Chapter 5. Tanya Ansberg (1)
When people say goodbye, people change.
Recalling a phrase he had seen somewhere, Paula observed his master in the yard alone from early in the morning, devoted to training.
The longer the separation, the greater the bond accumulated, the more clearly the person who faced the breakup might change.
Suddenly, a thought passed through her mind.
Nearly two months had passed since Emilia left, and quite a few things had changed in Ludwig.
It wasn’t that I was suffering from depression or that my personality had changed.
He was calm and leisurely as usual, and he didn’t look so dark that he needed to relieve himself of his sorrow.
However, the biggest change was that the time and desire to invest in oneself increased.
“You worked hard. young master.”
“thanks.”
When I approached him and handed him a canteen, I snatched it and began to gulp down.
Hair and nape drenched with sweat. Paula smiled softly and wiped the sweat from his face.
“As the days are getting hotter, how about training at the gymnasium?”
“just. I’m going to wash it anyway, but it’s nice that it’s refreshing.”
“Bocchan too… … .”
That’s what he said, but Paula had a glimpse of why he insisted on wielding the sword alone in this courtyard.
That would also be the case, since this was the place where the two of them practiced every morning until Emilia left.
If you mention that, your dishonest master will surely deny it by shaking his hands and feet.
It looks like a pretty funny situation will be produced, but I decided to endure it for today.
“Did you read the letter that arrived yesterday?”
The first letter Emilia sent after leaving the Ipretz family mansion.
I don’t know if it’s a metaphor suitable for a man, but a beautiful flower bloomed on his face as he accepted it yesterday.
To put it bluntly, Diana, who was giggling over a letter, would have killed him, saying, ‘You’re more happy than when your parents returned home, son.’
Ludwig averted his gaze clearing his throat as if the memories of yesterday had come to his mind.
I thought I was good at controlling my emotions, but yesterday I couldn’t help it because I was so happy that I lost my reason even for a moment.
“What did Lady Emilia say?”
“As I said, they said that he entered as a disciple of the Sword Saint. He complained that he still couldn’t hold the sword properly and rolled it.”
When I looked back at the contents of the letter I had read yesterday and gave it to her, she gave a small nod and an expression of understanding.
If it was a swordsman, she was a highly reputed female swordsman who had never raised a disciple.
A person like that would have a lot of faith in teaching. It seemed that no matter how talented Emilia was, there was no exception.
By the way, to think that Emilia, not anyone else, was complaining.
Paula, who couldn’t easily imagine it because it was a scene that didn’t suit her, tilted her head slightly.
She was a woman who seemed to be able to overcome any adversity with a smile.
After all, does it mean that people are fundamentally the same no matter where they are?
“That’s the reason why you were more energetic in today’s training.”
I would have thought that the reason why his hands were sharp when wielding a wooden sword was hidden here.
As if she had uncovered her younger brother’s prank, Paula looked at him with a strange smile and said,
“… After all, it’s a ghost. how did you know?”
Ludwig’s expression also began to change moment by moment.
Since there will be no Buddha in this world, it is like playing on the palm of a goddess.
His body, which had risen from the vigorous movement he had just made, cooled down in an instant, giving him goosebumps.
“Because the power contained in the sword was heavier than usual. Even though I’m no stranger to swords, I can tell the difference because I’ve watched the young master.”
“To say it as if it were natural… … .”
Even if Emilia was present, it would not have been easy to notice such a subtle difference. Ludwig dared to assert that.
He did not underestimate Emilia’s insight, but rather highly valued Paula’s.
Although I’m not sure if I should take this positively.
“He doesn’t know much about swords, but he’s sharp in a strange corner.”
Paula did most of her work as a lady-in-waiting perfectly, but was virtually ignorant about martial arts.
It is possible to use light self-defense techniques, but it is not at the professional level of wielding a sword.
It was because the fact that the Ipretz family was not a military family had the biggest effect.
“Don’t you want me to be able to double as an escort like Miss Grita?”
Gritta, Emilia’s exclusive handmaid and escort, belongs to the prestigious Weimurn family.
That’s why I grew up learning various martial arts, including swordsmanship, from the time I was educated on basic knowledge as a child.
Paula always tried to make up for the shortcoming, but it was often canceled due to Ludwig’s dissuade.
“What is an escort… done. I don’t want to see you cry over your corpse.”
For the same reasons as now.
“Sometimes, I feel that the young master does not regard me as a lady-in-waiting.”
Paula speaks in a coy tone with a low laugh.
He could have guessed what the words meant, but he was too embarrassed to say it, so he turned his head and replied bluntly.
“Don’t ask me again. I don’t want to talk because I’m cringing.”
“Sometimes I think it’s good to tell your true feelings. young master.”
I knew it would be like this. As expected, it was clear that the words were brought out to make fun of himself.
I tried to ignore it, but the reason why I couldn’t do it was because of his temper.
