Chapter 38

“I heard that the young master is preparing for independence,” Malena said, her voice barely audible.

Odelliana paused her reading, her gaze shifting to Malena, who was sitting modestly, a bit out of sync with her imposing stature. “Yeah,” she replied.

“I heard you’re going with him,” Malena continued.

“That’s right,” Odelliana confirmed. “If my brother says he won’t take me, I’ll grab his pant leg and plead with him pathetically.”

“Is that so?” Malena asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Malena was not one to talk much in general. Odelliana, judging that there was no point in continuing the conversation with someone so taciturn, lowered her gaze back to her book. Then Malena threw out another topic.

“You’re not watching me anymore,” she observed.

Odelliana paused, her expression unreadable. “For a while, that boy was sent to keep an eye on me,” Malena explained.

“I dismissed him,” Odelliana replied. “It’s no longer necessary.”

“Why?” Malena asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I’m not going to spend my life doubting whether you’re the right person for me or not,” Odelliana replied, her voice firm. “And it’s been almost a month, so that’s more than enough for an evaluation period.”

Malena focused solely on her tasks in the annex, avoiding any behavior that could raise Odelliana’s suspicions or irritate her. While it was possible she was acting with the awareness that she was being watched, after Hermann’s recent incident, Odelliana had completely let go of her vigilance regarding Malena.

“Since I’ve given you my trust, there’s no need to doubt you any longer,” Odelliana had declared.

Malena was the one who had thrown herself into the kick to protect Odelliana. Given that she had directly proven her intentions through her actions, what would be the point of remaining suspicious of her?

“How’s your body? I heard you sprained your wrist,” Odelliana asked, her voice filled with concern.

“I’m fine,” Malena replied, her voice steady. “It’s just a bit uncomfortable because everyone is overly concerned about my injury.”

“And the bruise?” Odelliana inquired.

“After applying the medicine you gave me for about three days, it’s all gone,” Malena answered.

“You were lucky that your body was stronger than others,” Odelliana remarked. “If it had been someone else, that injury wouldn’t have ended there.”

“Yes, that’s why I stepped in,” Malena replied, her voice filled with determination. “If you had taken that brutal attack with your weak body, you wouldn’t have survived.”

Malena jumped in to embrace Odelliana without a hint of hesitation. Even while enduring Hermann’s kick, the look on her face seemed to say she had no regrets about that choice, and it left a vivid impression in Odelliana’s mind.

After that day, Odelliana decided to stop keeping her distance from Malena.

“Why are you smiling?” Malena asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

“Just thinking back to that time,” Odelliana replied, her eyes sparkling. “Your actions were quite admirable.”

“By the way, you speaking to me first also shows that you seem to have developed some interest in me, huh?” Odelliana continued, her tone playful. “Looks like you’re done with drawing lines.”

“How could I draw a line with my master?” Malena retorted, her voice firm.

Didn’t you draw the line so thoroughly? Odelliana thought. Neither she nor Malena had engaged in much private conversation, so this situation where Malena was probing into various matters was quite fascinating.

“Alright, getting back to the main point, if I become independent, I’ll be leaving this miserable place,” Odelliana announced. “I originally planned to move out with only Matthias, but since you brought up the topic of independence first, are you also considering following me?”

“I’m contemplating it,” Malena replied.

“Really? That’s unexpected,” Odelliana said, surprised. “I thought you’d immediately say you wanted to quit and stay here.”

“I think I’m more suited to it than I expected,” Malena replied, her voice filled with confidence. “It pays more than mercenary work, and it’s easier on the body.”

“Other kids are complaining about not wanting to serve under me.”

To be precise, the servants in the annex were terrified since they had witnessed Odelliana tearing Adella’s mouth apart. It was disheartening enough to be stuck in a shabby building that was worse than the servants’ quarters in this luxurious mansion, and if they ever fell out of their master’s favor, they could become the second victim of a mouth-tearing incident. So, they were wary and their expressions became gloomy, leading to weight loss and a gaunt appearance.

“So, you’re not having them directly serve you, are you?” Malena asked.

“What good would it do to make those who don’t want to?” Odelliana replied.

“Aren’t you considering their feelings?” Malena persisted.

Odelliana paused, her expression unreadable.

“I know it’s because they’re all afraid to serve you directly,” Malena continued. “So, you intentionally assign them only menial tasks that don’t require face-to-face interaction.”

“What are you talking about? I’m not blatantly favoring Matthias and discriminating against them,” Odelliana retorted, her voice rising.

“Oh, really?” 

