"I heard the story. You still don't plan on putting down your sword, do you?"
"...No."
"Come to the training grounds tomorrow morning. Perhaps after swinging your sword throughout the break, your feelings might change."
"Understood."
Was this really the conversation of a father and daughter meeting again after several months? Their dialogue wasn't just dry—it was downright arid. Yet, both of them seemed used to it, and neither said anything further. Instead, their attention shifted to me.
"So, you're Elysia?"
His casual tone felt natural. After all, he was my friend's father and a man who had reached the pinnacle as a swordsman, so there was no room for discomfort.
"Yes, I'm Elysia Frentz, Marquess Attilia."
Though I'd been invited, I greeted him as politely as possible to avoid any missteps. Whether it was my courtesy or his personality, he didn't seem to care much. He simply approached the desk, moving closer to where Yuri and I stood, and extended his hand for a handshake.
Slightly surprised by the sudden gesture, I quickly responded, taking his hand and shaking it with appropriate respect, following his lead.
"It's hard to believe you're the same girl who once had no interest in swords."
"...I had to survive somehow."
I wasn't the real Elysia, but the part about picking up a sword to survive was no lie. My only value in the assassin guild had been my sword skills. Without that, I would've been discarded like many others, thrown into missions as expendable.
"I see. Then I'll see you at the training grounds tomorrow as well."
Without waiting for my opinion, he made the decision right then and there. Not that I had any reason to refuse. Learning from a Sword Master was an opportunity you couldn't buy with money.
"Let's meet again at dinner. You may go now."
With that, Craig dismissed us, and Yuri and I left the room. I glanced at Yuri's face and saw she wasn't the least bit surprised by the interaction.
"So, want to explore the mansion while we wait?"
"Sure. I'll be here for a few days, so it'd be good to know my way around."
"Sarah, you can go now. We'll be fine on our own. I'll call if we need anything."
"Yes, my lady."
Yuri dismissed the maid who had been following us and personally took me on a tour of the mansion. The house was enormous, with countless rooms—reception areas, a shared library, dining halls, and spaces for hosting parties. It was truly the mansion of a marquess, and while not as large as the academy, it was massive considering it was for one family. The number of servants required to manage such a place must've been significant.
The grounds outside the mansion were equally impressive. There was the training ground where I would be practicing from tomorrow, as well as a garden large enough for long walks, with neatly maintained flower beds. Walking through the gardens with Yuri, I became keenly aware of just how high-ranking a noble she was.
At the academy, it wasn't obvious since Yuri, Annie, and Cilly didn't flaunt their status, but seeing it firsthand made it clear that they lived in a different world from me. Annie and Cilly's homes were probably similar to this.
"Shall we head to my room now?"
"Where's your room by the way? I forgot to ask since we were busy looking around earlier."
"Follow me!"
With a beaming smile, Yuri grabbed my hand and eagerly led me along. We crossed the garden, entered the mansion, and climbed a flight of stairs. We ended up in front of the guest room I was staying in. Curious why she brought me to the guest room when she said we were going to her room, I looked at her questioningly. Yuri just grinned and led me a little further down the hall.
"Ta-da! Here's my room!"
Her room was right next to mine. Though the rooms were quite spacious, making the distance between them relatively large, they were still next to each other.
"Don't people usually keep some distance between the guest and family rooms?"
Normally, family members would keep their distance from guest rooms to maintain privacy and allow guests to feel more at ease. This was the first time I'd seen a family member's room so close to a guest room.
"That's true, but when you used to visit, you always stayed in the room you're using now. I moved to the room next to it back then so we could spend more time together. I've been using this room for over ten years now."
"Ah… sorry."
I hadn't known there was such a history behind it. Since I was pretending to have lost my memory, I felt bad and apologized.
"No need to apologize! Who knows? Maybe being here will jog your memory."
"I'll try my best."
I'm sorry… there's no memory to jog.
"Come on in!"
Yuri pulled me into her room. It had a similar feel to her room at the academy, which wasn't surprising since it was the same person's space.
The layout was almost identical to the room I was staying in, which made sense given that the rooms were right next to each other. However, her room was noticeably decorated in shades of pink. The furniture, wallpaper, curtains, and even the small accessories were all in pink tones, making it feel like a princess's room.
"Ta-da! This is my bedroom."
She opened one of the doors, revealing a princess-like bed. It was clear that this was Yuri's style. Beside the bed was a small table, and on it was a framed photograph that caught my eye.
"What's this...?"
I picked up the picture and saw three small children standing together. One boy sat pouting in the front, while two girls stood behind him, smiling brightly.
The girl with pink hair was clearly a young Yuri. And the silver-haired girl standing beside her...
"Elysia..."
When I received the fake identity for the assassination mission, I was given a brief explanation but no photographs. But seeing this picture made it clear why Yuri mistook me for the real Elysia. While the passage of time would've made distinguishing facial features difficult, the silver hair and red eyes were a perfect match.
"This was taken when we played together as kids. Do you remember?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize! You don't have to push yourself to remember. It might be a painful memory for you, so don't force it."
Though I had no memories to recall, I could still feel the longing Yuri must have for her old friend. The faded colors of the photo told me how long Yuri had been missing her.
"Anyway! We can look at pictures later. Come on, let me show you something else."
Sensing the mood, Yuri cheerfully changed the topic and led me to another room.
"Ta-dah!"
This time, it was a walk-in closet, filled with rows and rows of clothes. Even to my untrained eye, the outfits were incredibly luxurious. There were elegant dresses for social events, casual clothes, cute pajamas, and even some... intimate items.
Gasp!
I quickly turned my head, coughing in surprise. I couldn't stop coughing once it started.
"Elys!? Are you okay?"
Yuri rushed over to check on me, worried. Of course, I wasn't actually hurt—I had just been caught off guard.
"It's nothing. I just swallowed wrong and started coughing."
Fortunately, Yuri didn't seem to realize what I had seen. And why would she? It would be silly for a girl to be embarrassed by another girl's undergarments. I just did my best to keep my eyes away from that section of the closet.
"Should I get you some water?"
Cough "No, it's fine. Could we maybe... check out the next room instead?"
I figured leaving the closet would help calm my coughing, so I quickly suggested moving on.
"Wait here for a second."
Yuri stepped out and soon returned with a glass of water. In the brief time she was gone, I didn't sneak a peek at anything. I promise.
"Thanks."
A sip of water helped soothe my throat. Now that I was feeling better, I was ready to leave the closet and avoid any further awkwardness. However, just as I was about to leave, Yuri stopped me.
"Hm?"
"Elys, you're not much taller than me, right?"
It was true. Among my friends, Yuri was the one closest to my height. Cilly was slightly shorter, and Annie was... well, quite a bit shorter.
Come to think of it, even Fresia, though taller than Annie, was still fairly petite for her age.
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
"And you've only ever worn your academy uniform, right?"
Well, I've worn gym clothes, pajamas, and recently some casual clothes I bought with Cilly, but I hadn't worn anything else in front of Yuri.
"Maybe...? Why, Yuri? Why are you looking at me like that? Yuri...? Stop!"
Why is she approaching me with that expression? What are you planning with those hands!?
* * * *
[Note From Author: Though I haven't set the exact heights yet, I'm thinking Elysia and Yuri are around mid-160s cm, Cillian in the low 160s, Fresia around the low 150s, and Annie in the low 140s.]