these children to work and not give them much to eat.

"Shall we play a new game now? Do you know the trick?

"Yeah!"

"Of course!"

"Master Chizuru is a ghost. Come on, hurry up."

Chizuru had completely turned into a kindergarten teacher if you noticed. But being surrounded and admired by bright children was also an experience that washed my mind. Thousands of cranes originally liked kids, and I'm glad they could be of some use.

So a new life is about to begin...... Chizuru is more than just waiting for him in bed as Ruklov's mistress, because I was just hoping he had some role or work to do.

"I'm sorry, Master Chizuru. If you don't like it, you can stop it."

Alde and the elderly woman said so sorry to be together, but Chizuru shook her neck sideways, surrounded by the children.

"Yeah, never mind because it's fun. As much as I want to come here every day."

I meant it.

Chizuru enjoyed the innocence of the children, and the children became obsessed with the presence of their new sister. Chizuru taught them some Japanese play, and vice versa, they taught them this nursery rhyme.

Time passed quickly, and sometime Chizuru spent most of the morning in these children's gardens.

And when it was time for lunch to begin, Chizuru and Alde were leaving the children and strolling around the main tower.

"That will be the training ground for the knights. Did you see it when you got into the castle?

Pointing to the dusty square, Alde taught Chizuru so. In the distance I can also see the men challenging the fight with various weapons.

Chizuru nodded.

"Yeah. Even from here, it's huge."

"Sometimes we invite guests to do spear matches right here. He doesn't like Mr. Ruklov very much, rarely."

"Oh well..."

But horse spear matches, especially the young knights, often wanted to prove their strength and emerge or win prizes. When Luklov himself was young, he showed strength in these ways, and stood up to the king's eyes. But now I don't know what I need to prove.

Lucrov was just fighting because he had to, and he wasn't the type of warrior who liked to jump into the fight from himself.

That is why his sword was a sword of technology, always without losing its calm, even beautiful.

Chizuru is fu,

"Look, like"

And I was talking.

"Huh? Did I say something?

"Oh, yeah, you know... I thought maybe I could see a little Lucroff. I hope it's from a distance so I don't get in the way."

"Oh, of course, I think you'll be fine. Nothing in particular prohibits you from seeing it. The young daughters of the castle have come all the way to the game."

"Really?

Chizuru was relieved and listened to Alde's explanation with a little jealousy.

He says he is forbidden to enter the venue because he trains using real weapons, but is rather encouraged if he just sees them in faraway windings.

"Shall we go?"

Alde himself said so with pleasure, taking him to a place where it was easy to watch Chizuru.

It wasn't otherwise popular because time was time, but there was a corner available to even bench-like chairs, and the two of them lowered their hips there.

I can see the hard-worked men fighting with horrible shapes of spears and axes that don't even know their names, or the knights on horseback meeting with their long swords with immersion. Even Hollywood movies won't make this powerful. After all, if you are alarmed, the sand and pebbles rolled up by the knights can fly in.

It was quite interesting... Chizuru couldn't find the person he wanted, no matter how many eyes he stared at.

Yes, Ruklov's not here.

"Isn't that Master Chizuru! Did you come to this place?"

Suddenly he was called from behind, and Chizuru and Alde looked back at the same time.

Nadal, the young man who served in the morning, was about to come this way with an exaggerated eye open. The look was so dramatic, Chizuru snapped his neck.

"What's wrong, Nadal?

"No, actually, it's Master Luklov..."

Nadal stopped her leg in a leather sandal and scratched her head as she made a noise with me.

"I'm sure I didn't know Master Chizuru was here..."

…… What do you mean? "

To Chizuru's question, Nadal stuffed the words for a moment, but immediately began to explain them as if they were indulgent.

"Actually... a while ago, they left the training ground when they said they were picking up Master Chizuru. Look, it's almost lunch. I said I should go and get it instead, but Mr. Ruklov told me to go myself..."

Chizuru and Alde quickly looked at each other.

Does that mean...... that Ruklov has reached the empty Thousand Cranes room by now?

Thousand cranes, even on their own, found blood drawing from their faces.