Worried about what would happen if she kept her mouth shut for no reason and then really got mad at her.
In the first place, the owner said that he was worried about the lady-in-waiting, but in reality, the way he looked at Paula was far from being a master-servant, so it was possible.
“yes. I do it because I think like an older sister. done?”
“You really can’t tell… It’s a little embarrassing.”
“You told me to speak!”
Ludwig, who had been properly treated for the first time in a while, couldn’t overcome the frustration and shouted.
Today was a day when I especially missed Emilia.
* * * * * * *
Emilia had only two people she could call friends.
One is Ludwig Ipretz, a man whom he has cherished too deeply to be called a friend.
He was a man who was like a lantern that lit up her future path and guided her on a new path.
And the other is Tanya Ansberg.
Although there is a slight difference in the family’s reputation, the second daughter of the Ansberg Countess, who has learned to know each other since childhood and has a deep relationship with Emilia.
If Ludwig was the one who led and illuminated Emilia’s path, Tanya was the one who stood by Emilia’s side and silently walked with her.
“The Sogaju of the Ipretz family… The man Emilia has in mind?”
A sullen voice escaped from Tanya’s lips as she twisted her fingers through her flowing pink hair.
It was an unheard of rumor. It was a story that was even more unbelievable because he hadn’t said a word about it until Emilia left not too long ago.
However, her father, Till, nodded firmly with a confident attitude, as if this was a well-founded remark.
“I see.”
“Dad, where did you hear that?”
“This is the way I heard directly from Sir Stefan.”
If so, the source was too certain to be dismissed as a rumor circulating among families. No, it was safe to say that this was an established fact.
But Tanya’s brain refused to accept this lightly.
Who is Emilia? He was a precious friend of his who was more dignified and noble than any other man.
Although he is the next head of the count family, he is not a person to be passed over by a horse bone whose name is not even known.
It was clear that something was tricked. Her head started sending out warnings.
“Father, could you send a letter to the Ipretz family?”
“Complete letter?”
“Yeah. I want to meet the man Emilia fell for in person.”
At the bold request, he drooled and fell into thought.
He also thought it was strange.
Emilia was a girl who didn’t lift her heavy hips well in the mansion, and had no friends other than her daughter-in-law, Tanya.
To think that such a child suddenly had a crush on a man. When I first heard about this from Sir Stefan, I thought he had something wrong with his ears because of his old age.
“I get it. I will try my best for the Aifretz family.”
In the end, I reluctantly agreed to allow it to satisfy my curiosity.
I was worried that I might make a mistake by going to her daughter-in-law, who is so naive, but if the other person is a man that Emilia likes, I wonder if he will understand with a generous heart.
As the head of a family, it could be seen as a truly reckless act, but what can I do? That the father and the daughter of the law.
“Even if the visit succeeds, don’t be rude to the owner of Soga there.”
“What is that… How does your father see me?”
“I became a man, but I am an insolent daughter-in-law.”
“father!”
In any case, it was useless and I just screamed because I liked one voice, but it was deafening.
Til, who had calmed down her daughter’s anger by nodding moderately, cleared her throat and refreshed the atmosphere.
There was a need to change the topic because he knew that if he continued the story, he would only lose himself.
“Is there any reason you want to meet him?”
“I want to see if he is a suitable man for Emilia.”
“Hmm… Well, since he was an open-minded child with you, I can understand your concerns… … .”
He knew what feelings his daughter had for a woman named Emilia.
Rather than simply being friends, it must be vague admiration.
Contrary to her naive personality, Tanya, who was weak in body, always said as a habit that she wanted to be like that, looking at Emilia, who was strong and confident.
It must be for that reason that he wanted to meet Sogaju of the Ipretz family.
There are times when admiration becomes more distorted than friendship or love, if it is overly perverted.
Like a lofty flower blooming on a cliff, it feels like a friend whom you admire and who always seems to be there will leave.
Even if Tanya has the values of liking the opposite sex normally, this feeling that is rising in her heart right now could be called jealousy.
Because jealousy exists even in friendship and admiration, not love.
“Tanya, keep one thing in mind.”
“What is it? father.”
“If that child is the man he really likes, he must have that kind of charm. Whether it’s one’s ability, personality, or appearance.”
“Yes… Would you?”
What the hell does he want to say?
Tanya tilted her head with a mysterious expression on her face. Sighing in frustration, her father opened his mouth again.
“I don’t think so, but by all means, make sure you don’t give your heart to him.”
“Father too. Because you are worrying for nothing.”
Tanya had seen men from families with quite a reputation, but she hadn’t found a single person she liked.
Because she hadn’t even had her first love yet, she thought her eyes were too high, and she didn’t even think about looking for a man after that.
That such a person has feelings of admiration? to whom?
No matter how much my father’s advice, this time it was a really useless worry.
Watching his daughter leisurely drinking tea and boasting that it couldn’t be, Till couldn’t erase the anxiety he didn’t know for some reason.