The answer was vague. The way she scoffed at it was rather audacious. However, oddly enough, it didn’t leave a bad impression.

“What do you want to say?” Odelliana asked, her voice filled with impatience.

“I just think that you’re not as cruel as the rumors suggest,” Malena replied. “You can ignore that; it’s just my opinion.”

“Are you trying to score points with me or something?” Odelliana questioned.

“Points? I wouldn’t need to make such efforts to get a high score,” Malena replied, her voice filled with confidence. “Is there any reason to do something unnecessary?”

“What gives you that confidence?” Odelliana asked, her voice filled with amusement.

“I believe I’m the best worker in this mansion,” Malena replied, her voice steady.

It wasn’t exactly a false statement, so Odelliana found herself agreeing. Suddenly, though, she felt the absurdity of the situation. What had gotten into Malena, who usually exchanged only a word or two, to be so chatty today?

“Why are you like this today? What do you want?” Odelliana asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I just felt the need to have a conversation more often,” Malena replied, her eyes sparkling. “Let’s say it’s also for my evaluation period.”

“What?” Odelliana exclaimed, her surprise evident.

“I want to see if you’re a master worth following after I sort out my life here,” Malena explained, her voice filled with determination.

What was this bizarre turn of events?

As an incredulous look appeared on Odelliana’s face, Malena smiled and stood up. “Then, please take your rest,” she said.

With that, she briskly walked out. Left alone, Odelliana was stunned for a moment before breaking into a chuckle.

She’s really trying to crawl all over me, Odelliana thought.

Yet, rather than feeling offended or irritated, it made her laugh. After all, Malena had always been excessively honest. She appreciated that straightforwardness.

Odelliana smiled to herself and focused back on her book, thinking that if Malena pleaded with her to take her along, she might consider it.

***

After that talk about independence, Blair remained silent. Likewise, Hermann, the instigator of that uproar, was conspicuously quiet. Though Odelliana feared he might retaliate against Matthias or Malena, fortunately, he seemed preoccupied with his duties as the family heir or perhaps was less narrow-minded than she had imagined.

Hermann’s schemes remained shrouded in mystery, especially considering his determination to prevent Matthias from becoming a knight. Thankfully, the registration for the knight exam was completed without incident, and the exam day was just a month away.

The knight exam, ostensibly designed to increase the number of knights by giving talented commoners a chance, had become a wall of lamentation for the common people.

The commoners selected through the exam were typically from the affluent class, those considered somewhat “educated” among their peers. Even these individuals often had to resort to bribery to improve their chances of passing.

The first evaluation criterion was mastery of the knight’s manual, a significant barrier for most illiterate commoners. This was Odelliana’s primary concern when she decided to help Matthias become a knight.

However, her worries were unfounded.

“Did you know how to read from the start?” Odelliana asked.

Matthias paused before answering, “No. I could only read certain words.”

“And yet you’re learning this quickly?”

“It’s not difficult.”

At this stage, it was typical for Matthias to be illiterate, like most lowborn children.

In his previous life, he had been a squire to Jocelyn and commander of the Second Knight Order, receiving his knighthood from Aidas Rachua. He had become a knight immediately and later received formal education, including reading skills. However, his learning had been slow due to his general disinterest.

The current Matthias, however, seemed like a prodigy. While studying, I had feared he would focus on me rather than the book, but he grasped my teachings immediately and applied them effectively.

Could he have pretended to be illiterate in his previous life as well? She found it hard to believe that such a rapid learning pace was possible.

While grateful for his astonishing progress, she felt a sense of unfamiliarity as she observed him listening with his innocent face. She had considered herself close to him, knowing a lot about him, but seeing him reveal this new side of himself was exhilarating, like an explorer discovering a new continent. Teaching him became genuinely enjoyable. His passionate student’s gaze, filled with shining eyes, was adorable, and she felt a maternal pride, even though he wasn’t her biological child.

“This truly feels like a true teacher-student relationship. Right, Master?” 

“…Yeah.”

In his previous life, all she had taught him was how to shed blood. It was laughable to call it a normal teacher-student relationship. He had been an uncontrollable beast handed over by his lord, and she was nothing more than his watcher and trainer, uncertain of his next move.

Now, with the book between them, there was no doubt it was a model teacher-student relationship. The title of “Master” he used made her feel somewhat dignified.

This time, I’ll take responsibility and raise him into a fine man.

Yes, she would nurture him into someone even more impressive than he had been in his previous life.

A gentle smile spread across Odelliana’s lips. It felt unexpectedly good to finally have a normal teacher-student relationship.