“Why is your master so cute and young?”
“I don’t know. She’s been like that since I met her.”
In the evenings, they had their short daily time together, Olivier and Jared.
Though they were not married, they made time for conversation before bed. This was time for them to get to know each other—or rather, time for Olivier to get to know Jared.
Yeny sometimes joined them, and sometimes she didn’t.
Jared knew Yeny was secretly assigning herself training, but Olivier did not.
Perhaps reflecting on her recent fight with Rosa Roen, Yeny had only been permitted the minimum amount of training by her grandfather. However, she seemed to be training even more in order to wield her sword more skillfully.
At the same time, Yeny, being Jared’s cousin, was confident that she knew him better than Olivier. Yet, she didn’t seem to feel the need to know everything about Jared. While her feelings for Jared were strong, and she was fixated on him, she lacked possessiveness.
It seemed Yeny herself simply wanted to shower Jared with affection and have those feelings reciprocated. Of course, if she could, she would want to possess him, shower him with her love alone, and be loved back, but she knew it was impossible given Jared’s current circumstances, so she didn’t ask for much.
Jared wondered why she was like that, but he couldn’t get an answer when he asked.
Meanwhile, Olivier wanted to know everything about Jared. She also wished for him to know about her and to possess her, a strong desire. But, having been raised as a noblewoman, she understood that possession was impossible. Therefore, she wanted even this small amount of time alone with him.
“And speaking of cute, Almeida has lived for over five hundred years, so she’s kind of beyond the norm. It’s pointless to worry about it.”
“Jared, you met her around the same age as her appearance, right? After being together for over a year, didn’t you develop any romantic feelings or anything like that?”
“I didn’t have those kinds of feelings. While I’m grateful to be her disciple now, at the time, it was half by force, and it was nothing but grueling torture disguised as training, so I didn’t have the emotional capacity for it. And physically, too.”
Olivier felt relieved that Jared didn’t notice her shiver as she recalled it. However, she couldn’t relax. Even if Jared only saw Almeida as his Master, she was different.
When they had spoken earlier, Almeida had teasingly said, “Make me your lover,” but Olivier, as a woman, had sensed the seriousness in her eyes. It was also obvious that she felt more for Jared than just a disciple, and the emergence of an unexpected rival unsettled her.
She had youth on her side. Or rather, she wanted to believe she did, but her fourteen-year-old appearance, despite her actual age, was unfair.
If the skills she possessed were obtainable through instruction, she would beg on bended knee to be taught.
“I was genuinely surprised when Almeida-sama visited, but thanks to her, I got to know Jared better again. You never talk about anything unless I ask, do you?”
“I’m sorry. But I’m not hiding anything. I’m just not good at talking about the past.”
It wasn’t that Jared had nothing to hide about his past. He was simply afraid of being disliked if he revealed everything.
He had done unspeakable and terrible things to survive. He had killed people. He had committed shameful acts.
He had no intention of hiding them, but he also felt no need to mention them—was it cowardly to think so?
“I told you I investigated you, didn’t I?”
“I remember.”
“But your history is unclear until you were twelve. I was able to investigate your history from thirteen to the present, but there was a blank of over a year, and more importantly, I can’t be sure if the information I found is accurate.”
“I imagine so.”
Jared hadn’t intentionally complicated his history, but due to his strained relationship with his father and his grandfather’s feelings, his history after thirteen was rather haphazard. Only Jared himself knew the truth.
He had only told his trusted grandparents the general flow of events. It was possible his grandfather had relayed some of it to Yeny or Duke Alway, but he hadn’t asked them to keep it a secret, so he didn’t mind.
From Olivier’s demeanor and tone, Jared gathered that she had investigated him herself and hadn’t obtained information from the Duke.
“You might be surprised, but I like you.”
Jared froze at the unexpected confession.
He was too stunned to do anything but be utterly surprised, never having expected to be confessed to at this moment. Olivier gave a wry smile.
“I haven’t told you my entire past either, but if you can feel even a little bit of affection for me, I want you to tell me about your past.”
“…Olivier-sama.”
“I’m not asking for everything. This is sudden, after all. But, if I may be selfish and ask you to tell me a little about your past now.”
Indeed, as Olivier said, it was sudden. He didn’t need to prepare himself, but he hesitated on how to even begin.
However, he had no choice but to refuse to tell her about his past here.
Because if he did, it would mean he felt nothing for Olivier.
Jared Murphy liked Olivier Alway. He also liked her mother, Hannelore, Trane, and even Yeny, who had admired and pursued him.
“Until I was twelve, it’s as you’ve investigated, Olivier-sama, so I’ll skip that part.”
“Then—”
“Yes, I’ll tell you a little about myself.”
Jared smiled at Olivier, whose eyes sparkled like a child’s.
Then, he opened his mouth, desperately suppressing the bitter feelings, anger, and sadness that welled up as he looked back on his past.
