The Smiling Death

Morning came in the blink of an eye.

Chirp, chirp.

Kukroo-koo!

The sound of a rooster crowing echoed through the village as dawn arrived.

Along with it came the gentle melodies of birds chirping—a peaceful sound that could rarely be heard anywhere except in quiet villages surrounded by nature.

Yawn~

Amon slowly opened his eyes, waking up early because of the unfamiliar yet calming sounds.

The bed he had slept on was made of thick straw and cloth stuffing rather than soft cotton, making it far less comfortable than the beds he was used to.

His expression immediately soured when he noticed Marcus sleeping peacefully on the same bed.

"Fuck... this might be one of the worst mornings ever."

Amon stepped out of bed and stretched his body.

"Here I am, dreaming of waking up every morning beside Scarlett and other beautiful women on a king-sized bed, surrounded by warmth and affection... but instead, my luck gives me this."

Muttering complaints to himself, he walked downstairs.

He stepped into the yard and stretched his arms toward the sky.

"Yawn~"

The warm light of dawn spread across the beautiful village, illuminating the cherry blossom trees scattered throughout the area.

The village was surrounded by endless green forests and towering mountains, creating a peaceful scenery straight out of a painting.

The villagers were already awake, as they were every morning, slowly beginning their daily routines.

Amon looked around before sighing.

"I have no wish to train today."

Even so, he performed a few simple stretches before taking out some tooth powder to clean his teeth.

After finishing, he went back inside the house and saw that the girls were already awake.

"Morning, Eli~"

He greeted the elf girl sitting in the living room.

Eliana looked up from her cup of tea.

"Morning, Amon."

"Is anyone using the bath?"

"No. You can go ahead and use it." She replied.

"Okay. By the way, where are Sera and Aisha?"

"Oh, they are preparing breakfast for us."

"Sera? She’s helping Aisha?"

"Yes." Eliana chuckled softly. "She doesn’t know how to cook, so she wanted to learn from Aisha."

"Nice. She’s a good girl, unlike some spoiled princesses."

Eliana slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Did you just call me... spoiled?"

Amon froze for a moment.

"You are getting bolder day by day, Amon."

The young man ran a hand through his hair and smiled confidently.

"When I reach the seventh rank, I will become even bolder than this. Just wait for that day."

"Sure, sure. I will be waiting to see that side of you, Amon."

Amon left her behind and went to take a bath.

After enjoying a refreshing bath, he changed into a simple black t-shirt and trousers before heading toward the kitchen to see if there was any tea left.

Just as he arrived, someone stepped out of the kitchen.

It was Seraphina.

She was wearing a half-sleeved black t-shirt similar to Amon’s. Her golden blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, revealing her smooth, fair skin.

However, what caught Amon’s attention was her different choice of clothing today.

He blinked as his eyes moved downward.

She was wearing dark blue shorts that revealed her toned, fair legs—clearly showing the results of her constant training.

"Wow... now this is the kind of morning I wanted."

"Morning, Amon."

Seraphina didn’t seem bothered by his gaze and casually greeted him.

"Oh, yes. Morning, Sera~"

She was holding a clay cup filled with herbal tea.

"I was actually bringing this tea for you. But it seems you came here yourself. Here, take it."

She handed the cup to him.

Amon smiled gently and accepted it.

’Seraphina brought tea for me herself in the morning without me even asking... she’s really sweet.’

Seraphina tilted her head slightly.

"Drink it before it gets cold. And let’s have breakfast together."

"Yes."

Amon couldn’t help but feel delighted.

This kind of morning was simply wonderful.

Yawn~

Just then, Marcus walked down the stairs while rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"I slept longer than usual today."

Amon and Seraphina looked at him.

Amon crossed his arms and said, "You slept like a log. As a noble, you should have been awake hours ago."

"Shut up!"

Marcus became irritated after hearing Amon’s words and quickly headed toward the bathroom.

"Haha!"

Amon could only chuckle at his reaction.

---

After Marcus freshened up, they all gathered around the wooden dining table for breakfast.

While eating, they began discussing their next course of action.

Seraphina was the first to speak.

"We will begin our mission at noon, so make sure everyone is prepared before then."

She looked at everyone and continued explaining.

"We will ask the villagers about the bandits in detail. If anyone has seen them, where they were spotted, how many there were, or if they have heard about any recent incidents involving them. Every small piece of information could be useful."

She then continued,

"After lunch, we will head into the forest together and search for any clues that could lead us to their hideout. We will also investigate during the night since bandits are more active after sunset."

She gave them a serious look.

"So don’t expect us to sleep early tonight."

Everyone agreed with her plan.

After breakfast, Eliana and Aisha stayed behind to wash the dishes.

Marcus went outside to continue his training.

Meanwhile, Amon looked toward Seraphina.

"How about taking a walk around the village before we start our mission?"

Seraphina tilted her head slightly at his suggestion but soon smiled.

"Sure. Let’s go."

The two left the house and walked through the quiet village roads.

The path was not made of stone like the streets of cities. Instead, it was a simple dirt road surrounded by houses, fields, and beautiful cherry blossom trees.

Amon noticed Seraphina walking barefoot.

"You’re not wearing shoes?"

She looked down at her feet and calmly replied,

"It’s fine. These roads are peaceful. There is no need to wear them."

Amon looked at her for a moment before removing his own shoes.

"Then I won’t wear them either."

Seraphina blinked in surprise before laughing softly.

"Are you copying me?"

"Of course not."

Amon looked away with a serious expression.

"I’m simply enjoying the same experience as you."

"That sounds exactly like copying me."

"You’re imagining things."

Seraphina smiled at his shameless response.

"You really won’t change."

"And that’s a good thing."

Amon looked around the village as they continued walking.

"Honestly, this place is pretty peaceful."

"It is," Seraphina agreed. "It’s completely different from the cities."

"Yeah. In cities, everyone is always rushing around. Nobles worrying about politics, merchants worrying about money, adventurers worrying about their next mission."

He glanced at the villagers working nearby.

"But here, people seem satisfied with simple things."

Seraphina nodded.

"My family territory is also like this. There are many villages where people live quiet lives. But I never live in those villages. It’s first time."

Amon looked at her.

"You are experiencing for first time. That means you are enjoying it."

"I have visited them... but never live there."

She smiled faintly.

"My father always told me that a noble shouldn’t only sit inside a mansion and make decisions based on reports. If we want to protect our people, we should understand how they actually live. I guess I am doing that right now."

Amon raised an eyebrow.

"Your father is really good person. Though he gets angry on me for no reason."

"He is good and protective father. That’s why he gets angry on you. Since you are a man, very close to his daughter."

Seraphina’s expression softened.

"He can be strict sometimes, but he truly cares about the people under his rule. So don’t worry, I know he will like you in future. When you meet him again."

Amon smiled.

"Then I guess I have chance to impress him."

"Impress?"

Seraphina looked at him suspiciously.

"Why you want to impress him?"

"Of course."

Amon paused before adding,

"It’s important to impress him... who knows it might be useful for us in future."

Her expression immediately changed.

"My grandfather likes you. I think that’s enough. You don’t need to worry about other things."

Amon laughed.

"I’m just saying, just in case."

Amon glanced at her.

Seraphina wondered why Amon was talking and focus on impressing her father.

Then a thought came to her.

Her cheeks turned into deep shade of red.

For a moment, she didn’t say anything.

Then she looked away, hiding the embarrassed expression.

"You say strange things sometimes, Amon."

"But you don’t dislike them."

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she continued walking, while that red color remained on her fair skin.

The villagers they passed greeted them with friendly nods, and the two returned their greetings.

The peaceful atmosphere, the gentle morning breeze, and the quiet village made the walk feel almost unreal.

Soon, they reached a small pond at the edge of the village.

A simple stone bench rested beside the water, surrounded by beautiful cherry blossom trees.

The wind passed through the branches, sending countless pink petals floating through the air.

Amon and Seraphina sat down together, quietly enjoying the scenery.

They were sitting close to each other.

For a while, neither of them spoke. They simply watched the petals dance across the pond.

Then Amon slowly turned his head.

The morning sunlight fell gently on Seraphina’s face, highlighting her golden hair and calm expression.

Looking at her peaceful smile, he couldn’t help but think. This was the kind of morning he had always wanted.

She slowly turned to look at him.

There face were closer to each other.

Her golden eyes met his black. The calmness and indifferent in her golden eyes turned into gentleness as she watch him into eyes.

----

[A/N: Amon and Seraphina sitting on bench, it’s image I uploaded in discord server. Go and check it out.]